Ubisoft decommissioning online services for a number of (not necessary online) games. Games may not function properly anymore.

[Strijker]

Ubisoft is going to decommission online services in September.

Some games, amongst which several Assassin's Creed releases, might not be able to be downloaded or installed anymore. For some others DLC content might break, or other parts of the games might be negatively affected.

 

The following games are affected:

• Anno 2070
• Assassin's Creed II
• Assassin's Creed 3 (2012 Release)*
• Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
• Assassin's Creed Liberation HD
• Assassin's Creed Revelations
• Driver San Francisco
• Far Cry 3 (2012 Release)*
• Ghost Recon Future Soldier
• Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
• Rayman Legends
• Silent Hunter 5
• Space Junkies
• Splinter Cell: Blacklist
• ZombiU

Space Junkies will be completely unusable, since it's a fully online game. Other games will be partially compromised. The link below has a table with more information on how these games will be affected.

 

My thoughts

My thoughts are comprised of mainly expletives, so I'll leave that for the reader to fill in.

 

Sources

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/help/gameplay/article/decommissioning-of-online-services-september-2022/000102396

[Spotty]

Quote

Additionally, the installation and access to downloadable content (DLC) will be unavailable.

Not being able to access DLC in those games is a bit insulting.

 

Even more reason not to buy games from Ubisoft.

[OhioYJ]

3 minutes ago, Strijker said:

For some others DLC content might break, or other parts of the games might be negatively affected.

As someone who very rarely, buys DLC content anyways... My take away is definitely do not buy DLC. This seems like the most likely thing to break when companies bail on old games, which will happen.

[Needfuldoer]

I hope they'll push out a patch ahead of time that 'disconnects' these games from the platform so they'll at least continue to run after the servers are taken offline.

 

I also hope I win the lottery someday.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

1 hour ago, Strijker said:

l be completely unusable, since it's a fully online game. Other games will be partially compromised. The link below has a table with more information on how these games will be affected.

Me sweating at the thought of when Bungie might decommission the Destiny franchise. Granted it'll be a few years since there are 2 more annual expansions on the roadmap. But it is a scary thought since it too is a completely online game.  

[TetraSky]

More games for the trash pile...

If only they would release server files if the always online games and issue an update that allows local servers... But they won't do that. 

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

14 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

More games for the trash pile...

If only they would release server files if the always online games

I wonder if developers are scared to do so since most of their current games are probably share the same code base as older titles. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. 

[Eaglerino]

They don't bother to release another Rayman game in like 10 years then kill the last one anyway, thanks ubisoft I still had fun getting #2 and 3 on those courses

[jagdtigger]

3 hours ago, Needfuldoer said:

I hope they'll push out a patch ahead of time that 'disconnects' these games from the platform so they'll at least continue to run after the servers are taken offline.

"We cant do that because of piracy!"

[Zodiark1593]

3 hours ago, Eaglerino said:

They don't bother to release another Rayman game in like 10 years then kill the last one anyway, thanks ubisoft I still had fun getting #2 and 3 on those courses

Time to riot then.

 

[brwainer]

Reminder that it is legal to patch games so they can be played after the servers are shutdown: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/11/u-s-govt-grants-limited-right-to-revive-games-behind-abandoned-servers/?amp=1

Shutting down the servers is inviting the community to start hacking at the game, with no recourse via copyright. Now, the community isn’t legally allowed to do more than provide an offline-play patch for users who have obtained the content already, but you know that’s not how this works. As for DLC, if you bought it once then I don’t care how you get the content bits into your computer.

[Video Beagle]

That's an awful lot of Assassin's Creed titles on that list that I'd have to think are still viable sellers for them to just drop an axe without a plan.

[SimplyChunk]

41 minutes ago, brwainer said:

if you bought it once then I don’t care how you get the content bits into your computer.

With you until then.  "I don't care" wasn't in the terms and conditions you agreed to before buying and installing DLC for the first time

[Arika]

fuck games as a service, fuck devs who force you to rely on their servers for single player games.

[xAcid9]

[AlTech]

lIvE sErViCe gAmEs aRe fOrEvEr.

 

sInGlE pLaYeR oNlY gAmEs are dEaD.

[brwainer]

2 hours ago, SimplyChunk said:

With you until then.  "I don't care" wasn't in the terms and conditions you agreed to before buying and installing DLC for the first time

I admit that is where legally this situation really sucks (other than the fact that the community patching every single one of the to-be-abandoned games is unlikely, and will take time and effort to accomplish)

[Ultraforce]

On 7/3/2022 at 11:48 AM, Spotty said:

Not being able to access DLC in those games is a bit insulting.

