History Main / DeletionAsPunishment

* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', Bottles threatens to delete your save file if you talk to him too many times after claiming to know all of the game's basic moves -- luckily he backs down after Banjo apologizes. Unfortunately, [[BigBad Gruntilda]] absolutely ''WILL'' erase your save file if you ignore her final warning and [[NoFairCheating use more than two cheat codes that let you bypass]] the various [[CashGate Note Doors]] and level entrances. [[note]]Only occurs if you enter three or more cheats in a single session, you can bypass Grunty's punishment entirely by saving and reloading to enter more.[[/note]] Fortunately, cheats that give infinite power-ups or remove certain obstacles do not trigger any punishment in the original UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 version. The UsefulNotes/Xbox360 version of the game does have a still severe but decidedly less harsh punishment of disabling saving if ''any'' cheats are inputted - even the infinite power-up cheats.

** Even gacha games aren't safe either; in the Taiwanese and Global servers of ''VideoGame/{{SINoALICE}}'' made available roughly a week before the game servers were closed, the final chapter has Parrah and Noya commenting on how bad the situation in the main story got [[spoiler:with everyone dead and Alice barely clinging on to what's left of her sanity]], to the point where they request you, the player, to save them. The story proper has Alice following the White Rabbit into a labyrinth after offing a bunch of Nightmares, in a CallBack to how her story began. In the labyrinth are comments on doors written by the other Characters. As she keeps avoiding the doors because she felt like they were calling her out, she slowly succumbs to despair as she tries to avoid the painful reality and got to the point where she could only cry out for help. Before proceeding to the very end, the heads of Parrah and Noya realize the purpose of your arrival to the Library - in the form of a key representing hope. This key will save Alice and everyone else but it ''will'' destroy the Library in the process; in other words your account will be gone and you'll no longer be able to log in again. Should you proceed (after sending 1 final message to your guild), Alice will realize that she wasn't alone in her uphill battle to revive her author; you were with her all this time. She then teams up with you on a very difficult solo battle against all of the (revealed) Nightmare [[spoiler:versions of the Characters, including herself]]. Upon clearing that and viewing the last cutscene [[spoiler:which reveals that it was AllJustADream by her Reality self]], the game will be [[spoiler:restarted, and tapping on the "tap to play" area will show a message informing the player that the world of Library and all of the worlds in it has been purified]]. {{Averted|Trope}} with the Japanese server where for once, the player actually gets to ''keep'' their account but this is after [[spoiler: rescuing the Characters from the Desire creature piloted by Noya, and after defeating him in a guild raid both puppets die and the Characters fade away due to the now non-existence of Desire after saying their last farewells to you. The game then ends with a gravestone with your username on it and a serial number showing that you're the xth player to finish the game.]]

** Even gacha games aren't safe either; in the Taiwanese and Global servers of ''VideoGame/{{SINoALICE}}'' made available roughly a week before the game servers were closed, the final chapter has Parrah and Noya commenting on how bad the situation in the main story got [[spoiler:with everyone dead and Alice barely clinging on to what's left of her sanity]], to the point where they request you, the player, to save them. The story proper has Alice following the White Rabbit into a labyrinth after offing a bunch of Nightmares, in a CallBack to how her story began. In the labyrinth are comments on doors written by the other Characters. As she keeps avoiding the doors because she felt like they were calling her out, she slowly succumbs to despair as she tries to avoid the painful reality and got to the point where she could only cry out for help. Before proceeding to the very end, the heads of Parrah and Noya realize the purpose of your arrival to the Library - in the form of a key representing hope. This key will save Alice and everyone else but it ''will'' destroy the Library in the process; in other words your account will be gone and you'll no longer be able to log in again. Should you proceed (after sending 1 final message to your guild), Alice will realize that she wasn't alone in her uphill battle to revive her author; you were with her all this time. She then teams up with you on a very difficult solo battle against all of the (revealed) Nightmare [[spoiler:versions of the Characters, including herself]]. Upon clearing that and viewing the last cutscene [[spoiler:which reveals that it was AllJustADream by her Reality self]], the game will be [[spoiler:restarted, and tapping on the "tap to play" area will show a message informing the player that the world of Library and all of the worlds in it has been purified]]. Time will tell if something similar will happen to the Japanese server...

