I recall discussion somewhere(an article on here a long time back maybe?) from a developer saying that most MMOs would strike it better if they didn't put themselves in the fantasy environment.
Odd, that, considering Warhammer was advertised as a WoW killer.
@SS Ymer: First month is free, and the event only lasts a month anyways.
Of course, I'm not coming back until I see the words "Server Mergers"
Half of the time it's a wasteland in there. I already transferred my character to a higher population server, but it was pretty much the same. At 8pm eastern. During Night of Murder event.
I'm looking forward to the future article of somebody complaining about a technical issue, and after hours and hours and dozens of help tickets, they just delete any evidence he was there. After posting again about his problems, they just outright ban him, and so he goes to the press, and a whole new EA fiasco begins...
In no way shape or form is this legal. If you purchase a game, you own it. A matter of free speech keeping you from something you own is doubly litigious. There's no way that this is ok.
So one slip-up and all of a sudden you can never play an EA game again? Not only are they looking to lose customers, they're actively getting rid of customers.
I seriously have to question the motives of EA on the potential of banning their gamers for disagreements on their forums.
On a different note, being as I don't buy their games, it shouldn't really concern me, other than the fact that it can set a very bad precedent where other game companies can decide to follow suit.
But if the article holds water, I can only imagine that there will be a lawyer somewhere that would be more than happy to contest this in a "class-action" lawsuit (Stated or not.)
I'd also imagine that various state Attorneys General would follow suit.
Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!! was starred
Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!! was unstarred
People understand it as buying the game because no one can take the time to read (or often, understand) the EULA.
What they're doing (or not?) I suspect, is totally legal. Like others said, you buy a license to play. A typical modern EULA states:
- Any damage caused by their software isnt't their fault.
- You buy a license to play, and a physical copy of the game. The license is needed to play, and they may revoke it at any time.
- If they do revoke it, you have no recourse, and no refund will be given.
- They may also change the terms of their service at any time.
For whole online services, you also often see:
- They may upgrade the system/TOS at any time. The upgrades will be required to get basic functionality. To keep the functionality you had under the terms you agreed to before, you must now agree to whatever new terms they put forth... or not. You can always go without anything and throw your money away. (F'n PSN... I do not agree, but I'm not throwing away $450 because my system stopped working online! One-company keiretsu or not, EULA or not, if they try anything I'll take 'em to court AND win.)
WE NEED TO STOP AGREEING TO THIS BULLSHIT. What makes it even worse, a trap even, is that by the time you see these, you've unwrapped the game, so no one will accept a return on it because it's software. Your freedom as a consumer amounts to the idea that you're free to buy a disc and manual for $60 and then not use them if you don't agree to a last minute revocation of any rights you had, but all sales are still final. Who's really going to stop there and not just say "yeah, whatever. I agree!" I strongly suspect this is highly illegal, though EULAs as "contracts" typically fail in court anyway as anyone including babies and housepets can sign them, and it's not even a signature. I don't know what it is for LBP because I was pressing "ok" to a bunch of boxes and it only appeared for 1/4 second. That wasn't agreement, in court it could be deemed a trick with little argument.
We need some massive class-action lawsuits to ensure fair EULAs, or maybe simply have a universal industry-consensus EULA with a version number on it so you can read it once and be done with it. "This game is bound by the standard Sony/MS/Nintendo license agreement 2008, version 1.1" and so on. Because we all know that less than 1% of us actually read the entire text, and consult our lawyers to decypher tricky parts. (I skim the whole thing for flagrant abuses, but ultimately assume little legal clout is behind them.)
For anyone questioning the legality of this, remember that you clicked to accept the EULA, the EULA that contains terms such as...
From Crysis EULA:
Licensor may revoke or terminate this License at any time, for any reason or no reason, in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein this Agreement and the License granted to you herein shall immediately terminate, without the requirement of any notice from CRYTEK to Licensee, upon Licensee's failure to comply with or breach of any term or provision of this Agreement.
That's right, "for any reason or no reason". Suck it.
So saying something like, "Fuck you EA and your draconian bullshit company, I hope you burn slowly in a tire fire and are subsequently ravaged by 1,000 feral camels for the rest of eternity in the fire pits of hell!" would get me banned in-game too? Thats a shame.
