Electronic Arts Changes "Confusing" SimCity EULA

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Electronic Arts Changes "Confusing" SimCity EULA


Electronic Arts says it has no intention of banning people who don't report bugs in the SimCity beta.

The list of reasons to dislike Electronic Arts grew a little longer yesterday when word came out that, according to the SimCity beta test end-user license agreement, you could be banned [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121626-EA-Brings-Back-its-Harsh-Beta-EULA] if you fail to report bugs that you discover in the game. Leaving aside the inherent difficulties of dropping the banhammer on someone for not doing something, it's an undeniably disturbing policy and heavy-handed almost to the point of self-satire.

Fortunately, the blowup has convinced EA to make some changes. "Heads up, Mayors - it's been brought to our attention that there's been some confusion regarding the bug-reporting policy in the EA beta test agreement for SimCity," the company wrote, perhaps just a tad disingenuously, on the SimCity Facebook page.

"Don't worry - EA has never taken away access to a player's games for failing to report a bug," it continued. "In fact, we're in the process of updating our agreement to make this point clear before the beta starts this Friday."

The statement also provided a link to the SimCity Closed Beta FAQ [http://www.simcity.com/en_US/blog/article/simcity-closed-beta-faq], although the document doesn't actually refer to the contentious EULA clause.

The SimCity beta test runs from January 25 to 28, but if you're not already in, you're out: beta registrations are closed and EA is no longer accepting new applications.

Source: Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/160156464865/posts/401262319962440]


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The_Darkness

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Nov 8, 2010
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Increasingly, I get the feeling that the world needs something along the lines of an EULA-wikipedia. Something where you look up the product concerned, and the site tells you what it says in plain english and warns you if there's anything you should worry about. The site would need to be run by EULA experts that don't mind reviewing every EULA that ever comes out though...
 

GoddyofAus

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Aug 3, 2010
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EA have to be the stupidest publisher ever. How did they not predict this response to the EULA after what happened with Origins original EULA that earned it the spyware reputation.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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The_Darkness said:
Increasingly, I get the feeling that the world needs something along the lines of an EULA-wikipedia. Something where you look up the product concerned, and the site tells you what it says in plain english and warns you if there's anything you should worry about. The site would need to be run by EULA experts that don't mind reviewing every EULA that ever comes out though...
Like this?

http://tos-dr.info/

It still needs work, but it seems to be what you're looking for.
 

deth2munkies

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Jan 28, 2009
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Meh, I have serious doubts they would have gone through with banning someone like that. They're evil with shitty customer service, but not maniacally plotting to screw over customers at every possibility.

That said, why are people so excited about a property that hasn't really updated their formula in ~20 years? I played SimCity 2000 back in the mid 90s and haven't bothered with the franchise since because they haven't really updated the formula.
 

Zombie_Moogle

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Dec 25, 2008
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Right here. THIS is why it is important that people ***** & moan about stuff like this

Logic doesn't seem to phase these guys, but flaming their inbox seems to do the trick
 

cwmdulais

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Jan 18, 2010
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Irridium said:
The_Darkness said:
Increasingly, I get the feeling that the world needs something along the lines of an EULA-wikipedia. Something where you look up the product concerned, and the site tells you what it says in plain english and warns you if there's anything you should worry about. The site would need to be run by EULA experts that don't mind reviewing every EULA that ever comes out though...
Like this?

http://tos-dr.info/

It still needs work, but it seems to be what you're looking for.
wow that site is awesome, i had no clue it existed 0-o
 

The_Darkness

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Nov 8, 2010
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Irridium said:
The_Darkness said:
Increasingly, I get the feeling that the world needs something along the lines of an EULA-wikipedia. Something where you look up the product concerned, and the site tells you what it says in plain english and warns you if there's anything you should worry about. The site would need to be run by EULA experts that don't mind reviewing every EULA that ever comes out though...
Like this?

http://tos-dr.info/

It still needs work, but it seems to be what you're looking for.
Huh. Yeah. It needs to get some ground - then again it is only a year old - but that's almost exactly what I was talking about... Thanks!
 

