Black March

[Erttheking]

Has anyone else seen this?
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/020/0/5/black_march_by_raver1357-d4n07m6.jpg

I don't know how many people are behind this, and frankly I'm still buying Mass Effect 3 (This isn't Bioware's fault, also I've already put down money for a collector's edition, I'm not letting this just walk away) but apart from that I think I can tough it out, though I kinda think that the blackout got the message across. Still can't hurt to be safe. What about you?

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, I've seen that.

Froom looking at past boycotts, I expect it to have alot of support, at least up to mid February.

 

[Phlakes]

Miracle of Sound still exists, you fucking bet I'll be buying music.

The protest is already over. We won. The dust is still settling, obviously, but before March it'll all blow over.

 

[Bomberman4000]

I'd be on board because I honestly don't buy much music (nor do I pirate it), I haven't been to the movies in over a year, couldn't tell you the last DVD I bought

BUT

I will be getting Mass Effect 3 day one. So I guess I'm not gonna be participating in this one.

Also I read a lot, and I'm trying to do some writing projects so I'm constantly reading similar materials. I agree though that this is about 2 months too late. If this protest had started in January, coming right off the Christmas boom, I think it could've had legs. I'm not sure how well this'll be received although I do like the sentiment behind it.

 

[Pebkio]

Miracle of Sound still exists, you fucking bet I'll be buying music.

The protest is already over. We won. The dust is still settling, obviously, but before March it'll all blow over.

But that's the thing, it's not over. If anything, the MPAA's (and ESA's) true opinion on the matter has been forced out, and that opinion is that they're angry that we're still trying to defend free speech for ourselves.

They'll be back, and more powerful than ever. I'm starting to get the feeling that either we work together to put them out of business, forcing the whole entertainment market to start from scratch... or they basically do the same to us.

 

[Phlakes]

Miracle of Sound still exists, you fucking bet I'll be buying music.

The protest is already over. We won. The dust is still settling, obviously, but before March it'll all blow over.

But that's the thing, it's not over. If anything, the MPAA's (and ESA's) true opinion on the matter has been forced out, and that opinion is that they're angry that we're still trying to defend free speech for ourselves.

They'll be back, and more powerful than ever. I'm starting to get the feeling that either we work together to put them out of business, forcing the whole entertainment market to start from scratch... or they basically do the same to us.

They're associations, not evil empires. The white house is strongly on our side now, and there's pretty much nothing MPAA/ESA can do about that.

And even then, they were spot on with the principle behind SOPA, it was just completely the wrong way to go about it.

 

[Lucane]

Yeah... I get the idea behind it but, No that wouldn't just effect the top and it'd affect everyone who gets paid to show films in the theaters smaller businesses and etc. If a individual store sells mainly one or several of those things then they'll likely have to cut back on staff before the month's over mainly due to an unexpected drop in sells or services rendered.

Also,trust me 4 and a half weeks(28 days is four weeks 31 is four weeks and 3 days they should have shot for February then even though it's 29 this time.) is a long time for a movie theater Some movies only last for about 4-5 weeks while others may it 6-8 with only a few going 3 months or more.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

If the internet needs me to not spend my little amount of money in March, I will. We'll see what the climate is like then.

The best form of protest is the protest that helps you save money!

 

[viranimus]

I was just thinking the same thing.

Yes, I am fully on board.

Seriously, this is the right way to go about this. The only thing these people respect is when you fuck with their money.

 

[Pebkio]

They're associations, not evil empires. The white house is strongly on our side now, and there's pretty much nothing MPAA/ESA can do about that.

And even then, they were spot on with the principle behind SOPA, it was just completely the wrong way to go about it.

When they have powerful lobbyists and a lot of excess money to influence decisions made by the American Government who's recently shown that they can set policy for the whole world... then yeah, they're a lot like evil empires.

And I have to disagree with the principle thing. The more you come to understand what SOPA/PIPA allowed them to do, the more you start to wonder if the goal wasn't the power itself hidden in the guise of trying to fight piracy. I know that sounds conspiracy-theoretical, but there really WAS just a lot more stuff in the bill about giving "associations" like them a ton of power rather than fighting piracy.

 

[Prosis]

Look, why do we all hate SOPA?

Because it treats everyone as a criminal.

Likewise, it is easy to view these cinema and record companies as arrogant, pompous, rich jerks who want more money.

But they're not. Just like there are innocents being hurt on the internet by SOPA, there are innocents who would be hurt by this boycott.

This will hurt the economy. People will lose jobs.

First quarter sales determines company policy for the rest of the year. If people aren't buying the supply, they'll quit making so much. They will fire their employees to make ends meet.


