EA May Terminate Your Origins Account After Two Years

[mad825]

Who not going to access an account for 2 years anyhow?

I don't touch every game in my collection every two years. Doesn't stop me from going back and playing them sometimes, but this will.

Just create a task which will execute Origin and login...or you could at least login once a year? IS that too much to ask?

Yes, because I shouldn't have to bother with that just to keep my games from being destroyed. Besides, there's no guarantee most people will even remember that especially if they haven't touched their account recently. I didn't even know about this until today.

Like I said, if there was a reasonable explanation for this I could tolerate it. However, from what I've found there is no explanation and EA's Origin is the only major digilital distribution system that does this. I don't see any excuse.

Whenever has there been "guarantees" in digital distribution? Any digital distribution systems can delete your account at their whim without a reason.

Stop whining, two years or more is adequate for anyone who has some limited internet connection.

 

[GroundWalker]

Jeez, what's with the extreme EA hate? :/
Really, nowhere there does it say that they'll immedeately remove your account on the day, it's more that they give themselves the right to do so.
They might do it with servers in mind, all your account info has to be stored somewhere doesn't it?

Also, because people allways bring up Steam in this kind of discussion:

Spoiler

B. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

NEITHER VALVE, ITS LICENSORS, NOR THEIR AFFILIATES SHALL BE LIABLE IN ANY WAY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE STEAM, YOUR ACCOUNT, YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS AND THE SOFTWARE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY AND ALL OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES. IN NO EVENT WILL VALVE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH STEAM, THE SOFTWARE, MERCHANDISE THAT YOU ACQUIRE VIA STEAM, ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, OR THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE MERCHANDISE OR ANY INFORMATION, EVEN IN THE EVENT OF FAULT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, OR BREACH OF VALVE'S WARRANTY AND EVEN IF VALVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THESE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS REGARDING DAMAGES APPLY EVEN IF ANY REMEDY FAILS.

IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF A EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRY, THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

C. NO GUARANTEES.

VALVE DOES NOT GUARANTEE CONTINUOUS, ERROR-FREE, VIRUS-FREE OR SECURE OPERATION AND ACCESS TO STEAM, THE SOFTWARE, YOUR ACCOUNT AND/OR YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS(S).

Source

 

[viranimus]

This simply means that if your account is not been active for over 24 months EA will assume it is no longer in use and will delete it. Why are people so pissed off about this, to me it just sound like a company that's covering all it's bases.

Because its impractical, illogical and counterintutive to industry standards.

Example... I stopped playing everquest in 2003. I returned in 2007 and played till almost 2009. Now flash forward I have preordered ToR. If I follow a similar pattern, max out level in 6 months and get bored, I would likely quit. However under Origin, the potential is there that after 2 years the account goes kaput. If any company did that to me, I guarantee you they would NOT get another 2 years of service out of me.

Thats why people are getting mad and quite frankly people SHOULD get mad. If you paid for something, you expect to be able to use it when you wish to use it, not within a predetermined time frame the manufacturer thinks is sufficient. So if you buy a EA game, then buy expansions/DLC for it and for whatever reason have a massively life changing two years you prolly wont get to play it, but given that youve purchased a product from EA you would at least logically expect to still have access to the products you buy.

This is why Digital distribution is a horrific idea in its current structure. Someone referenced Need for speed in this thread. If you buy a disc of NFS you simply will never have this problem, however modern digital distributors feel compelled to magically transform games from being a product into being a service so that they can do things like this and its all nice and legal.
EDIT:

If something like this is hidden in Origin it makes me wonder what other nasty surprises it has. If anyone else has any more information about this absurd policy than please share it. It is seriously making me reconsider using Origin.

Another nasty surprise is that Origin has stated an intention of "retiring" games. So say you bought a game like Madden 06 and its attached to your Origin account... Hypothetically you could log onto origin one day and see it premoved from your games list with no compensation for what was lost.

 

[Extravagance]

They're going to close accounts that havn't been used for over 2 years? Sounds fair enough. If you've not used it for 2 years, you're not exactly likely to go back to it.

 

[DaysBefore]

So?

Just log in, not play it, once in a while. Mine just starts when I turn on my computer, that's all you need. It's not about if you play every game you own every two years, though if you own a game and haven't played it for two years it's fair to assume you don't plan on playing that game right?

