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Game Ownership and "Creep"
RogerCly
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This may be old news to many of you, however my evening has just been interrupted by it, and thusly I thought I would share.
Recently EA discontinued server support for one of my favorite titles "Mercenaries 2". With this discontinuation comes the unfortunate circumstance that I am no longer able to coop with my associates. Same old, same old. However no part of the actual playing of this game necessitates that EA run a server except for the DRM.
Once players have authenticated through EA's server, the game is hosted locally on one of the players' machines. Furthermore, there is no LAN play option available, its online only. Granted, Pandemic is out of business so I suppose some shock is to be expected.
While researching my predicament, I came across the following release: http://www.ea.com/2/service-updates
What I find fairly shocking about this is the state of the EA Sports releases. We're barely four months into 2010 and multiplayer in the 2009 editions of all that brogamer tripe like Madden has already been discontinued. The same is true of BF2 on the Xbox, which has chilling implications now that the PC versions of BF and CoD no longer support independently run dedicated servers (either through matchmaking or licensed server distributors).
What worries me about this is that with the new DRM scheme being employed by Ubisoft (yes, EA != Ubisoft and all that) were they to do this with their DRM servers, we would no longer be able to play their new titles. Naturally it would be prohibitively expensive to maintain servers or patch out the DRM, as noted by EA in the provided link. "Despite some peoples perception there is a lot of behind the scenes work required to... (allow you to continue to use your product)". Perhaps some of the more technically minded among you can call shenanigans on that, I wouldn't know. Patching out the authentication does not seem like a huge undertaking to me.
However, what I see developing here has more to do with revenue than anything. If EA wants to release a barely upgraded $50 bug fix for their Madden title, they can get the consumer to re-up every year if you wish to play multiplayer online. There is a very real potential for abuse here, and I feel that we are further slipping to the notion that we no longer own these games, but rather the right to play them at the whim of the publisher.
As our beloved local pontificating head has noted, many in the community have advocated "...hoisting the Jolly Roger..." over these issues, and how wrong a response that would be. To he and the community at large I then put the following question: Are we willing to quarter the royal navy in our homes and surrender our property to them that they might combat this pirate scourge?
Oh, and this naturally this has done nothing to deter EA from continuing to sell Mercenaries 2, and market it as having Co-op.
http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage&productID=81566200?resid=S7qVPQoBAkcAAA11dsoAAAAc&rests=1270521556890
This may be old news to many of you, however my evening has just been interrupted by it, and thusly I thought I would share.
Recently EA discontinued server support for one of my favorite titles "Mercenaries 2". With this discontinuation comes the unfortunate circumstance that I am no longer able to coop with my associates. Same old, same old. However no part of the actual playing of this game necessitates that EA run a server except for the DRM.
Once players have authenticated through EA's server, the game is hosted locally on one of the players' machines. Furthermore, there is no LAN play option available, its online only. Granted, Pandemic is out of business so I suppose some shock is to be expected.
While researching my predicament, I came across the following release: http://www.ea.com/2/service-updates
What I find fairly shocking about this is the state of the EA Sports releases. We're barely four months into 2010 and multiplayer in the 2009 editions of all that brogamer tripe like Madden has already been discontinued. The same is true of BF2 on the Xbox, which has chilling implications now that the PC versions of BF and CoD no longer support independently run dedicated servers (either through matchmaking or licensed server distributors).
What worries me about this is that with the new DRM scheme being employed by Ubisoft (yes, EA != Ubisoft and all that) were they to do this with their DRM servers, we would no longer be able to play their new titles. Naturally it would be prohibitively expensive to maintain servers or patch out the DRM, as noted by EA in the provided link. "Despite some peoples perception there is a lot of behind the scenes work required to... (allow you to continue to use your product)". Perhaps some of the more technically minded among you can call shenanigans on that, I wouldn't know. Patching out the authentication does not seem like a huge undertaking to me.
