DA2 Bioware bans player from playing DA2 for posting ill remark on Bioware forums
- Thread starter Twotricks
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Dragon Age 2
aries100
SasqWatch
Here's the thread that Bioware via Stanley Woo has left opened to discuss this:
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6465725/6
Stan also said in one of his posts that this all happened after the office was closed. And he actually stayed in the office until about 11PM Bioware time to try to sort all this out.
And as Stan said in the quoted post from him, some gamer (or ea representative?) hit the report button - probably not knowing anything about the consequences. Not having read the thread myself, I understand there's also some homophobic comments in the (now closed and defunct) thread?
Also, if you're going to be mad at anyone company, be mad at EA, Not Bioware. In the linked thread there are posts worse or at the same level of worse than the words used by the user which has now been locked out (banned) for 72 hours. As a fellow gamer, I can sympatize with him, however in a thread made by him, he accepts the 72 hour ban.
He says that he can't access any of his games now http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6459941/ [There should be a newspost about this, too, made by Dhruin] So what he's saying is that he can't access any DLC or loginto DA: Origins. But, as I understand it, Mass Effect 2 and DA: Origins can be played offline.
The problem with this is that EA apparantly can ban (lock out) any player/gamer from any of EA's game - for something they said on a forum. I can certainly see the frustration here and also understand how it feels. The big question, however, if the server authentication also checks form other things than game ownership in DA2. [When you play and are connected to the internet, a game authentication check is performed each time].
Anyway, Chris Priestly has now made this post:
(source: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6465725/48 )
Problem now seemed to be solved. However, I'm not entirely sure about this 'accidentally' thing. More likely, it was 'an error' built into the software which they first only now has been aware of and this has now been fixed.
And again, Bioware did not ban the user's account, EA did. However, I'm also sure that if this site and other gaming media sites like RPS hadn't made this issue a public one, and a matter of PR, this would have gone unnoticed for a few days.
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6465725/6
Stan also said in one of his posts that this all happened after the office was closed. And he actually stayed in the office until about 11PM Bioware time to try to sort all this out.
And as Stan said in the quoted post from him, some gamer (or ea representative?) hit the report button - probably not knowing anything about the consequences. Not having read the thread myself, I understand there's also some homophobic comments in the (now closed and defunct) thread?
Also, if you're going to be mad at anyone company, be mad at EA, Not Bioware. In the linked thread there are posts worse or at the same level of worse than the words used by the user which has now been locked out (banned) for 72 hours. As a fellow gamer, I can sympatize with him, however in a thread made by him, he accepts the 72 hour ban.
He says that he can't access any of his games now http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6459941/ [There should be a newspost about this, too, made by Dhruin] So what he's saying is that he can't access any DLC or loginto DA: Origins. But, as I understand it, Mass Effect 2 and DA: Origins can be played offline.
The problem with this is that EA apparantly can ban (lock out) any player/gamer from any of EA's game - for something they said on a forum. I can certainly see the frustration here and also understand how it feels. The big question, however, if the server authentication also checks form other things than game ownership in DA2. [When you play and are connected to the internet, a game authentication check is performed each time].
Anyway, Chris Priestly has now made this post:
(source: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6465725/48 )
Problem now seemed to be solved. However, I'm not entirely sure about this 'accidentally' thing. More likely, it was 'an error' built into the software which they first only now has been aware of and this has now been fixed.
And again, Bioware did not ban the user's account, EA did. However, I'm also sure that if this site and other gaming media sites like RPS hadn't made this issue a public one, and a matter of PR, this would have gone unnoticed for a few days.
Drithius
Magic & Loss
I've sorta not been bothering with DA2 news the past few days, and have never really followed Bioware forums since my NWN days.
But all this… and seeing how Paulus' linked post got closed as, presumably, many other anti-Bioware threads… well, this goes beyond the growing disappointment I've had in Bioware games for the last few years. It's just pathetic.
I think I might just forget about DA2 altogether and not even bother with the goty package that I had been considering waiting for.
Hopefully Obsidian fills the void in the marketplace for RPG's.
