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EA's Origin Service Wants To Exchange Games For Your Personal Data [Updated]

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the plus-full-retail-price,-if-possible dept

Fri, Aug 26th 2011 7:43am — Tim Cushing
Just when you thought no one would be able to top the various levels of DRM insanity plied by Ubisoft in its quixotic quest to end piracy as we know it, something else comes along that's bigger and badder than the nuisances that preceded it.

Electronic Arts' new game service, Origin, has hidden some rather disturbing language inside its EULA. Rock, Paper, Shotgun notes that in order to play Battlefield 3, or any other game that requires Origin to run, you're going to have to let EA root around inside your computer. Here's the gory details, straight from Origin's EULA:
2. Consent to Collection and Use of Data.
You agree that EA may collect, use, store and transmit technical and related information that identifies your computer (including the Internet Protocol Address), operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware, that may be gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, dynamically served content, product support and other services to you, including online services. EA may also use this information combined with personal information for marketing purposes and to improve our products and services. We may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you. IF YOU DO NOT WANT EA TO COLLECT, USE, STORE, TRANSMIT OR DISPLAY THE DATA DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE APPLICATION. This and all other data provided to EA and/or collected by EA in connection with your installation and use of this Application is collected, used, stored and transmitted in accordance with EA's Privacy Policy located at www.ea.com. To the extent that anything in this section conflicts with the terms of EA's Privacy Policy, the terms of the Privacy Policy shall control.
Now, as RPS notes, some of this wording is not that unusual. Many software companies collect system data and several will even tell you that they plan on distributing this to third parties. This includes Steam, whose EULA states that it will:
... store information on a user's hard drive that is used in conjunction with online play of Valve products. This includes a unique authorization key or CD-Key that is either entered by the user or downloaded automatically during product registration. This authorization key is used to identify a user as valid and allow access to Valve's products. Information regarding Steam billing, your Steam account, your Internet connection and the Valve software installed on your computer are uploaded to the server in connection with your use of Steam and Valve software.
But, as RPS points out, there's a big difference between Valve's policy and EA's policy:
Valve's policy is self-restricted to anything on your PC directly relating to its own products. EA's is so broad that it gives the publisher permission to scan your entire hard drive, and report back absolutely anything you may have installed, and indeed when you may use it, and then pass that information on the third parties.
Now, this data collection may be used in a neutral fashion, heading directly back to EA for dissection and analysis. But there are two aspects that are particularly troublesome: A.) the wording in the EULA is very unspecific and B.) you have to "AGREE" to the terms in order to install your purchased software. In other words, before you can even start playing, EA wants to start digging.

It gets better:
And then even more creepily, they say they intend to take such information, combine it with personal information about you, and use it to advertise directly to you. However, when selling on this free-for-all on your computer's contents, they'll at least remove personally identifying information. Gosh, thanks.
Perhaps you're thinking to yourself: screw this online delivery system and its unseemly urge to dig into my hard drive and operating system. I'll just buy one off the shelf, thank you very much. Not. So. Fast.
It strikes us as beyond acceptable. And so much more serious now that EA has made its intentions clear to make so many of their games exclusively delivered through Origin. Were there a choice about what you'd use to play Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3, etc, then gamers could opt out of allowing Origin on their systems while such a policy is in place. But instead it's a case of agree to such remarkable terms, or don't play their games at all.
So, it comes down to this: EA wants what's in your hard drive and any other info it can pick up from your usage habits. Sure, EA has probably always wanted this information but now it's deciding that you, the customer, will only play its games if you give up your information. Apparently, $50+ for a game just isn't payment enough anymore.

Update: Looks like all this attention has gotten EA to back down a little. Not fully, mind you. They now say they can still collect the data. Just not give it to marketing partners.
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Filed Under: eula, personal info
Companies: ea

141 Comments

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  • icon
    Richard (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 7:49am

    Clean

    Play their games on a clean (virtual?) machine!

    (Actually this is a good idea for PC gameplay generally as otherwise you can be clobbered by popups).

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      :Lobo Santo (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:05am

      Re: Clean

      You've beaten me to it!

      Use 'PlayOnLinux' and every Windoze game on your rocking Linux box gets its very own virtual-ish environment with is completely untouched by anything other than said game.

      So, not a problem they'll get exactly el zilcho about me.

      ;-P

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 7:51am

    I have no issues with it

    But then again I only have the pirated versions. Must be an added value thing for the paytards

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 7:53am

      Re: I have no issues with it

      That's what I was thinking - more value in the pirated version, yet again!

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:50am

        Re: Re: I have no issues with it

        Not sure how this would avoid the problem since the data gathering mechanism is built into the code.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:00am

          Re: Re: Re: I have no issues with it

          For those paying and having to use the origin service yes, for the rest, not so much. EA has been doing this for years now, nothing new.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          IronM@sk, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:02am

          Re: Re: Re: I have no issues with it

          Haven't been around the warez scene very long have you...

