Poll: The biggest d*** move of 2011

[MisterShine]

I won't add Valve's removal of EA games, as it is quite obvious that EA did it on purpose to get their game exclusively on Origin.

So how come gamersgate, d2d and impulse still sell them?

OT: I voted for the Always-On DRM, though before it was just Ubisoft's (as specified in the poll), Blizz is now also getting in on the action. No level of bullshit this year can equal that in my opinion.

edit:

Valve insist you update your game (and buy new content) Via the Steam client and the Steam client only, whether or not it's a Valve game.

Sorry Spade, not true. I've done it in the past few months.

This does seem to be the case for new games on the service. Dragon Age 2 and Crysis 2 were both removed immediately after offering their first significant DLC pack. That's what EA has said, and Valve have not denied it, or supplied a different explanation.

Two points do make a line..

 

[thewinner194]

still got about 5 more months, my friend, plenty of time for more dick moves

 

[Floppertje]

On a personal level, it would have to be the announcement of Brothers in Arms: Furious 4.
Fuck you, Randy Pitchford. Fuck you, Gearbox. Fuck you, Ubisoft. Way to shit all over the hopes of fans of the series. You've managed to replace what was respect with unadulterated loathing in just over three minutes. That's damn impressive, in a dickhead sort of way. I hope you're happy, dickheads.

I usually don't resort to such language, but I feel it addresses my dissatisfaction in the most adequate and direct way possible (plus I'm still mad about it).

In general though, it would probably be the "always online" DRM. If I bought a single player game for the PC, the last thing I want is to be punished if my roommate accidentally kicks out the modem chord.

you have GOT to be shitting me with that video!
seriously, this is a prank, right? gearbox must be using a different calendar and they think it's april fools day...

I also agree with the DRM thing. that needs to die. I'd almost say Ubisoft has to, but they made PoP and Assassin's creed, so I'll have to let them live. weird that they claimed it was a success (ok, maybe not weird because really, how often do you hear a videogame company say 'we fucked up, sorry 'bout that) when it's not even possible to measure how much a game is pirated...

 

[V8 Ninja]

EA's Origin service is much more inconvenient compared to being dick-ish.

The Call Of Duty Elite service is just a more complex stat-tracker service meant for those that take the game very seriously. Also, you get any future mappacks for free if you have a subscription.

While I agree that online passes are over-priced ($10 for multiplayer? Really?), I see the reason why they exist.

Capcom cancelled Mega Man Legends 3 because they didn't see enough interest in the title. Also, they were trying to make a game in a series that has never sold well enough to justify a million-dollar budget. While I still say that Capcom should have released the planned "Demo Version" of the game for the 3DS e-shop, I still see why they cancelled the game. Also, if you were expecting Capcom to NOT whore out their fighting game franchises, where were you the past two decades? It sounds like a nice vacation spot.

Blizzard's in-game auction houses can be completely ignored if the player wants to. Also, if you're talking about the "Use real money to buy fictional items!" deal, it's just another way of business that doesn't affect you unless you decide that you want it to affect you.

So yes, I'm going to hate Ubisoft's always-online DRM. Seriously, screw you Ubisoft.

 

[Con Carne]

How about Capcom releasing their fighting games, and re-releasing it a few months later with more characters and stages, instead of offering it as DLC. That's a pretty bad d*** move to me.

 

[Jumpingbean3]

My vote goes to Valve for making EA take their games off of Steam.

What? Why is everyone looking at me like that?

EA probably wanted their games off o Steam anyway with Origin coming out.

 

[RaikuFA]

Capcom cancelled Mega Man Legends 3 because they didn't see enough interest in the title. Also, they were trying to make a game in a series that has never sold well enough to justify a million-dollar budget. While I still say that Capcom should have released the planned "Demo Version" of the game for the 3DS e-shop, I still see why they cancelled the game. Also, if you were expecting Capcom to NOT whore out their fighting game franchises, where were you the past two decades? It sounds like a nice vacation spot.

did you see the chart i put up in the last page? MML3 was the straw on the camels back(mine though was the refusal to localize AAI2 because AAI1 didnt sell because they didnt advertise and only made 50 copies of the game). plus the announcement of UMVC3 5 months after the regular release and not reimbursing the people who bought the original with a patch and dlc for the new stuff? then saying megaman isnt going to be in it(and the day after MML3 cancellation) because he wasnt voted enough? (plus adding a MML stage was like twisting a salt coated knife in a wound). THEN saying after they were proved wrong as he was the most popular choice that the fans arent entitled enough to decide on who should be in the game

 

[joemegson94]

What's so bad about EA releasing their own distribution platform?