However, what I see developing here has more to do with revenue than anything. If EA wants to release a barely upgraded $50 bug fix for their Madden title, they can get the consumer to re-up every year if you wish to play multiplayer online. There is a very real potential for abuse here, and I feel that we are further slipping to the notion that we no longer own these games, but rather the right to play them at the whim of the publisher.
As our beloved local pontificating head has noted, many in the community have advocated "...hoisting the Jolly Roger..." over these issues, and how wrong a response that would be. To he and the community at large I then put the following question: Are we willing to quarter the royal navy in our homes and surrender our property to them that they might combat this pirate scourge?
Oh, and this naturally this has done nothing to deter EA from continuing to sell Mercenaries 2, and market it as having Co-op.
http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage&productID=81566200?resid=S7qVPQoBAkcAAA11dsoAAAAc&rests=1270521556890
RogerCly on
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This discussion has been closed.
Posts
There is no one to blame but gamers. Those millions of copies of Madden 20xx that keep getting sold every year? They're moving because people are buying them. You knew that there was a chance that EA might dick you before you paid for the game (it's EA), so I don't know how anyone could be surprised when they pull something like that. The snake bit you, huh? Yeah, because it's a snake.
So how do you fix the problem? Next time you see this:
don't buy the game!
I don't care if it's the super awesome sequel to that super awesome game you love, don't buy it. There are always going to be other games from other developers that don't have such retarded restrictions. Yeah, it might suck every once in a while, but if you knowingly give your money to a company with a history of screwing it's customers, how can you be shocked when they screw you?
Leave EA games to the Frat Boys and casual Wii owners and play something else.
Heh. Casual Wii games keep selling for longer than EA keeps its servers up. Hell MKDS by itself will probably last longer in the NDP charts than the entire Guitar Hero franchise.
And more specifically EA has been really hurt by people not buying the Wii versions of Madden.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Pandemic is gone now, having their games servers chopped isn't such a big thing.
EA has really relaxed on the whole evil corporation thing recently. But in the end, why provide servers for services nobody uses anymore? Though selling the game with advertised co-op ect when the servers got axed is kinda stupid.
Really
You're advocating piracy in response to something you don't like
MAN FUCK WALMART, I'M GONNA SHOPLIFT THE SHIT OUT OF IT
You are a silly goose of the highest order
Also nice "burn" of people who play Madden. Way to beak the stereotype of people who play videogames to be socially repressed, xenophobic neckbeards
Really
Really
You're making a stupid analogy to try and prove your point
MAN FUCK LOGIC, I'M GONNA POST STUPID SHIT IN CAPS
You are obviously incapable of making a coherent argument, but thanks for the laugh.
It's the same reason companies are (or at least should be) moving away from the dedicated servers mentality. Not like the vast majority of gamers care.
Steam: CavilatRest
So what's your point then? Stealing is okay because I don't like what they're doing? as opposed to just not buying it? Oh, but that means you're depriving yourself of fun, and we can't have that. You have to pretend like you're actually making a point in addition to not changing your life in any significant way.
you're just like the fools who pretend that joining a facebook group or some shit is "doing your part", except worse. Don't make me laugh
edit: dur typo
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Also the Madden thing doesn't really seem so sinister to me, how many people still want to play the old madden when the new on comes out? I'd hazard a guess that the vast vast VAST majority of the fanbase all move onto the new game each and every year, and the sales would support this hypothesis, so EA seems completely justified to move on as well.
As for BF. BF2: modern combat was an oXbox game, and MS has now shut down the entire oXbox version of Live, almost more surprising it lasted this long to be honest. Bad Company 2 on PC uses dedicated servers in the same way BF2 did, and BF2 still has thousands of servers around.
Support practices you like with $$$, discourage practices you don't by putting your money elsewhere.
And piracy does not count. Piracy is just a knee-jerk reaction of greedy little boys.
猿も木から落ちる
I guess it depends on how much it costs to keep said servers up and running.
