2K Games becomes the third publisher to abandon GeForce Now

[mongeese]

Facepalm: Nvidia’s failure to secure deals with publishers before launching GeForce Now has become an Achilles’ heel for the service. With Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, and now 2K Games pulling their titles, the service’s unreliability is becoming a cause for concern.

In yet another quiet post to the GeForce Now forums, Nvidia has said that “per publisher request, please be advised 2K Games titles will be removed from GeForce Now today. We are working with 2K Games to re-enable their games in the future.”

2K Games produces the BioShock, Civilization, NBA 2K, and Borderlands series. GeForce Now was offering at least thirteen titles across the four series until 2K pulled them.

While the change is only small compared to the 1,500 titles in GeForce Now’s library, it speaks to a bigger issue. Nvidia has lost several dozen major titles from three of the biggest publishers in the month since GeForce Now launched. If major titles can be removed on a whim and without warning, then buying games on the service doesn’t feel like a sound investment. Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.

According to Nvidia, Activision Blizzard’s titles were removed because of a “misunderstanding” over whether the games were approved for the beta and the free trial period, or just the beta. Nvidia won’t say if Bethesda and 2K Games had the same issue, but it seems clear that the problem stems from Nvidia’s bad planning.

Nvidia is continuing to promise that missing games will be added back to the service. Right now, though, they need to secure the games they already have so they can guarantee continued availability. There’s no point starting a title only to have it taken from you before you can finish. If more publishers go, Nvidia is going to be in some serious hot water.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/84308-2k-games-becomes-third-publisher-abandon-geforce-now.html

 

[amstech]

From a performance standpoint Nvidia does well, but when it comes to PR, man they just never get it right. This was a bad idea from the get go, because instead of making GeForce now about 'accessibility and convenience' they once again turned it into a 'your with us or your out' type thing and quite honestly as time goes on, I am starting to root for AMD more.
I've had good luck with my Intel/Nvidia setups, nothing has been as good or as polished, but even I am starting to get fed up with their arrogance, pricing and general direction.
It's one thing to make a good product and want good money for it, there is nothing wrong with that, but they just seem to make every decision with this 'talking down to others' point of view and its too bad AMD's ecosystem is still a little buggy, because people want another option.

 

[0dium]

GeForce now
Games ...may be later

 

[Irata]

Could this hurt nVidia‘s relationship with publishers? Looking at various benchmarks, it is clear that having games optimized for ones architecture is an important asset. Same goes for feature support.

 

[pcnthuziast]

Companies like Nvidia and Intel make it sooo easy to root against them or at least for the other guy.

 

[ckm88]

nVidia is a market leader. Yes, their PR blows but they'll find a way to get them back most likely. If they're doing one thing right, that thing is keeping investors happy. Take a look at their stock!

 

[Evernessince]

"In yet another quiet post to the GeForce Now forums, Nvidia has said that “per publisher request, please be advised 2K Games titles will be removed from GeForce Now today."

It sounds to me like Nvidia didn't take the time to work out contracts and just went ahead and did what it wanted. I'm guessing it had hoped, like it has done many times before, that throwing it's weight around would force game companies into submission.

It's amazing to me that regular people get fined ridiculous amounts for small public showings yet Nvidia can do it en mass and only has to take the games down. It just goes to show you how much wealth and power mean. We certainly live in a class based society.

 

[Lew Zealand]

It sounds to me like Nvidia didn't take the time to work out contracts and just went ahead and did what it wanted. I'm guessing it had hoped, like it has done many times before, that throwing it's weight around would force game companies into submission.

Yes, this is exactly what it seems like.

They're not giving anything away, it's not like I get free games as I'm playing a game I've already paid for, so this isn't costing the developers lost sales. But could someone take advantage in a different way?

Could I set up a few GeFN accounts and hook my Steam library to each and then just hand out the GeFN logins with my friends so everyone can play? I *assume* that I can't be playing, say 2 different Steam games on 2 computers at the same time with the same Steam login but I haven't tried yet.

 

[scavengerspc]

Companies like Nvidia and Intel make it sooo easy to root against them or at least for the other guy.

Intel and Nvidia don't give a damn about customer thoughts or opinions. As far as they are concerned they have won a customer over when he/she bends over, grabs their ankles and buys their stuff.

As long as people keep doing it, when they complain later nobody is going to care.
People don't matter, cash does.

 

[Evernessince]

Yes, this is exactly what it seems like.

They're not giving anything away, it's not like I get free games as I'm playing a game I've already paid for, so this isn't costing the developers lost sales. But could someone take advantage in a different way?

Could I set up a few GeFN accounts and hook my Steam library to each and then just hand out the GeFN logins with my friends so everyone can play? I *assume* that I can't be playing, say 2 different Steam games on 2 computers at the same time with the same Steam login but I haven't tried yet.

