Poll: Should we boycott EA Products?

[Canadamus Prime]

Not a terrible idea, but before that can happen we all must have a common understanding of what a "boycott" is. A boycott means not buying the products or services from a given company, in this case EA, in order to demonstrate dissatisfaction or discontent.

 

[SmilingWorlock]

Well, I buy my games via steam, because it's compfy and I'm used to it, and that's that.

 

[SinisterGehe]

Well I have confirmed it with Finnish customer rights bureau and the contract is illegal and the contract is not legal due to there being a law that states 'If contract allows or demands illegal activities to be performed it is illegal contract and therefor not legal to bind anyone'. When the investigation goes trough (I have filed a complaint already) it can result in few things,
a) EA has to change their ToS,
b) every EA user can sue EA for their "spying" (which they are doing according to the privacy laws that they are breaking)
c) They have to recall every product that uses Origin from Finland and compensate it to their Finnish customers.
b) The Customer rights Bureau can sue EA for big bucks and demand them to change their ToS in order to sell anything in Finland.

The gears of war are rolling this is going to be fucking hilarious.

 

[XT inc]

Why bother, 80% of anyone who says "sure Ill boycott it," will ***** and moan, and be caught with EA's cock in their mouth playing Battlefield 3 on origin, day one of launch.

Prove me wrong.

Maybe it might change their sneaky attitudes.

 

[Keava]

Sorry. I just find it hilarious that people with Facebook accounts, writing on internet forums and who knows where else suddenly feel like their privacy is being threatened because one more company will have access to data other companies already have.

Valve has your info, FB has your info, Escapist has some of your info, plenty research companies that scan the posts on forums have your info... You don't really have any privacy to start with any more to have it really breached.

 

[shrekfan246]

I haven't bought an EA game since the first Mass Effect. Snip

I'm being pedantic here, but Mass Effect was not in any way connected to EA. It was developed by Bioware and published by Microsoft. Unless you happened to buy it long after Bioware was sucked into the corporate mass that is EA.

Also being pedantic:

Snip

You lads go "stick it to da man". Luckily enough you are a very small vocal minority. I'll continue enjoying whatever game I want, no matter who publishes it (cause, you know, EA doesn't make games).

EA as a whole is a pretty massive corporation, and they have multiple development studios (EA Tiburon, EA Canada, EA DICE, Bioware, etc.). Saying that EA is nothing more than a publisher is rather naive, because they do develop games. The faceless, amorphous entity that is the public image of EA may not personally develop each item, but a lot of them are developed by smaller studios in the larger company.

 

[Mouse_Crouse]

I feel the best way to go is to boycott the games that use offending DRM (or whatever it is that you are offended by). However that means a total boycott, not just a "buy used" method. Buying used really dosen't change much. Every copy of those games was at some point bought by the retailer and EA saw that money. If you are going to try to make a point you need to have NOTHING to do with it.

 

[Studs MacKenzie]

Origin is just a bloated update to the EA Download Manager. It feels completely useless to have and is a really weak answer to Valve's platform.

Time will tell if it'll match up, but for now - I want EA to stay the f*** out of my computer! Damn peepers...

 

[hoboman29]

Unless you're TOTALLY SERIOUS about going through with it DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! If you don't buy EA's products until this policy ends then boycott. Doing this will show you're serious but if you buy battlefield 3 2 weeks later then your boycott means absolutely nothing so think carefully before declaring a boycott.

 

[Neonit]

sure why not, but ffs be a man/woman and if you decide to boycott, dont change your mind the second they release a new game k?

i personally wanted to get myself the new battlefield. but honestly? f* you, im not getting mandatory spyware.....

the "dark side" of gaming just gets more and more compelling.....

 

[Smooth Operator]

Put off buying all Origin products till a month after their release, that would shake EA's trousers.
But ofcourse the average consumer wouldn't care even if the DRM comes with mandatory ass rape... "put some lube on, it's not so bad"

 

[kouriichi]

We meed to stand against it. :/
This isnt just bad, its morally wrong. If there is a good and evil, this is as EVIL as it gets.
We need to take this to the news.
Force EA to change the terms of service. And FAST. Before they really start to haul in peoples private information.

Boycotting isnt enough in this situation. It wont stop whats already begun.

 

[Ickorus]

Sorry. I just find it hilarious that people with Facebook accounts, writing on internet forums and who knows where else suddenly feel like their privacy is being threatened because one more company will have access to data other companies already have.

Valve has your info, FB has your info, Escapist has some of your info, plenty research companies that scan the posts on forums have your info... You don't really have any privacy to start with any more to have it really breached.

