iPod games must be repurchased for new iPods

It looks like those hoping to port their collection of iPod games over to their shiny new iPod nano or iPod classic are going to be out of luck, unless they fork over the cash for new "reformatted" versions of the games. Unfortunately, according to iLounge, only three iPod games have been updated for the latest-gen players, including EA's Tetris and Sudoku, and Namco's Ms. Pac-Man. On the upside, those three games have all received some changes of various degrees, including most notably an all new control scheme on Tetris that'll let you use the click wheel for block rotation. While there's no word on a timeline for upgraded versions of the remaining 15 games, the three that have been reformatted are apparently available for download now for $4.99 apiece.

[Image courtesy of iLounge]

[FrankTheCrank @ Sep 19th 2007 11:21AM]

Ouch....that's gonna leave a mark.

[Paul @ Sep 19th 2007 11:34AM]

As if I needed more of a reason to not buy the new iPod. Maybe with the next Gen, they can introduce a new audio format and you'll have to rebuy all your audio...idiots...

[Zak @ Sep 19th 2007 8:38PM]

Moooooo ! That cash cow is being milked to death!

[dixonij @ Sep 19th 2007 11:21AM]

Well that sucks for anyone who actually bought iPod games...

[Matt @ Sep 19th 2007 11:23AM]

People buy ipod games?

[AlexP @ Sep 19th 2007 11:34AM]

People? Because we reproduce now? O_O

[Alan Partridge @ Sep 19th 2007 11:24AM]

C'mon guys Apple only made $2billion profit last year, they need help.

[Xzavier @ Sep 19th 2007 12:16PM]

Well after cutting the price on the iPhone/"the Best *iPod* ever made" and then making us feel even better by giving us $100 bucks back, not real cash though. I hope this isn't how Apple is going to start nickel & diming us?

5 bucks here, 7 dollars their, etc...

It works... but its not COOL!

[bruckwine @ Sep 19th 2007 11:26AM]

They should give 'em "free" (like the $100 "free" credit) seeing as it was the OS upgrade that rendered the old ones inoperable.

[ScOObyDoo @ Sep 19th 2007 11:28AM]

I've got $30 worth of games that didn't transfer to my new iPod. Now I know why :(

NFW I'll be reordering these.

[Xavier Gill @ Sep 19th 2007 11:28AM]

If Sony or Microsoft tried something like this you'd tear them a new one, when Apple does it then there's 'an upside'...

[aaron @ Sep 19th 2007 11:38AM]

agreed....

[Paul @ Sep 19th 2007 11:36AM]

Just wait, it'll take a few more screwups in the direction of profit over their consumers for even the fanboys to realize..."OMG, Apple is kinda like MicroSoft".

[Nick @ Sep 19th 2007 11:38AM]

Agreed.. I typically like Apple.. but wow total Douchebag move by Apple. Soon they'll be charging you per update of your OS.

[Sam @ Sep 19th 2007 11:42AM]

ha i wouldnt be surprised if they did one day

apple are quite the rip off merchants

and im typing this from an imac, ha!

[404error @ Sep 19th 2007 11:45AM]

Nice job not mentioning Nintendo since they are basically doing the same thing with the virtual console.

[AlexP @ Sep 19th 2007 11:48AM]

I don't know too many people that "upgrade" their MP3 players unless they need to, and I can bet they'll issue a fix not too far away from now so you can transfer the games you own. If not, well, it's probably some crap piracy deal they have.

I don't know about you, but when I get a new cellphone, they don't transfer the puzzle games I bought on the one I had before (hey, a man needs entertainment when he doesn't have his DS at hand).

[August @ Sep 19th 2007 11:55AM]

I have always felt this way.

By and large, people see AAPL as some sort of counter-culture revolution or some BS.

When they make a move that is both in their interest and so blatantly anti-consumer as this, it's always like "well..it's cool, they're apple...but ZOMMGGG!!!! M$ made a new Zune let's make fun of it!!!!1!!!!1!1!one!1!!!!1!!"

It's ridiculous. It's like how people tried to give AAPL a free pass when their environmental results came back. Totally unacceptable.

[John @ Sep 19th 2007 12:26PM]

Nintendo's target audience is too young to have purchased the originals of those games, and if you did pay for them, the ones that were originally for SNES are by no reasonable measure something you would assume you would be able to play on your Wii. Here you can easily prove you bought those games, and it's a very reasonable assumption to think that they would be forward compatible. comparing having to re-buy games that you first bought on an old and outdated medium to re-buying games you bought and store digitally is trying to compare two fundamentally different business models.