But all this… and seeing how Paulus' linked post got closed as, presumably, many other anti-Bioware threads… well, this goes beyond the growing disappointment I've had in Bioware games for the last few years. It's just pathetic.
I think I might just forget about DA2 altogether and not even bother with the goty package that I had been considering waiting for.
Hopefully Obsidian fills the void in the marketplace for RPG's.
OK, so EA backtracks on this specific issue, fair enough. The bigger concern is the state of the game itself which sounds pretty unattractive at the moment. Silly flashy animations, dumbed down dialogue, enemies spawning from empty air, copy pasta locations, rushed soundtrack, inconclusive storyline (with the suspicion that a more conclusive ending will be supplied by DLC).
Of course this is mostly hearsay…but other than the demo (which some people say is typical of the game, others say unrepresentative) how else does one judge a game before buying?
Of course this is mostly hearsay…but other than the demo (which some people say is typical of the game, others say unrepresentative) how else does one judge a game before buying?
By reading, reading, reading, reading reading ... And at the end of the day computing all of this data into your own opinion.
That's how I do it.
The demo is about 80 % of my personal opinion, but other sources also play a huge role in this "opinion finding process", as we call it here in Germany.
That's how I do it.
The demo is about 80 % of my personal opinion, but other sources also play a huge role in this "opinion finding process", as we call it here in Germany.
UPDATE:
Wow, well here’s a crazy update. After being repeatedly told that he was intentionally locked out of his EA games because he broke the rules on the BioWare forum, and that this was in accordance to the Terms Of Service that he’d agreed to, this morning’s internet famous man, Arno, has just been told that it was in fact a mistake.
He received an email from EA’s Senior Director of Customer Support, Boyd Beasley, explaining that his “inappropriate language” meant he had received a 72 hour ban from the BioWare Social Network, but that,
“Unfortunately, there was an error in the system that accidentally suspended your entire EA account. Immediately upon learning of the glitch, we have restored the entire account and apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused while accessing other areas of the EA service.”
So there you go then. A strange one indeed, after he was told by both EA’s live support, and the moderator who locked the thread discussing the matter (who declined to speak to us), the opposite. But good news for Arno, who can finally play the game he’s paid for.
------------
PR shitstorm.
And you thought they dont care about reputation.
To late, genie is out of the bottle
Wow, well here’s a crazy update. After being repeatedly told that he was intentionally locked out of his EA games because he broke the rules on the BioWare forum, and that this was in accordance to the Terms Of Service that he’d agreed to, this morning’s internet famous man, Arno, has just been told that it was in fact a mistake.
He received an email from EA’s Senior Director of Customer Support, Boyd Beasley, explaining that his “inappropriate language” meant he had received a 72 hour ban from the BioWare Social Network, but that,
“Unfortunately, there was an error in the system that accidentally suspended your entire EA account. Immediately upon learning of the glitch, we have restored the entire account and apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused while accessing other areas of the EA service.”
So there you go then. A strange one indeed, after he was told by both EA’s live support, and the moderator who locked the thread discussing the matter (who declined to speak to us), the opposite. But good news for Arno, who can finally play the game he’s paid for.
------------
PR shitstorm.
And you thought they dont care about reputation.
To late, genie is out of the bottle
- Joined
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This is all way too complicated for a game. I won't be buying this anytime soon if at all.
Lol it's unsane, player is necessarily right, I quote him:
You all are gone too crazy about and against DA2, Bioware and EA, that is incredible. Hey wake up it's just gaming. You don't enjoy, don't play, that simple. And start any crusader for a game is….
About having the signature edition, for sure you could cancel it or any pre order. I canceled easily my Steam order few days before release (in my country) and after the 8, and bought a box of the signature edition version in shop after release date. Clearly because canceling an order of SE was possible. So people spiting their hate all along and that didn't cancel are just lacking of coherency, again it's just a game and you have the full right to not play it. But also took conclusion on the game from the demo that was clearly limited, well I won't comment more.
You hate and flame a game and company and after whine because you get banned? Not to mention it was a clear error from EA, not on purpose, the purpose wasn't to not allow the user use the account for registering and using stuff.
