EA doesn't like negativity so watch your words...

[Terronium-12]

One forum member commented about gamers selling their souls to the EA devil and promptly received the mighty ban-hammer, locking him out of the forum and his Dragon Age 2 game for 72 hours.

To our dear Tom's readers who just purchased the PC version of Dragon Age 2 this week, watch what you say on the BioWare and EA forums. Seriously, you'll regret it.

As one gamer has revealed over on the BioWare forums, a comment made in a post brought on the mighty ban-hammer for 72 hours. The problem is that the ban isn't just focused on his forum activities, it's also locked him out of the actual Dragon Age 2 Signature Edition bundle--which he purchased and installed on his rig--during the 72-hour duration.


According to the post, EA sent forum user "Vware" an email stating that his account was suspended for inappropriate content. Vware contacted EA via Live Chat to understand what exactly it was he did to earn the 72-hour ban. An EA representative quoted one of his forum comments, repeating his "have you sold your souls to the EA devil?" post. While the comment is most definitely hilarious, EA apparently thought otherwise.


"Now, those are the words I said, you can't argue with that," Vware admitted.



"I'm not going to try and sugar coat that, let me just say in my defense, I have always been a pretty reasonable person on this forum. So I agree that you guys suspended my account from the forums for 72 hours. What I don't agree with is that I can't activate my new DA2 game."


BioWare's Stanley Woo followed up to Vware's forum complaint by pointing to EA's online terms and conditions.



"Because the BioWare community now operates under the same umbrella as all EA Communities, community members here have all explicitly agreed to abide by and be governed by both sets of rules," Woo said. "Consider it an added incentive to follow the rules you say you're going to follow."


Woo seems to suggest that someone on the forum didn't like Vware's comment and pressed the REPORT POST button. Once evaluated and deemed in violation, EA has the right to lock customers out of their installed games and/or DLC according to the Terms and Conditions.


Section 11 of EA's Terms and Conditions, "Rules of Conduct," clearly states that forum users are in violation when they "harass, threaten, embarrass, or do anything else to another player that is unwanted, such as repeatedly sending unwanted messages or making personal attacks or statements about race, sexual orientation, religion, heritage, etc."
So much for freedom of speech.

What the hell? He was banned from the forum - fine, no big deal at all. Being locked out of a game that you paid for? Someone needs to litigate.

And then developers wonder why piracy exists....

 

[icelt]

And then developers wonder why piracy exists....

I'd suggest they know exactly why piracy exists, it just makes for the perfect boogie man so the EA's of the world can further justify their iron fisted polices. I'm sure they look at the former antics of the RIAA with a fond eye.

 

[SuperShouden]

It's not that EA doesn't like the negativity, it's that they just don't like their fans, period. I bet the report wasn't even read. And, since it was in the BioWare forum, he got banned from the game.

I'm telling you, EA has just gotten so tired of all the BS in their forums, that they've stopped taking any crap and no longer offer free DLC.

 

[Terronium-12]

It's not that EA doesn't like the negativity, it's that they just don't like their fans, period. I bet the report wasn't even read. And, since it was in the BioWare forum, he got banned from the game.

I'm telling you, EA has just gotten so tired of all the BS in their forums, that they've stopped taking any crap and no longer offer free DLC.

So, taking the low road and rubbing customers (both long-term and potentials) the wrong way and practically encouraging piracy (one member on the BioWare forum even suggests cracking the game) is better? I also have to point out that this is grounds for a trial. It's downright malicious, I don't care what the "reasoning" behind it is. If you don't like your fanbase criticizing your business practices or products...then get the hell out of the business.

 

[fissionproject]

lol sorry all i could do was laugh

 

[McLaren]

It's not that EA doesn't like the negativity, it's that they just don't like their fans, period. I bet the report wasn't even read. And, since it was in the BioWare forum, he got banned from the game.

I'm telling you, EA has just gotten so tired of all the BS in their forums, that they've stopped taking any crap and no longer offer free DLC.

I think you're way, way off-base & making far-fetched assumptions....

 

[Jedi2016]

I'd suggest they know exactly why piracy exists, it just makes for the perfect boogie man so the EA's of the world can further justify their iron fisted polices.

That would imply that they don't understand the piracy. The iron fist is precisely what's causing it. From statements I've heard from various companies, up to and including Sony themselves, they don't have any comprehension of why the pirates do what they do. It's like they literally cannot fathom the real reasons, and they're genuinely baffled that people would continue doing it in the face of lawsuits or threats of prison or whatever.

I read another article about the incident in the OP that pointed it out in much plainer language.. that legitimate paying customers are being treated like criminals while the pirates sit back and laugh.

