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

[Xersues]

Fuck that. That is absolutely ridiculous. These gaming companies are getting out of control. We don't even own our own entertainment anymore. We are slowly being licensed our own access to things and we just stupidly give our money out hand over fist.

Fuck. That.

EA enabled games can burn in Hell. I will never buy any EA game again and will encourage others to not do so. Being a detractor, is their worst enemy. So is buying all their games used and not their stupid "Project 10 dollar" passes.

 

[jayman52]

And so the rate at which Bioware games are pirated rose slightly.

Well done, Bioware. Well done.

I seriously hope it is more than slightly. I hope the number of their games that is pirated jumps a great deal. Hell, I may do it just to spit in Bioware's face. It's their own fault for joining with a company that they knew had a bad rap with the gaming community.

 

[Bags159]

He's effectively grounded for 3 days for breaking the terms of the website. There is absolutely nothing unjust or unfair going on here as far as I can tell.

Seems to me people are making a big deal out of something they shouldn't be.

BRB, being banned from WoW for calling the developers losers on the forums. Oh wait.

 

[StarCecil]

So, wait, since it's tied to his EA account, does that effectively lock him out of every EA game tied to that account? Like, if he had Medal of Honor and DA2, he's locked out? Does that mean they've blocked him to access to any number of games he already own?

 

[Warforger]

Well if you sucker-punch a heavy weight boxer, you shouldn't be surprised when he turns around and clocks you. If you get sanctioned on steam, the sane thing happens, you're locked out of your games. If he's that unhappy with them, fuck if I know why he bought it.

That's the strangest response I always hear when someone in authority does something so irrational. He just made a slight insult, it's nothing that major as saying racist statements or saying EA is gay. Basically; how would he have known he was going to get suspended for a small unimportant comment that's not even that bad.

 

[fooddood3]

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

That's... Very incorrect.

 

[Eri]

Well if you sucker-punch a heavy weight boxer, you shouldn't be surprised when he turns around and clocks you. If you get sanctioned on steam, the sane thing happens, you're locked out of your games. If he's that unhappy with them, fuck if I know why he bought it.

That's the strangest response I always hear when someone in authority does something so irrational. He just made a slight insult, it's nothing that major as saying racist statements or saying EA is gay. Basically; how would he have known he was going to get suspended for a small unimportant comment that's not even that bad.

I never said EA weren't being douches over it. Just that you shouldn't be surprised.

 

[Negatempest]

Yep, looks like less than half of you actually read the forum post. Let me put in the little information about what was responded in the end.

"Please review the EA Community Terms of Service, particularly sections #9 and #11. There are two levels of enforcement here:

1. BioWare community bans are forum-only and can be for as little as 24 hours. These bans should have no effect on your game, only your ability to use all the features of this website/community. these bans are handed out by BioWare Moderators as the result of our travels around the forum and/or issues reported by fellow community members.

2. EA Community bans come down from a different department and are the result of someone hitting the REPORT POST button. These bans can affect access to your game and/or DLC.

Because the BioWare community now operates under the same umbrella as all EA Communities, community members here have all explicitly agreed to abide by and be governed by both sets of rules. Consider it an added incentive to follow the rules you say you're going to follow.

If there are further questions or concerns, please send them to me via private message. Thank you."

In short, the ban is 72 hours for more or less saying "Your mother is a 'female dog'" on the forums. Thus it is inappropriate behavior in general that is being punished not for who he is saying it to. Because he got a slight ban from the forum he can't activate his game yet, so he shot himself in the foot.

So, don't go thinking you can say **** to anyone in a forum and not expect to be punished.

p.s. you know those "unclear" suspensions in The Escapist that has no real swear words but is suspended none the less...just like that.

 

[Rad Party God]

Well, I wouldn't say that he offended BioWare for that, but also he could've chose better words for it.

In the meantime, he can play using cracks, the game has already been cracked and (to my understanding) completely playable, until his account gets un-suspended.

 

[krellen]

Bioware/EA's EULA can say whatever ridiculous bunk they want it to say; until a court enforces their right to be complete bastards to their customers (note: no court has EVER done so to date), they can't actually enforce that EULA.

If I were the customer in question, my response to the mod would be: "Yeah? Back that up in court, buddy."

 

[jayman52]

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

That's... Very incorrect.

How is that incorrect? Explain to me in what way that is not theft of purchased property.

 

[bob1052]

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

This is not an issue of freedom of speech.

On Topic: There is no question of the legality of the situation, EA/Bioware are in the right in that respect, but it is really shocking that such severe penalties exist for singleplayer games.

 

[Zakarath]

BioWare, I really appreciate some of the games you've made, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it was EA that was behind this, but that mod's response was still pretty fucking tone deaf. You lose 5 points.

 

[Dansrage]

Personally i saw this kind of abuse looming over the horizon when DRM was first suggested, it was always an absolutely abysmal approach to preventing piracy, it has the advantage of infringing on user's rights and basically annoying them, while at the same time being almost completely useless when it comes to anti-piracy.
I pirate games and i buy games, the ONLY times DRM has been a hinderance to me was when i was playing games i had bought.

 

[OutforEC]

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?

Unfortunately, in most cases 'right' has nothing to do with 'legal'.

 

[Bags159]

It's mind boggling how many people in this thread support EA / Bioware in this situation. So what if it's in their EULA? That doesn't make it right.

 

[Infinatex]

That's pretty funny, I guess it's a pretty good way to clean up the forums though

 

[Danz D Man]

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

Not true, at least for the reason you mentioned.
Free speech doesn't extend to what you do in a privately-owned location. That'd be like saying I can't kick you out of my house if you start making remarks about my wife (just an example, I don't have a wife). They can limit his speech while he's using their forums.

However, I do believe that taking his game from him is illegal. However, they didn't really do that, since he can make a new account. It sucks, but he can still work around it.

Still, I've lost a lot of respect for Bioware. Which is funny since I'm replaying Jade Empire.

Edit: It's probably mostly EA, but the Bioware mod was a bit of a jerk anyway.

Yes you do have the right to kick someone out of your apartment if he's talking shit about your wife, but you don't have the right to cut out his tongue. I hope now you understand what I was aiming for.

I don't agree that that's what they're doing, but that's purely a matter of opinion now.

Also, I don't mean to appear condescending, but I always put out that air online. So, sorry if I offended.
Anyway, I have nothing more to say on-topic.

 

[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?

Unfortunately, in most cases 'right' has nothing to do with 'legal'.

Indeed. I suppose the real question is whether or not it is "right", "fair", or even "legal" to tie infringements on a free to join, official forum, to someone's paid-for-in-cash game. Is it okay for a company to penalize someone's use of a product for conduct on an internet forum?