Modding single player Mass Effect 3 bans you from Origin

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I beleive from the way games are sold nowerdays its more Akin To you Renting a lawnmower and then replacing the blades on it to non-sanctioned ones (which may or may not be better) which naturally they wouldnt like and they would want you to return the lawnmower (and other rented items) back to them and likely not want to provide you a renting service anymore.

NO! It's more akin to someone renting you a car with a stereo that only plays certain music, then objecting when you turn off the stereo and listen to music of your own (which may or may not be better) and maybe hanging some fuzzy dice from the mirror.

But of course, it's not really akin to that at all because, and lets get this perfectly clear....
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE THE GAME BACK IN THE CONDITION THEY GAVE IT TO YOU, or at all. Pardon the caps, but I'm kind of wondering why no one's made this point yet.

The idea that licensed software is in any way comparable to leasing or loaning a physical object is absurd. In most cases you can't even give a disc back if you wanted to, let alone be held responsible for keeping it in good condition. Digital distribution makes this idea even more laughable.

I don't care if my copy of System Shock 2 is 'legally' still owned by EA, under no circumstances am I required to return a working copy of it or anything equivalent. The fact that I have more mods piled on that game than I have teeth shouldn't mean jack shit to anyone but me.

I practically live on Steam and most of the people I know on there don't expect a game to be moddable or have mods at all unless it is a game like the ES series that prides itself on modding.

I dont know anyone who expected Bioshock or Prey or most games to be moddable.

I live on Steam too, and almost every game I've played on it (including Bioshock), so far, has been improved by downloadable mods, edited configuration files, unofficial patches and intentionally vandalized files.

Mass Effect 2, for example, is way less annoying now that I've downloaded the mod that replaces all the loading screens. Loading times have gone from 30+ seconds to 1 second. No artistic vision or anything defensible there. We're talking simple sloppy design that someone else fixed for them. I refuse to acknowledge anyone's right to tell me I can't do that.

I have games that make me nauseous without FOV fixes, and plenty that don't have native widescreen support.

woah woah woah. could you perhaps point me in the direction of these me2 mods? I definitely would like a piece of that action.

 

[Darknacht]

Funny thing is though you technically didn't purchase a game.

I wish it was the way you described it, but that isn't how it is now.

They claim you don't, but, I'm sure if you took them to court and had a judge with any common sense, you'd probably be fine.

The issue is a lot of people just don't stand up for consumer rights.

Software licenses have been around for nearly as long as software and they do hold up in court.

EA can do what ever they want if you don't like it don't buy it, I rarely buy games that don't allow mods.

 

[renegade7]

Isn't it possible the mod the console versions as well? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Technically yes, but it's much more difficult.

 

[SajuukKhar]

Funny thing is though you technically didn't purchase a game.

I wish it was the way you described it, but that isn't how it is now.

They claim you don't, but, I'm sure if you took them to court and had a judge with any common sense, you'd probably be fine.

The issue is a lot of people just don't stand up for consumer rights.

Software licenses have been around for nearly as long as software and they do hold up in court.

What Darknacht said.

 

[Alacar Leoricar]

Once again, I find another reason to hate EA. I'm sure Bioware would've been more open to the modding community, but this smells like EA getting in the way. Why, EA. Why you gotta be such a jerk?

 

[Sneaky Paladin]

I present to you thread EA

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LawfulEvil

 

[The Lunatic]

Software licenses have been around for nearly as long as software and they do hold up in court.

EA can do what ever they want if you don't like it don't buy it, I rarely buy games that don't allow mods.

Rarely in any country that makes sense, would a hasty written EULA win over law or common sense.

In the UK at least, all goods have to be "Fit for purpose".

This means they act how the trader has stated they will. IE, a game will run on a Xbox 360, if it needs Kinect, it has to say it needs kinect, etc.

This also tends to apply to things working in adverse ways not specified.

Like, a game banning you from using it, for editing a file.

These are the rights of consumers and probably hold up a lot better than some semi-sensical EULA intended to scare people.

 

[Slayer_2]

I love how many morons don't grasp the concept of what a "mod" is, but instead ***** about cheats (in a game primarily designed for singleplayer). Let me quote wikipedia for you people:

Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games (PC games), especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and require the user to have the original release in order to run. They can include new items, weapons, characters, enemies, models, textures, levels, story lines, music, and game modes. They also usually take place in unique locations. They can be single-player or multiplayer. Mods that add new content to the underlying game are often called partial conversions, while mods that create an entirely new game are called total conversions and mods that fix bugs are called unofficial patches.

It'd be nice if more games supported mods, and less gamers ignorantly shunned them as "OMGZ HAX!".

EDIT: And so what if people want to cheat in a singleplayer game, why the fuck does it bother you? It's not harming anyone except the cheater (who is potentially wrecking their own experience).

 

[SajuukKhar]

I don't think EULAs are meant to scare people, it's a well known fact no one ever reads them.

they are meant to "screw customers over in as many wys as possible while doing so in such a way that they can be argued that what little freedom you have left makes it alright", if anything

 

[Wintermoot]

Sorry is single player that hard for you?

Do you need someone to hold your hand or make you invincible?