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:04am

            Re: Re: Re: I have no issues with it

            Not sure how a crack would help since the DRM is built right into the code

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:07am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: I have no issues with it

              .-'---`-.
              ,' `.
              | \
              | \
              \ _ \
              ,\ _ ,'-,/-)\
              ( * \ \,' ,' ,'-)
              `._,) -',-')
              \/ ''/
              ) / /
              / ,'-'

              [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            freak (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:07am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: I have no issues with it

            Man, I remember back in the early days, when you had 12 & 15 year olds hacking into the binary itself and changing pointers.


            Changing this data collection is as simple as changing the IP address it tries to connect to back to 192.168.0.1 and setting up a second program that gives the right return data. Now, if teenagers were doing this back in the 80's . . .

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Trails (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:11am

          Re: Re: Re: I have no issues with it

          Um, you realise cracking a game involves changing its code, right?

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:10am

          Re: Re: Re: I have no issues with it

          Warez groups remove this kind of crap.

          https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Software_cracking

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Keroberos (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 7:56am

      Re: I have no issues with it

      Yup, wonderful opt-out EA put in, just pirate it. Again game publishers are making the pirated version better then the paid one.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    DinDaddy (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 7:52am

    No more

    I already had to create a separate bootable drive to let my kid play Spore without ti getting its crap in his system. At this point, I am just banning EA games from our computers.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 7:56am

    punkbuster

    this sounds like EA protecting their right to use punkbuster or an other anti-cheat software

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      JaDe, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:00am

      Re: punkbuster

      That is a real possibility, but it still is very vague and worrisome.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Jay (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:04am

      Re: punkbuster

      EA doesn't have a good track record when it comes to PC gaming. Remember Spore and its limited downloads?

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:05am

      Re: punkbuster

      No, it sounds like that version of Securom EA was sued over in 6 (later 5) class action lawsuits in 2008 or -9. Early on Securom would scan your comp and often interfered with drivers and "blacklisted" programs, either disabling them or preventing a legit game from starting until YOU disabled them. It also sought an open internet connection to send who knows what back to EA Securom servers.

      I guess EA thinks they're covered if they tell you up front now, which they did not when they inflicted Securom on their paying customers. But they only tell you after you've purchased.

      EA is incapable of learning. Caveat emptor.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:33am

        Re: Re: punkbuster

        I have it from a reliable source (but of course "I am authorized to comment" ) that EA learned a lot of things from the Spore fiasco and SecuROM.

        As for the main article I am confident it is not maliciousness. I think it is the corporate lawyer arm being overly cautious and inclusive because they misinterpreted some of the requests from the Origin Development arm's request to allow telemetry tracking data around the Origin application and the games it runs. Plus to allow the requirements around apps like punkbuster and Metafortress. There is some marketing data collected but that is more around what Origin games you own so they can promote deals (like paid extra content).

        In a lot of ways it is the same thing as what Google+, Facebook, Android Market place, Amazon, Costco and any supermarket cards do. They look at what you have and buy so they market to you to get you to buy more. (I am not saying it is always done in a fair balanced way).

        With EA you have a company that is trying to change from being a "Sell boxes with disks' to a digital company. And it is not trying to do it by litigating to keep old business models afloat.
        But at the same time it is a creative company that is willing to make mistakes and learn from them. I think their lawyers 'learned' from past lawsuits against EA. Once again the lawyers win.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          A Monkey with Atitude, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:51am

          Re: Re: Re: punkbuster

          I will allow what you say is true and/or factual, but doesn't change that i have already cancelled a pre-ordered sale because of this horse-shit from the Lawyer Arm...
          So until someone over at EA pulls its head from the lawyers ass, i will not have anything at all to do with them.... PERIOD..

          YOUR LAWYERS ARE COSTING YOU MONEY!! FIGURE IT OUT...

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:55am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: punkbuster

            Aren't all civil lawyers costing us all money? How many dollars in our economy get redirected to lawyers instead of innovation?

            In most cases I have trouble seeing the value add for civil lawyers.

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 1 Mar 2020 @ 7:40am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: punkbuster

            Your comment was from 2011, just curious if you've still held off on ever buying anything from EA?

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 1 Mar 2020 @ 7:44am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: punkbuster

              Lol I just realized they say anonymous coward and it's cause i didn't add a email or name... I'll never even know if u... Another anonymous coward lol... answer my question. Ugh dammit

              [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:04am

          Re: Re: Re: punkbuster

          I wish I could believe that. Seriously! I've enjoyed several EA titles a great deal over many years. But there's a line EA crossed and I've yet to see a genuine...can't think of the right word, remorse?, from them over that. I considered it a gross abuse of the customer base back then (their reaction to complaints about Securom was horrific - I saw it happening in real time: you're all crazy/misinformed/hysterics/liars/oh wait...you're actually right...but we'll keep using it anyway).