They also pointed out that EA added SecuROM DRM to the game without telling anyone, including in their own EULA. I'd question the legality of installing software on someone's computer without their consent, which is exactly what they did, and I'd be 100% behind a class-action lawsuit once the news disseminates a bit more.

Besides, despite all their claims about how bad PC piracy is, the X360 and PS3 versions of DA2 leaked out quite a bit earlier than the PC version did. Of course, EA had no statement to make on that matter.

 

[Clark]

The thing about being locked of the games is how things are today.

In the past you owned the console and game, now you pay for the lisence to use them.

 

[MeanElf]

It's not that EA doesn't like the negativity, it's that they just don't like their fans, period. I bet the report wasn't even read. And, since it was in the BioWare forum, he got banned from the game.

I'm telling you, EA has just gotten so tired of all the BS in their forums, that they've stopped taking any crap and no longer offer free DLC.

No, this makes sense. I recall the NFS: Shift forum and EA's inability to police it, ending in thirty pages of spam posts (at the last visit.)

They seemed indifferent to whatever the fans were on about.

 

[Stephen220378]

"Section 11 of EA's Terms and Conditions, "Rules of Conduct," clearly states that forum users are in violation when they "harass, threaten, embarrass, or do anything else to another player that is unwanted, such as repeatedly sending unwanted messages or making personal attacks or statements about race, sexual orientation, religion, heritage, etc."
So much for freedom of speech."


Yeah like EA don't do that with the spam e-mails advertising their products I'm sent every second day from them, despite them being told numerous times that I don't want them. Maybe they should pay more attention to the rules they set out for their customers and abide by them themselves.

 

[Golfman2]

EA. The biggest game company in the world. Who think they can play god and treat gamers badly if they say anything negative about them. Who seem to forget that it is us gamers who BLINDLY buy every new incarnation of FIFA every year regardless of how little it changes, us gamers who KEEP THEM IN A JOB.
It was EA who brought out that stupid idea about one-use only codes bundled with brand new games that allow us to download free stuff, but have to pay for it if the same code is still in the box if you buy the game second hand.
Boycott EA, everbody, for a few months. Wipe the smile off their faces.
At the very least it will encourage them to give us a decent Need For Speed game for a change. Everything after Hot Pursuit 2 on the PS2 has been terrible, with the worst offender being, ironically, Criterion's take on the Hot Pursuit franchise.

 

[Seismica]

One more good reason why I don't buy EA games anymore.

 

[tribolik]

So, taking the low road and rubbing customers (both long-term and potentials) the wrong way and practically encouraging piracy (one member on the BioWare forum even suggests cracking the game) is better? I also have to point out that this is grounds for a trial. It's downright malicious, I don't care what the "reasoning" behind it is. If you don't like your fanbase criticizing your business practices or products...then get the hell out of the business.

Well if you say something like that in the Pcars forum you will be banned and you will no longer be able to play the latest builds... but at least they will give you a refund.

Im not saying that I agree with it Im just saying that EA are not the only ones.

 

[ILikeBeans]

LOL, sounds like a great theme to an FPS. Throw the Activision devil in there too and it might rival Doom.

 

[Sach]

Ugh... EA. #corruption

 

[White & Nerdy]

So you can be locked out of GAMES YOU PAID FOR because of something you say on the forums.

Wow. That must be one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard.

Forget all that, play console! That way they can't force you to be connected if you want to play, and they can't lock you out of the game you paid for if you say the wrong thing.

If everyone migrated to consoles tomorrow, their power would be GONE. So, next time you want to buy an EA game, get it on PS3 or X360!

 

[RTSolvalou]

Sounds like... The work of... The Devil.

 

[Tired Tyres]

So you can be locked out of GAMES YOU PAID FOR because of something you say on the forums.

Wow. That must be one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard.

Forget all that, play console! That way they can't force you to be connected if you want to play, and they can't lock you out of the game you paid for if you say the wrong thing.

If everyone migrated to consoles tomorrow, their power would be GONE. So, next time you want to buy an EA game, get it on PS3 or X360!

Alternatively, next time you buy a game make sure it's not from EA.

 

[Ibonibo]

W&n:
not true, they can also ban you from console games like battlefield for exemple.
Nothing to do with console vs pc.
Or try being a smartass on the PS forum.
-------
Also did you know some got blocked for quoting.
When there was the backlash about Origin, some members got banned (forum, origin,...) simply because they said it was BS. An other member quoted that and got banned too.

But EA is not alone.
HAd the Darkeness 2. Couldn't activate it over steam.
Steam saying about : you import, your fault.
2K was a bit more helpful after spamming the forum with treaths from various members.
And steam is wrong it goes against the free trade agrement of the EU.

All in all this industry needs to change. Screw over your customers and your customers wil screw you over twice as big.

