Bioware blocks user from playing his store-bought copy of DA2, for bad-mouthing EA?

[Tony2077]

i can admit they may have gone too far but punishment is still due so they can either learn from there mistakes or have this happen again

 

[Staskala]

Pretty sure that's theft on Bioware/EA's part?

Just because they currently dislike that user doesn't give them the right to remove his ability to play games on that account - that prevents him from accessing save files and DLC in previous Bioware games too. (obviously a new account could be made for DA2)

How well does playing offline work? Would that let him access his (non-DA2) games again?

Accoring to him he can't access any of his content, nor log into any game.
The only option he has now is cracking the games he legally bought.

Preventing people from playing their purchased games because they criticised your game is probably against the law, but what gamer has the funds to go to court?
To think that Bioware, the people behind BG, turned into this... truly saddening.

 

[CitySquirrel]

But the question is, do they have the RIGHT to do anything about it?

Of course they do. It is their service and their forum and they have a right to do what the will with it. And if we don't like it then we have a right not to buy their products or participate.

 

[Legion IV]

Ahahaha! YES this beatiful! Everyones precious bioware suddenly doing things more in the open so peoplew can no longer defend them. Oh Bioware this is just to funny.

 

[jayman52]

This ain't right. I'm lucky that I haven't been banned yet for all the stuff I've said on their forums that insulted EA. I'm glad (sarcasm there) EA knows how piss off their customers and I'm doubly glad (super sarcasm there) Bioware joined up with them. I will never understand why Bioware thought EA was a good company to join up with.

But the question is, do they have the RIGHT to do anything about it?

Of course they do. It is their service and their forum and they have a right to do what the will with it. And if we don't like it then we have a right not to buy their products or participate.

Not quite. I'm pretty darn sure the gamer could take EA to court and easily win this one no matter what their forum rules say. You cannot take away someone's access to something simply because they insulted you. That is not only theft but a violation of the freedom of speech. And don't tell me that in a private forum the freedom of speech goes out the window. That is BS and you know it.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

So you say something that annoys the fanboys on the Bioware forums and get automatically locked out of playing games that you paid for or is just when you say something slightly uncomplimentary about EA? That's really lousy, they should just delete the forums if it comes down to this but really it's a reminder of how bad a deal consumers can get when you pay for games as a service.

 

[Eri]

What they did is illegal. It's that simple. It's his opinion and his right to free speech.

Free speech doesn't apply to everything. Also he agreed to rules, which he broke.

 

[Mikeyfell]

it seems like EA blocked him
not Bioware

 

[Katana314]

Exactly. For instance, if I came on this forum and said something like-


User was banned for this post. Reason: Libel, insulting of forum members, extreme racism, something to do with a very rude phallic object, and quite possibly a threat against the security of the world.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

What they did is illegal. It's that simple. It's his opinion and his right to free speech.

Look at the ToS. It is perfectly legal. Are they being massive dicks? Yes. But it is legal.

 

[StarCecil]

What they did is illegal. It's that simple. It's his opinion and his right to free speech.

Free speech doesn't apply to everything. Also he agreed to rules, which he broke.

He also paid ?50 for a game that he cannot now play. Is that right?

 

[mireko]

Looking at the ToS, they CAN do that. It doesn't make it right, though.

From a mod/admin: "Consider it an added incentive to follow the rules you say you're going to follow."

Yeah, Bioware has lost all of the respect I once had for them.

While the mod isn't exactly sympathetic, it's pretty clear that this ban came from EA. That doesn't bode well for BioWare, but it isn't entirely their fault.

One sort of has to wonder what has been up with EA lately, it's like they saw all the negative publicity Activision was getting and said, "Hey! I want in on that too!".

 

[Azex]

looks like they only solution is for everyone the world over stops buying games. that way we can come up with rules for whats fair that both makers and players can agree on and then we can all start again on equal footing...

and then we'll all live forever, be infintely rich and no longer hate everything

(ignore this all)

 

[soulsabr]

And they can't figure out why we walk around pirating the games. Sorry, guys, but it AIN'T pirating if you paid for it.

 

[Eldarion]

So now he can't play games that he paid money for because he expressed his opinion? Yhea, that digital distribution is the wave of the future. If you don't mind I'm gonna continue purchasing my disks that I can play no matter what. I guess I'm just stuck in my ways.

In all seriousness I'm glad I never bought into steam. If bioware is pulling shit like this, can we really trust valve?

 

[psicat]

So what. Steam does it all the time and you still get millions who love Steam. That other companies have similar policies doesn't surprise me nowadays, neither does the fact Bioware would happily implement it with all the trolling they are receiving lately about Dragon Age 2.

 

[Eri]

What they did is illegal. It's that simple. It's his opinion and his right to free speech.

Free speech doesn't apply to everything. Also he agreed to rules, which he broke.

He also paid ?50 for a game that he cannot now play. Is that right?

That has no bearing on what I said. Regardless, what's done is done.

 

[Omnific One]

So what. Steam does it all the time and you still get millions who love Steam. That other companies have similar policies doesn't surprise me nowadays, neither does the fact Bioware would happily implement it with all the trolling they are receiving lately about Dragon Age 2.

Where does it say in the Steam TOS that if you say "Steam is horrible," you will have your account banned and all the games will be worthless? I thought so.

Please think before posting.

What they did is illegal. It's that simple. It's his opinion and his right to free speech.

Free speech doesn't apply to everything. Also he agreed to rules, which he broke.

He also paid ?50 for a game that he cannot now play. Is that right?

That has no bearing on what I said. Regardless, what's done is done.

What's done is done? Nice. So stealing is ok, as long as its "done" in the eyes of an outsider.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Looking at the ToS, they CAN do that. It doesn't make it right, though.

From a mod/admin: "Consider it an added incentive to follow the rules you say you're going to follow."

Yeah, Bioware has lost all of the respect I once had for them.

While the mod isn't exactly sympathetic, it's pretty clear that this ban came from EA. That doesn't bode well for BioWare, but it isn't entirely their fault.

One sort of has to wonder what has been up with EA lately, it's like they saw all the negative publicity Activision was getting and said, "Hey! I want in on that too!".

My bad. I know, sometimes it seems that EA wants to build up its douche points. They trying to level enough to beat Kotick?

 

[jayman52]

Looking at the ToS, they CAN do that. It doesn't make it right, though.

From a mod/admin: "Consider it an added incentive to follow the rules you say you're going to follow."

Yeah, Bioware has lost all of the respect I once had for them.

While the mod isn't exactly sympathetic, it's pretty clear that this ban came from EA. That doesn't bode well for BioWare, but it isn't entirely their fault.

One sort of has to wonder what has been up with EA lately, it's like they saw all the negative publicity Activision was getting and said, "Hey! I want in on that too!".

TBQH, EA was like that long before Activision started doing it. They just started to act a little better when started getting a crapton of bad publicity. It seems that they no longer care about getting bad publicity now. Too bad for them when they start losing a buttload of money because of it.