It’s hard to believe that a game just 2 years old can’t be allowed more time online. Is this the way future games will be? In order to play the next generation of this game, you will forcefully have to buy the current years model! Servers just instantly shut down for them!
Ugh, what a shame, granted, it doesn’t effect me personally, but I’m sure this will hit a few of you, and it sure is a messed up thing to do. Let’s hope that other companies don’t look at this as an open invitation to do the same. Sure they are older games, and at one point they should go off, but these games aren’t that old. We just entered 2013, and these games came out in 2010, to be fair, at the moment of the announcement, it has only been 2 years.
Here’s the list of the games EA will be shutting down.
January 19, 2013 — Online Services Shutdown
- Trenches II for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch
January 14, 2013 — Online Services Shutdown
- The Sims 2 for PC/MAC and TheSims2.com
January 11, 2013 — Online Services Shutdown
- FIFA Soccer 11 for PC, PS3, Wii & Xbox 360
- FIFA Soccer 11 Ultimate Team for PS3 & Xbox 360
- Madden NFL 11 for PS3, Wii & Xbox 360
- Madden NFL 11 Ultimate Team for PS3 & Xbox 360
- NBA JAM for PS3 & Xbox 360
- NBA LIVE 10 for PS3 & Xbox 360
- NCAA Football 11 for PS3 & Xbox 360
- NHL 11 for PS3 & Xbox 360
- NHL 11 Ultimate Team for PS3 & Xbox 360
January 3, 2013— Online Services Shutdown
- FIFA Manager 11 for PC
December 31, 2012— Online Services Shutdown
- World Series Superstars for Facebook
Source: EA – Service Updates
This is a problem for a lot of games, not only EA titles. One of the main pluses of XBL is that they will provide online connectivity for any game. Let’s look at the Burger King games that came out in 2006. These are completely low budget titles that still have online play TODAY (01/03/2013). Why? Because they allowed XBL to handle the online aspect.
Microsoft was adamant about not letting publishers and developers use their own servers. Although in 2004, EA pressured MS enough, and since then EA has been allowed to connect to their own servers instead of using XBL.
Not using XBL for online could be a slight plus, developers have created some really in-depth online experiences this generation. Although, the complete downside are publishers like EA who abuse the system. EA started the “Online Pass”, which robs every gamer of their right to play online. And as we see in this post, EA shuts down online access to games when the population has hit a threshold (aka. “when they see fit”).
Honestly, I’m getting pretty worked up right now. My advice is to boycott all EA titles, and any other publisher who uses an Online Pass or their own servers.