EA shutting down more online game servers

[Westy]

ouch!  gotta wonder who's driving that junker these days?

http://www.ea.com/2/service-updates

[indy007]

They're encouraging users to upgrade to the 2010 game releases. Nothing special or surprising... unless you think a company should be required to maintain player stats for obsolete games?

[IrishOne]

all about $$$

[68ZooM]

EA dont care about its customers, once they got your money they dont need ya no more.

[Westy]

 Huh?  2009 games are "obsolete"?  I can see 2005, 2006 or 2007 however 08 and 09 games being
classified as obsolete at the beginning of 2010 is baloney. For sure it is about the $$$. EA has always
been abou that for sure. Imo though this may backfire on them with some customers as they, like I,
would expect to have a 2K10 game bought now to be playable online past Jan-Feb of 2011.

[indy007]

Huh?  2009 games are "obsolete"?  I can see 2005, 2006 or 2007 however 08 and 09 games being
classified as obsolete at the beginning of 2010 is baloney. For sure it is about the $$$. EA has always
been abou that for sure. Imo though this may backfire on them with some customers as they, like I,
would expect to have a 2K10 game bought now to be playable online past Jan-Feb of 2011.

Uhm, of course it's about money. How do you get a continual revenue stream on a seasonal game? You can't. That's why you have to encourage users to go to 2k10. If they do not, and keep playing old versions, how do you pay for development of the 2010 model?

Everybody said that the lack of dedicated servers would kill MW2. Everybody was wrong about that too.

[allaire]

Pfft they are all sports games so it doesn't effect me.

Not really wrong on the no dedis killing MW2.  It's happening slowly but they are losing players.  I would say once all the people that don't care for the game have an alternative you will see a mass of people leaving.  Which is a bad thing for a game the uses a P2P protocol.

[Latrobe]

Huh?  2009 games are "obsolete"?  I can see 2005, 2006 or 2007 however 08 and 09 games being
classified as obsolete at the beginning of 2010 is baloney. For sure it is about the $$$. EA has always
been abou that for sure. Imo though this may backfire on them with some customers as they, like I,
would expect to have a 2K10 game bought now to be playable online past Jan-Feb of 2011.

It's EA, yesterday is obsolete to them.

[Fishu]

Uhm, of course it's about money. How do you get a continual revenue stream on a seasonal game? You can't. That's why you have to encourage users to go to 2k10. If they do not, and keep playing old versions, how do you pay for development of the 2010 model?

They could at least finish the games they've sold unfinished. Or rather finish the games before selling those.

[Ack-Ack]

Huh?  2009 games are "obsolete"?  I can see 2005, 2006 or 2007 however 08 and 09 games being
classified as obsolete at the beginning of 2010 is baloney. For sure it is about the $$$. EA has always
been abou that for sure. Imo though this may backfire on them with some customers as they, like I,
would expect to have a 2K10 game bought now to be playable online past Jan-Feb of 2011.

The most likely reason for shutting down the servers for their '09 games is that the net stats probably showed lower server activity for these '09 titles that didn't justify the cost in keeping these servers active.  Yes, it's all about the money and frankly, it is EA's job to generate money for their shareholders so it's not a surprise or some under-handed thing from "Evil EA".

Now, what EA did to Pandemic is underhanded and probably borders on the unethical, at least in regards to the actions of EA's CEO and his involvement into the entire affair.  That move was purely greed, not on EA's part but on the part of the CEO because his personal bank account increased by $6,000,000 when he ordered Pandemic shut down.


ack-ack

[sluggish]

Ummm....  Newsflash.  ALL BUSINESS IS ABOUT THE MONEY.  The trick is to dance on the fine line where you don't tick too many people off while maintaining your cost quotient.  EA has stuck a whetted finger to the wind and decided that this will pay off in the long run.  Get over it or move on.

[IrishOne]

have they shut down CoD4 servers??  dammit, i'm not ready to upgrade yet!

[DrDea]

EA is good at killing stuff. Look at AW. Bastards.

[Vulcan]

Wow, shutting down online play for games sold in 09 would probably breech some sorta consumer law here.

[allaire]

have they shut down CoD4 servers??  dammit, i'm not ready to upgrade yet!

That is Activision/IW's to abuse which they did with that abortion they call a pc title.