Okay. That does it. I will never buy an EA game new again. Used purchases that don't make the company a dime or rentals for me (too bad for EA, as Dead Space was going to be my next purchase after Gears of War 2). I tend not to misbehave in forums, but what EA is doing is ludicrous.
I wonder if the moves in games toward "moral choices have game consequences" and this sort of crackdown are both a response to the way anonomity breeds bad behavior online? Either turns off customers, you know, something probably EA takes very seriously indeed.
03/04/09
Odd, that, considering Warhammer was advertised as a WoW killer.
03/04/09
03/04/09
To anyone interested Game is on sale at Gamestop for 29.99$ :)
03/04/09
03/04/09
Of course, I'm not coming back until I see the words "Server Mergers"
Half of the time it's a wasteland in there. I already transferred my character to a higher population server, but it was pretty much the same. At 8pm eastern. During Night of Murder event.
10/30/08
10/30/08
10/30/08
Retarded.
10/30/08
On a different note, being as I don't buy their games, it shouldn't really concern me, other than the fact that it can set a very bad precedent where other game companies can decide to follow suit.
But if the article holds water, I can only imagine that there will be a lawyer somewhere that would be more than happy to contest this in a "class-action" lawsuit (Stated or not.)
I'd also imagine that various state Attorneys General would follow suit.
10/30/08
Is there clear guidelines as to what will constitute a ban?
Who has the authority to ban?
Is there an appeal process?
Well, thank god for piracy, right?
10/30/08
10/30/08
10/30/08
What they're doing (or not?) I suspect, is totally legal. Like others said, you buy a license to play. A typical modern EULA states:
- Any damage caused by their software isnt't their fault.
- You buy a license to play, and a physical copy of the game. The license is needed to play, and they may revoke it at any time.
- If they do revoke it, you have no recourse, and no refund will be given.
- They may also change the terms of their service at any time.
For whole online services, you also often see:
- They may upgrade the system/TOS at any time. The upgrades will be required to get basic functionality. To keep the functionality you had under the terms you agreed to before, you must now agree to whatever new terms they put forth... or not. You can always go without anything and throw your money away. (F'n PSN... I do not agree, but I'm not throwing away $450 because my system stopped working online! One-company keiretsu or not, EULA or not, if they try anything I'll take 'em to court AND win.)
WE NEED TO STOP AGREEING TO THIS BULLSHIT. What makes it even worse, a trap even, is that by the time you see these, you've unwrapped the game, so no one will accept a return on it because it's software. Your freedom as a consumer amounts to the idea that you're free to buy a disc and manual for $60 and then not use them if you don't agree to a last minute revocation of any rights you had, but all sales are still final. Who's really going to stop there and not just say "yeah, whatever. I agree!" I strongly suspect this is highly illegal, though EULAs as "contracts" typically fail in court anyway as anyone including babies and housepets can sign them, and it's not even a signature. I don't know what it is for LBP because I was pressing "ok" to a bunch of boxes and it only appeared for 1/4 second. That wasn't agreement, in court it could be deemed a trick with little argument.
We need some massive class-action lawsuits to ensure fair EULAs, or maybe simply have a universal industry-consensus EULA with a version number on it so you can read it once and be done with it. "This game is bound by the standard Sony/MS/Nintendo license agreement 2008, version 1.1" and so on. Because we all know that less than 1% of us actually read the entire text, and consult our lawyers to decypher tricky parts. (I skim the whole thing for flagrant abuses, but ultimately assume little legal clout is behind them.)
10/30/08
10/30/08
From Crysis EULA:
Licensor may revoke or terminate this License at any time, for any reason or no reason, in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein this Agreement and the License granted to you herein shall immediately terminate, without the requirement of any notice from CRYTEK to Licensee, upon Licensee's failure to comply with or breach of any term or provision of this Agreement.
That's right, "for any reason or no reason". Suck it.
10/30/08
10/30/08
[kotaku.com]
10/30/08
I think some of us are just getting sick of the constant threats and bullying behavior.
10/30/08
10/30/08