Boycott a single company. Boycott multiple companies. But do not screw over every single 8-hour-a-day-makes-enough-to-get-by-human-being-who-works-in-the-entertainment-retail-industry just because their bosses are jerks

 

[Lunar Templar]

sure, i don't see a problem not buying anything for a month.
not having anything i want coming out anyway helps

 

[NotSoLoneWanderer]

I'll be participating anyway I suppose. Spent my spendin moneys and the rest is my savin money

 

[balanovich]

DON'T DO IT. YOU'RE ACTUALLY HELPING THE BIGGEST ONES.

Here's why:
First, it won't hurt them. They are big enough to survive a mere month with lowered income especially if they get on the money they didn't the next month. It won't matter to them.

However this doesn't apply to very very small players. They might be a bit harmed (a bit) by it. Indirectly, that's help the bigger one assert their monopoly on things.

It's like the "don't buy gas day". Nobody gives a fuck! You're just going to by gas the next day.

This is nothing but a costless sacrifice, therefore pathetic, to either make you feel virtuous or to make you believe that you're fighting the good fight.


EDIT:

Look, why do we all hate SOPA?

Because it treats everyone as a criminal.

Likewise, it is easy to view these cinema and record companies as arrogant, pompous, rich jerks who want more money.

But they're not. Just like there are innocents being hurt on the internet by SOPA, there are innocents who would be hurt by this boycott.

This will hurt the economy. People will lose jobs.

First quarter sales determines company policy for the rest of the year. If people aren't buying the supply, they'll quit making so much. They will fire their employees to make ends meet.


Boycott a single company. Boycott multiple companies. But do not screw over every single 8-hour-a-day-makes-enough-to-get-by-human-being-who-works-in-the-entertainment-retail-industry just because their bosses are jerks

I don't think it will have such a big impact, not enough to lose jobs.
But I can tell you it will screw over some retailer employees. In Staples and Radioshack the manager does't have full control over the schedule. He's given the right to an amount of man-hour he can separate amongst his employees. That amount depends on the amount of sales. So less money mean less hours worked.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Does it count if I pretty much already do that?

Seriously, the last non-essential item I purchased for myself was Skyrim back in November.

 

[mirror's edgy]

Look, why do we all hate SOPA?

Because it treats everyone as a criminal.

Likewise, it is easy to view these cinema and record companies as arrogant, pompous, rich jerks who want more money.

But they're not. Just like there are innocents being hurt on the internet by SOPA, there are innocents who would be hurt by this boycott.

This will hurt the economy. People will lose jobs.

First quarter sales determines company policy for the rest of the year. If people aren't buying the supply, they'll quit making so much. They will fire their employees to make ends meet.


Boycott a single company. Boycott multiple companies. But do not screw over every single 8-hour-a-day-makes-enough-to-get-by-human-being-who-works-in-the-entertainment-retail-industry just because their bosses are jerks

This person speaks the truth. If a company is publicly denouncing SOPA, they understand, and we have no lesson to teach them. EA, however, REALLY needs to see customers respond to their abusive business practices by hurting their profits.

I am psyched for Mass Effect 3, but I can hold out if it means I won't have to bend over backwards just to experience something I paid good money for. Or attempt to make a let's play and have SWAT kick my door in and cart me away.

 

[Akimoto]

Noble, but the industry has conditioned us to buy first and not wait. Whether or not the target company is cackling with glee or rubbing it's hands anxiously they will still get the money.

Remember the COD MW2 boycott?

 

[Lilani]

When they have powerful lobbyists and a lot of excess money to influence decisions made by the American Government who's recently shown that they can set policy for the whole world... then yeah, they're a lot like evil empires.

And I have to disagree with the principle thing. The more you come to understand what SOPA/PIPA allowed them to do, the more you start to wonder if the goal wasn't the power itself hidden in the guise of trying to fight piracy. I know that sounds conspiracy-theoretical, but there really WAS just a lot more stuff in the bill about giving "associations" like them a ton of power rather than fighting piracy.

Continued support of SOPA on their part will only reflect poorly upon them, which will affect their public image and bottom line, which WILL make them reconsider. Like the ESA, one way or another the MPAA will likely be forced to address the public's overwhelming opposition.

Now, if like many others you're going to sit here and argue that "just because the ESA has publicly backed out doesn't mean they they'll stop privately supporting it with money and stuff" I'm going to have to kindly tell you put a sock in it and take your wild speculations elsewhere. I'm not going to entertain ghosts and boogeymen propagated by the paranoid and easily frightened.

 

[BanicRhys]

Works for me. All my music is from Newgrounds, I rarely ever see movies and I'm too poor to buy more than a few games a month (let's just hope Diablo 3 doesn't come out in March as I've already preordered the CE) and DVDs.

I doubt this will achieve much, though.

 

[lacktheknack]

I'll be participating due to lack of money.

But it's not necessary. SOPA is dead. The point has been made. This will only hurt the cause. There's no good reason to go out of your way to do this.