          It's been a while, but last I thought to look, they were still selling older games with Securom DRM, and that was a year or two after those lawsuits. To me it seems they obviously haven't learned much if they put these overbroad terms in their Origin EULA, off-the-leash lawyers be damned.

          I would love to be able to trust them again, but to this day they keep giving me reasons not to do that.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:08am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: punkbuster

            Just to note: I don't pirate EA products, or anything else. But I haven't bought anything from them since 2007 either.

            I am actual lost sales, and it's solely because of EA actions or inactions.

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:21am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: punkbuster

              Ha, I just recalled that it was the Securom fiasco that led me to TechDirt.

              I wish I'd had presence of mind to screenshot at the time, since it was deleted not long after (something that was done quite a bit in those couple of months) but early on in the Securom blowup, there was a post on an official EA website from an EA employee that stated (paraphrasing): "We cannot tell you anything more about Securom as it would violate the US DMCA anti-circumvention clause."

              Swear to gawd.

              Never heard of the DMCA and thought the whole thing stank, so I started googling, followed a link in a comment at ShackNews and wound up at TechDirt. Been lurking here ever since. :)

              [ link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              Jeffrey Nonken (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 4:19pm

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: punkbuster

              I've been a FPS gamer for almost two decades (and I've been playing multiplayer games since 1974) and at this point due to this crap EA isn't even on my f'ing RADAR.

              [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Josh in CharlotteNC (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:24am

      Re: punkbuster

      I was just playing Battlefield:BC2 the other night, and if punkbuster actually worked, it might be worth it. Unfortunately, it doesn't, and there's plenty of players using cheats.

      I'm really looking forward to Battlefield 3. I didn't care about having to install Origin until I read that article. I don't care if I need Steam + a bunch of other online distribution systems installed (you can easily stop them from running when you don't want them on). But the deliberately unspecific and overly broad language really bugs me. This could stop me from buying BF3 - just like I won't buy Ubisoft games and didn't bother with Spore.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        The eejit (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:55am

        Re: Re: punkbuster

        IF you have it pre-ordered, cancel it and give "Serious security concerns" as the reason.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:29am

        Re: Re: punkbuster

        My buddy pays $30 a month for the hacks and cheats for BF2142/BF2/BF3 or whatever the EA Battlefield shooter is these days. He has a windows7 machine and they even have a bootloader that loads before the win7 bootloader and he has to boot that way every time he plays the game with the cheats. Punkbuster doesn't detect the cheats, only admins who watch him play do.

        I used to play BF2142 before he started using the cheats and he was pretty good.. the cheats just level the playing field, since it is/was apparent that most of the players later on in the games lifespan were using cheats and hacks.

        I wouldn't buy an EA game to save my life (except Dragon Age which was a gift) and this makes me more leery. I wish game companies would understand that DRM is not a value add, like the some of the music industry has, but since DRM has been around since early days of gaming (hello? Looking at page 5 in the manual for the first word on the page? codewheels? WTF?) it probably isn't going to go away, unfortunately :(

        Pirates don't have to enter CD keys, or keep copies of their game CD's in perfect condition, or worry about their internet connection, or keep their game manuals close by, or worry if their codewheel got eaten by the dog.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Nevaar, 26 Aug 2011 @ 11:49am

      Re: punkbuster

      And how exactly is that supposed to work? EA can't enable punkbuster anymore unless they scan my dox?

      the FQDNs for their harvester servers should be easy enough to spoof without affecting account functionality or gameplay. Alternately, watch for whats being scanned, and when, and by what process. Change shit up on your gaming rig so they receive polluted 'data'. For scheduled "scan and deliver" methods, simply drop your nic during that time - collect all they want, but if they can't deliver it what good will it do them? drop a linux box on your network and do some man in the middle stuiff, rewriting the data on the fly...

      Too many easy ways to screw with them.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Jay (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 7:59am

    It gets even better!

    Link

    According to a disclaimer on EA’s website, users who purchase any game from EA Origins may only download or access the game for a limit of one year before they might need to repurchase the title again to keep….unlike Steam’s system where the game stays on your account for good without the need of a repurchase.

    Like the new Madden? Guess what, you can now repurchase it next year at no additional value to you? Want to trade it in? Well, it's going to disappear anyway... Tough shit dude.

    Meanwhile, on Valve, you can now trade gift games. Honestly, is there ANY reason to use Origin? Why put yourself through such torture?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Rikuo (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:21am

      Re: It gets even better!

      So if they want me to help in their marketing strategies, and are only giving me a year to play the game...why are we being charged full sale price? With this yearly limit, its now literally a rental. No way am I paying full price.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:51am

        Re: Re: It gets even better!

