Are certain Battlefield games abbandonware?

[Guest]

Are these games officially abbandonware?

[Marioysikax 89]

It's a bit weird as you can still activate keys to those games on origin and download and install them without problems, but it does seem like they really are abandonware. I can even see links to download those games on official EA forums, the place where you would think that mod would clean them out pretty hastily. 

[Blackbird 54]

Well considering Battlelog.co even hosts full version of BF2 I guess so. I was surprised that EA didn't come after them :O

Also poor Vietnam and 1942 Expansions :(

[Mirh 103]

Games are still sold physically, even brand new copies are available (quite importantly I'd say, considering key is tied to single account).

 

This is enough not to make them abbandonware (yet?)

 

Even though I was realizing nowadays, if a digital-only game stops to be sold, there's really no legal way to obtain it afterwards.

And I'd say this is a concept even "higher" than normal abbandonware

 

[DrCat 11]

How do you guys define abandonware? Because most of the time I see the meaning change from one person to another.

[Marioysikax 89]

How do you guys define abandonware? Because most of the time I see the meaning change from one person to another.

That's why I said it's bit weird, because keys are still sold and can still be activated and downloaded from EA servers which doesn't shout "abandoned".

But then again, that's EAs own system seperate from the game itself which is only in place for customers who can still buy the games so they wouldn't just buy fancy frisbees. If game isn't updated, game components like online is broken and publisher is OK with game installers floating on the internet, then one would assume that game itself is abandoned. 

 

From Wikipedia: 

"Abandonware is a product, typically software, ignored by its owner and manufacturer, and for which no product support is available. Although such software is usually still under copyright, the owner may not be tracking or enforcing copyright violations." 

In paper, these games would fit that description at least. They're still owned and copyrighted by EA, but they aren't giving any support (outside Origin client related issues) and are turning blind eye for those sharing the game publicly.