I don't see why it would be so difficult for a company to release the dedicated server software for their game before shutting down their own servers. I can understand (from a business standpoint) why they wouldn't want to do this for Madden since it would remove the biggest benefits for upgrading to the new version year after year, but for a game like Mercenaries 2, which isn't going to cut into anyone's profits for anything, It just seems dumb that they wouldn't patch out the authentication DRM and let you host your own servers. Just release the server software using a standard "no support, no guarantee" and let the diehard community mod the hell out of it.
The weirdest thing is, one of EA's games does have dedicated server software, and of all of their games, it's Medal of Honor: Heroes for the PSP.
I mean, did Quake III suffer in sales because people were still able to play Quake II online? No, online gamers bought Quake III because it was a significant upgrade, even though they were still capable of playing an older game online. To be fair, sales were probably also helped by the fact that we didn't have ten Quake games in ten years.
The point is that it's a false dilemma. Were it not for the DRM check, an enterprising fan like the OP could set up his own server, with blackjack and hookers, and play the game with his friends.
It's only because EA didn't patch out the DRM on a really old game that it's not possible to play a co-op game (I don't actually know anything about this particular game, so there might be another solution I suppose.)
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
This.
Just because it's easy to steal doesn't make it right.
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This is true, but to my point if you wish to have a dedicated server you have to buy through EA's sponsored providers who they can cut off at any time. Also, I believe the server browser requires authentication through EA's master server, which they can also choose to discontinue.
Perhaps I could have been more clear on this point, by not allowing the DRM navy to quarter its troops in your house, I am referring to not buying the games with the DRM on them in the first place.
Upon reflection I am a socially repressed neckbeard-bearing individual, although I don't see what xenophobia has to do with...wait...Ubisoft is a French company isnt it? Point taken, they're smelly and foreign.
However I really must protest this notion that EA is removing servers for games that are not being played. My point is that in no way other than DRM authentication does the game in question require server support, just as with AC2.
but that would just be the knee jerk reaction of little boys, hmm?
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Nothing new, that's how BF2 worked, and again, plenty of servers still around for that game.
not really
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Is this you being serious or are you being intentionally sarcastic
Also, video game piracy is less piracy on the high seas and more like selling crack to your neighborhood so you can escape the drug dealing in the neighborhood to protect your kids.
Edit: You should also buy top rated independent games on steam to support the community, and gift me a copy to support it twice as much.
I'm being serious
would you prefer a legally oriented response or are you strictly interested in ethics
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
DCMA violations are not inherently piracy. Nor are they inherently wrong, or something I'm against.
Note I'm not from a country insane enough to pass such legislation in the first place.
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Hacking a game is against the EULA just as much as downloading is!!
If you want to be insane, please have the courtesy to provide a justification for your silly goose statements.
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EULA violations are also not piracy. At least not when I use the word. I specifically mean "copyright infringement" - unauthorized duplication and distribution of software. EULA and DCMA are not even relevant.
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I recognize that they reserve the right to do this that and the other, but this rubs me entirely the wrong way.
As others have suggested though, its really a vote with the wallet situation. Not being a connoisseur of the fine Madden, NHL and NASCAR games this was the first I'd seen the 1 year decay rate.
Also: If you enjoy any of those games, you are without a doubt the most backward, incestuous, buck-toothed and or slack jawed evolutionary throwback yet living. (Yes Rent, I mean you)
I'm not saying it is, I'm saying the two are on equal grounds in terms of the usage of the product
Btw why are you allowed to advocate eula violations but not piracy?
There are lots of properties out there that EA (for example) is no longer exploiting financially. That doesn't give the end user the right do whatever they want to do with them.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Aaaaaaaaand this is why we can't have nice things.
We understand your frustration, but keep in mind who you're really angry at.
Let's go ethics
Because I'm curious to find out how creating a whole new game based off an old one's engine (CS) is similar to stealing videogames
Is Brogamer an insult or a badge of pride?
I dislike you intensely
Also, I extremely dislike Madden games. Nice try, though!
God how about you stand by your insults instead of being the most passive-aggressive person alive