 

Even more reason not to buy games from Ubisoft.

For the DLC I think it's specifically that DLC can't be installed or downloaded on the PC versions, the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U versions can still have the DLC installed or downloaded. Of course the Wii U online services is closing fairly soon anyways. But the list specified which platforms it would affect and the DLC stuff effected PC and nothing else.

Edited July 4, 2022 by Ultraforce
Correction on factual error

[Doobeedoo]

That's lame. No worries I can always play them..

[Spotty]

37 minutes ago, Ultraforce said:

For the DLC I think it's specifically that DLC can't be installed or downloaded on PC or Xbox 360 for most of them the PS3 and Wii U versions can still have the DLC installed or downloaded. Of course the Wii U online services is closing fairly soon anyways. But the list specified which platforms it would effect and the DLC stuff effected PC, Xbox 360 and nothing else.

Yeah, in Ubisoft's blog post listing the affected games it only lists DLC being unavailable for PC versions. The PS3/Xbox 360 versions do not list DLC being unavailable.

eg.

 

I wonder why it doesn't apply to the console versions. I guess the verification of ownership is done by Playstation/Xbox servers instead of Ubisoft's own servers? I actually have no idea how DLC works on consoles. I only play games on PC though and I do own several of the PC games that appear in that list. Some of the Assassin's Creed's games listed, Driver San Francisco, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, Far Cry 3, Prince of Persia. I'm not sure if I own DLC for any of those titles though. Can't say I've played any of them recently but it is disappointing knowing that I can't go back and play them whenever I want.

 

I'm surprised that Ubisoft is just shutting down servers for the games though. Doesn't Ubisoft have their own monthly game subscription? Just throw the back catalogue of games in there to offer more value and incentive for people to subscribe.

[Vishera]

How to go bankrupt...

To me Ubisoft died at 2014~2015,butchering games with copying popular trends and stopped caring for many of their franchises.

For example they took the skill based fast paced stealth/action-adventure that was Assassin's Creed and turned it into a level based slow paced action-adventure RPG copycat of the Witcher 3.

Or how they canceled Rainbow 6 Patriots and instead released Rainbow 6 Siege - They replaced a single player game with a multiplayer live service,

Or how they implemented NFTs in Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

 

Even though Assassin's Creed II is a single player game with no multiplayer - It has an always online DRM since launch.

And now they are taking the servers down...

[Quackers101]

On 7/3/2022 at 5:48 PM, Spotty said:

Not being able to access DLC in those games is a bit insulting.

 

Even more reason not to buy games from Ubisoft.

also anyone who has dealt with microsoft live, these locks have always been such a pain in the ***.

To games that are still being able to be purchased, but their crap being completely broken or no longer supported.

6 hours ago, Ultraforce said:

For the DLC I think it's specifically that DLC can't be installed or downloaded on PC or Xbox 360 for most of them the PS3 and Wii U versions can still have the DLC installed or downloaded. 

 

But the list specified which platforms it would effect and the DLC stuff effected PC, Xbox 360 and nothing else.

god damn it. "it moslty affects the non-sony peasants".

[Ultraforce]

9 minutes ago, Quackers101 said:

also anyone who has dealt with microsoft live, these locks have always been such a pain in the ***.

To games that are still being able to be purchased, but their crap being completely broken or no longer supported.

god damn it. "it moslty affects the non-sony peasants".

Spotty actually corrected me it's PC only, the likely reason is that DLC through consoles is done differently than on PC and Ubisoft is following the rules for that.

[jagdtigger]

9 hours ago, SimplyChunk said:

"I don't care" wasn't in the terms and conditions you agreed to before buying and installing DLC for the first time

Yeah no, that argument wouldnt stand even in a court room..... (As long as you can prove that you purchased it.)

[Middcore]

5 hours ago, Vishera said:

How to go bankrupt...

 

They're not, much as you might wish it.

 

 

5 hours ago, Vishera said:

For example they took the skill based fast paced stealth/action-adventure that was Assassin's Creed and turned it into a level based slow paced action-adventure RPG copycat of the Witcher 3.

Or how they canceled Rainbow 6 Patriots and instead released Rainbow 6 Siege - They replaced a single player game with a multiplayer live service,

Siege and the W3-esque AssCreed games have been hugely successful.