EA Responds to SimCity Complaints; Gamers Launch Non-DRM Petition

[cozmosis]

[citation][nom]kinggraves[/nom]Why are these guys getting marked down, does the truth hurt that much? You as the consumer are responsible for knowing what you're buying. -snip-[/citation]

Ever heard the phrase "the customer is always right"? In your stupid example, you have failed to account for the premise that what if something has been sold with misinformation. How many TVs are advertised as colour these days, so you buy one and it's black and white. "You have a TV so it's your fault."

When I buy something, if i don't like it for whatever whimisical reason I might have, I get a refund. It's about having the power to do so, not getting shoved around. People in stores are sales 'assistants' not sales 'enforcers' - they are your own personal lackeys as far as i'm concerned. People like you go in to a shop and leave with something you never wanted, and don't have the stones to do anything about it.

Notions like "Just because you aren't satisfied with a product doesn't mean you get your money back" are the sort of thing the EA execs will be thinking too.

 

[timw03878]

[citation][nom]bak0n[/nom]If you don't like DRM don't buy the game. Complaining about it just means you didn't do your research before buying a product. The only "always on" games I will every play and own are MMO's so I've got nothing to complain about.[/citation]

could not agree with you more

sheep vote with their dollars in favor of this crap and then bitch when things go south.

every idiot buys into the hype without doing any research at all... soo annoying.

 

[sykozis]

[citation][nom]cozmosis[/nom]Ever heard the phrase "the customer is always right"? In your stupid example, you have failed to account for the premise that what if something has been sold with misinformation. How many TVs are advertised as colour these days, so you buy one and it's black and white. "You have a TV so it's your fault."When I buy something, if i don't like it for whatever whimisical reason I might have, I get a refund. It's about having the power to do so, not getting shoved around. People in stores are sales 'assistants' not sales 'enforcers' - they are your own personal lackeys as far as i'm concerned. People like you go in to a shop and leave with something you never wanted, and don't have the stones to do anything about it.Notions like "Just because you aren't satisfied with a product doesn't mean you get your money back" are the sort of thing the EA execs will be thinking too.[/citation]
Haven't heard that BS statement in a long time. Fortunately, the customer is usually wrong. Companies aren't required at any time to give refunds unless the product is falsely or incorrectly advertised (such as selling a B/W TV advertised as Color or an Analog TV advertised as Digital). In this case, EA made it clear up front that the game requires an "always on" internet connection. Since the game itself was not falsely or incorrectly advertised, there's no requirement for EA or other e-tailers to give refunds.

 

[plasmastorm]

https://i.chzbgr.com/mediumSquare/7116875008

Says it all really, EA: killing off games one by one.

 

[ojas]

[citation][nom]edogawa[/nom]You know, I am really getting sick and tired of hearing about EA and their crap. How can a company be so incapable of listening to the customers. Single player DRM is beyond ridiculous, it hurts the paying customers only, and it never stops games from being cracked.[/citation]
Never heard of Microsoft?

 

[corvak]

Theres a lesson in this. Buy all your Origin exclusive games through Amazon, they know how customer service works.

 

[bkaaagahgsfd]

I'm getting old and you people are starting to sound like morons.

Why would you buy this dumb game in the first place? How could you actually think it was going to be good?

The real problem is that an always-online requirement for this kind of game is a flawed design choice (same problem as D3, among other things).

It is not something that can be fixed. Primarily because company politics won't allow it.

 

[envymert]

I for one HATE the DRM aspect .... unfortunately I preordered thinking that EA would clean up their messy launch of SWTOR and learn something from Diablo 3's awful release. Boy was I wrong, the game is still laggy and unplayable, server restarts/resets will make you lose minutes if not HOURS of time invested.

Also I agree that with this game being a crap show right now. EA by making it DRM with such a horrendous launch has locked in the fact this game will be highly pirated. I for one will never accept pirating a game but ......I can see the reasons why some might. (not that it's right).