Slash2x

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Dec 7, 2009
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WAIT WAIT WAIT....... So EA can screw up what they are saying and word something wrong but if someone else does (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121659-American-McGee-Admits-Tricked-Was-The-Wrong-Word) the they need to be fucking crucified and make an embarrassing retraction?

Go to hell EA just go to hell.
 

oldtaku

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Jan 7, 2011
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There was nothing confusing about it at all. It said what they meant. It's the same thing govt and other big evil corporations do. Reserve all power and rights for themselves then enforce selectively.

I'm sure they really didn't intend to use it on everyone who didn't report a bug, just exploiters - assuming EA didn't make any mistakes... ahahahaha.
 

Abomination

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Dec 17, 2012
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oldtaku said:
There was nothing confusing about it at all. It said what they meant. It's the same thing govt and other big evil corporations do. Reserve all power and rights for themselves then enforce selectively.
Yeah, it wasn't confusing at all. It was quite easy to understand, in black and white and quite literal. Failure to report a bug = banned from EA services, which includes Origin, which is required to run some EA games that the consumer had purchased with the account that would now be banned rending those games unplayable.

I mean, good they paid attention to this and are changing it in the face of (justified) public outcry... it's just stupid it even was a thing in the first place and is being established as par-the-course for EA business practices.
 

Ed130 The Vanguard

(Insert witty quote here)
Sep 10, 2008
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Andy Chalk said:
"Don't worry - EA has never taken away access to a player's games for failing to report a bug,"
No, they'll just ban you for saying things they don't like on their forums. Or if someone else bad-mouths you there, or if just use their forums at all.
 

Johnson McGee

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Nov 16, 2009
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The_Darkness said:
Increasingly, I get the feeling that the world needs something along the lines of an EULA-wikipedia. Something where you look up the product concerned, and the site tells you what it says in plain english and warns you if there's anything you should worry about. The site would need to be run by EULA experts that don't mind reviewing every EULA that ever comes out though...
There's a free downloadable program called EULAlyzer that reads text copied into it and flags any bizarre or possibly compromising points so you can feel more confident to accept something knowing it doesn't sign your life away without having to read the entire thing.

OT: I guess EA came to terms with how ridiculous it is to have draconian rules regarding people beta testing their games for them when they used to actually have to hire and pay people to do it.
 

Tradjus

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Apr 25, 2011
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Another patronizing response from the most arrogant video game publisher in existence.
Oh yes, we were all just "Confused" when we read the blatantly crystal clear message in the EULA stating that someone could forever lose access too all the games they paid for if they dared too fail to report a bug, a situation that would be literally impossible to prove anyway and would just result in E.A randomly banning people it -thought- might have failed to report a bug.
Yeah, we were confused E.A, keep singing the same old song, sooner or later your time will be up.
 

Doom972

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Dec 25, 2008
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There wasn't much room for interpretation. They could just say "Sorry, we had a bad case of stupidity" and change it instead of trying to convince users that they didn't understand it.

I'm glad that some people bother to read those draconian agreements and that many more complain about it.
 

fozzy360

I endorse Jurassic Park
Oct 20, 2009
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What the hell was confusing about this? Out of any part of a EULA, that specific entry was quite clear on what the consequences would be if one were to fail to report a bug. If anything, this sounds like EA just caught with their pants down and quickly threw in an apology in order to save as much face as possible. They really think we're stupid.
 

Britishfan

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Jan 9, 2013
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Oh EA, sometimes I wander if you're deliberately trying to make everyone hate you, because the levels of incompetency regarding the way they treat their customers is getting hard to believe.
 

Metalrocks

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Jan 15, 2009
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yesterday this, now they say it was a misunderstanding.
i know that people are stupid these days but not everyone is that stupid. i think they keep trying until they come threw and then people are wondering where their money is.
 

Royas

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Apr 25, 2008
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I personally found the original wording to be clear and unambiguous, with little to no chance of misunderstanding. They flat out said that if you didn't report a bug, you'd be treated like you abused it and be banned. Period. This isn't a clarification, it's a clear reversal.