Before buying Rock Band, will EA shut it down eventually?

[SpaceShot]

To the staff at Harmonix,

Thanks for working so hard on the game of your dreams. I am looking forward to it.

I realized recently, however, that there is one very important question that needs to be answered before I put down $169 of my hard earned money.

Unfortunately, you are publishing with EA, and EA has a unethical habit of shutting down games that play perfectly fine over Xbox Live. They do it to force purchases of later titles. After getting burned a few times, I no longer purchase EA games. Yours would be the first in quite some time.

Xbox Live was architected so that no game would ever have to be "shut down". EA is the only company I know of that is shutting down perfectly working games because they need to promote their latest sports title's roster update.

Will you have control to prevent EA from doing this? Or is this totally in the hands of your publisher? In EA's hands, I know what they will do when you are ready to release a new Rock Band SKU.

Since EA is merely your publisher and (I believe) has not assimilated your studio like other once great development houses, I sincerely hope this means they will not force us to "sign into EA servers" and sign up for EA accounts to play over XBL. That is the mechanism by which they "disable" games, so I suppose if we don't see that, we'll have our answer.

(Granted, the other big question is whether my investment in the Rock Band bundle means I can use its guitar and my Xplorer to finally play some coop on GHII, but that is the second most important question... and it appears to have a preliminary answer already.)

[SmokaCola]

To the staff at Harmonix,

Thanks for work...


HMX has their own servers, It won't get shut down by EA because it's not ran by EA.

[Bakkster]

HMX has their own servers, It won't get shut down by EA because it's not ran by EA.

Exactly. My understanding is that EA is a distribution partner, nothing more. The only thing EA is doing is getting the game into stores, they can't break anything else. ;)

[SpaceShot]

Considering how open the HMX staff has been, I expect they are thinking about their fans. They act like a group that can't believe their dreams are all coming to fruition after years of hard work.

[Apples]

My understanding is that EA is being used simply as a means to market and distribute the game, and would not have any control or influence over servers.

[HeXcoda]

Correct. EA shuts down servers of games they developed and own, or were developed by companies they own (Criterion, makers of Burnout, for example). HMX is now owned by MTV games, with EA only acting as publisher. It's no different than Valve running the show for Orange Box on the 360, which is also published by EA.

It is a pretty stupid practice, and one designed specifically around moneygrubbing. It's not like the games they turn off are completely lacking in people who want to play them, either. They just shut things down to conserve cash and force an upgrade.

[Xzyliac]

Now wait! WAIT!!!

Not to disagree with the majority or anything but didn't PSM report leaderboards were running on EA servers? Dunno 'bout DLC.

[crivit]

I realized recently, however, that there is one very important question that needs to be answered before I put down $169 of my hard earned money.


Let's go with an unlikely, but worst case scenario for a minute. Even if EA did control the servers and eventually shut them down, that's at least 2 years away. Even without online play you can still play solo, or offline with your friends for as long as you want. Unless and untill a patch comes out offine multiplayer offers the best play mode anyway. I know $169 is alot of money for a game, but it still seems worth it even if we knew for sure EA would disable the online eventually.

That being said, I agree with the other posters that said EA having any kind of say over the online aspect is doubtful.

[DShiz1029]

To the staff at Harmonix,

Thanks for working so hard on the game of your dreams. I am looking forward to it.

I realized recently, however, that there is one very important question that needs to be answered before I put down $169 of my hard earned money.

Unfortunately, you are publishing with EA, and EA has a unethical habit of shutting down games that play perfectly fine over Xbox Live. They do it to force purchases of later titles. After getting burned a few times, I no longer purchase EA games. Yours would be the first in quite some time.

Xbox Live was architected so that no game would ever have to be "shut down". EA is the only company I know of that is shutting down perfectly working games because they need to promote their latest sports title's roster update.

Will you have control to prevent EA from doing this? Or is this totally in the hands of your publisher? In EA's hands, I know what they will do when you are ready to release a new Rock Band SKU.

Since EA is merely your publisher and (I believe) has not assimilated your studio like other once great development houses, I sincerely hope this means they will not force us to "sign into EA servers" and sign up for EA accounts to play over XBL. That is the mechanism by which they "disable" games, so I suppose if we don't see that, we'll have our answer.

(Granted, the other big question is whether my investment in the Rock Band bundle means I can use its guitar and my Xplorer to finally play some coop on GHII, but that is the second most important question... and it appears to have a preliminary answer already.)


I remember EA shutting down Motor City Online...that game was fun.

[SmokaCola]

I remember EA shutting down Motor City Online...that game was fun.

You're F'n ****ting me man? You played MCO? That game was the most godly car game ever created.

[Electric_Zen]

Not to disagree with the majority or anything but didn't PSM report leaderboards were running on EA servers?

Yes, but Alex Rigopolous specifically stated that EA would not be hosting their online environment in the podcast interview.

I'll go with Alex over PSM.

[Xzyliac]

Yes, but Alex Rigopolous specifically stated that EA would not be hosting their online environment in the podcast interview.

I'll go with Alex over PSM.

Alright. No one provided a source or anything so my understanding was this was all just expected of Harmonix.

[tombrady]

**** EA.

I will blame EA for anything bad that happens with this game, starting with the inclusion of Fall Out Boy.

[CableCarrier]

**** EA.

I will blame EA for anything bad that happens with this game, starting with the inclusion of Fall Out Boy.

No. Blame yourself or God. Seriously, EA has almost nothing to do with the game, at least as far as development goes. It's all distribution.

[Xzyliac]

**** EA.

I will blame EA for anything bad that happens with this game, starting with the inclusion of Fall Out Boy.

No that reeks of MTV. EA doesn't give a sh¡t who's in the game. Not their department.

[SpaceShot]

I hope all of our optimism will be rewarded.

I understand the point of the person who said two years is a long time, but I still play some of the launch XBL titles with close friends of mine. We like the games and we want to play them together. Is that so bad?

I wouldn't care if DLC, updates, matchmaking and leaderboards went away after a few years. That, to me, is to be expected. But as long as there is XBL (which seems to be the forseeable future), I should be able to play with my friends.

[rockst01]

**** EA.

I will blame EA for anything bad that happens with this game, starting with the inclusion of Fall Out Boy.

Hahaha, they have nothing to do with any game design decisions. Talk about nerd rage. The only thing you can be mad at EA about is if they don't distribute enough copies of the game to stores near you.