Ubisoft is a company with a tendency to get into controversy, and seeing that it gets into puddles more often than is usual in a company in its sector, one might think that it has even taken a liking to it, especially seeing the latest misunderstanding that has been around some of their games published on Steam.
A Twitter user named @Nors3 has posted an image showing a notice indicating that Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD would no longer be available on Steam from September 1. It would not be the first time that a game has been discontinued from the Valve platform, so what was really annoying was, according to the screenshot published by the aforementioned user, that the content it would not be available even for those who bought it back in the day.
Obviously, this immediately started to generate a negative reaction from users, who started a negative review bombing campaign against Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD on Steam.
Ubisoft is making a precedent on Steam as Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD will not be accessible following September 1st, 2022. Even if you already bought it, a bar new low for consumers. pic.twitter.com/hRmmb2yM3w
— Nors3.eth (@Nors3) July 10, 2022
Apparently Ubisoft had originally intended to remove some games and content in DLC format from Steam so that even those who paid at the time could not access them. Given the commotion generated around Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD, the company has stepped out to contact Forbes and say the following:
“As stated in our support article, only DLC and online features will be affected by the upcoming shutdown. Current owners of those games will still be able to access, play and re-download them. Our teams are working with our partners to update this information in all stores and are also evaluating all options available to players who will be affected by the deactivation of online services on September 1, 2022. It has always been our intention do everything we can to allow those legacy titles to remain available in the best possible conditions for players, and that’s what we’re working towards.” Currently the message that appears on the Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD tab on Steam is this:
Misunderstanding or correction? Here everyone can believe what they want, but in the screenshot published by @ Nors3 you can perfectly read that “please note that this title will not be available from September 1, 2022” below the indication of withdrawal from the catalog of Steam.
On digital platforms, the games you buy are not yours
Beyond Ubisoft’s tendency to get into puddles, this misunderstanding makes it clear that games purchased through a digital platform do not really belong to the user, but to the platform and the publisher. In case the platform disappears or is removed by the publisher or developer, the user will lose the content unless they have managed to back it up (on GOG this is very easy, but on other platforms not so much due to the use of DRM).
However, and despite the fact that digital platforms have meant significant losses for users, even considering the comfort they offer, the physical format is not much better seeing the trend in the industry of launching increasingly unfinished video games on the market, so in the end what players receive on many occasions are more betas than finished products. This forces, if possible, to support the patches in order to enjoy the full and real experience, even on video game consoles today.