They can ban you from playing their games, you can deny them income.
One is a menance to the existance of one the other is just a little hicup in these times.

This is where the difficult discussion about whether games are good or liscences can also come to play.

Do you own a game when bought or do you just have the right to play it as long as the pubisher seems fit.
(legally in a service agrement a fix period should be stated, but judges (most) have become puppets of the industry and lobbies, ie: patent Apples )

Alternatively, next time you buy a game make sure it's not from EA.

But what games do we buy then:
No Acti games because Kottick is the devil.
No EA games because they are douches.
No Sony games because they are hackable.
No MS games because you need to pay for online.

THat leaves double fine. Yeayy Schafer!!! rofl

 

[m8h3r]

If I have a problem with a game then I speak my mind. I have a problem with GT5 then I come on to GTPlanet and either comment or open a thread. If a game developer is going to block me for saying my honest opinion then guess what, I won't be buying your game.

 

[Piotrov]

So now big corporations have the right to take away our freedom of speech?

That's why I have Will not purchase anymore EA licenses to play anymore.

 

[David]

Your free speech has nothing to do with how they want to moderate or censor their forums running on servers that they own/pay for. Taking away game licenses because people are swearing or just being critical is a whole other issue though.

So you can be locked out of GAMES YOU PAID FOR because of something you say on the forums.

Wow. That must be one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard.

Forget all that, play console! That way they can't force you to be connected if you want to play, and they can't lock you out of the game you paid for if you say the wrong thing.

If everyone migrated to consoles tomorrow, their power would be GONE. So, next time you want to buy an EA game, get it on PS3 or X360!

Oh right because this is only a problem for PC gamers. Buy an EA game like Battlefield 3 for the PS3 or Xbox. Use your EA account that is tied to your ingame profile to post something obscene on their forums and get your account banned. You wont be able to play their games online anymore. So what if you can still play the single player offline, the majority of people have BF3 to play online.

 

[omgitsbees]

So now big corporations have the right to take away our freedom of speech?

That's why I have Will not purchase anymore EA licenses to play anymore.

Posting on their forums is a privilege, not a right. If you want to boycott EA that's fine, there's plenty of good reasons to do that, but "taking away your right to free speech" is not one of them.

 

[Piotrov]

So if I work for a company and say something bad about the company to my co worker, the company has the right to not pay me for one day?

It may be a bad example but I guess my biggest gripe is them taking your right away from you to play a game that you have legally paid to play.

Plus by me buying their game I also purchased a spot to post in their forums.
The forums are not run with money that EA generously donated. It's funded by the games that we purchased the license to play.

 

[AOS-]

EA's running off of feelings now, like my boss.

 

[David]

So if I work for a company and say something bad about the company to my co worker, the company has the right to not pay me for one day?

It may be a bad example but I guess my biggest gripe is them taking your right away from you to play a game that you have legally paid to play.

Plus by me buying their game I also purchased a spot to post in their forums.
The forums are not run with money that EA generously donated. It's funded by the games that we purchased the license to play.

They are open forums that people can post on regardless of whether they have paid to play an EA game or not. EA owns those servers and they control the forums and can moderate them as they please. Even on this forum as a premium member, if I start acting like an ass and earn a ban for whatever reason the moderators see fit I will lose access like anyone else and wont be given a refund.

Taking away your ability to play the games is a separate issue that I think most of us would agree is wrong.

As for talking bad about the company you work for, if that gets back to management you very well may be facing discipline or termination depending on what you said and where you work. Look at some of the pro athletes who have gotten in trouble for tweets and facebook posts bashing teammates, coaches, refs, etc... Either way its not a good comparison to how EA interacts with customers.

 

[Piotrov]

You have good points and I will agree, they can run their forums as they please.

Again like you said the biggest gripe is them taking away customers right to play.
That truly is ruling with an iron fist.

 

[omgitsbees]

Actually by law, a company has the right to take away your ability use a piece of software that you have paid for. You didn't buy the software itself, you bought the license to use the software is a more accurate term. To the best of my knowledge, this has never been challenged in court (in the united states, cant comment on else where), so the law sides with EA on this one currently.

 

[yoman297]

EA is absolutely horrible. It will take a masterpiece game for me to buy from them.

 

[Sureboss]

Actually by law, a company has the right to take away your ability use a piece of software that you have paid for. You didn't buy the software itself, you bought the license to use the software is a more accurate term. To the best of my knowledge, this has never been challenged in court (in the united states, cant comment on else where), so the law sides with EA on this one currently.

Indeed, it's similar to a restaurant/pub being able to kick you out, doesn't matter if you've spent money there, though it can come back to kick them in the behind. Do the same people object to gamers being banned from playing x online because they've exploited/cheated/abused others?