[Herbert Neal @ Sep 19th 2007 12:57PM]

It just goes to show Apple fans are sheep. Mindless, Sad, Silly Sheep.

[Miquel @ Sep 19th 2007 5:11PM]

Microsoft did do this with the Xbox 360. Even though it 'is' backwards "compatible", the 25% of the "compatible" games are not even playable. Format is off, no sound, all kinds of issues.

[Admiral @ Sep 19th 2007 11:29AM]

I own a 3rd generation ipod (B&W) and it can't play iTS games.
I would buy games for my ipod if I could play them, but this is making me rethink my stance. I would expect games to be easily portable between ipods

[Jim Halpert @ Sep 19th 2007 11:36AM]

wow...I am an apple fan..but..this sucks..nice one apple..gahd.

[Jim Halpert @ Sep 19th 2007 11:39AM]

You know whats funny ....apple can get Mac OS X on any computer basically..but it cant let people who paid for ipod games transfer to the new ipods...very disapointing apple...

[Larz @ Sep 19th 2007 4:08PM]

Correction, I think you mean: Apple can get Linux (with their gimmicky X mod) "on any computer basically."

Who can't do that?

[plyx @ Sep 19th 2007 11:39AM]

Playing games on an ipod sucks anyway. Just don't buy the crap.

[simon.nutsy @ Sep 19th 2007 11:40AM]

I sugest people use there fair use powers and do what the internet was made for... *cough*

[Justin @ Sep 19th 2007 11:41AM]

I'm not happy about this at all. I sold my iPod 5.5 and got a iPod classic. Apple either needs to give us all free upgrades or refunds. There is absolutely no reason for paying twice for the same game. We need an open letter to apple about this!

[dlheritage @ Sep 19th 2007 11:42AM]

Anyone try the TV Out function with your existing Apple branded cables and docs? They don't won't work properly either. Just returned my Black 160 GB Classic, unopened to BestBuy. Here's yet another reason for "not buying" the latest iPods.

[ScOObyDoo @ Sep 19th 2007 11:57AM]

Yeah, ran into that as well. You now need the "special" Apple AV cable which costs $50 and isn't even available yet.

FWIW; it still works on the Universal dock, but having to drag that around is a PITA.

[Homeboy @ Sep 19th 2007 11:43AM]

OEM games. They suck don't they?

[nd @ Sep 19th 2007 11:46AM]

i dont own any ipod games, and im not a fanboi....but im not really sure what people are whining about. theres tons of software that i own that doesnt make the OS upgrade changes. think of every windows upgrade- 3.1 to 95 to 98 to xp to vista- every single time i have upgraded winblows i have lost use of some software. its kinda the price you pay me thinks.

[Justin @ Sep 19th 2007 11:50AM]

There's a rather large difference between windows 3.1 and windows 95. Apple didn't add any extra functionality or different gameplay to these games, that is why people are pissed off. Game companies don't make you buy the .x update to game that fixes compatibility issues or changes control schemes; they make you pay for new games. These aren't new games and everyone who previously purchased them should be given the update for free.

[nd @ Sep 19th 2007 11:56AM]

i still say BS. that's not how the world turns. this is business. obviously they had to re-write the games to get them to work on the new ipods, and i just dont think that they should be expected to do that work for free- this is business after all. thats like buying a topper for your truck, then buying a new truck and expecting them to give you free mounting hardware because the old hardware doesnt allow you to mount it on your new truck. it just doesnt work that way. you bought a game for your old ipod, and thats what you got. apple is just an easy target these days.

[August @ Sep 19th 2007 11:57AM]

At least try to conceal your fanboyism by not using "winblows".

Sure, some new code is required to make them run with the new ipod OS, but when there are no fundamental changes to the exact same game, the user should not have to pay for it again.

[nd @ Sep 19th 2007 11:58AM]

oh and your logic about there being a rather large difference between 3.1 and 95....i agree, and you helped make my point! there is a rather large difference between the OS on an old ipod and the new ones, so i wouldnt expect it to work based on that logic...

[nd @ Sep 19th 2007 12:02PM]

nah, see its ignorant 12 year olds in here that make me hate engadget sometimes.

"At least try to conceal your fanboyism by not using "winblows""

im not a fanboi, but i have never had a computer with so many compatability issues (hardware and software) and my vista machine. its a resource hog and generally a horrible OS. i use macs for work, and typically like the interface and have not had the same issues there. just my experiences...

