Sean Strife said:
Between this and a video I saw recently where BioWare were accusing 4chan of the low score Dragon Age 2 has on Metacritic and basically saying "end of line" whenever somebody tried to offer a mature debate on the subject... I don't know if I want to support BioWare anymore.
Yeah, even if they're using the
Tron reference to be cool, end of line does imply the arbitrary termination of the conversation, and if left on a sour note can leave one to infer general dickhood.
VanityGirl said:
You can't catch me on my console! Weeeeeee
*runs off giggling*
It depends on your console. Both Microsoft and Sony have indicated circumstances in which they will freeze your
Live accounts or sue the snot out of you for looking at them crosseyed (or looking at
Geohot[footnote]Click here [http://geohot.com/] to get your URL tracked and potentially get sued by Sony![/footnote] at all). I'm not sure what the connectivity policies of the Wii are, as Nintendo has been less in the news than the previous two.
Consoleers have had the shaft up their rectums so long, they're used to it. The controllers just haven't turned on the barbs-and-vibrate button yet (or rather, often enough).
Incidentally, the something else [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_frog] before it was a video codec[/footnote][/I] Given that Microsoft, for example, plans to terminate support for XP within a couple of years, already the precedent has long since been harbingered that we cannot trust the companies with this degree of control. The Sony vs. Geohot affair has demonstrated the heights of superdickery to which companies will rise, if it pleases them to do so.
Ren3004 said:
However, I like the hypocrisy of buying their games when he has such a negative opinion of the company.
It is a common thing to like the published product of a company but hate their policies. The RIAA, for example, sponsors many fine artists who do good work, but to patronize those artists is also to patronize the RIAA and its tomfoolery.
rsvp42 said:
I realize they handled it wrong, but how often does this sort of thing happen?
At this point my argument is moot [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/11/ea-retracts-game-ban-for-forum-violation/] since EA admitted it was a mistake and has responded (I assume, by giving him access back to his game.)
We've been anticipating abuses of power by the publishing companies for a while now. I find the current state DRM, that is, the requirement of online activation to use, to extend to the companies too much power, and until EA acknowledged this was in error, this incident was confirming our worst fears.
I find it interesting that you don't find it news until incidents achieve a minimum threshold of frequency, which is fair, since that is the point when the likelihood that it will affect each of us directly becomes significant. As one who's dealt a lot in legal arenas, I tend to note first incidents, since they set precedents, and if a company can do something once and get away with it without reprisal, invariably they will not only do it again, but will extend their reach further still.
An example is online activation DRM, which didn't create as much commotion until they started setting activation limits, or now, the requirement for company accounts and persistent connections. I'm therefore inclined to sound the hue and cry early, to retain as many of my rights, as a gamer and consumer, as possible.
238U.
(See the smiley makes everything better)