Compare FinalDeathMode, where ''any'' death deletes your file, instead of a specific condition, and SingleAttemptGame, where you can't play the game again if you fail.

** Even gacha games aren't safe either; in the Taiwanese server of ''VideoGame/{{SINoALICE}}'' made available roughly a week before the game server is closed, the final chapter has Parrah and Noya commenting on how bad the situation in the main story got [[spoiler:with everyone dead and Alice barely clinging on to what's left of her sanity]], to the point where they request you, the player, to save them. The story proper has Alice following the White Rabbit into a labyrinth after offing a bunch of Nightmares, in a CallBack to how her story began. In the labyrinth are comments on doors written by the other Characters. As she keeps avoiding the doors because she felt like they were calling her out, she slowly succumbs to despair as she tries to avoid the painful reality and got to the point where she could only cry out for help. Before proceeding to the very end, the heads of Parrah and Noya realize the purpose of your arrival to the Library - in the form of a key representing hope. This key will save Alice and everyone else but it ''will'' destroy the Library in the process; in other words your account will be gone and you'll no longer be able to log in again. Should you proceed (after sending 1 final message to your guild), Alice will realize that she wasn't alone in her uphill battle to revive her author; you were with her all this time. She then teams up with you on a very difficult solo battle against all of the (revealed) Nightmare [[spoiler:versions of the Characters, including herself]]. Upon clearing that and viewing the last cutscene [[spoiler:which reveals that it was AllJustADream by her Reality self]], the game will be [[spoiler: restarted, and tapping on the "tap to play" area will show a message informing the player that the world of Library and all of the worlds in it has been purified]]. Time will tell if something similar will happen to the Japanese and Global servers...

* Did you fail to eject in time during an emergency in ''VideoGame/SteelBattalion''? Kiss your save file goodbye!

* Creator/YokoTaro tends to do this a lot in recent times:

** Just like its predecessor, ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' does this too. In ending E, to stop a massive data purge [[spoiler: and save the lives of the three main characters]], you have to get through by far the most grueling shooter section in the game in the form of MiniGameCredits. It starts off manageable, [[BulletHell but is incredibly overtuned to the point where you will die, again and again]], [[HopelessBossFight and combined with condescending and downbeat messages from the game, it appears unwinnable.]] However, you start to get messages from other players who have beaten it - Encouraging statements in the same vein of the death messages...Culminating in you receiving a Rescue Offer from one of these players. If you take them up on it, you get a halo of extra ships around you, each representing one the players who messaged you earlier, rendering you unkillable and incredibly powerful. [[spoiler: When the fight ends, though, you discover that all of your rescuers have deleted their save data to save you. You are then given the option to do the same, provided you leave an encouraging message.]] Much like ''[=NieR=]'' before it, you are given about five different opportunities to change your mind, but it WILL do it if you comply. And unlike the previous game's remake, you cannot recover unless you restore a save from backup, which [[spoiler:also undoes the memorial on the new title screen to commemorate your sacrifice.]] Yes, this actually means that to truly 100% the game, you must sacrifice your save.

** Just like its predecessor, ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' does this too. In ending E, to stop a massive data purge [[spoiler: and save the lives of the three main characters]], you have to get through [[BonusBoss by far the most grueling shooter section in the game in the form of]] MiniGameCredits. It starts off manageable, [[BulletHell but is incredibly overtuned to the point where you will die, again and again]], [[HopelessBossFight and combined with condescending and downbeat messages from the game, it appears unwinnable.]] However, you start to get messages from other players who have beaten it - Encouraging statements in the same vein of the death messages...Culminating in you receiving a Rescue Offer from one of these players. If you take them up on it, you get a halo of extra ships around you, each representing one the players who messaged you earlier, rendering you unkillable and incredibly powerful. [[spoiler: When the fight ends, though, you discover that all of your rescuers have deleted their save data to save you. You are then given the option to do the same, provided you leave an encouraging message.]] Much like ''[=NieR=]'' before it, you are given about five different opportunities to change your mind, but it WILL do it if you comply. And unlike the previous game's remake, you cannot recover unless you restore a save from backup, which [[spoiler:also undoes the memorial on the new title screen to commemorate your sacrifice.]] Yes, this actually means that to truly 100% the game, you must sacrifice your save.