 

[Internet Kraken]

Jeez, what's with the extreme EA hate? :/
Really, nowhere there does it say that they'll immedeately remove your account on the day, it's more that they give themselves the right to do so.
They might do it with servers in mind, all your account info has to be stored somewhere doesn't it?

Also, because people allways bring up Steam in this kind of discussion:

Spoiler

B. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

NEITHER VALVE, ITS LICENSORS, NOR THEIR AFFILIATES SHALL BE LIABLE IN ANY WAY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE STEAM, YOUR ACCOUNT, YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS AND THE SOFTWARE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY AND ALL OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES. IN NO EVENT WILL VALVE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH STEAM, THE SOFTWARE, MERCHANDISE THAT YOU ACQUIRE VIA STEAM, ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, OR THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE MERCHANDISE OR ANY INFORMATION, EVEN IN THE EVENT OF FAULT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, OR BREACH OF VALVE'S WARRANTY AND EVEN IF VALVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THESE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS REGARDING DAMAGES APPLY EVEN IF ANY REMEDY FAILS.

IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF A EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRY, THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

C. NO GUARANTEES.

VALVE DOES NOT GUARANTEE CONTINUOUS, ERROR-FREE, VIRUS-FREE OR SECURE OPERATION AND ACCESS TO STEAM, THE SOFTWARE, YOUR ACCOUNT AND/OR YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS(S).

Source

Yeah, that's not exactly the same as "we will terminate your account if you don't use it for two years".

This has nothing to do with being "hip for hating on EA", as some people have said. This is the first legitimate problem I've had with Origins outside of it being superfluous. I do not play every game I own every two years. Hell, I don't think I necessarily use every console I own every two years. That does not mean I will never use them again.

And again, I see no explanation for this. Obviously managing all the account information puts a strain on their serves, but when you're running a digital distribution service that's to be expected.

though if you own a game and haven't played it for two years it's fair to assume you don't plan on playing that game right?

They're going to close accounts that havn't been used for over 2 years? Sounds fair enough. If you've not used it for 2 years, you're not exactly likely to go back to it.

No, and I have no idea why people say this. There are plenty of games I haven't played for two years but then gone back and played later.

 

[Simeon Ivanov]

They're competing with Steam? Trolololol

 

[ResonanceSD]

This simply means that if your account is not been active for over 24 months EA will assume it is no longer in use and will delete it. Why are people so pissed off about this, to me it just sound like a company that's covering all it's bases.

Because you have PAID for games. you've Bought games from a company. They become yours. Just because you haven't logged in doesn't mean you don't still own them.

 

[Aragatory]

I really don't see what the big deal is. All you have to do is log in to Origin atleast once every two years. They arn't going to delete a game if you don't play it for two years. Makes sense to delete dead/inactive accounts to free up space and whatnot for actual active customers.

 

[OreoDoublestuff]

Sounds like base covering to me. Actually, the TOS for most software and services are written something like this. Take the beloved Valve's Steam subscriber agreement:

"In the case of a one-time purchase of a product license (e.g., purchase of a single game) from Valve, Valve may choose to terminate or cancel your Subscription in its entirety or may terminate or cancel only a portion of the Subscription (e.g., access to the software via Steam) and Valve may, but is not obligated to, provide access (for a limited period of time) to the download of a stand-alone version of the software and content associated with such one-time purchase."

In other words, if for whatever reason (doesn't matter what) Valve terminates your account, you might, solely at Valve's discretion, get to access your account to download your games one last time. If they don't feel like it, and if you don't happen to have a game downloaded at the time, then you lose what you paid for.

Would Valve do it? Probably not; but they retain the right to do so.

These agreements are all about liability, and the companies that write them choose whether or not to exercise their rights.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Sounds like base covering to me. Actually, the TOS for most software and services are written something like this. Take the beloved Valve's Steam subscriber agreement:

"In the case of a one-time purchase of a product license (e.g., purchase of a single game) from Valve, Valve may choose to terminate or cancel your Subscription in its entirety or may terminate or cancel only a portion of the Subscription (e.g., access to the software via Steam) and Valve may, but is not obligated to, provide access (for a limited period of time) to the download of a stand-alone version of the software and content associated with such one-time purchase."

In other words, if for whatever reason (doesn't matter what) Valve terminates your account, you might, solely at Valve's discretion, get to access your account to download your games one last time. If they don't feel like it, and if you don't happen to have a game downloaded at the time, then you lose what you paid for.

Would Valve do it? Probably not; but they retain the right to do so.