        That quote is a bit misleading... From the EA Origin Store TOS:http://tos.ea.com/legalapp/termsofsale/US/enl/PC/

        "The products and services that we make available on the Websites may be downloaded or accessed for at least one year after you have completed your purchase."


        Years ago EA had a download limit and 'insurance' for download availablitly later. But that 'service' was removed long ago due to customer feedback. Since then I have not heard of EA removing the ability to download something after a year.


        I do know that occasionally EA will sunset online game servers that are not heavily used. So if you try to play Rugby 08 online you will have to use one of the independent 3rd parties that found the opportunity to support you.

        What is Amazon's and Valve's TOS for downloads?

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    CDN_Hammer, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:00am

    EA - what are you thinking??

    Fist of all, I would have already bought this game if it was on Steam. I wasn't too excited about buying a game and having to use Origin....and now this. Sorry EA - I would love to play this game, but you apparently don't want my money. Dump the Origin requirement, and then figure out that the average person out there doesn't want their personal information (even if it is just what is on our computers) floating out there to unnamed '3rd parties'.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      PolyPusher (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:43am

      Re: EA - what are you thinking??

      I couldn't agree more... I have a pretty huge Steam library. When Origin came out and announced title exclusivity I was pretty annoyed. They caused a game I bought to get yanked out of my preferred service "Crysis 2 yanked from Steam" and to get it back I had to download and install Crysis 2 from Origin.

      That's it... Origin is off my system and will not be retuning. I'm a huge bc2 fan but I will not be getting battlefield 3 or any other Origin exclusive titles. I play with 6 other guys who are also big bc2 fans. They are going to do the same. Convince your friends not to get any Origin exclusive titles and it will eventually go away...

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        fb39ca4 (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:50am

        Re: Re: EA - what are you thinking??

        You should pirate the games and maually add them to ur steam library...

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    crade (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:00am

    Someone actually read a eula?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:07am

      Re:

      Ha! If you've had any past experience w/EA in particular, you'd be crazy not to.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      btrussell (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:34am

      Re:

      I generally do.

      Have you read MS' for "7?"

      MS owns your computer if you install it. Or at least they have more rights to it than you do.

      But, I don't consider them legally binding.
      You give me product, I give you money. If there are any further stipulations, then I wish to know about them before we make our transaction/agreement. Returning my money does not compensate me for my time of two trips to store nor the research/time to acquire alternative product.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        crade (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:42am

        Re: Re:

        I don't have time to read all that crap and hire a lawyer to see if I'm allowed to play a video game. Just put some peanut butter on the button and leave your dog in the room for a few minutes.

        why would I care what some idiot thinks I've agreed to because my 5 year old may or may not have pushed a button, clicked a mouse or sneezed while oprah was on?

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        grumpy (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:45am

        Re: Re:

        The funny thing is, in the right jurisdiction (like here) a EULA is not binding if it is not presented to the buyer and accepted prior to the transaction. So if I buy a physical product the salesweasel must talk me through the EULA and have me sign it if it is to be valid. Guess how often this happens... I do love our bureaucrats once in a while. :-)

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Nathan F (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:14am

    I wanted to play Battlefield 3, I really enjoyed Battlefield 2 and hoped to get back into FPS games with it. Then I saw it wasn't going to be on Steam and then was Origin only. Even before details about the EULA came out I wasn't all that keen on Origin so I finally decided to pass. I want to play Star Wars: The Old Republic, it will not be available on Steam and only on Origin. I really really would like to play it but I think I will have to pass. Most likely will have to pass on Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim if they are Origin only titles.

    My main reason for avoiding the Origin store is that I really don't want to have to sign up at another site or remember another user name and password. The broad terms of the EULA really turns me off to this and many new EA offerings. I might buy ME 3 but not download it and simply find a pirate copy so I don't have to deal with this Origin's silliness.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:39am

      Re:

      I might buy ME 3 but not download it and simply find a pirate copy so I don't have to deal with this Origin's silliness.

      If you give them money, you encourage this kind of behavior. Don't feed the animals.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      JaDe, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:50am

      Re:

      Skyrim is being developed by Bethesda who are owned by Zenimax, not EA. So I don't see that being an Origin only title.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:54am

        Re: Re:

        Never said it was. Just explaining that Bethesda recently removed its titles from the list of those I'm willing to pay for on Steam, joining the ranks of EA and Ubisoft because it came to light that they implemented DRM that they didn't disclose, and probably never would have had it not bitten them in the ass.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          JaDe, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:09am

          Re: Re: Re:

          I was actually replying to Nathan, as he seemed to imply that Skyrim was an EA game. But thanks for the info on Bethesda. I'm a huge Elder Scrolls fan but have skipped their recent Fallout games so I hadn't really heard about the new DRM. I am now re-evaluating if I will be buying/playing Skyrim this November.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Nathan F (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:03am

        Re: Re:

        And you are correct. Skyrim is being developed and published by Bethesda. I think I linked Skyrim and ME3 together because of that mashup video someone did with the voice over from Skyrim with the video from ME3.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    MRK, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:14am

    Course if you buy a game at the store, take it home, start installing it, and are THEN presented with the EULA... good luck trying to return it.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    ThatAVGuy (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:20am

    I always thought this would shoot up to the top of the torrents list when released - this just guarantees that result.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pixelation, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:24am

    Backlash...