Compare FinalDeathMode, where ''any'' death deletes your file, instead of a specific condition.

* Should you choose to face down the TrueFinalBoss of ''VideoGame/ZeroRanger'', [[spoiler:then you'll have to [[PointOfNoContinues give up all of your continues in an all or nothing gamble]] to go back in time to destroy the Lotus Jewel; the more continues you lose, the more lives you'll be given to fight the TrueFinalBoss. Once you win, you'll be given the GoldenEnding (Earth is saved forever and the pilot is able to return home!); totally losing that battle will cause your game to be over and delete all your progress]]! You are warned about this, being told "Only one shot", and seeing [[spoiler: the thing with your continues break in the process.]]

** Even gacha games aren't safe either; in the Taiwanese server of ''VideoGame/{{SINoALICE}}'', the final chapter has Parrah and Noya commenting on how bad the situation in the main story got [[spoiler:with everyone dead and Alice barely clinging on to what's left of her sanity]], to the point where they request you, the player, to save them. The story proper has Alice following the White Rabbit into a labyrinth after offing a bunch of Nightmares, in a CallBack to how her story began. In the labyrinth are comments on doors written by the other Characters. As she keeps avoiding the doors because she felt like they were calling her out, she slowly succumbs to despair as she tries to avoid the painful reality and got to the point where she could only cry out for help. Before proceeding to the very end, the heads of Parrah and Noya realize the purpose of your arrival to the Library - in the form of a key representing hope. This key will save Alice and everyone else but it ''will'' destroy the Library in the process; in other words your account will be gone and you'll no longer be able to log in again. Should you proceed (after sending 1 final message to your guild), Alice will realize that she wasn't alone in her uphill battle to revive her author; you were with her all this time. She then teams up with you on a very difficult solo battle against all of the (revealed) Nightmare [[spoiler:versions of the Characters, including herself]]. Upon clearing that and viewing the last cutscene [[spoiler:which reveals that it was AllJustADream by her Reality self]], the game will be [[spoiler: restarted, and tapping on the "tap to play" area will show a message informing the player that the world of Library and all of the worlds in it has been purified]]. Time will tell if something similar will happen to the Japanese and Global servers...

** Even gacha games aren't safe either; in the Taiwanese server of ''VideoGame/{{SINoALICE}}'', the final chapter has Parrah and Noya commenting on how bad the situation in the main story got [[spoiler:with everyone dead and Alice barely clinging on to what's left of her sanity]], to the point where they request you, the player, to save them. The story proper has Alice following the White Rabbit into a labyrinth after offing a bunch of Nightmares, in a CallBack to how her story began. In the labyrinth are comments on doors written by the other Characters. As she keeps avoiding the doors because she felt like they were calling her out, she slowly succumbs to despair as she tries to avoid the painful reality and got to the point where she could only cry out for help. Before proceeding to the very end, the heads of Parrah and Noya realize the purpose of your arrival to the Library - in the form of a key representing hope. This key will save Alice and everyone else but it ''will'' destroy the Library in the process; in other words your account will be gone and you'll no longer be able to log in again. Should you proceed (after sending 1 final message to your guild), Alice will realize that she wasn't alone in her uphill battle to revive her author; you were with her all this time. She then teams up with you on a very difficult solo battle against all of the (revealed) Nightmare [[spoiler:versions of the Characters, including herself]]. Upon clearing that and viewing the last cutscene [[spoiler:which reveals that it was ALlJustADream by her Reality self]], the game will be [[spoiler: restarted, and tapping on the "tap to play" area will show a message informing the player that the world of Library and all of the worlds in it has been purified]]. Time will tell if something similar will happen to the Japanese and Global servers...