The thing that is worrying most people is the scope of data that they're recording and the fact that the way it's worded makes it sound like they're going to be selling your personal information to a Nigerian Prince.

Most businesses record a lot less information and state they will not distribute information outside of their own business without first asking the customer.

Really all EA need to do to smooth the ruffled feathers of most of the people who are angry with them is to change this bit:

We may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you.

To something more like this (Which by the way is pretty standard for a privacy policy):

With prior permission from the user we may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you.

Funny how a couple of words can change so much.

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

Not really, no. I've made it my personal policy not to buy any game (on any platform) that forces PC gamers to use the service (which means I'm f*cked if ME3 uses it :/), but I'm not going to boycott everything published by EA (although, very little they publish interests me anyway). But I'm still not going to urge others into making a decision they should really come to through their own morals/ beliefs.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Origin's EULA reads like every other EULA ever. I have no idea why people are taking offense now. You're much, much too late. If you wanted to change anything, you should have protested ToS agreements when they were first introduced.

That's pretty much what I think on the whole matter.

And honestly, boycott? If you don't like it then don't get it, and boycotting this is not gonna do much of anything. It's far too late for it to make much of a difference now, so all we can do now is suck it up and deal with it.

Also, captcha: htsirit her.....you are a dirty dirty captcha.

 

[kouriichi]

Sorry. I just find it hilarious that people with Facebook accounts, writing on internet forums and who knows where else suddenly feel like their privacy is being threatened because one more company will have access to data other companies already have.

Valve has your info, FB has your info, Escapist has some of your info, plenty research companies that scan the posts on forums have your info... You don't really have any privacy to start with any more to have it really breached.

No, you dont get it. They have your open info.

"Congrats, they know my name and where i live".
Thats not what EA is doing. By signing up, you give them the right to monitor your computer. Every program you have on it. Every site you visit. Nearly EVERY piece of info ON YOUR COMPUTER is there's to access.

This isnt, "oh, your phone number, and your middle name, and your area code". This is literally EVERYTHING. "operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware". This includes the information stored for said software, because its part of it. Do you watch anything dirty on the internet? Congrats, EA now knows your every kink, and they have the right to distribute it as they like.

Its not like FB or The Escapist. Your giving them full reign on your private information. Laugh as they monitor everything you do from here on out. Its one step away from having a man standing over your shoulder while you FAP to rule 34.

 

[CrashBang]

I don't even know what DRM is (despite googling it) so I'm even more lost when it comes to this Origin... thingy.
I buy EA games, I play them, I enjoy them and I'll continue to do so. I don't care hoe "evil" they are, they publish Bioware games and I want Bioware games.

The only thing I've ever boycotted (and continue to boycott) is Nestlé products.

 

[kouriichi]

Origin's EULA reads like every other EULA ever. I have no idea why people are taking offense now. You're much, much too late. If you wanted to change anything, you should have protested ToS agreements when they were first introduced.

That's pretty much what I think on the whole matter.

And honestly, boycott? If you don't like it then don't get it, and boycotting this is not gonna do much of anything. It's far too late for it to make much of a difference now, so all we can do now is suck it up and deal with it.

Also, captcha: htsirit her.....you are a dirty dirty captcha.

Its not like every other one out there. :/
You dont give them the right to access EVERY bit of data on your computer.
They can literally sit there, and watch every site you go to. Every message you send. Every picture you have stored.

Every program you access, and every piece of information it stores is all free game for them to monitor. "you agree that EA may collect, use, store and transmit technical and related information that identifies your computer (including the Internet Protocol Address), operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware."

Congrats. They now know everything on your computer, and what you do with it. Your right, boycotting wont do anything. :/ We have to take this straight to the company.

 

[Spygon]

It abit early to start boycotts yet as they have tried to promote their platform by putting there best game coming out at this time exclusively it.Kinda makes sence but feel EA have shot themselves in the foot with it.Then they may have missed worded their EULA have they even responded yet?.

So there is really no reason to yet keeping any eye on what they do next yes boycotting them for an aggressive market tactic and possibly a simple mistake no

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Unless you're TOTALLY SERIOUS about going through with it DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! If you don't buy EA's products until this policy ends then boycott. Doing this will show you're serious but if you buy battlefield 3 2 weeks later then your boycott means absolutely nothing so think carefully before declaring a boycott.

That's pretty much what I said. If you're going to go declaring a boycott then you have to be prepared to follow through with it you can't just give lip service (or the Internet equivalent there of), otherwise you're just going to end up making your self and gamers as a whole look foolish and destroy ours and your credibility.