https://i.imgur.com/1p7N7nl.png

I'm glad the only games I have on that account were freebies but this is
such a scummy move - just why? Here's what Ubisoft posted about it:

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-ca/help/account/article/closure-of-inactive-ubisoft-accounts/000079595

They state "We don't automatically close accounts" followed by "we do
close long term inactive accounts." Double speak much?

This is why people pirate, folks.

--
Piracy can't be stealing if paying for it isn't owning.

On Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 10:57:34 AM UTC-7, Metal Guru wrote:
> https://i.imgur.com/1p7N7nl.png
>
> I'm glad the only games I have on that account were freebies but this is
> such a scummy move - just why? Here's what Ubisoft posted about it:
>
> https://www.ubisoft.com/en-ca/help/account/article/closure-of-inactive-ubisoft-accounts/000079595
>
> They state "We don't automatically close accounts" followed by "we do
> close long term inactive accounts." Double speak much?
>
> This is why people pirate, folks.
>

Wow that's fucking stealing!

- Justisaur

On Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:05:06 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
<justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 10:57:34?AM UTC-7, Metal Guru wrote:
>> https://i.imgur.com/1p7N7nl.png

>> I'm glad the only games I have on that account were freebies but this is
>> such a scummy move - just why? Here's what Ubisoft posted about it:

>> https://www.ubisoft.com/en-ca/help/account/article/closure-of-inactive-ubisoft-accounts/000079595

>> They state "We don't automatically close accounts" followed by "we do
>> close long term inactive accounts." Double speak much?

Not really. The key word is "automatically". You get notification,
after all.

>> This is why people pirate, folks.

>Wow that's fucking stealing!

Only if you judge by what's morally right. Legally, Ubisoft is in the
clear.

Because, remember, we don't OWN the games we've purchased. We've
merely 'licensed' them for use, and - as the EULA that we all read
ever-so-closely before blindly clicking the OK button tells us - the
publishers retain the right to cancel that license at any time. Now,
if you happen to own any hard-copy forms of the game (optical disks,
box, manuals), you are free to keep those. But your license to use the
software on those discs? That the publishers can revoke.

(And don't try to hack your way past the DRM so you can use use the
software on that disks. Publishers can't directly forbid that but
doing so would break any number of international laws against
bypassing copy-protection schemes. Of course, the publishers had a
hand in crafting those laws. And they reserve the right to refuse
license to anyone caught breaking those laws).

So, as you see, in a legal sense, it's not stealing at all. It's
merely an assertion of the publisher's privileges... privileges we
gamers quite happily gave them without much argument. So we hardly
have any reason to complain, right? ;-)

But, I wonder what they consider an 'unused account'. It's gotta be at
least years. UPlay was started in 2009, and for all we know the
account in question hasn't been active since then. I've known banks
that close accounts faster than that...

But just to be safe, I'm loading up the Uplay client. Look, Papa
Guillemot, I'm still active! Don't be takin' way my games! ;-)

On Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:40:31 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>But just to be safe, I'm loading up the Uplay client. Look, Papa
>Guillemot, I'm still active! Don't be takin' way my games! ;-)

I actually tried to install a game, just to be sure.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

On Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:57:30 -0400, Metal Guru <MetalGuru@IsItYou.com>
wrote:

>https://i.imgur.com/1p7N7nl.png
>
>I'm glad the only games I have on that account were freebies but this is
>such a scummy move - just why? Here's what Ubisoft posted about it:
>
>https://www.ubisoft.com/en-ca/help/account/article/closure-of-inactive-ubisoft-accounts/000079595
>
>They state "We don't automatically close accounts" followed by "we do
>close long term inactive accounts." Double speak much?
>
>This is why people pirate, folks.

Thank you for posting this. I decided to log into my Ubisoft account
to make sure I am ok.

Do you know how long the account was inactive for before you got the
warning?

On 7/20/2023 1:21 PM, Mike S. wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Jul 2023 Metal Guru wrote:
>
>> https://i.imgur.com/1p7N7nl.png
>
> Do you know how long the account was inactive for before you got the
> warning?

Sorry, that wasn't me - in hindsight I should have made that clear.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the warnings, some people on
gaming forums have said they only use their account to collect free
games (including myself) and were fine while others were being
threatened after a year or two of inactivity. But it's probably a rarer
occurrence than I originally thought.

It is still somewhat worrisome given that a lot of people use throwaway
accounts to sign up to these services (I know I do) so they don't get
checked very often and Ubi only gives you 30 days to stop the
cancellation (according to some, I was unable to verify that). On top of
that a lot of Mail Servers send mail from Ubisoft straight to the spam
folder, making it even more likely you'll miss the notice should you be
one of the unlucky ones chosen for cancellation.

Also have to wonder what would happen to Ubisoft games bought on Steam
if the Uplay account got cancelled :(

--
Stormy Daniels said they had an affair, Donny Bone Spurs said they
didn't. Who are you going to believe - the fake blond with the big tits
or Stormy Daniels?

"Ubisoft clarifies the policy on shutting down inactive accounts.
Importantly if your account is tied to any purchased game, they will not
shut it down. They are only closing accounts with no games and 4+ years of
inactivity to comply with GDPR data retention policies"

https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/24/23805783/ubisoft-delete-game-accounts

rms

On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 1:56:02 PM UTC-7, rms wrote:
> "Ubisoft clarifies the policy on shutting down inactive accounts.
> Importantly if your account is tied to any purchased game, they will not
> shut it down. They are only closing accounts with no games and 4+ years of
> inactivity to comply with GDPR data retention policies"
>
> https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/24/23805783/ubisoft-delete-game-accounts

That makes sense, I have bought a couple games (besides the free ones.) so
I'm good!

- Justisaur

On 24/07/2023 21:55, rms wrote:
> "Ubisoft clarifies the policy on shutting down inactive accounts.
> Importantly if your account is tied to any purchased game, they will not
> shut it down. They are only closing accounts with no games and 4+ years
> of inactivity to comply with GDPR data retention policies"
>
> https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/24/23805783/ubisoft-delete-game-accounts
>
> rms

Interesting as I've seen some information from people saying that they
have indeed lost access to their games.

On Mon, 24 Jul 2023 14:19:20 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
<justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:

>That makes sense, I have bought a couple games (besides the free ones.) so
>I'm good!
>
>- Justisaur

Yeah, I have at least ONE purchased game on their site so I hope I am
good too.