    Let's hope there is a very large backlash against EA for this one.
    Is this even legal? It's like buying an appliance with the requirement that they get to search the house it's installed in and sell any information they come up with.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:29am

      Re: Backlash...

      Yeah, but also that you don't see the requirement until after you bought the appliance and unpacked it.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:25am

    Were there a choice about what you'd use to play Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3, etc, then gamers could opt out of allowing Origin on their systems while such a policy is in place. But instead it's a case of agree to such remarkable terms, or don't play their games at all.


    Or there's door #3.
    New Vegas became unplayable for most of the day Thursday. Turned out that Bethesda made it so that you had to connect to Steam Servers every time you start the game. Ubi, EA, and now Bethesda. My choices are
    a) deal with this bullshit
    b) give up pc gaming
    c) use door #3

    I'll still pay for Valve games. I tried, I really tried, to give other publishers a chance to sell me what I want. They failed, so I'll just go back to taking it.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    AJ, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:26am

    What!

    Have they lost their fucking minds? I wouldn't install that crap on my machine if it was the best game ever made. How are these idiots not dragged in front of congress and whipped about the head and shoulders by the "someone please think of the children" crowd? How many kids are going to get this loaded up on their machines, and be "watched" without them knowing it?

    Just because they hide some clause in their EULA that says they can break into my house, and rape my computer, doesn't make it right! When does "gathering information" become cyber stalking or E-trespassing?

    I hope they are happy! They just gave every game pirate on the planet validation, and fucked it up for the people that were doing it right. Fucking idiots....

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:28am

      Re: What!

      Ubi with their always-on, Bethesda with their secret DRM. This is even more unacceptable than those two. It's okay though, my copy won't have this shit.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    out_of_the_blue, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:39am

    So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

    and then curse EA for wanting to be paid. That's the circle of /argument/ that you guys keep making here. The few who won't stick to "rules" such as paying for a game (even though you play it obsessively like a crazed monkey) cause a crack down from the producer, and it KEEPS GETTING WORSE because more people adopt piracy for a mix of reasons.

    All this piece does is repeat yet again the same old complaints of nuisance, excuses for pirating, and bragging of pirating. Games for topic generates page views and comments because so many of you kids PLAY GAMES. I suppose you're dimly aware that Masnick uses you EXACTLY the same as EA proposes to: eyeballs on advertisements, but you excuse that because he promotes a pro-piracy forum.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:40am

      Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

      whatthefuckamireading.jpg

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:41am

      Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

      Oh I get it now!
      You may have a point, but has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      AJ, 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:50am

      Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

      "your" / writing / (style) HAS / me / "contemplating" RUNNING (myself) "over" / with / "A" (Mac) TRUCK / / () ||\\! ?

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Richard (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:56am

      Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

      The curse is not that EA want to be paid - it is rather that they want to spy on their paying customers.

      That way they aren't offering what customers want - a spyware free game.

      Got it yet?

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        :Lobo Santo (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:56am

        Re: Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

        Please do not feed the trolls, just click the 'report' button and cruise on by.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Ragaboo (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 11:33am

          Re: Re: Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

          I don't like the "report and cruise on by" method in this sort of case. Why are you reporting a comment that isn't spam? Why are we democratically removing comments that are discussing the topic at hand simply because the sentiment is flawed? How about correcting the flawed arguments like intelligent people instead of covering our eyes and ears? I had to un-hide the original comment (which I didn't even initially see, because it was hidden) simply to understand the intelligent counter-points people were making in reply.

          TLDR; Please stop clicking "report" for non-spam comments, regardless of trollism.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            BeeAitch (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 1:46pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

            His comments are the equivalent of spam. Just look at his post history, I think you'll understand.

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            JMT (profile), 28 Aug 2011 @ 5:00am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

            "Why are we democratically removing comments that are discussing the topic at hand simply because the sentiment is flawed?"

            I generally agree with you, but don't overstate things. Nobody's comments are being "removed".

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      crade (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 8:56am

      Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

      Wrong article dude.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      The Groove Tiger (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:24am

      Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

      It's all GOOGLE's fault!

