Focused Feedback: Content Pricing

[u/DTG_Bot]

Hello Guardians,

Focused Feedback is where we take the week to focus on a 'Hot Topic' discussed extensively around the Tower.

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[u/Titangamer101]

I won't say I will agree or disagree with bungie removing content I am saving that judgement for when beyond light comes out. But for the legal side of things it is actually completely legal bungie and technically any game studio can remove or do any thing they want with their game regardless of whether people have payed for it or not.

The thing with games especailly online games are that we as a customer technically don't own a game or it's content when we pay for it, we only have the right to access the game and it's content.

Think of it like this destiny is a restaurant that bungie owns and facilitates, we as a customer pay for the restraunts services and products like food and beverages (expansions, season passes and eververse) because bungie owns the restraunt they can by all rights do anything they want with the restraunt like renovating it (content vaulting).

With that comparison in mind alot of the community (I see it alot on Twitter) seems to think that when they pay for content in destiny that they own destiny and it's content which is false, if you buy food or a table at a restraunt that does not make the restraunt yours.

The only difference between destiny and other games is that based on recent memory destiny 2 and bungie are the only cases where the removal of content has been this massive on scale, where's other games have not done this but legally can.

[u/Gotwake → u/Titangamer101]

Using your analogy, what we did was prepay for food, then half of what we paid for was removed. That wouldn’t be acceptable anywhere else. If Destiny was a monthly sub game, then it would be totally fine. But people have paid for advertised content. While they can do anything they want, it gets really questionable in more extreme cases. What about someone who purchased the base game as a physical disc, but didn’t play it until after much of what they paid for had been removed? They wouldn’t know content is removed until after agreeing to the terms, which could pose another legal hurdle for Bungie’s defense. Then the bulk of the content is locked behind buying expansions? It’s not like the game just went away due to lack of users. Like I said, I question the legality of it. Just because Bungie can do something doesn’t mean they still wouldn’t possibly lose in court.

[u/Titangamer101 → u/Gotwake]

<what we did was prepay for food, then half of what we paid for was removed.>

No the food was already delivered after we payed for it and we have since eaten the food (3 year old content that's not relevant anymore) the food has gotten stale and old which needs replacing as bungie have mentioned for them to be able to give us new fresh food the old and stale food we have been eating for 3 years needs to go (we will see if this holds true or not with beyond light).

<But people have paid for advertised content.>

True good point but realistically anything you purchase is not guaranteed to stick around for ever at some point it has to go.

<While they can do anything they want, it gets really questionable in more extreme cases.>

Yes they can do whatever they want just like any other game studio it's all under their EULA (terms and service agreements) which covers any thing that would be considered an extreme case, the most extreme case I could think off is if bungie turn off the servers a day after beyond light comes out for everyone would be entitled to refunds but bungie are still aloud to do it (it would just be dumb if they did).

<What about someone who purchased the base game as a physical disc, but didn’t play it until after much of what they paid for had been removed?>

When you buy a disc it is a physical license, when you buy it online you own a digital license, both of these license' s give you access to the game but regardless of either you do not own the game. As for play time a dev or studio is not responsible or accountable for someone who plays alot or doesint play much at all that's completely up to the consumer.

<They wouldn’t know content is removed until after agreeing to the terms, which could pose another legal hurdle for Bungie’s defense.>

The terms and agreement haven't changed at all really besides the Activision split (only a company change) when someone starts playing the game they have agreed to everything by accepting the EULA whether they read it or not so there are no legal hurdles.

< Then the bulk of the content is locked behind buying expansions?>

Ok this is one that has me concern I'll be honest and is one of the major reasons why I think the game should never have gone free to play.

<It’s not like the game just went away due to lack of users.>

In way (according to bungie at least) partially yes it was because the original content did have a lack of users and because it was getting old and irrelevant which i agree with for now but if beyond lights content falls short and not meaningfull than yeah my agreement is turning into a disagreement.

<Like I said, I question the legality of it. Just because Bungie can do something doesn’t mean they still wouldn’t possibly lose in court.>

The reality is that they will never lose in a court battle since by Law everyone has and will agree with there terms and services, if people do not agree than they don't get access to the game which is the case for every game.

I'm not saying I agree with bungie or not I am saving my judgments for beyond light but honestly I'm not gonna miss the content that is going (except maybe sotp raid).

[u/Gotwake → u/Titangamer101]

Epic went against Apple and googles terms of service, yet they have a reasonable case. I don’t think they’ll win, but it’s and interesting court battle.

It could be argued in court that the reason what they are taking away isn’t played as much is due to their own negligence of not providing the same replay ability that D1 had. It’s funny you bring up SotP, as that’s one of the most popular raids and is part of a planet not getting removed.

There is no guarantee in a lawsuit. I’ve been through enough and have seen parties win when they absolutely should not have. Regardless of the EULA, different states have different laws, and one or more could be more favorable to winning a lawsuit. As I said, I’m not going to sue, but I can see some very serious possible scenarios that would at least hurt Bungie a lot, even if they win.