You all are gone too crazy about and against DA2, Bioware and EA, that is incredible. Hey wake up it's just gaming. You don't enjoy, don't play, that simple. And start any crusader for a game is….
About having the signature edition, for sure you could cancel it or any pre order. I canceled easily my Steam order few days before release (in my country) and after the 8, and bought a box of the signature edition version in shop after release date. Clearly because canceling an order of SE was possible. So people spiting their hate all along and that didn't cancel are just lacking of coherency, again it's just a game and you have the full right to not play it. But also took conclusion on the game from the demo that was clearly limited, well I won't comment more.
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Drithius
Magic & Loss
You can go ahead and ban a putz from a forum or possibly even an online game if he or she is disrupting other players. You cross the line when you ban them from playing single player as well, in a game they bought and paid for. I don't buy this B.S. PR coverup personally; as stated earlier in the thread, EA apparently thinks they have the right to do exactly what ocurred - it was no simple "error in the system".
End of the line indeed.
End of the line indeed.
azraelck
Angel of Cookies!
It is highly disturbing to me that EA has decided that they can deny a player access to the single-player game that they paid for, at their (EA's) will. What's stopping them from locking out BC2 or the new MoH when the next one comes out? What about blocking players from playing DA:O, in order to force them to purchase newer games?
What's stopping them from requiring a "license renewal fee" to play older EA titles? Nothing. There is absolutely no stretch of common sense that allows this situation to occur. There is absolutely no reason for a legitimate copy of a game to have to "check in" or connect online at all for a offline-only single player mode. Much less check in to see if the Fuhrer has deigned to allow you to play said game.
Banning or suspending that user for being an *** on the forums is well within reason; blocking that user from accessing a single player game that has no business requiring an internet connection just to play every time, is not. It is not acceptable at all.
It amounts to willing grand scale fraud. When I pay for a game, I expect to be able to play it. I may get banned from individual servers online due to my actions, or may not, but I still expect that I can play the game aside from those instances. EA has decided that they do not have to allow any of that, that even a brand new copy bought legitimately can be blocked from being used, with no recourse from the purchaser.
This is the same situation as GM deciding to shut down any car that has been paid off, using On Star (which they can do very easily, as it has been integrated into the vehicle's systems. They even advertise it as a "feature"); in order to force you to trade in for a new model. Instead, I'll go buy a Dodge.
EA just went on my do not buy list. And Bioware along with it. And this time, they won't come back off it. In 15 years, I bought only one EA-published title; Dragon Age: Origins. I won't install that ever again, and it will be the last time EA receives a dime from me.
Quite frankly, the FTC needs to step in and put a stop to this abuse of customers. If not, then the PC market will end up in the hands of indies; which it's fast heading to now. It's increasingly hard to justify a purchase when I'm forced to install viruses, and now don't even have the ability to play my game if they publisher decides they want me to buy a new one. Why buy when I know, for a fact, that it is unplayable?
What's stopping them from requiring a "license renewal fee" to play older EA titles? Nothing. There is absolutely no stretch of common sense that allows this situation to occur. There is absolutely no reason for a legitimate copy of a game to have to "check in" or connect online at all for a offline-only single player mode. Much less check in to see if the Fuhrer has deigned to allow you to play said game.
Banning or suspending that user for being an *** on the forums is well within reason; blocking that user from accessing a single player game that has no business requiring an internet connection just to play every time, is not. It is not acceptable at all.
It amounts to willing grand scale fraud. When I pay for a game, I expect to be able to play it. I may get banned from individual servers online due to my actions, or may not, but I still expect that I can play the game aside from those instances. EA has decided that they do not have to allow any of that, that even a brand new copy bought legitimately can be blocked from being used, with no recourse from the purchaser.
This is the same situation as GM deciding to shut down any car that has been paid off, using On Star (which they can do very easily, as it has been integrated into the vehicle's systems. They even advertise it as a "feature"); in order to force you to trade in for a new model. Instead, I'll go buy a Dodge.
EA just went on my do not buy list. And Bioware along with it. And this time, they won't come back off it. In 15 years, I bought only one EA-published title; Dragon Age: Origins. I won't install that ever again, and it will be the last time EA receives a dime from me.