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Greg G (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:50am

      Re: So don't pay or play! -- But I know you'll pirate it,

      because so many of you kids PLAY GAMES.

      Yep. I'm a 44 yr old kid. And I still play games.

      OOB, you still don't get it. I doubt you ever will.
      Most of us are willing to pay for the games we want to play, but when companies like EA, Ubisoft, et al., come along and put these kinds of demands on their potential customers, the word "potential" is changed to "lost."

      And since the cracked copy will not have those restrictions on it, a lot of those lost customers will download the game.

      These companies will never learn that copy protection/DRM will not stop piracy. And as they get more restrictive, or want to collect more data from your PC, the more potential customers they are going turn into lost customers.

      All the DRM says to me is "Mr. Consumer, we at [Big Software Company] just don't trust you. You have to let us snoop around on your computer and collect all sorts of information on you in order to use our software. And if you do that, we also own your computer since our software is now installed on it. And by the way, you don't own this software, you are only licensing it, and we can shut down our DRM servers without notice, at which time the software will automatically be uninstalled from your computer, and you must return the physical copy of the DVD with all documentation it the original packaging... at your expense.
      And cookies. Make sure you send cookies."

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    fb39ca4 (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:01am

    .................................................................................................... ...........
    ................................................ ..........................._,-~"ŻŻ"~-,
    .................................................. ................__„-~"ŻŻ:::,-~~-,_::::"-
    .................................................. ..........„~"Ż::::::::::::::"::::::::::::::::::::::\
    .............................................. .... .__„„„-"::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"~-,
    ........................................ ..__-~"::,-':::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::~-,
    ..........................._______~"___-~"::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::: :: :::::::::::"-,
    ......................,~"::::::::::::::ŻŻ::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,: |
    ....................:/:::::::::::::::::__-~":::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_,-~ ":'\'-,:\:|:\|::\|\::\:|
    ...................,'::::::::,-~~"~"_::',::|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::: :: :::,~ ':\'-,::',"-\::'':"::::::::\|:|/
    ..............._,-'"~----":::/,~"Ż"-:|::|::|:::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::,~"::\'-,:\;;'-';;;;;;;;;;;,-'::\::|/
    ............,-'::::::::::::::::'-\~"OŻ_/::,'::|: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,-',::\'-,:|::";;;;;;;;;;;;,-':\:'-,::\
    ............|:::::::::::::: :::-,_'~'::::,-'::,':::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,-':\'-,:\'-,';;';;;;;;;;;;;;;,-':\:::'\-,|''
    .... ........|::,-~"::::::::::::::"~~":::,-'::::::::::::::::::::::::_,-~':\'-,|:"'";;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-'Ż::'- ,:',\|
    .........../::/::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_,„-~"Ż\:\'-,|;''-';;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;,-'--,::\-:\:\|
    ........./::::|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,-';;'-';;;;',/;\/;;;;; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-,|:::\-,:|\|..\|
    ......./:::::::\:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,-';;;;;;;;; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-~'''("-,\:::|\:|::''
    ......,':::::::,'::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :,-'/;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,--'::::::/"~'
    .....,'::::::::|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,„-~"::|; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-'::::::::,'::::/
    ..../:::::::::|:::::::::::::„---~~""ŻŻŻ::',:::::,';;;;;;;;;; ;;;;;;;;;,'::::::::: :: |_,-'
    ..,'::::::::::::",:,-~"Ż::::::::"-,::::::::::|:::/;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,':::::::|::::,'
    ./:::: :::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::::"-,:::::::\:::|ŻŻŻ"""~-,~,_/::::::::,':::/
    ::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::"~-,_::|::\: : : : : : |: : \::::::::/:/
    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::",:::::::::::::"-':::\: : : : : : |: : :\::::::\ FUCK YOU EA IMMA T-REX!
    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::",:::::::::::::: ::::\: : : : : : \: : : |:::::;;\
    ::::::::::::::::::"-,:::::::::::::::",:::::::::::::::/|\ ,: : : : : : : |::::,'/|::::|
    :::::::::::::::::::::"-,:::::::::::::::"-,_::::::::::\|:/|,: : : : : : : |::: |'-,/|:::|
    ::::::::::::::::::::::::"~-,_::::::::::::::"~-,_:::"-,/|/\::::::::::: \::: \"-/|::|
    :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"~-,__:::::::::::',"-,:::"_|/\:|\: : : : \::\":/|\|
    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"~-,_:::::\:::\:::"~/_:|:|\: : : '-,\::"::,'\
    :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"-,_:'-,::\:::::::"-,|:||\,-, : '-,\:::|-'-„
    :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::,-,'"-:"~,:::::"/_/::|-/\--';;\:::/: ||\-,
    :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :/...'-,::::::"~„::::"-,/_:|:/\:/|/|/|_/:|
    :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |......"-,::::::::"~-:::::""~~~"Ż:::|
    :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |........."-,_::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/
    :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::\ .............."~--„_____„„-~~",-%. . . ..`\

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Chris Rhodes (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:01am

    Damn

    Game looks great, but I won't put up with garbage like this. Pre-order canceled.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      A Monkey with Atitude, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:42am

      Re: Damn

      I have cancelled mine as well, I have played all the Battlefield games from 1942 to Current (even the crap Vietnam). (hell i even re-purchased a couple because i couldn't find the discs anymore).