If you need to mod the game in anyway, I laugh at you.

It's easy enough.

modding goes farther then that it also includes new weapons,new mission,new equipment and probably free HD packs made by the community.
OT
another reason for me to boycott EA I BOUGHT the game files,they are on MY computer and if I want to edit them or modify them that,s my own choice not the choice of the company that produced them

 

[Darknacht]

Software licenses have been around for nearly as long as software and they do hold up in court.

EA can do what ever they want if you don't like it don't buy it, I rarely buy games that don't allow mods.

Rarely in any country that makes sense, would a hasty written EULA win over law or common sense.

In the UK at least, all goods have to be "Fit for purpose".

This means they act how the trader has stated they will. IE, a game will run on a Xbox 360, if it needs Kinect, it has to say it needs kinect, etc.

This also tends to apply to things working in adverse ways not specified.

Like, a game banning you from using it, for editing a file.

These are the rights of consumers and probably hold up a lot better than some semi-sensical EULA intended to scare people.

The problem is that you would have to prove that not allowing you to mod it means that it is no longer "Fit for purpose" and that is very hard because the general assumption with software is that you are not allowed to modify it or use it for an unintended purpose. Many games tend to allow you to mod them but that is not true of all software and EA claims that games have the same rights as other software.

 

[Vigormortis]

That said, with the success of the Steam Inventory and trade system, the possibility of trading "used" games may not be that far-fetched.

Oh man, I would give anything to be able to trade in COD4, just out of spite. I can't believe I spent $15 bucks on that hemmorrhoid sandwich.

You know, it's kind of funny. The first Modern Warfare is the only Call of Duty game I could stand. The campaign, while a bit too self-aware for it's own good, was still really well done. Even if some of the dialog was quite weak.

Since then, though, it's been a steady free-fall into mediocrity.

 

[mad825]

...And Blizzard/Activision banned people who memory hacked in SP and even took them to court.

 

[The Lunatic]

The problem is that you would have to prove that not allowing you to mod it means that it is no longer "Fit for purpose" and that is very hard because the general assumption with software is that you are not allowed to modify it or use it for an unintended purpose. Many games tend to allow you to mod them but that is not true of all software and EA claims that games have the same rights as other software.

I'm pretty sure if I came down to common sense, it'd be something along the lines of "Nothing that changes that game in any significant way". Which, I doubt this mode did.

However, as something like this has never been taken to court, there's no real law on it, because there's yet to be any needed.

An issue of people not standing against this kinda thing.

 

[Elate]

Welp, I was on the "Hey Origin isn't so bad, the prices are starting to go down" side, but nope, not anymore. I have 3 games on there now, and it will stay at three indefinitely.

So the scores are;
EA - 3
Valve - 250

And that's the end of the match folks.

 

[zehydra]

Yeah mods have always been a problem when it comes to hacks, since hacking the game to gain an advantage in multiplayer is about one step further from simple modding.

I understand why EA bans people for it, but their technique to preventing hacks could be better.

It's like carpet bombing a forest full of rebels instead of bothering to send ground troops in to take them out.

 

[Laura Fugata]

That said, with the success of the Steam Inventory and trade system, the possibility of trading "used" games may not be that far-fetched.

Oh man, I would give anything to be able to trade in COD4, just out of spite. I can't believe I spent $15 bucks on that hemmorrhoid sandwich.

whats your issue with cod4? that was the last good fps released.

 

[zehydra]

Sorry is single player that hard for you?

Do you need someone to hold your hand or make you invincible?

If you need to mod the game in anyway, I laugh at you.

It's easy enough.

modding goes farther then that it also includes new weapons,new mission,new equipment and probably free HD packs made by the community.
OT
another reason for me to boycott EA I BOUGHT the game files,they are on MY computer and if I want to edit them or modify them that,s my own choice not the choice of the company that produced them

I totally agree with you, although according to the EULA, no you didn't buy the game files. You bought the right to use them.

 

[SajuukKhar]

It's like carpet bombing a forest full of rebels instead of bothering to send ground troops in to take them out.

I am reminded of a time in the Evangelion movies when someone asked why they keep using massive, costly, bullets the size of cars that have no affect on the angels.

I don't remember the exact answer but I know that it was along the lines of "some people just aren't content until they have spent tons money on something"

I totally agree with you, although according to the EULA, no you didn't buy the game files. You bought the privilege to use them.

edit

 

[Darknacht]

The problem is that you would have to prove that not allowing you to mod it means that it is no longer "Fit for purpose" and that is very hard because the general assumption with software is that you are not allowed to modify it or use it for an unintended purpose. Many games tend to allow you to mod them but that is not true of all software and EA claims that games have the same rights as other software.

I'm pretty sure if I came down to common sense, it'd be something along the lines of "Nothing that changes that game in any significant way". Which, I doubt this mode did.

However, as something like this has never been taken to court, there's no real law on it, because there's yet to be any needed.

An issue of people not standing against this kinda thing.

Stuff like this has been taken to court and the software license typically holds up. Even in games look at the SC2 incident mentioned by mad825, and Blizzard has banned lots of people for single player hacks and has taken the makers of mods to court to force them to stop making and distributing mod.