EA announce more server shut-downs on big games

[KK]

The following online servers have and will be turned off over the coming month:

December 5, 2012

• The Simpsons: Tapped Out for 1st and 2nd generation iPhone and iPod touch

December 31, 2012

• World Series Superstars for Facebook

January 3, 2013

• FIFA Manager 11 for PC

January 11, 2013

• FIFA 11 for PC, PS3, Wii & Xbox 360
  FIFA 11 Ultimate Team for PS3 & Xbox 360
  
• Madden NFL 11 for PS3, Wii & Xbox 360
  Madden NFL 11 Ultimate Team for PS3 & Xbox 360
  
• NBA JAM for PS3 & Xbox 360
  
• NBA LIVE 10 for PS3 & Xbox 360
  
• NCAA Football 11 for PS3 & Xbox 360
  
• NHL 11 for PS3 & Xbox 360
  NHL 11 Ultimate Team for PS3 & Xbox 360

January 14, 2013

• The Sims 2 for PC/MAC and TheSims2.com

January 19, 2013

• Trenches II for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch

The decisions to retire older EA games are never easy. The development teams and operational staff pour their hearts into these games almost as much as the customers playing them and it is hard to see one retired. But as games get replaced with newer titles, the number of players still enjoying the older games dwindles to a level -- fewer than 1% of all peak online players across all EA titles -- where it’s no longer feasible to continue the behind-the-scenes work involved with keeping these games up and running. We would rather our hard-working engineering and IT staff focus on keeping a positive experience for the other 99% of customers playing our more popular games. We hope you have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of the games and we appreciate your ongoing patronage.

If you have further questions about your account or the shut down of these services, please visit http://help.ea.com.

Terms and conditions can vary by region. For local policies, please use the country selector at the bottom of the page, and for Germany, visit German Policies.

http://www.ea.com/1/service-updates

Not incoceviable that titles such as the upcoming SimCity 5, which I think requires an online connection, will cease to work down the road.

[Dblock]

[Victor Mildew]

I'm still playing NBA jam ffs

[captain red dog]

I don't mind them shutting down servers but if you are paying for the gamepass then it's pretty harsh to be shutting off games as recent as 2011.

[Winckle]

I'm still playing NBA jam ffs

Same, what the hell is this gooseberry fool? That's what I get for buying a console game.

[1cmanny1]

They don't have anything to lose though do they? Everyone already hates them.

[$ilva $hadow]

Pay for internet, pay subscription fee, pay for servers, pay for ads, pay for servers to be shut down

Jesus christ, what is so difficult about releasing server side software to allow others to host servers themselves? O yeah, closed platforms, control and people being stupid enough to want gaming to be dictated to them.

[Wedgie]

I was thinking of getting NBA Jam. Almost downloaded it last night and thank the strawberry float I didn't!

[TigaSefi]

I have all the online achievements for NBA Jam

[more heat than light]

And this is why EA can continue to not have my money.

[Something Fishy]

Happy not to buy another game from them.

[Venom]

I don't mind them shutting down servers but if you are paying for the gamepass then it's pretty harsh to be shutting off games as recent as 2011.

Yeah. Maybe this makes sense for smaller unpopular games but FIFA 2011?! People, younger kids with less money, are still playing it.

[plasticcoated]

Am I the only one to see this as a minor issue?

Admittedly I don't often buy EA games - Dead Space, Need for Speed and what-not usually. But given that no-one will be buying the likes of FIFA 11 new nowadays given 12 and 13's subsequent releases and second-hand sales will be sparse to say the least. EA have to consider a dwindling user base as people move to the newer versions and the cost to uphold the servers for the few die-hards that continue to use the online functionality of these title.
Sure it sucks if you are one of those folks but there is legitimate business thinking behind it not just cold hearted evil.

[Something Fishy]

They really seem to have no scruples, just screw people for pennies every way they can.

They embody everything that's gone wrong with gaming, another good reason to avoid the mainstream scene and its disgusting scalping practices in this next gen.

The online pass already led to me barely touching the guff they churn out.

[Curls]

Absolutely hate them for it.

I used to play Burnout 3 religiously online, well into the 360 lifespan. And then BAM, gone. I hate you EA. I hate you so much.

Is Burnout Paradise still up? I need to get a couple of Motorbike in-game achievements on that.

[bear]

It a really shitty way to treat your customers. NBA Jam only came out in October 2011 and is a peer to peer game so its not like it costs EA to let people play online. There hasn't been an updated version for people to migrate to either so its just another slap in the face for people who bought the game originally.

Its gross that they are still selling some of the titles listed on Origin. A soon as they announce stuff like this they should at least stop selling the game used.

[Errkal]

It a really shitty way to treat your customers. NBA Jam only came out in October 2011 and is a peer to peer game so its not like it costs EA to let people play online. There hasn't been an updated version for people to migrate to either so its just another slap in the face for people who bought the game originally.

Its gross that they are still selling some of the titles listed on Origin. A soon as they announce stuff like this they should at least stop selling the game used.

Only effect 360 and PS3 in alot of cases, so the PC versions that are P2P wont be effected.

[bear]

It a really shitty way to treat your customers. NBA Jam only came out in October 2011 and is a peer to peer game so its not like it costs EA to let people play online. There hasn't been an updated version for people to migrate to either so its just another slap in the face for people who bought the game originally.

Its gross that they are still selling some of the titles listed on Origin. A soon as they announce stuff like this they should at least stop selling the game used.

Only effect 360 and PS3 in alot of cases, so the PC versions that are P2P wont be effected.

But they will. The press release says that quite clearly and if you check those games on Origin there is a warning about "ONLINE FEATURES AND SERVICES FOR THIS TITLE WILL DISCONTINUE AS OF insert date here".

If EA want to carry on with this nonsense then they should tell customers in advance how long they can expect to be let play online. Right now there are next to no warnings about when your game will be borked.

[Lagamorph]

It a really shitty way to treat your customers. NBA Jam only came out in October 2011 and is a peer to peer game so its not like it costs EA to let people play online. There hasn't been an updated version for people to migrate to either so its just another slap in the face for people who bought the game originally.

Its gross that they are still selling some of the titles listed on Origin. A soon as they announce stuff like this they should at least stop selling the game used.

Only effect 360 and PS3 in alot of cases, so the PC versions that are P2P wont be effected.

But they will. The press release says that quite clearly and if you check those games on Origin there is a warning about "ONLINE FEATURES AND SERVICES FOR THIS TITLE WILL DISCONTINUE AS OF insert date here".

If EA want to carry on with this nonsense then they should tell customers in advance how long they can expect to be let play online. Right now there are next to no warnings about when your game will be borked.

That's because EA probably don't know how long it will be. They'll basically be seeing the user/sales numbers fall below a set threshold and then that'll be when they decide to pull the plug.

[Errkal]

they should have a minimum time for the game to run, like 2 years from launch it is guarenteed to stay running, then after that it could be dropped if the audience isn't there.