Quite frankly, the FTC needs to step in and put a stop to this abuse of customers. If not, then the PC market will end up in the hands of indies; which it's fast heading to now. It's increasingly hard to justify a purchase when I'm forced to install viruses, and now don't even have the ability to play my game if they publisher decides they want me to buy a new one. Why buy when I know, for a fact, that it is unplayable?
azraelck
Angel of Cookies!
I'm sick of the crap going on in the games industry today. The companies put out complete and utter garbage and blame pirates for low sales. So they continue to put out complete and utter garbage and on top of that abuse their customers, punishing them for actually buying the games. Then they blame hackers for lost sales.
While I just upgraded my PC, I'm not really much of a PC gamer anymore. Given that the newest FPS I have is Call of Duty: United Offensive, and the newest RPG installed is Eschalon 2, old games and indie games are basically my exclusive area. I'm not a console gamer either; my Wii sits untouched for months at a time, and all my other systems and games are in a few massive totes, packed away for whenever I feel like hooking them up. I traded in my PS3 after they took away the Linux support.
I'm going to have to take a headcount now, and see if there's actually any mainstream publishers left I'll buy from. Maybe Atari, except that other than Ghostbusters they haven't released a good game since... hmm... back about 18 and 25 or so. And Ghostbusters for the PC, boxed copies at least, also included a virus like all EA and Ubisoft games. Steam didn't, which is why I bought it through there (I love Ghostbusters, it's the third time I've bought the game). The PC version also was stripped of features compared to the console ones, though it did have superior controls and better graphics. And of course, it's still Ghostbusters.
Though to be fair, this is not isolated to the gaming industry. Movies are just as bad, as are music CDs. Quite frankly though the consoles can have all the EA and Activision and Ubisoft and other crap. Legitimate companies will step in and fill the gap; where there's a market, there's someone to fill it.
DoctorNarrative
Patroling Written Words
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Good on them for reversing it. I don't believe them that it was an accident, but obviously someone high-up realized it was over the line, perhaps legally, and they made a quick change.
Good call.
Good call.
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D
DArtagnan
Guest
There's nothing more appealing than buying a game you can lose access to playing, because you happen to voice your opinion about it openly.
I wonder when the average consumer will start considering that to be ok. I mean, it seems the average consumer is ok with pretty much everything else these days, so it's only a matter of time before having access to what you bought is considered a privilege you have to earn.
I wonder when the average consumer will start considering that to be ok. I mean, it seems the average consumer is ok with pretty much everything else these days, so it's only a matter of time before having access to what you bought is considered a privilege you have to earn.
DoctorNarrative
Patroling Written Words
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The mass acceptance of Steam already shows customers are willing to put all their eggs in a basket a company can take away. All you have to do is foster a good company image like Valve has and people will hand over they keys to their house. The issue here is that EA has not fostered that kind of trust and reputation.
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BillSeurer
Eternal Supreme Dictator
Guys, you haven't "bought" a computer game (or probably any computer software) in like 20 years. Don't you read those *license* agreements that come with them? We lost this battle long ago.
D
DArtagnan
Guest
Call it what you will, but having access to the game has been the standard for singleplayer games upon purchase for as long as I can remember.
D
DArtagnan
Guest
Yeah, and I'm amazed that people think so well of Valve, especially considering their overt greed in terms of pricing.
But that's just the way it is, I guess.
It's like that there are rumors, it's quite clear that the guy that got banished gone quite more far than only saying his opinion clearly. There are many thread with many post listing flaws right or wrong and concluding the game is a total crap and Bioware a traitor. They don't get banished for that.
It's also quite stupid to choose Bioware/EA forums to lost control and civility. There's ton of other forums for that, like here or even more welcoming with such posts, the codex.
For this point I totally agree that there's a problem, it's a problem it's even been possible even if this is in license agreement. I'm not sure such stuff is fully legal.
But if you consider players sort of sheep nowadays, myself I noticed quite more that the level of hate has rise significantly those last 2 or 3 years. All this hysteria about a game makes no sense and for me the sheep are those that get grap into this, just on base of a demo, looks like a a crowd madness except it's a virtual crowd, which is quite singular.
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