These agreements are all about liability, and the companies that write them choose whether or not to exercise their rights.

I understand the concept of legal base covering. However, the fact that they explicitly mention terminating "inactive" accounts after two years makes me suspicious. The Steam terms and services agreement mentions they withhold the right to terminate accounts, but there's nothing so specific in it.

 

[pspman45]

They're going to close accounts that havn't been used for over 2 years? Sounds fair enough. If you've not used it for 2 years, you're not exactly likely to go back to it.

what If you get sent to prison or something?
imagine coming back to realize that not only was your account deleted but that you'll have to spend your money again?

 

[Stall]

Because you have PAID for games. you've Bought games from a company. They become yours. Just because you haven't logged in doesn't mean you don't still own them.

Spoiler alert: you don't own games you buy on Steam.

Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a limited, terminable, non-exclusive license and right to use the Software for your personal use in accordance with this Agreement and the Subscription Terms. The Software is licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Software.

This is the case for a lot of software actually. You don't own it: they just license it to you, and make it a point that this license confers absolutely no ownership over the hardware. So no, even though you did pay for it, you don't technically own it... it isn't technically yours under the law. This isn't from Origins... this is from fucking Steam. You know... the one DD service everyone is eager to white knight. All those games on your Steam list, yeah, they aren't yours. You are basically just paying Valve to let you use them.

 

[Extravagance]

They're going to close accounts that havn't been used for over 2 years? Sounds fair enough. If you've not used it for 2 years, you're not exactly likely to go back to it.

what If you get sent to prison or something?
imagine coming back to realize that not only was your account deleted but that you'll have to spend your money again?

If you've been in prison for 2 years, it's likely to be pretty far down on your list of "stuff to do now I'm out". In the majority of cases, an account abandoned for 2 years is going to keep on being ignored, hence the EA clause. It's fairly standard practice, and it frees up space on servers/other techy things for new players. It probably will effect a minority, but then everything does.

 

[Aragatory]

Sounds like base covering to me...snip

Exactly. This is just good business practice to cover legal bases. People need to learn that every company does this in some way, shape or form. It doesn't mean they enforce it.
I also have the feeling that most people are going on about it just because it's EA.
And well it's cool to hate EA.

Edit: I'd also like to make another point.
"your Account MAY be cancelled for non-use." It's says may, not it will be cancelled. May.

 

[GroundWalker]

Jeez, what's with the extreme EA hate? :/
Really, nowhere there does it say that they'll immedeately remove your account on the day, it's more that they give themselves the right to do so.
They might do it with servers in mind, all your account info has to be stored somewhere doesn't it?

Also, because people allways bring up Steam in this kind of discussion:

Spoiler

B. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

NEITHER VALVE, ITS LICENSORS, NOR THEIR AFFILIATES SHALL BE LIABLE IN ANY WAY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE STEAM, YOUR ACCOUNT, YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS AND THE SOFTWARE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY AND ALL OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES. IN NO EVENT WILL VALVE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH STEAM, THE SOFTWARE, MERCHANDISE THAT YOU ACQUIRE VIA STEAM, ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, OR THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE MERCHANDISE OR ANY INFORMATION, EVEN IN THE EVENT OF FAULT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, OR BREACH OF VALVE'S WARRANTY AND EVEN IF VALVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THESE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS REGARDING DAMAGES APPLY EVEN IF ANY REMEDY FAILS.

IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF A EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRY, THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

C. NO GUARANTEES.

VALVE DOES NOT GUARANTEE CONTINUOUS, ERROR-FREE, VIRUS-FREE OR SECURE OPERATION AND ACCESS TO STEAM, THE SOFTWARE, YOUR ACCOUNT AND/OR YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS(S).

Source

Yeah, that's not exactly the same as "we will terminate your account if you don't use it for two years".

This has nothing to do with being "hip for hating on EA", as some people have said. This is the first legitimate problem I've had with Origins outside of it being superfluous. I do not play every game I own every two years. Hell, I don't think I necessarily use every console I own every two years. That does not mean I will never use them again.

And again, I see no explanation for this. Obviously managing all the account information puts a strain on their serves, but when you're running a digital distribution service that's to be expected.

Ehm..neither is Origin. They simply tell you how long you can EXPECT your account to be left after being inactive.
Also, don't you think that they're kind of just preparing for what'll happen for when it launches? With all the hate towards them atm? What'll people who hate them do with Origin?
Will they simply touch it, or will they make loads of scrap accounts? Will it even out?
If I said you might go blind after 5 minutes without using your eyes, would that be like me saying you will go blind after 5 minutes? No?