** Even gacha games aren't safe either; in the Taiwanese server of ''VideoGame/{{SINoALICE}}'', the final chapter has Parrah and Noya commenting on how bad the situation in the main story got [[spoilers:with everyone dead and Alice barely clinging on to what's left of her sanity]], to the point where they request you, the player, to save them. The story proper has Alice following the White Rabbit into a labyrinth after offing a bunch of Nightmares, in a CallBack to how her story began. In the labyrinth are comments on doors written by the other Characters [[spoiler:whose souls are lost to the DeadlyGame up until the Act of Elimination (in their case, this is THE Act of Elimination - they never got a Part 2.)]] As she keeps avoiding the doors because she felt like they were calling her out, she slowly succumbs to despair as she tries to avoid the painful reality and got to the point where she could only cry out for help. Before proceeding to the very end, the heads of Parrah and Noya realize the purpose of your arrival to the Library - in the form of a key representing hope. This key will save Alice and everyone else but it ''will'' destroy the Library in the process; in other words your account will be gone, you'll no longer be able to log in again. Should you proceed (after 1 final message to your guild), Alice will realize that she wasn't alone in her uphill battle to revive her author; you were with her all the time. She then teams up with you on a very difficult solo battle against all of the (revealed) Nightmare [[spoiler:versions of the Characters, including herself]]. Upon clearing that and viewing the last cutscene, the game will be [[spoiler: restarted, and tapping on the "tap to play" area will show a message informing the player that the world of Library and all of the worlds in it has been purified]]. Time will tell if something similar will happen to the Japanese and Global servers...

** Even gacha games aren't safe either; in the Taiwanese server of ''VideoGame/{{SINoALICE}}'', after the player completes the final chapter and views the last cutscene, they will be [[spoiler: forced out of the game, and when they next activate the app they cannot go back in]]. However, time will tell if something similar will happen to the Japanese and Global servers...

* In ''VideoGame/NieR'', to get the final ending where Kaine is saved, Nier must choose to have [[RetGone his existence erased, including everyone's memories of him]]. If you do choose this, the game erases all of your save data, and doesn't even allow you to choose the same ''name'' if you start a new game. It does give you three or four "AreYouSureYouWantToDoThat" warnings, first and asks you to input the name you gave him in the beginning, though. [[spoiler: The remake inverts this, by helping Kaine revive Nier, you bring back the save data that was deleted in Ending D.]]
* Just like its predecessor, ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' does this too. In ending E, to stop a massive data purge [[spoiler: and save the lives of the three main characters]], you have to get through [[BonusBoss by far the most grueling shooter section in the game in the form of]] MiniGameCredits. It starts off manageable, [[BulletHell but is incredibly overtuned to the point where you will die, again and again]], [[HopelessBossFight and combined with condescending and downbeat messages from the game, it appears unwinnable.]] However, you start to get messages from other players who have beaten it - Encouraging statements in the same vein of the death messages...Culminating in you receiving a Rescue Offer from one of these players. If you take them up on it, you get a halo of extra ships around you, each representing one the players who messaged you earlier, rendering you unkillable and incredibly powerful. [[spoiler: When the fight ends, though, you discover that all of your rescuers have deleted their save data to save you. You are then given the option to do the same, provided you leave an encouraging message.]] Much like ''[=NieR=]'' before it, you are given about five different opportunities to change your mind, but it WILL do it if you comply. And unlike the previous game's remake, you cannot recover unless you restore a save from backup, which [[spoiler:also undoes the memorial on the new title screen to commemorate your sacrifice.]] Yes, this actually means that to truly 100% the game, you must sacrifice your save.

* In ''VideoGame/CultOfTheLamb'' should you have no followers left, the game will end after 2 in game days if you don't recruit any followers and your save file will be deleted, because a shepherd can't survive without a flock.

* Just like its predecessor, ''VideoG
ame/NierAutomata'' does this too. In ending E, to stop a massive data purge [[spoiler: and save the lives of the three main characters]], you have to get through [[BonusBoss by far the most grueling shooter section in the game in the form of]] MiniGameCredits. It starts off manageable, [[BulletHell but is incredibly overtuned to the point where you will die, again and again]], [[HopelessBossFight and combined with condescending and downbeat messages from the game, it appears unwinnable.]] However, you start to get messages from other players who have beaten it - Encouraging statements in the same vein of the death messages...Culminating in you receiving a Rescue Offer from one of these players. If you take them up on it, you get a halo of extra ships around you, each representing one the players who messaged you earlier, rendering you unkillable and incredibly powerful. [[spoiler: When the fight ends, though, you discover that all of your rescuers have deleted their save data to save you. You are then given the option to do the same, provided you leave an encouraging message.]] Much like ''[=NieR=]'' before it, you are given about five different opportunities to change your mind, but it WILL do it if you comply. And unlike the previous game's remake, you cannot recover unless you restore a save from backup, which [[spoiler:also undoes the memorial on the new title screen to commemorate your sacrifice.]] Yes, this actually means that to truly 100% the game, you must sacrifice your save.

