Where before we could un-bind and re-sell our keys, it seems ED is now digging it's heels in and saying this is no longer allowed. Screw you and your logic and sense of ownership. This is ED publicly announcing its new policy. Keys not bought from the e-shop/steam/etc. are either illegal keys or second-hand keys from other users. While I can see why buying the first one is wrong, I fail to see the point on the second one. But again, screw you and your logic and sense of ownership.

Way to go, ED!

To be fair, there are plenty of other industries that do this.

Buy a movie on iTunes and see if you can give it to someone else. Buy a digital album on Amazon and see if you can give it anyone.

Producers of digital content not only want to reap the benefits of not paying for physical content any more (back when we spent $60 for a sim and got one or more flyable planes, one or more terrains, lots of AI air and ground vehicles, SP campaigns, MP of some type, a box, disc(s), and a nice printer manual), but like the MPAA and RIAA believe they should be paid every time someone new wants it.

Of course, the end game is pay-to-play, pay-to-listen, and pay-to-watch.

The day is coming when EVERYTHING will be a subscription, and I don't mean like Netflix or Spotify where you get a ton of games for that month, I mean like World of Warcraft. Plus you buy the expansions on top of that monthly fee.



The Jedi Master

Yeah that's unfortunately where the world is going and it sucks. I hate pay to play and avoid it as much as possible.
So I just read the DCS EULA, and boys and girls, we are owners of basically nothing.
We pay to be able to use the program, but we don't own anything.
That also means that one day in 2052, when DCS F-18 will release in early access but you'll be stuck in bed with a poop-bag, you will not be able to pass those few thousand bucks worth of modules to your grandson.

This is the world we live in.


Here are the main points from the EULA:

2. OWNERSHIP
2.1 The Program is licensed for your use. This Licence confers no title or ownership in the Program and should not be construed as a sale of any rights in the Program. This Licence shall also apply to any patches or updates you may obtain from TFC for the Program.

3. LICENCE CONDITIONS
3.1 Except as expressly set out in this Licence or in clauses 4.1 and 4.2 below, or as permitted by any local law, you undertake to use the Program for your own personal use, and you shall not:
(a) sell, trade, rent, lease, sub-license, merge, adapt, vary, modify the Program, or any copies of the Program, without the express prior written consent of TFC;
(f) gifting of keys is permitted, under condition that the transferred key has not been used / activated.

9. LICENCE TRANSFER
9.1 TFC may transfer, assign, charge, sub-contract or otherwise dispose of this Licence, or any of our rights or obligations arising under it, at any time during the term of this Licence.

Have you by any chance read your windows OS EULA?

Nearly Every Software EULA States the same thing,

You Know the Window you Scroll through to the bottom without reading and click "I Agree" Button to continue w/ the Setup/Install procedure..

I I I lost it, a module I got as a gift - it is
lost
the key no longer works
all I have now are the memories
of the few moments we spent together
gone
those moments we shared together ...
I am at a loss for words.

Fair enough. If this was the case from Day 1, then we wouldn't be here talking about it. It's their recent change in policy that, on top of everything else, leaves an even worse taste in the mouth.



+1! I don't like subscription-based stuff at all. That's why I still use Office 2007. That's why I stopped playing EVE Online. I played World to Tanks and I play War Thunder but limit my spending in those games. When I think about having spent as much on those games as I have on some other titles, well, I'd really rather not think about it.



Not surprised at all.



No need to. Just give him access to the email account and you're golden.

Thanks for the reply Art.

This got me somehow interested so I went visiting ED page, more precisely the Mi-8 entry and also read DCS Mi-8 also includes a campaign.
This is good news, maybe I'll get this one (Mi-8) when it or if it becomes cheaper.

Unfortunately it seems to be heading that way.

But this kind of "e-commerce" model will only work if people accept it or resuming if people use these services! If people start to get their act together (and I believe this is not an if but a when) and refuse this model or resuming "boycotting" this model than I believe it will be the end of such model. However I agree that it will take some time until this actually starts happening.

Yep, but that's very different to a EULA changing after you've already purchased the product under different conditions.......and not acknowledging, agreeing or even knowing about the change.

Either EDs customer base were unaware of the changes made to the agreement or ED were violating their own licensing terms for years.

...

there is a simple reason why it is not it the interest of any developer to allow a secondary market of serial numbers, this would drive down the price of their products in no time, why buy (even at a discount) if you can buy at a fraction of the price later on.

no surprise then that they did what they did.

now, back to my module that I got as gift and now is lost ... I am so distressed that I am going to erase all my DCS tattoos.

Exactly, digital products do not degrade. A used LP or VHS tape was qualitatively inferior to a new copy.
The license key to a piece of software doesn't result in a lesser performing version when it is resold.



The Jedi Master

it would not hurt to allow owners of those keys, a discount when buying again the same module.

I owned the P-51 before I bought into the kickstarter. With my kickstarter pledged I am owed every aircraft, which includes a p-51 key, so now I am effectively shafted out of more of what I was originally owed. I now have 2 P-51 keys one of which is completely useless as I can not even give it away. Well done ED you have totally screwed those folk who backed your kickstarter. With every announcement it feels more and more like theft.

I'm sure they would now argue "It wasn't ED that did the kickstarter" followed by "you should be grateful ED picked up the torch, otherwise... well, you knew the dangers of kickstarter!"

Eh? Why would you buy a module twice?

since the old key does not work - and if I really am into that module, that would be something that I would find OK.

I am just commenting on this - although I lost that module, right now, I am otherwise entertained.

If you wanted to gift it to someone. I have bought every module, until recently, at least twice, in some case 3 or 4 times. I have given away at least two dozen over the past few years.

If so, then ED would definitely NOT want that considering their current policy and also previous ploy of "bonus points" system.

Oh and I bought my A-10c key from Origin so I guess that's invalid now.
For a company that offers no refund themselves to ask us to seek a refund elsewhere is just beyond comprehension. I am gobsmacked folk still buy their stuff