By Sagar V. Mankar In a significant move highlighting digital ownership issues, two gamers from California have filed a class-action lawsuit against gaming giant Ubisoft. The legal complaint, filed on November 4, challenges Ubisoft’s decision to shut down servers for The Crew, its popular open-world racing game, set to go offline in March 2024.
Matthew Cassell and Alan Liu, the plaintiffs, are seeking financial compensation for the physical copies they bought from GameStop in 2020 and 2018. Their argument is that Ubisoft’s decision to end server support makes their physical game purchases essentially useless. This case brings forward an important discussion about consumer rights in the age of digital gaming.
Why Did the Lawsuit Happen?
Ubisoft launched The Crew in December 2014, and it gained a steady following over nearly a decade. However, on December 14, 2023, Ubisoft announced its decision to end support for the game, citing “server infrastructure and licensing constraints” as the reasons. This move frustrated many players because The Crew requires a constant online connection, which means the game becomes unplayable once servers are shut down.
Cassell and Liu’s lawsuit includes a striking analogy to emphasize their frustration. As reported by Polygon, they compared the situation to buying a pinball machine:
“Imagine you buy a pinball machine, and years later, you find it missing key components like paddles and bumpers, leaving it unplayable. It’s as if the manufacturer came into your home and stripped your game, despite you paying full price for it.”
Ubisoft did offer refunds to recent buyers of The Crew, but long-time players who invested in the game years ago received no compensation. This lack of compensation fuels the core arguments of the lawsuit, which accuses Ubisoft of misleading consumers. The lawsuit claims that buyers believed they were purchasing complete games, not just licenses, even if they owned physical copies. Furthermore, it argues that Ubisoft misrepresented the content on these physical disks, which served only as keys to access the game online.
Other Games and Ubisoft’s Actions
Unlike The Crew, some Ubisoft titles, such as Knockout City and older versions of Assassin’s Creed, received offline patches after server support ended. Moreover, newer games in The Crew franchise, like The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest, offer offline play options. This inconsistency has left some long-term The Crew players feeling unjustly treated.
Broader Implications for Digital Gaming
This lawsuit is part of a wider push for better consumer rights in gaming, focusing on maintaining access to purchased content. The movement aligns with the “Stop Killing Games” campaign, led by YouTube creator Ross Scott. This campaign has gained widespread support, including over 379,000 signatures on a petition calling for the European Union to ensure that games remain playable even after official support ends.
The case’s outcome could set an important precedent for how gaming companies manage server shutdowns and consumer rights. California is already moving in this direction, with new laws coming into effect in 2025. These laws will require digital platforms like Steam to inform customers that they are purchasing a license, not full ownership of a game. Although these laws have not yet been implemented, they indicate a growing call for transparency in digital sales.
A Look at Other Game Shutdowns
Not all games share the same fate as The Crew. Nintendo plans to make Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp available in an offline format by December 3, 2024, following the end of its online services on November 28, 2024. However, some games, such as Concord, were removed from online availability shortly after release, despite years of development, leaving fans disappointed.
The decision in this lawsuit could change how companies handle game shutdowns, potentially leading to more protections for consumers. For more updates on this developing story and other gaming news, stay connected with Gaming Foodle!