 

[FreakSheet]

Its more the way they released it. They could have just said "We want more money. Please download our service so Valve doesn't get a cut." (Don't say it like that obviously) Then I could at least respect them for being honest. Bypassing Steam with DA2 DLC, mooching off Steam for sales then giving them nothing, doing something obviously against what they agreed to, then pinning it all on Valve, accepting no blame, THATS, a dick move.

 

[Kvaedi]

You know what...I have to say Blizzard raping Diablo. I just heard about that literally an hour ago; I loved diablo 2, bought WoW because one of my friends who I used to play diablo with liked it....and I hated it. Diablo 3 looks like it's going to incorporate a lot of features that, while well intentioned (probably), will just end up ruining the game for me. Maybe I'll let it come out, see what's being said about it, and give it a try. Maybe.

Either way, I have to say the only major company that has never disappointed me yet, and never pulled a truly dick move is Bethesda. Sure, people have some worries about some features of Skyrim, but combined chest and leg pieces is nothing to everyone else's problems, and fuck, at least the issues people have with Bethesda are still just speculation, AND about gameplay, not the company doing something dickish.

 

[infohippie]

Ubisoft has had the DRM since 2010

They're still keeping it this year. That counts, IMO. Besides it's not just the biggest dick move of the year, it's the dick move of the century.

 

[Vivi22]

Never. Sell. Power.

Blizzard has been saying that player vs player in Diablo 3 will be a big thing. It shouldn't have been there in the first place, because it simply meant the person with the best gear wins. If you allow your players to purchase their gear like that, you screw over everyone who decided not to spend more money on the game than the initial cost.

This point isn't really relevant. To my knowledge, Blizzard has said nothing about planning to sell items through an online store. What the auction system does is let those who get rare drops sell them to other players. It's not a matter of selling power, but of redistributing power to those willing to pay for it. I won't deny it may lead to those with money simply buying up all the best gear they can, but I would be surprised if Blizzard didn't put limitations in place to keep those who simply put in the time somewhat competitive.

Feel free to complain all you want when the game is released if it turns out I'm wrong and it quickly devolves into an unbalanced mess that they never bother to fix. Otherwise, I think you're jumping the gun a bit. Especially considering these things already happen in similar games, however the transaction takes place outside of the game itself, and you don't hear of massive balance problems in other games resulting from the sale of items or characters. And perhaps more importantly, this system will at least help protect people who want to purchase or sell items from getting scammed since it all happens within the game.

 

[thenamelessloser]

Namcobandia suing Cdprojekt red or whatever for getting rid of DRM even though getting rid of the DRM probably helped sales or whatever else they were using for. This whole legal issue is causing witcher 2 to be delayed for xbox 360 release as well.

actualy skimming through the topic namcobandia may not be the worse but it effects what I want to play the most since I want to play witcher 2 on the xbox 360 while all the other dickish moves don't really effect video games I am interested in at all really.

 

[drosalion]

personally really dont even see how EA's Origin is a dick move at all lol..

 

[FloatyScarf]

I'll go and vote Capcom for what's already been stated.

 

[mornal]

What's so bad about EA releasing their own distribution platform?

If you haven't seen any of the other explanations, reasons vary.

There's the "It's not Steam" complaint, which I sort of have (personally, I'd prefer to have all my PC games on one service for convenience sake).

There's also how the EA games won't show up on Steam. That includes Mass Effect and Battlefield new releases, possibly old if Valve decides to go retroactive on the whole "Only we sell DLC" thing.

I probably missed something and others can explain it better, but that's the basics.

 

[TheDooD]

to me its goes

EA > Blizzard > Capcom

EA wants to counter steam yet they did it in a way that makes them looks VERY bad awful for PR. Also advising Dead Space 2 to kids what in the fuck were they thinking. Next why in the hell are there QTE foot chase scenes in Need For Speed....

Blizzard hyped of D3 yet with more news from it. It seemingly getting to look like this game is gonna be horrible. forced online, no mods, a money based auction house, auto placed stat points and basically allowing farming.... Great job

Capcom they're doing a lot of good work yet they're fucking up in big places. Cancelling Megaman Legends 3 after all the hype was in poor taste and another bad PR move. Some of the weird character choices in UMVC3 who really knows who Rocket Raccoon is (without looking at a wiki) and really why in the fuck is Phoenix Wright a fighter...

 

[42]

To argue my point Valve removed those 2 EA games because if your going to sell something in which you'll be offering paid DLC without paying a small sum to the hand that feeds you (alright EA don't really need any help in that department but hey it's an analogy. deal with it) and EA violated the terms of agreement in regards to Steam, and Valve shouldn't be the ones that should be receiving all the hate. blame EA. EA's decided to do something outside the terms in which they had their game on Steam, and Valve took action because it violated the agreement. It's Business. and it was EA that made it's move first.