Oh boy, here we go again. A now fourteen year old game (Alan Wake) will have an update to remove a song in the game on PC, due to licensing issues. And once again, it proves my point that keeping things digital is an incredible bad idea. If a fourteen old game isn’t safe, then what is? The main problem comes from forced updates, in which thankfully you can go around when it comes to GOG. On Steam however, you are pretty much screwed, as updating your game is forced upon you, if you, in this case, want to play Alan Wake.
In a weird twist of events, thanks to Microsoft shutting down the online aspect (marketplace), the Xbox 360 will actually work as a tool for preserving games now. Like the olden days of console gaming, since Alan Wake won’t be updated on that platform. Who would have thought?
And yes, I know, I know, it’s only a song, but music is part of the complete experience, too. Music can convey a certain feeling, at a specific time in the story. So, the only thing this is doing is destroying the original author’s intent, and removing actual in-game content you paid for, even if the song is getting replaced with a different tune.
I doubt this will be the last time. Therefore, I urge you to give a thought on how you buy games (and other entertainment products) and what service you use. As shown in this case, even a decade old game is no longer safe, and can be altered at any moment. I’m not trying to preach, or telling you what to do, because sometimes I buy games too – with the knowledge that at some point the product will change, or be made unplayable. See it as a warning, something to consider at least, if you care about the future of gaming. And with that, I want to end this post with the promotion of Ross Scott’s initiative Stop Killing Games.
/Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 