 

[merikafyeah]

[citation][nom]easucks[/nom]Whoops, looks like EGAY pulled a Diablo 3[/citation]
That's the worst insult to gay people I've ever heard!

 

[the great randini]

My simcity started running good last night around 7pm, it was nice to have a few hours straight without getting kicked. Now that its running good i have to learn how to play it. It is really well done, and beautiful (even better when you swich the max fps to 120 from 60). some of the options let you see how your city is broken down in many different ways from what portion of your population are by age, or where students live vs workers. which direction most people drive on the commute to work, that is insane. You can see how water treatment (well all i can get now is a giant pipe that shoots poop out of it) affects people and businesses around it. With the villans and heros pack you can get a mega bad guy and a super hero, I am not sure if am doing somthing wrong yet but the bad guy really likes me...

 

[techguy911]

[citation][nom]kinggraves[/nom]Why are these guys getting marked down, does the truth hurt that much? You as the consumer are responsible for knowing what you're buying. We all knew SC5 would be an always online game. You all rushed out and preordered it just to get a stupid tilechange like "being a British city instead". They already have your money, what do they care? You're doing them a favor by not playing the game you paid for, because that's less server congestion that they have to pay for. Your ragequitting ends up in savings.Unfortunately, they are under no obligation to give refunds. Just because you aren't satisfied with a product doesn't mean you get your money back. You can't buy a car, drive it off the lot, and return it later because I find out it's a lemon. All sales are final. There may be an exception for those that preordered and didn't get their copy unlocked since they didn't get the product at all.Learn the lesson yourselves. They aren't going to change anything because they know they can ensure preorders just by throwing in some miniscule promo that would end up as DLC later anyway. If you don't want to get sheared like a sheep, don't get herded like one.[/citation]

It would if you could log in and play the game but sadly most people can't and yes they are refunding about 20% of pre-sales have been refunded now there are reports of Chinese logging into peoples land not using it and demanding money or they won't use the land yes i know they should have set the multi-player to private but this looks like a really bad feature without the ability to kick people from your map now they can hold your land hostage.

 

[Guest]

I wanted this game so badly, but refuse to pay for it as it will no longer be playable legally once the servers are shut down, ( EA shut down servers very quickly) and I willl no longer be able to play it. So AHOY me MATEYS for me I am afraid. and all I really want is single play anyways.

 

[techguy911]

[citation][nom]sykozis[/nom]Haven't heard that BS statement in a long time. Fortunately, the customer is usually wrong. Companies aren't required at any time to give refunds unless the product is falsely or incorrectly advertised (such as selling a B/W TV advertised as Color or an Analog TV advertised as Digital). In this case, EA made it clear up front that the game requires an "always on" internet connection. Since the game itself was not falsely or incorrectly advertised, there's no requirement for EA or other e-tailers to give refunds.[/citation]

You sound like a fanboi sorry to say but the game is not working as advertised if you buy a car and it does not start is it your fault? well many players can't get into the game, some are stuck in loops loosing all progress that they had made there is consumer laws in many countries outside the US in my country a product like this they would get fined if they don't give the customer a refund.

 

[DeeQue]

I keep hearing what a tough time the gaming industry is going through and yet there are all these distributors trying their utmost to keep my money in my wallet. Seriously, why on earth would you want to alienate your customers like this? Surely they can't be so naiive as to think this is going to make the slightest dent in piracy?
Ever since Diablo II all my gaming money's going to the indie scene, at least there I feel appreciated.

 

[demonhorde665]

LOL this is hilarious here's why

1. EA today has like 4 times the monetary income of what Valve had back in 2004 when tehy launched steam

2. Origin has been around now for at least a year maybe more

3. back in 2004 i got Halflife 2 the same day it came out , and HAD no issues getting on valve's system to install the game.