      I love the series, And in 2142 i was a top 10 player... AND (I HOPE YOUR LISTENING EA) I HAVE CANCELLED MY PRE-ORDER... I play by the rules and buy the games i play even the turds, and I WILL NOT BE TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL BECAUSE YOU CANT FIGURE OUT A BUSINESS PLAN...and before you apologize fuck you schills... I run my own business I know what customer service is and Schills and apologist for anti-customer behavior does not change that its anti-customer....

      I will keep playing games like DOTA, HON, and my fav. League of Legends, They ARE FREAKING FREE, NO DMA, NO WORRIES and they make MONEY with no worry piracy of milking the last dimes out of people.

      FUCK EA, FUCK UBI... I AM VOTING WITH MY DOLLARS AND I VOTE FOR YOU TO GO AWAY!!!!

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Scooters (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:07am

    This is why I buy my games through GameStop, used, and for consoles.

    Screw EA. Screw Ubisoft.

    Hold on a second, I just got a notice on my 360...

    *no, I don't give a damn about ESPN, the Disney-owned piece of sh...

    As I was saying, it's a good thing these consoles don't have such crap. I'd be lost if I couldn't...


    ...yes, I'd like to download the latest update because the game was shipped incomplete for some reason...

    ...simply play games.

    *takes wallet out of back pocket and fondly remembers his father's words "Here, take it all. No one needs to eat."

    It's what I feel like saying to every entertainment business out there.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      crade (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:42am

      Re:

      didn't you know the console eula says if you sneeze you agree to give them 3 fingers and 1 ear from either yourself or your relatives every time EA put out an update, plus on the first tuesday of april. (Or at least I assume thats what it says having not wasted my time reading it)

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Scooters (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:49am

        Re: Re:

        The EULA was part of my registration process, and I couldn't know this until the package was opened.

        Also, can you please reply using a larger font? One of my eyes was a payment, not my ear.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    fb39ca4 (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:08am

    That's what cracks do.

    Cracks remove the DRM from the code. Keygens, on the other hand, only fool the DRM.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    John Osborne (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:37am

    The Old Republic

    Given the number of people who will want to play The Old Republic, and the fact you need to use Origin for it, it'll be interesting to see if they maintain this for long

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:37am

    "IF YOU DO NOT WANT EA TO COLLECT, USE, STORE, TRANSMIT OR DISPLAY THE DATA DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE APPLICATION."

    Translation: don't bother paying for our games, download them for free and be free of our utterly intrusive DRM.

    I've been avoiding EA games for a while now (no, not even bothering to download them) so it's all cool.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    taoareyou (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:50am

    The Only Option I Would Agree To

    If EA gave me the option of having the game for free and in return I give them data they sell to their "partners". But if I pay for the game, I don't want them taking info from my PC and selling it.

    Of course, I haven't purchased an EA game since the Securom fiasco blocking my DVD burner from working. And I don't buy UBISoft stuff anymore either.

    I think more and more people are going to go the way of the early comment makers here and have specially isolated environments to run their games in on their PC. I'm certainly looking into it.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:01am

      Re: The Only Option I Would Agree To

      In a lot of ways it is the same thing as what Google+, Facebook, Android Market place, Amazon, Costco and any supermarket cards do.

      They look at what you have and buy so they market to you to get you to buy more. (I am not saying it is always done in a fair balanced way).

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Rikuo (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:38am

        Re: Re: The Only Option I Would Agree To

        This comparison fails because Google+, Facebook and supermarket cards only know what I do/buy within their own confines. Facebook knows what music I like because I specifically put it on there. Google knows what I like to search for because I use their search engine. Supermarkets know what I buy because I use the card at their tills with my purchases.
        Origin here though is different from Steam. Steam will look at my computer components and in Valve's offices, someone will write up a report that at the end of fiscal year 2011, X% of people used a Nvidia graphics card, so we should do more deals with Nvidia, so to speak. But Origin doesn't just limit itself to components, the EULA allows it to look at my browsing history, what other programs I have installed, whether or not I use password programs. In other words, it looks at things it has no business looking at. It sees things that have no relation to Origin. It will see that I and millions of others use OpenOffice and sell that information to Microsoft.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mad guy, 26 Aug 2011 @ 9:57am

    Piraters

    Thank you to everyone who doesn't pay for games.. You have contributed to the slow death of PC gaming.. We have to deal with this crap because of you.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:24am

      Re: Piraters

      That is hilarious. The death of PC gaming has been long predicted. Never happened. Never will. And I'll tell you why:

      PCs have the highest specs available in any gaming platform and the least restrictions. ANYONE can make a mind-bogglingly awesome game for the PC with freely available tools. Not so in the console.