[Justin @ Sep 19th 2007 12:03PM]

Yea the os for the iPod is different and I gladly paid for that. We're talking specifically about the differences between 5.5g games and the classic versions. When I upgraded to windows xp from 98 a lot of the software I had still worked and some didn't, but as far as I remember the developers didn't charge for the compatibility upgrade. This isn't about the OS on the iPod it's about the lack of any real update to the games and making us pay for them again.

[nd @ Sep 19th 2007 12:09PM]

"This isn't about the OS on the iPod it's about the lack of any real update to the games and making us pay for them again."

hhmm...i think that you and i look at this very differently. i see it as tho it is about the OS. maybe apple will give you a credit in 3 months :-p

[Larz @ Sep 19th 2007 4:19PM]

You're missing a major point here. Does Windoze/Winblows/etc. suck? Hell yes! So why do I still use a PC and not use Apple Crapintosh? Because on non-Apple hardware, the OS you use is OPTIONAL!

Don't like Vista? Don't use it! Don't like any MS products? Don't use them! There are plenty of other OS's out there to use. But if you're on an Apple and you don't like MacOS? Well, tough cookies.

[Skullfighter @ Sep 19th 2007 5:28PM]

@ Lauren the Ghoti

That was soo funny. I laughed for 3 minutes straight on reading your comment.

Microsoft needs to do a better job of explaining why Vista is a "Resource Hog". I googled this article to explain it for you guys.

It's called super fetch.

Hopefully, some Vista users will finally understand why using more Memory is GOOD!

[GazzyC @ Sep 19th 2007 6:54PM]

Vista only works for M$ PC fanboys, average Joe seems to have much trouble with it! Also it works fine on one PC, another, IE crashes out of the box!

[a3rdLeg @ Sep 19th 2007 11:59AM]

This has been Apple's SOP (standard operating procedure)over the years, upgrade the OS, charge for it, make more money, screw your customer base! Besides who would want to play games on a stinkin iPod?
Screw me...NO SCREW YOU JOBSIE!! Paying twice has become habit forming for Apple. Ringtones anyone?

[bobartig @ Sep 19th 2007 2:18PM]

To be more objective, Apple's SOP is to abandon the past to press forward faster. Supporting the previous generation takes time and effort, and detracts attention from making the new stuff the best it can be.

Therefore, drop the old stuff as soon as the new stuff is ready, and make the customer pay for the new, superior product/experience.

The customer only gets screwed if they 1) cannot accept replacing the old with the new, and want the functionality of both together, or 2) do not realized what they're getting into when they buy the new one because they didn't do any homework.

An easy solution would be for people not to buy stuff that doesn't do what they want. This, of course, doesn't singularly blame Apple for making what they perceive to be the best possible product that they can, given finite resources.

[Jesse S @ Sep 19th 2007 3:26PM]

I don't agree with any part of your reply, but I will say this only: These games aren't new or superior, they are THE SAME THING.

[gecono @ Sep 19th 2007 12:05PM]

You apple guys have been taking it in the rump lately. Didn't apple ever hear of customer appreciation? They are lucky to have such a ignorant herd of followers!

Maybe if they brought back the SE/30 I would feel differently ;)

[Rifter @ Sep 19th 2007 12:07PM]

So... tell me something... what exactly didn't work for you, nd, when you moved from 95 to 98? Quite honestly, I have sotware that ran on 98, that runs on my XP box. I have run software that runs in 98, on Vista... see, if you had any clue about windows, you would realize there is a compatiblity mode, so you can "virtually" run programs in your current OS.

Apple is doing this, as a money grab, nothing more. They change a bit of code, recompile, and wham, it is done. They do NOT deserve a pass on this. This is a VERY anti-consumer move.

[Tyk @ Sep 19th 2007 12:07PM]

If you guys cry loud enough, maybe Steve will give you your money back?

lmao @ Apple Fanboys

[maxmasa31 @ Sep 19th 2007 12:30PM]

Even as a self-proclaimed Apple-fanboy, I've gotta say, that sucks. After the iPhone price drops and the whole iMovie debacle, I'm starting to wonder how much Apple cares about its customers.

Sure, one could say that it can't be totally unexpected, given other products lose some functionality when a new model comes along, but this is like not being able to watch the videos or listen to the music you bought from the iTMS. That's full of crap. Now I'm glad I bought a Sony S616 instead of a new nano. Guess I better start selling off my Apple stocks...

[tantheman @ Sep 19th 2007 12:30PM]

That's some bullsh*t right there, but the games do pretty much suck anyways.