Now are we seriously supposed to believe that EA a MUCH larger entity than what valve was back in 2004 , doesn't have the money to support origin with enough servers to handle a simple decryption task ????

sounds like EA is either one .. not as financially stable as they like to make every one think they are , Two , Really really cheap on buying and runign servers (the most likely reason for this) . Or three Totally incompetant (also likely ) or four all of the above.

sounds like EA has a huge mess on their hands maybe they should have stuck with steam instead of trying to view steam as an enemy.

 

[kettu]

Ok, 38 million buildings. What does that actually tell us, is that even a big number in context? Why didn't they give out actual number of users? Let's say one player builds on average 100 buildings in a 24 hour period. That would mean 380 000 players had been able to play the game. To me, 100 buildings in a simcity session seems awfully low. Atleast from my experience playing the older versions. So it looks like they gave out some large (and pointles) PR numbers hoping people don't wonder about the context.

 

[demonhorde665]

[citation][nom]kinggraves[/nom]Why are these guys getting marked down, does the truth hurt that much? You as the consumer are responsible for knowing what you're buying. We all knew SC5 would be an always online game. You all rushed out and preordered it just to get a stupid tilechange like "being a British city instead". They already have your money, what do they care? You're doing them a favor by not playing the game you paid for, because that's less server congestion that they have to pay for. Your ragequitting ends up in savings.Unfortunately, they are under no obligation to give refunds. Just because you aren't satisfied with a product doesn't mean you get your money back. You can't buy a car, drive it off the lot, and return it later because I find out it's a lemon. All sales are final. There may be an exception for those that preordered and didn't get their copy unlocked since they didn't get the product at all.Learn the lesson yourselves. They aren't going to change anything because they know they can ensure preorders just by throwing in some miniscule promo that would end up as DLC later anyway. If you don't want to get sheared like a sheep, don't get herded like one.[/citation]


bad comparision, because if you DO buy a car off the lot , and drive off , and it suddenly breaks down, blows up or generally malfuctions YOU DO get to return it assuming you survive the likely crash , and if you do survive said crash you get to sue the car manufacture.

a better example would be comparing games to book sales , you can't return a book simply because you didn't like it. how ever .. you can resell the book to some one else under law .. saddly Online e-tailers make it to where you can't resell their turd ball games, bassically loop holing around the right to resell. HENCE THEY SHOULD DEFINITELY GET SUED FOR THIS.

 

[KkKk-ZzZzoOOoNnnN]

K-zon,

What seem to be strange in it all, is given the idea of the say latter being on the idea of the bigger and most contrast to say find at a time in a place of almost put, usually in say SimCitys say history least in terms of North American launch and release of, usually anything that has ever involved the internet for it usually doesn't ever really work at right at like all.

Basically put, if you are left with the release in terms of such probably doesn't have much for, so you are basically almost left to just say computing in regards of for say the release then anything else, which should still say be all the same but still.

I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't shutdown the website already cause the purchases have been made and anything they can send you they don't need for to say have in doing so of. So on the internet left say even to it at a time debates probably just a site or server interest left to, which would almost probably again in some way say none.

Still all probably an EA and/or Maxis interest of presentation on the interest of the release of say features as well.

Almost with what is left say simply again, is that any decent idea that is there seems to only proceed as far as it almost takes to get to, and if you can still say find 5hours of gameplay to it and keep a purchase and/or make one you are fine, but anything against or say with the difference rather additional, continual, or repeative maybe, (against, covering maybe interest of just running specs in interest of computative means, how well a computer might work due to requirements) seems to place less or leaser/lesser interest to find from to say keep with or on of at a time without something that may having almost nothing to do with at a time to say. Maybe a driver problem or such on with to say of against say a means of purchasing on with in terms of why a place to would be decent of for without say a problem, which think has gotten alot better over the years and still probably has little to do with internet regards given those issues or problems just seem to be intial install or use problems and issues not say any use to find at a time almost all the time such as continued play and ways of play for continued as they say proceed. Main Menu might still basically work still rather then say it would almost on maybe again say a driver interest of regards, (something software "inclined" more to).