Also, I wasn't exactly referring to you with my opening on the last post.

 

[ResonanceSD]

Because you have PAID for games. you've Bought games from a company. They become yours. Just because you haven't logged in doesn't mean you don't still own them.

Spoiler alert: you don't own games you buy on Steam.

Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a limited, terminable, non-exclusive license and right to use the Software for your personal use in accordance with this Agreement and the Subscription Terms. The Software is licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Software.

This is the case for a lot of software actually. You don't own it: they just license it to you, and make it a point that this license confers absolutely no ownership over the hardware. So no, even though you did pay for it, you don't technically own it... it isn't technically yours under the law. This isn't from Origins... this is from fucking Steam. You know... the one DD service everyone is eager to white knight. All those games on your Steam list, yeah, they aren't yours. You are basically just paying Valve to let you use them.

Ah well, perhaps fewer people would support valve if you know, they'd made a breathtaking run of stupid decisions over the years. you know, just like EA. Going off the gaming timeline, valve have done very well in all of their decisions. EA's one redeeming feature right now is Mass Effect 3. And that's it. Are you surprised at all the vitriol they get? They're run by morons. Watch the EC episode "open letter to EA marketing".

Compared to the moronic decisions that EA has made, and how they've systematically alienated a ton of people. Yes, Valve's every action will look like they poop gold and bring starving orphans back to life.

 

[Stall]

Ah well, perhaps fewer people would support valve if you know, they'd made a breathtaking run of stupid decisions over the years. you know, just like EA. Going off the gaming timeline, valve have done very well in all of their decisions. EA's one redeeming feature right now is Mass Effect 3. And that's it. Are you surprised at all the vitriol they get? They're run by morons. Watch the EC episode "open letter to EA marketing".

Compared to the moronic decisions that EA has made, and how they've systematically alienated a ton of people. Yes, Valve's every action will look like they poop gold and bring starving orphans back to life.

Good sir, I please ask that should you wish to argue or debate, that you instead argue against my proposition instead of attacking a superficially related, yet nonequivalent, point as you just did. Your point on EA being run by dicks is superficially related to the overall topic and hand (though not untrue), yet you do not directly refute or contribute at all to the ongoing argument I presented. You instead assume that presenting the evidence that EA is a company full of large dicks is enough to say that I am wrong.

Though I am not one to argue about arguing, your flawed logic is frightening, and such a post is the only way I could properly reply. Please refute or attack the point I presented in my post (i.e. you often do not legally own most software) instead of a tangentially related one. Thank you.

 

[Bostur]

The thing about covering bases in this way means that consumers are left with bases that are wide open. It's a pretty one-sided arrangement. We simply don't have the opportunity to cover our bases.

I don't see this as something unique for digital distribution. The exact same arrangement can be made with physical copies through online activated DRM, and probably does sometimes. In the end as consumers we are only left with two choices: Bend over or give up gaming altogether.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I can't believe how many people in this thread are willing to roll over and take this kind of crap from EA. I have a bunch of games that I only just played for the first time in 2-3 years recently. That's what happens when you finish a game, get bored of it, uninstall it to free up HD space, get sidetracked playing Xbox, have to take a break from gaming to finish your thesis, then find yourself with nothing to do one day and decide to dig it out once again. If I got Origins purely to play an upcoming title like BF3 or whatever, I could definitely see myself playing it to death and then getting so tired of it that I'd not play it for a long time, maybe a couple of years.

Sure, most TOS are probably worded so vaguely as to allow for a company to terminate your account at its discretion. But the lack of any specificities is more to do with the fact that such clauses are designed to be trapdoors to allow the company to counter forms of abuse that they can't predict in advance. This is a case of them telling you specifically that your continued membership on Origins, and the access to any games you have paid for, is tied to your logging in within a certain timeframe. Now honestly, why would they even bother with a clause like this? Origins is a start-up service, it needs all the perks it can get to entice people to use it. Restrictions like this not only make it less enticing, it makes it appear that EA's heads are so collectively swollen that they expect within a couple of years after launch, they'll have so many accounts they'll need to get rid of some. And actually, on that note - why would you ever WANT to get rid of someone's account? That represents a potential customer you may alienate when they try to log back in and find their account has been deleted.