In spite of Ubisoft’s attempts to mollify angry gamers over its shuttering and subsequent removal of The Crew by confirming offline modes for the series’ other two titles, the problem refuses to go away, as two gamers have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the company that challenges how companies define digital games ownership.
The two plaintiffs, who bought physical copies of the racer late in its lifespan in 2018 and 2020, argue in their suit that they would not have purchased the game if they knew that the servers could be taken down, and additionally they point out Ubisoft’s unwillingness to create an offline mode for the game despite doing so for other titles in its catalogue such as Assassin’s Creed 2 and Assassin’s Creed 3.
“Imagine you buy a pinball machine, and years later, you enter your den to go play it, only to discover that all the paddles are missing, the pinball and bumpers are gone, and the monitor that proudly displayed your unassailable high score is removed,” argues the filing. “Turns out the pinball manufacturer decided to come into your home, gut the insides of the pinball machine, and remove your ability to play the game that you bought and thought you owned.”
The suit is looking to become a class action filing to allow others to join in on the claim, as well as monetary relief and damages. Ubisoft reportedly declined to comment.
Readers will recall that The Crew’s cynical sunsetting by Ubisoft lit a tinderbox of outrage and action, primarily spearheaded by the Stop Killing Games initiative, which is still seeking signatures to alert EU and UK governments to the problem. The uproar also prompted a new California law that requires storefronts to inform gamers that they’re buying licenses, not owned titles; it still doesn’t stop companies from sunsetting games, but it does compel them into transparency.