Also, say addition ally put is probably the regards of interest to say that of anything "microtransaction" able rather for in-game usuage to say find between of on in terms of "game-currency" and the interest of say currency used "outside" of the release to purchase within. Least on the interest of say the others to say find or place to at a time. Not as sure for the outside currency interest, but still using think in-game currency at a time within usage of for probably. Kinda usually placed in more gameplay maybe to find at a time, but im going to go ahead and say that there seems to be lesser issue for the regards on to say find in the meantime on worthout in terms of what there is maybe to find first before hand. Let alone say any interest of "gameplay" current and/or prior has a place of no difference.

Otherwise sounds normal but can probably debate rather to say it should be or not. Or even needs to be probably.

 

[kettu]

[citation][nom]bak0n[/nom]If you don't like DRM don't buy the game. Complaining about it just means you didn't do your research before buying a product. The only "always on" games I will every play and own are MMO's so I've got nothing to complain about.[/citation]

It's possible to love the game and hate the DRM. Those two actions are not mutually exclusive. Especially when the DRM scheme prevents you from playing the game you paid for. Not complaining about it would mean that companies would just keep perpetuating broken DRM schemes. Yeah, maybe you don't have anything to complain about but don't be so judgemental of people who do. By the way, I bet you don't own those always on MMO's. Check the EULA, they are probably just licensed to you.

 

[kettu]

[citation][nom]demonhorde665[/nom]a better example would be comparing games to book sales , you can't return a book simply because you didn't like it. how ever .. you can resell the book to some one else under law .. saddly Online e-tailers make it to where you can't resell their turd ball games, bassically loop holing around the right to resell. HENCE THEY SHOULD DEFINITELY GET SUED FOR THIS.[/citation]

But you can return it if you're not able to read it because all the pages were glued together to prevent unauthorised copying . Which seems to be a pretty apt parallel to this debacle. I definately agree with your point about re-selling used games.

 

[janetonly42]

I picked up Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition (cheap) to play this winter and what a freaking fiasco it was to get the added content to work because of all the DRM BS EA does. Unlike Fallout 3 GOTY edition where the content is on the disk EA p[lays this download it with codes and all other BS.
Learned my lesson with EA, no more EA games.

 

[janetonly42]

Oh, and F you EA, your evil.

 

[chicofehr]

I miss LAN multiplayer. Things are changing for the worse. Lets support Kickstarter games for now on.

 

[deck]

[citation][nom]kinggraves[/nom]Why are these guys getting marked down, does the truth hurt that much? You as the consumer are responsible for knowing what you're buying. We all knew SC5 would be an always online game. You all rushed out and preordered it just to get a stupid tilechange like "being a British city instead". They already have your money, what do they care? You're doing them a favor by not playing the game you paid for, because that's less server congestion that they have to pay for. Your ragequitting ends up in savings.Unfortunately, they are under no obligation to give refunds. Just because you aren't satisfied with a product doesn't mean you get your money back. You can't buy a car, drive it off the lot, and return it later because I find out it's a lemon. All sales are final. There may be an exception for those that preordered and didn't get their copy unlocked since they didn't get the product at all.Learn the lesson yourselves. They aren't going to change anything because they know they can ensure preorders just by throwing in some miniscule promo that would end up as DLC later anyway. If you don't want to get sheared like a sheep, don't get herded like one.[/citation]

What a stupid comment. I am not allowed to complain about not be able to play a game I have been waiting ten years to be released? I don't have an internet connection capable of supporting this kind of DRM. I didn't buy the game. But I can still bitch that EA has fked up the only game franchise I still want to play.

 

[CaedenV]

[citation][nom]edogawa[/nom]You know, I am really getting sick and tired of hearing about EA and their crap. How can a company be so incapable of listening to the customers. Single player DRM is beyond ridiculous, it hurts the paying customers only, and it never stops games from being cracked.[/citation]
As long as gamers are willing to pay their $50-60 for the game, then EA will be more than willing to not listen to what comes out of the consumers mouth and listen to their pockets instead.