* Present in ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' as the final routine in the game's well-known CopyProtection. If you make it to the final boss, the game hangs. Resetting or turning your SNES off and then back on reveals that all your saves have been erased, which makes that sought-after RPG not worth playing on a counterfeit cartridge!

* Just like its predecessor, ''Videogame/NierAutomata'' does this too. In ending E, to stop a massive data purge [[spoiler: and save the lives of the three main characters]], you have to get through [[BonusBoss by far the most grueling shooter section in the game in the form of]] MiniGameCredits. It starts off manageable, [[BulletHell but is incredibly overtuned to the point where you will die, again and again]], [[HopelessBossFight and combined with condescending and downbeat messages from the game, it appears unwinnable.]] However, you start to get messages from other players who have beaten it - Encouraging statements in the same vein of the death messages...Culminating in you receiving a Rescue Offer from one of these players. If you take them up on it, you get a halo of extra ships around you, each representing one the players who messaged you earlier, rendering you unkillable and incredibly powerful. [[spoiler: When the fight ends, though, you discover that all of your rescuers have deleted their save data to save you. You are then given the option to do the same, provided you leave an encouraging message.]] Much like ''[=NieR=]'' before it, you are given about five different opportunities to change your mind, but it WILL do it if you comply. And unlike the previous game's remake, you cannot recover unless you restore a save from backup, which [[spoiler:also undoes the memorial on the new title screen to commemorate your sacrifice.]] Yes, this actually means that to truly 100% the game, you must sacrifice your save.

* In ''VideoGame/CardShark, [[spoiler: if you die and allow Death to win, they will offer to either take your money and return you to the world above, or they will eat your soul. Choosing the latter option completely erases your save file.]]

* Just like its predecessor, ''Videogame/NierAutomata'' does this too. In ending E, to stop a massive data purge [[spoiler: and save the lives of the three main characters]], you have to get through [[BonusBoss by far the most grueling shooter section in the game in the form of]] MiniGameCredits. It starts off manageable, [[BulletHell but is incredibly overtuned to the point where you will die, again and again]], [[HopelessBossFight and combined with condescending and downbeat messages from the game, it appears unwinnable.]] However, you start to get messages from other players who have beaten it - Encouraging statements in the same vein of the death messages...Culminating in you receiving a Rescue Offer from one of these players. If you take them up on it, you get a halo of extra ships around you, each representing one the players who messaged you earlier, rendering you unkillable and incredibly powerful. [[spoiler: When the fight ends, though, you discover that all of your rescuers have deleted their save data to save you. You are then given the option to do the same.]] Much like ''[=NieR=]'' before it, you are given about five different opportunities to change your mind, but it WILL do it if you comply.

* Shows up in ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'' as the consequence to failing a certain AdvancingWallOfDoom section, but only in the Japanese version. It's a bluff, however.

* Present in ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' as the final routine in the game's well-known CopyProtection. If you make it to the final boss, the game hangs. Resetting reveals that all your saves have been erased!

* In ''VideoGame/LoseLose'', dying causes the ''entire game to delete itself''. That being said, for every enemy you kill, the game permanently deletes one of your computer's files chosen at random, which can include system-critical files -- [[ThePunishmentIsTheCrime playing the game at all is this trope in itself]]. The game's disclaimer and website at least warns you about all this.

* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', Bottles threatens to delete your save file if you talk to him too many times after claiming to know all of the game's basic moves -- luckily he backs down after Banjo apologizes. Unfortunately, [[BigBad Gruntilda]] absolutely ''WILL'' erase your save file if you ignore her final warning and [[NoFairCheating use more than two cheat codes that let you bypass]] the various [[CashGate Note Doors]] and level entrances. [[note]]Only occurs if you enter three or more cheats in a single session, you can bypass Grunty's punishment entirely by saving and reloading to enter more.[[/note]] Fortunately, cheats that give infinite power-ups do not trigger any punishment in the original UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 version. The UsefulNotes/Xbox360 version of the game does have a still severe but decidedly less harsh punishment of disabling saving if ''any'' cheats are inputted - even the infinite power-up cheats.