EA and Origin: or the beginning of the end...

[CommanderCrazy]

http://kotaku.com/5845866/origin-account-bans-threatened-for

 

They're already threatening to ban people from it thus removing access to games that have been paid for, it didn't take long for the "Do as we say or we'll take our games back" to start.

 

You are jumping the gun here Jim. If you cared to actually read the article instead of just the title, you would have known that the ban is threatened for playing on the hacked servers, and not involving origin scanning your PC in any way.

[JimboUK]

http://kotaku.com/5845866/origin-account-bans-threatened-for

 

They're already threatening to ban people from it thus removing access to games that have been paid for, it didn't take long for the "Do as we say or we'll take our games back" to start.

 

You are jumping the gun here Jim. If you cared to actually read the article instead of just the title, you would have known that the ban is threatened for playing on the hacked servers, and not involving origin scanning your PC in any way.

 

I didn't say this was about scanning your PC, this is EA already using the service to control people. They are threatening to take away games people have paid for if they go on those servers, how can that possibly be right? Anyway those servers have been modded, not hacked and they were available through the server browser. If we let EA dictate what we can and cannot do with our games then we might as well give up with PC gaming and buy a console.

[CommanderCrazy]

Technically hacked, technically modded. its depends on how you look at it.

And the reason they are banning people that go on, is because the server files were acquired illegally.

[lukertin]

I didn't say this was about scanning your PC, this is EA already using the service to control people. They are threatening to take away games people have paid for if they go on those servers, how can that possibly be right? Anyway those servers have been modded, not hacked and they were available through the server browser. If we let EA dictate what we can and cannot do with our games then we might as well give up with PC gaming and buy a console.

You don't pay for the game, you pay for the license to play the game. Break the terms of the license, you don't have the right to play the game anymore.

 

Really rather simple application of contract law...

[JimboUK]

Can no one see the problem here? honestly I give up, if people are willing just to put up with this sort of nonsense they deserve to be walked over.

 

I didn't say this was about scanning your PC, this is EA already using the service to control people. They are threatening to take away games people have paid for if they go on those servers, how can that possibly be right? Anyway those servers have been modded, not hacked and they were available through the server browser. If we let EA dictate what we can and cannot do with our games then we might as well give up with PC gaming and buy a console.

You don't pay for the game, you pay for the license to play the game. Break the terms of the license, you don't have the right to play the game anymore.

 

Really rather simple application of contract law...

 

I'd love to see that put to test under the sale of goods act in this country, here when there is a conflict between law and a contract the law wins.

[scot]

I read that article in game informer about the rogue servers and the best part is people can´t tell the difference bettween the official and rogue servers so if you accidently go into a rogue one it´s bye bye to all your purchased games from origins because of an accident.

[CommanderCrazy]

because its hard to tell the difference between 32 player Operation Metro Rush and 128 player Operation Metro Conquest :confused:

[sendo75]

@BKE

I am just musing on the thoughts of gamers on this issue, not conducting a university research so a convenient poll here will suffice, not going out of my way when it is not necessary. I don't expect the results to be extensive and accurate. Customers are going to be bias about their choice of games, it is their preference and prerogative. If players don't like the EULA changes, you think they gonna be fair to EA and spend their cash first? Anyway, this was thrown to the OP as a suggestion.

 

@jim_uk

I agree this is a preview of what Origins is capable of. EA using Origins to threaten the "usage" of all games is unscrupulous but not surprising. In this case, this is penalty for usage of a hacked server, but don't be too naive to think they will not wield this "power" for their own benefits. The whole idea of purchasing a game with additional amendable contract usage is ridiculous and they abused it eventually. If I do not like the EULA changes after buying the game, do I get a refund? Games used to be products but now they are treated as products & faux services with additional benefits of spywares.

[lukertin]

I'd love to see that put to test under the sale of goods act in this country, here when there is a conflict between law and a contract the law wins.

It's already been put under the test of law, when software is sold almost every country (with the exception of a few, like Russia, but I assure you every common law jurisdiction country holds the same), it is a license to use that software, not the software itself. Software is a copyrightable good whose use generates, or can rely upon, some form of user created content, from Microsoft Windows to Office to Adobe Acrobat to Macromedia Dreamworks, and yes, this includes most games. Most games do not allow users (note how the term of art is user not owner) to freely modify game files at whim or create unauthorized copies of the game. In any case use of a software contrary to its licensing terms can trigger termination of the contract and its accompanying rights, and that's a commonality between both US and UK contract law.

 

If the UK law doesn't recognize that the sale of MS Office is actually a sale of a license to use MS Office (I can't imagine that it doesn't; MS's UK page for licensing links to the generalized EULA used for everyone detailing how users can use the software @ http://www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing/) then I will eat my shorts.

 

Anyway, what conflict are you referring to? Any dispute over this is going to come up primarily under copyright law, with contract and consumer transaction law being supplementary, and regardless of the questionable enforce-ability of EULA agreements (since the only ground for invalidity is going to be the contract's unconscionable nature or offense to public policy) do you think a handful of gamers residing in varied countries is going to bring suit against EA for claims of $20-50 per game? No lawyer is going to take that case.

Edited October 5, 2011 by lukertin

[Arthmoor]

http://kotaku.com/5845866/origin-account-bans-threatened-for

 

They're already threatening to ban people from it thus removing access to games that have been paid for, it didn't take long for the "Do as we say or we'll take our games back" to start.

They learned that behavior by watching Valve get away with it for years. You're surprised? Better yet, you're upset by this but not by anything Valve does?

 

Seriously, do none of you see what you're doing and how silly it makes you all sound when you bash one company for doing precisely the same thing as another? Does. Not. Compute.