EA Changes Mind on Battlefield 1943 Giveaway

[Andy Chalk]

EA Changes Mind on Battlefield 1943 Giveaway

Electronic Arts has decided to come across with those free copies of Battlefield 1943 that it promised to PlayStation 3 owners who purchased Battlefield 3.

"Buy Battlefield 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Battlefield-3-Playstation/dp/B002I0J82G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322150291&sr=8-2] for the PlayStation 3," EA said, "and we'll give you a free copy of Battlefield 1943!" So lots of people did - that's a pretty sweet deal, after all - and then EA said, "Well, actually, we changed our minds on that. You can have early access to the DLC instead, which you were going to get anyway, but, well. Whoa! Look at the time! I gotta go."

That ridiculous bait-and-up-yours didn't sit well with Team PS3 and you can probably guess what happened next: class-action lawsuit [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/114305-Angry-PS3-Gamers-Sue-EA-Over-Broken-Battlefield-Promise]. The lawyers asked for the standard "compensatory relief" and all that but said that what they were really after is just what was promised in the first place: Battlefield 1943.

And not that the threat of legal action had anything to do with it, but EA has now decided to make with the game. "There have been some misunderstandings around Battlefield 1943 and Battlefield 3," the company said in a statement. "To address this we are making Battlefield 1943 available free of charge to owners of Battlefield 3 on the PS3 beginning this month."

I'm not really sure how taking people's money in exchange for a product and then refusing to deliver that product is a "misunderstanding" but all's well that ends well, I suppose. You will have to jump through a few hoops to get the game, though, starting with a trip to 1943redemption.battlefield.com [http://1943redemption.battlefield.com/] on November 26 for PSN Europe, December 10 for PSN America and December 17 for PSN Asia and Japan in order to pick up your BF1943 voucher. The vouchers will apparently be available for one day only for each region and do not work across regions, so don't miss your day!

It seems like kind of a clumsy way to handle the situation but given that it was ham-fisted bumbling that got EA into this mess in the first place, I suppose that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. As to whether or not it'll be enough to head off the lawsuit, we'll have to wait and see.


Permalink

 

[VincentX3]

I'd still do the lawsuit.

Just so they don't fuck around in the future =P

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I'd still do the lawsuit.

Just so they don't fuck around in the future =P

yeah this, this is half ass garbage, lawsuit should commence.

that's like me offering free hamburgers to whoever buys a drink at my store

"oh, THOSE hamburgers? they are outside in the dumpster underneath the 5 bags of trash with dead rats in them. they are all yours though!"

 

[Igen]

Seriously?!? one day only to get the voucher? holy shit, this company needs to get sued. Just patch BF3 for the PS3 so that its an option from the BF3 menu to download the other game, problem solved. How much money are they even making off 1943 these days any way?

 

[Quiotu]

Jesus, EA... you know it's not that hard anymore. Seriously, you just have to not be as bad as Activision, THQ, or Squaresoft. You have competition for the slimiest publisher now, and all you have to do is NOT be worst. You were doing so well for a while too... get your shit together already.

 

[Greyhamster]

One day only to download those vouchers? They reaaally think that one day to download the vouchers plus a lame excuse about misunderstandings is enough to make stuff right?

My list of companies to hate is getting longer. Activision's Bobby Kotick, Ubisoft and their stance on PC gamers, and now this <_<

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

One day only to download those vouchers? They reaaally think that one day to download the vouchers plus a lame excuse about misunderstandings is enough to make stuff right?

My list of companies to hate is getting longer. Activision's Bobby Kotick, Ubisoft and their stance on PC gamers, and now this <_<

EA doesn't care, that is why. They are trying to do just enough to avoid the lawsuit.

 

[wooty]

I still dont get this, "I want BF1943, so ill spend £40 in order to obtain a £10 game".

Maybe its just me that didnt care about not getting 1943, as far as I was aware I was just getting the dlc early, which was good enough for me.

 

[Hunter.Wolf]

I'm not really sure how taking people's money in exchange for a product and then refusing to deliver that product is a "misunderstanding"

The product people payed for was BF3 not BF1943 .. BF1943 is a free bonus added to the game ... all in all it is a matter of betraying the trust of the costumers than a matter of aking people's money in exchange for a product and then refusing to deliver that product .. the product i payed for and got was BF3 .. i didn't even know about the BF1943 deal .. but after i knew aobut the deal .. i feel a little betrayed .. but that's about it.

