NVIDIA explains why it has removed Activision Blizzard Games from GeForce Now

#5761228

Embra

2020-02-17 17:57

I am not sure a "misunderstanding" actually explains it. We are talking about two very large companies here.

#5761229

Denial

2020-02-17 17:58

I still don't really get the licensing on this. If I'm logging into my own account why does Blizzard get to say I can't play it remotely? For example if I was running W10 on Azure and logged into my Blizzard account through an RDP session or whatever - blizzard can just say no? I can't play their games that way? Where do they draw the line with this? If it's another computer on my own network? My friend's computer down the street? Just seems completely arbitrary and I'm curious to know if there is something in the EULA about it and what it specifically says.

#5761250

Clouseau

2020-02-17 18:48

The issue here in essence a royalty agreement. How will Activision get paid per game for being on the service? What is the common denominator that will determine how much. Movies have a stranglehold over movie theaters. First week the theater sees nothing. All ticket proceeds go the studio. The theater functions only off the profits from the popcorn, soda, and candy. Aside from that the theater also has to meet a per seat charge. The number of seats is the common denominator here. The number of seats determines how much the base fee for the movie is. So a smaller theater will pay less than a larger one. The disagreement am sure was over what the equivalent to a seat in a theater is. There is no standard formula yet. There is also the whole clause about non-existing technologies that needs to be developed and accepted. Interesting times business wise.

#5761265

Denial

2020-02-17 19:24

Clouseau:

The issue here in essence a royalty agreement. How will Activision get paid per game for being on the service? What is the common denominator that will determine how much. Movies have a stranglehold over movie theaters. First week the theater sees nothing. All ticket proceeds go the studio. The theater functions only off the profits from the popcorn, soda, and candy. Aside from that the theater also has to meet a per seat charge. The number of seats is the common denominator here. The number of seats determines how much the base fee for the movie is. So a smaller theater will pay less than a larger one. The disagreement am sure was over what the equivalent to a seat in a theater is. There is no standard formula yet. There is also the whole clause about non-existing technologies that needs to be developed and accepted. Interesting times business wise.

Except this is more akin to me watching movies I own over Plex. I already own the game. I'm renting a computer from Nvidia. Why can't I play the game I own on my rented computer?

#5761272

EspHack

2020-02-17 20:15

as far as i understand this, the user has to own the game in order to run it on geforce now, so why is blizzard here expecting to make even more money?

#5761299

Reardan

2020-02-17 21:37

EspHack:

as far as i understand this, the user has to own the game in order to run it on geforce now, so why is blizzard here expecting to make even more money?

If we had an actual regulatory system they would step in in a case like this and say "Hey, you can't prevent people from using their purchase how they want" Unfortunately, the regulatory system we exist under seems to literally only be a telephone recording chanting "Fuck you" repeated over and over until everyone gives up. So, Blizzard gets to just decide you don't get to play the game. And I get to decide I'm not buying anymore Blizzard games. So for me it's a loss of some of the best parts of my life, awesome memories and accomplishments, and for them it means nothing. Tons of new players will come along to replace me. What a great fuc king system.

#5761320

RavenMaster

2020-02-17 22:27

Sounds like will be down temporarily until a new contract can be agreed on.

#5761329

cpy2

2020-02-17 23:37

Why can't nvidia just streams whatever game they want anyway? Other companies can just suck it because users just use their account to play their game via remote computer. If you have your own computer and stream to another PC/TV/shield/whatever why you don't need license there?

#5761344

ThEcLiT

2020-02-18 00:11

<“Right now, we are focusing on the work between Activision Blizzard and YouTube and Google Cloud specifically,” an Activision Blizzard spokesperson tells me. There you have it.> https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/14/21138479/nvidia-geforce-now-activision-blizzard-misunderstanding

#5761351

toyo

2020-02-18 01:04

Actiblizz is so damn greedy that they are not happy with people having to buy their games so they can play on GFN, they want to suck some of that money off Nvidia as well. I would understand this stance if their games were as good as WoW used to be in 2007, or Brood War, or WC3 back in the days. Those days however, long gone, and Blizzard is nothing but a mediocre corporation pushing their initial customers away and deeply afraid to innovate. It would be deeply satisfying to see Bioware and Blizzard die. Corporations should not be able to survive on past glory and betrayal of the initial clientele should always be punished.

