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Ubisoft has made official changes to its End User License Agreement (EULA) which adds concerning requirements for license holders. This news comes amid a slew of controversies for the publisher, including the conviction of three former executives who worked with the company. That said, this alteration seems more focused on changing the way that Ubisoft‘s customers interact with its library of games.
While fans are excited about the potential of future Ubisoft remakes like Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, this latest change to the publisher’s EULA could impact all future titles planned for release. Given that this new agreement includes additional requirements for license holders, it’s fair to say that this is a stricter document than previous examples from Ubisoft. This not only coincides with a period in which many gamers are thinking twice about physical ownership, but also with the growing popularity of the Stop Killing Games movement.
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The latest EULA released by Ubisoft apparently requires users to destroy or delete all copies of a game once it is taken offline. In point eight of the agreement, the terms for termination of the EULA stipulate that the user “must immediately uninstall the product and destroy all copies of the product” in the user’s possession. While it isn’t explained exactly how such a legal document could be enforced, it’s worth noting that it would be difficult for any company to ensure that a physical copy of a video game had been destroyed. This new requirement seems almost pernicious in nature, especially since it was Ubisoft delisting the classic title The Crew that inspired the Stop Killing Games movement.
New Ubisoft EULA Requires Users to Destroy Games
Stop Killing Games has over 1 million signatures and growing, indicating there is a strong desire for the industry to change its approach to game ownership. Although this EULA alteration did take place shortly after the movement started making headlines, there’s no reason to believe that there is a connection between these two events. Even so, it doesn’t look good when Ubisoft is one of the biggest companies delisting titles, and also the first to add such a strange requirement to its legal documents.
This new EULA also states that Ubisoft or the licensors of the product can terminate the agreement at any time for any reason. While it’s unlikely, this language is so open to interpretation that Ubisoft could legally argue it has the right to release a new game and immediately delist it moments later, revoking access to all users. Whether or not this decision from Ubisoft is pushback against the Stop Killing Games movement, it seems likely that the petition and its related effects have ruffled a few feathers.