 

[Greyhamster]

One day only to download those vouchers? They reaaally think that one day to download the vouchers plus a lame excuse about misunderstandings is enough to make stuff right?

My list of companies to hate is getting longer. Activision's Bobby Kotick, Ubisoft and their stance on PC gamers, and now this <_<

EA doesn't care, that is why. They are trying to do just enough to avoid the lawsuit.

It doesn't take a whole lot of brains to realise this isn't really helping. I don't really care about BF 1943, I thought it'd be a fun extra but that's it. I do feel quite a bit offended that they first deny it, then claiming to be a misunderstanding and then giving me 24 hours to download it. That's just not good in my eyes.

 

[mjc0961]

You will have to jump through a few hoops to get the game, though, starting with a trip to 1943redemption.battlefield.com [http://1943redemption.battlefield.com/] on November 26 for PSN Europe, December 10 for PSN America and December 17 for PSN Asia and Japan in order to pick up your BF1943 voucher. The vouchers will apparently be available for one day only for each region and do not work across regions, so don't miss your day!

It seems like kind of a clumsy way to handle the situation but given that it was ham-fisted bumbling that got EA into this mess in the first place, I suppose that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. As to whether or not it'll be enough to head off the lawsuit, we'll have to wait and see.

What a bunch of crap and a cheap way to avoid handing out as many copies of the game as they should be. Nobody's going to get mad at this crappy site they're setting up on a crappy server not loading due to all the traffic rushing at it and just give up so EA still wins, not at all! And never mind all the people who will simply forget that today was "get EA's dick out of my ass" day for their region and not get their free copy that way.

I say keep suing the bastards.

 

[Kingsnake661]

I think the conversation went something like this.

EA Brass, "We really bent them over with this deal didn't we!"
EA Lawyers "They just slapped us with a class action suit..."
EA Brass, "Bah, it's not like they have a case.."
EA Lawyers, "That's... not inteirly true..."
EA Brass, "They have a change at winning?"
EA Lawyer, "I wouldn't call it a change as much as a sure thing..."
EA Brass, "Obviously this is some kind of misunderstanding.."
EA Lawyers, "no, not really..."
EA Brass, "We ARE giving them first crack at the DLC, doesn't that help?
EA Lawyers, "They already had that, and frankly, it's not really a much compasion. You see, your offered a FREE game, but now are giving them the option to PAY us more money first... it's not sitting well with them sir."
EA Brass, "But the courts will understand.."
EA Lawyer, "Yeah, they will, bait and switch laws ARE pretty clear..."
EA Brass, "so we have nothing to worry about right?"
EA Lawyers, ".... their going to nail our A$$ to the wall sir."
EA Brass, "Maybe.. we should give them the game?"
EA Lawyers "that would be a start..."

I hope the law suit still goes through. The obvious bait and switch tactic here NEEDS punished. And i didnt even, nor will I, buy the game.

 

[TheMadJack]

EA will never cease to surprise me. From bad decision to another. Things will never get better, only worse until the day our prayer will be answered and EA will die.

Can't wait for that day.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

EA. The only real challengers to Activision when it comes to blatant disregard for their staff and consumers.

Wow, that was over faster then BF3's single player campaign.

Nice

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Wow EA... you must be TRYING to piss people off...
Fuck off EA, fuck off and never come back.

So glad i've decided not too buy from them, all of the crap before-hand, then supporting that bullshit IP thing, and now this.

 

[joe-h2o]

And the bigwigs at EA are in a state of total confusion over why people say "screw EA".

"We make great games occasionally Bob, but they still hate us! Why?!"

"Well, to be fair, we buy up any promising-looking studio and fuck them over, but it does ensure a steady supply of money for the hookers and blow, but still I can't see why we're so hated?"

 

[Jaeger_CDN]

How much do you want to bet that the traditional overloading (sorry...under estimating demand) of the voucher servers will occur?

I can't see the class action lawsuit (not that I own a PS3 and still can't play my PC version of BF3) still not going ahead. The lawyers have already smelt the chummed waters around EA and are circling around EA's bank account.