#5761353

tsunami231

2020-02-18 01:11

right misunder standing withere 100 page EULA and other papers most other companies have to read and agree to first? not that maters to i no interesting in "online streaming" gaming like zero

#5761361

Astyanax

2020-02-18 02:26

Denial:

I still don't really get the licensing on this. If I'm logging into my own account why does Blizzard get to say I can't play it remotely? For example if I was running W10 on Azure and logged into my Blizzard account through an RDP session or whatever - blizzard can just say no? I can't play their games that way? Where do they draw the line with this? If it's another computer on my own network? My friend's computer down the street? Just seems completely arbitrary and I'm curious to know if there is something in the EULA about it and what it specifically says.

nvidia hosts the install data, apparently this is a problem.

#5761476

H83

2020-02-18 12:53

I still don't really get the licensing on this. If I'm logging into my own account why does Blizzard get to say I can't play it remotely? For example if I was running W10 on Azure and logged into my Blizzard account through an RDP session or whatever - blizzard can just say no? I can't play their games that way? Where do they draw the line with this? If it's another computer on my own network? My friend's computer down the street? Just seems completely arbitrary and I'm curious to know if there is something in the EULA about it and what it specifically says.

I was thinking the same. This service is basically a virtual machine that plays/streams our own games, so how can Blizzard prevent people from using this service??? Crazy stuff...

#5761537

tunejunky

2020-02-18 15:40

the games on GeForce Now and other streaming services are not the "same" as the ones you own. they are owned by the streaming providers or their partners. you are paying to access a copy of the game on the providers server. You will not get the same accomplishments you've earned on your copies unless you re-do them. think of this as hanging out at a friends place (where the mom makes you pay for the internet).

#5761540

Denial

2020-02-18 15:51

tunejunky:

the games on GeForce Now and other streaming services are not the "same" as the ones you own. they are owned by the streaming providers or their partners. you are paying to access a copy of the game on the providers server. You will not get the same accomplishments you've earned on your copies unless you re-do them. think of this as hanging out at a friends place (where the mom makes you pay for the internet).

Uh with Geforce now you're literally logging into a remote desktop, logging into your account and playing a game that I purchased on whatever platform. The progress I make on the geforce now game is identical when I log into my local computer and play the same game. The achievements are the same. Everything is the same. This could be different for other services but for Geforce Now that's how it works so I'm not sure why you're saying it's not. @Astyanax is right that the data itself is cached locally on Nvidia's servers and perhaps there is some legal issue with that - but I'm definitely playing the game I purchased on my account and it's the same game that's sitting on my computer. I actually finished Hellblade by swapping between the Geforce Now Beta and my local steam copy through dozens of various sessions with the game.

#5761547

tunejunky

2020-02-18 16:26

Denial:

Uh with Geforce now you're literally logging into a remote desktop, logging into your account and playing a game that I purchased on whatever platform. The progress I make on the geforce now game is identical when I log into my local computer and play the same game. The achievements are the same. Everything is the same. This could be different for other services but for Geforce Now that's how it works so I'm not sure why you're saying it's not. @Astyanax is right that the data itself is cached locally on Nvidia's servers and perhaps there is some legal issue with that - but I'm definitely playing the game I purchased on my account and it's the same game that's sitting on my computer. I actually finished Hellblade by swapping between the Geforce Now Beta and my local steam copy through dozens of various sessions with the game.

hrrm... egads, you're right. i only played "Cuphead" on GeForce Now (concerned over lag).. "shadow of Mordor" IS up to date

#5761551

Amaze

2020-02-18 16:54

How come Rockstar, Capcom and Square-Enix also pulled out? Just a coincidence too?

#5761619

Cave Waverider

2020-02-18 22:09

I wonder if Nvidia could get around such things by changing the terms of GeForce Now to say you are simply "renting hardware and services to play your own games on" or something like that (be it paid or free) in which case they could let the users install any of their games they want to play (it would be the same as playing your game on your friend's PC, in an internet cafe, remoting in on your own PC from outside, etc..). The user would be responsible what games they'd install in their "rented space". Of course, they couldn't advertise any games as "included" then, but I guess agreements could be made for that, too.

#5761622

Reardan

2020-02-18 22:35

tunejunky:

the games on GeForce Now and other streaming services are not the "same" as the ones you own. they are owned by the streaming providers or their partners. you are paying to access a copy of the game on the providers server. You will not get the same accomplishments you've earned on your copies unless you re-do them. think of this as hanging out at a friends place (where the mom makes you pay for the internet).

Oh man look at that, has no idea what he's talking about. Comes in here all authoritative with underlined segments for all of us who have actually used the product.

#5761673

vbetts

Moderator

2020-02-19 04:40

Reardan:

Oh man look at that, has no idea what he's talking about. Comes in here all authoritative with underlined segments for all of us who have actually used the product.

Yeah let's calm it down.