You can technically share your steam library with friends and do this now. I think this is more about them wanting $$$ for people to have the right to play the games they own on GeForce now. It's the same reason content companies like Warner Bros. charge per region, because they can and all companies seek maximum profit.

"Digital Rights" is a misnomer. It's Corporate rights. Consumers don't really have anything in regards to rights in the digital world.

 

[Lew Zealand]

You can technically share your steam library with friends and do this now. I think this is more about them wanting $$$ for people to have the right to play the games they own on GeForce now. It's the same reason content companies like Warner Bros. charge per region, because they can and all companies seek maximum profit.

"Digital Rights" is a misnomer. It's Corporate rights. Consumers don't really have anything in regards to rights in the digital world.

Ah like regions, good example, that makes a lot of "corporate" sense.

 

[Aries Lyon]

Intel and Nvidia don't give a damn about customer thoughts or opinions. As far as they are concerned they have won a customer over when he/she bends over, grabs their ankles and buys their stuff.

As long as people keep doing it, when they complain later nobody is going to care.
People don't matter, cash does.

I don't think AMD cares about customers either, to be fair. All 3 of them are billion dollar, publicly traded companies whose primary objective is to please shareholders and obtain greater revenue. Just because AMD is the underdog doesn't make it magically better than the other two.

 

[scavengerspc]

I don't think AMD cares about customers either, to be fair. All 3 of them are billion dollar, publicly traded companies whose primary objective is to please shareholders and obtain greater revenue. Just because AMD is the underdog doesn't make it magically better than the other two.

Don't get me wrong I certainly don't think Intel and Nvidia are the only companies that feel that way. I just used those 2 examples because they were mentioned in the post I quoted.

 

[Evernessince]

I don't think AMD cares about customers either, to be fair. All 3 of them are billion dollar, publicly traded companies whose primary objective is to please shareholders and obtain greater revenue. Just because AMD is the underdog doesn't make it magically better than the other two.

While I'd agree that any company will sink to any level for money, the facts are both Nvidia and Intel have stooped to anti-consumer and anti-competitive practices. Whether or not AMD has the superlative potential to do so irregardless, those two companies already have. Companies are built around a culture and that doesn't change so easily. I hope that Intel's new CEO changes things up for them. Nvidia on the otherhand has gotten smarter about gouging customers and being anti-competitive. From the GPP to threatining partners like XFX to not sell AMD cards to software black boxes like Hairworks and PhysX. Nvidia is for gamers like martin shkreli is for pharmaceuticals. They'll lower the price only when they are forced to.

 

[McMurdeR]

From a performance standpoint Nvidia does well, but when it comes to PR, man they just never get it right. This was a bad idea from the get go, because instead of making GeForce now about 'accessibility and convenience' they once again turned it into a 'your with us or your out' type thing and quite honestly as time goes on, I am starting to root for AMD more.
I've had good luck with my Intel/Nvidia setups, nothing has been as good or as polished, but even I am starting to get fed up with their arrogance, pricing and general direction.
It's one thing to make a good product and want good money for it, there is nothing wrong with that, but they just seem to make every decision with this 'talking down to others' point of view and its too bad AMD's ecosystem is still a little buggy, because people want another option.

Agree with you there, wish Nvida weren't the best option on the table, they seems to love to putting prices and withholding features. Hope AMD improves their software and Intel muscles in with some good products.

 

[Beerfloat]

Man eff this rent seeking publisher pond scum. What, did you think you own the software you bought? Heck no, see it's only a license! What, you think you can use your license to play our game? Well no, skip that too! We'll just add some limited activations, and oh we'll make a special launcher so you can click through advertisements for our other games before you can play, oh and btw you think you can stream this game? Haha, think again.

When I buy a game I should be able to play one copy at a time in any way I see fit, be it on my home PC, my laptop, a PC at a friend's house, an Amazon virtual PC instance, or on Geforce Now. This constant encroachment on consumer rights is despicable.

 

[jpuroila]

"In yet another quiet post to the GeForce Now forums, Nvidia has said that “per publisher request, please be advised 2K Games titles will be removed from GeForce Now today."

It sounds to me like Nvidia didn't take the time to work out contracts and just went ahead and did what it wanted. I'm guessing it had hoped, like it has done many times before, that throwing it's weight around would force game companies into submission.

It's amazing to me that regular people get fined ridiculous amounts for small public showings yet Nvidia can do it en mass and only has to take the games down. It just goes to show you how much wealth and power mean. We certainly live in a class based society.

What's amazing is that people are acting like it's okay for publishers to decide how you play a game you've paid for.

 

[ShagnWagn]

Just like with anything rental - it's whatever they feel like letting you do. They have complete control and pull the plug on any game (or service, car, etc etc) at a whim... especially ones you are close to completing or modding - for the first time even. You pay over and over for the same game. When will people learn? You are ruining it for the rest of us.