      But because of this, PC gamers are also a lot more demanding. While console gamers would put up with a half-assed game, with no modding support or something as simple as the ability to managing your own key bindings (for example), PC gamers are much more vocal and express their distaste violently.

      You see, PC gamers are used to being able to configure every little bit of their games. They also like to tweak things in .ini files and hack the game code. They also enjoy modding the game to make it more awesome.

      Now, game makers hate this with a fury that burns with the heat of a thousand suns. I mean, why the heck should I, big shot programmer, take 2 minutes to make a menu where you can setup the key bindings. Or take 10 minutes to make a dedicated server? That stuff is hard work!

      Also, they don't very much like people modding their games because (in their puny minds), allowing mods is like admitting that you were wrong the first time around, and someone had to come by and make your game better.

      So, no, piracy is not destroying the PC games. It's just a convenient excuse. They'll come around. Like Mr. "We won't make a PC version of Super Street Fighter IV for the PC because of the pirates" Capcom did. They always do.

      Signed: AC, proud PC games and PWNER of console players since 19XX.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:33am

        Re: Re: Piraters

        Well said man. I still play all of my old games that I've PAID for over the 20years of pc gaming. Many are still very active and have grown thanks to extensive modding, sometimes the mods are so large they practically make a new game. The companies that have recognized that are drowning in money. Just look at Valve

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        crade (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 2:26pm

        Re: Re: Piraters

        It's not completely dead, but
        People are moving away from PC gaming for good reasons (not because of piracy):

        - It's hard as to develop for, you have like 1000 variables to account for for every 1 variable on a console gaming. You test on a PS3, it works, your golden. You test on a PC and it works, it's a fluke. Plus antivirus programs suck and wreck everything
        - it's expensive to maintain a rig.
        - hard to get games setup (same problems as why it's hard to develop)
        - Games could work 1 day, you install another app and it breaks
        - for the most part the same game is released on console and is just as good (or close enough most people don't care).
        - etc etc

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Chris Rhodes (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:31am

      Re: Piraters

      Or do people pirate because of DRM like this?

      It's a self-perpetuating cycle.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Jay (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:58am

      Re: Piraters

      Alas PC Gaming...

      You've happily died since 1985

      Continue to resurrect and die in peace...

      Oooh, new sale!

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    hmm (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:23am

    what did richard DO?

    EA buys Origin software.

    EA trashes all their well-loved franchises

    EA develops "ORIGIN" which will go down in history as an evil pile of spyware crap.....

    Question is, what the HELL did Richard Garriot do to EA that pissed them off so much?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    anonymous, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:40am

    so yet another company pisses on it's customers. and they wonder why people download 'pirate' copies? it doesn't take a genius to know why but it seems that it takes a genius (from EA) to do something about it, make customers continue to buy and play the games without blaming 'piracy' for the lack of support. perhaps they just want to pack up producing and selling games? instead of giving the real reasons about what is going on, good ol' 'piracy' can take the can.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    JCFgamer, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:40am

    I noticed this advertising crap after a update on Fight Night. They started advertising and in the ring and bill boards with upcoming movies, and products. And you had to agree to it before being able to play Fight Night, so I boycotted it.

    These gaming companies are out of hand with their belief that they can just invade your privacy to make more money selling your info to 3rd parties.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymouse, 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:54am

    But of course... having EA snoop around in your PC shouldn't be an issue right? You don't have anything to hide do you? Then it should be fine.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    mikey4001 (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 10:59am

    Thanks, EA, for making it easy.

    I have been a loyal consumer of the battlefield franchise since BF:1942, all the expansion packs, DLC, and everything else. I even steam-gifted multiple copies BF:BC2 to some friends so they would play that POS with me. I have been looking forward to BF3 ever since I first launched the demo for 2142. But I guess I still just can't be trusted...

    I have been stashing cash all summer to buy a new video card when BF3 is released. Looks like this bit of news has just saved me not only $60 bucks for the game, but another $300 or so on top of that for new gear. Perhaps instead of complaining to EA, there should be some "constructive criticism" directed towards nVidia, ATI, AMD, Intel, etc. When I don't buy new games, I don't buy new gaming gear. After all, out in the back yard on a nice autumn day with a good book and a cold brew is certainly NOT "the way it is meant to be played."

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Old Fool (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 11:04am

    Pity, I was hoping to pay for Battlefield 3.

    Guess I'll just have to wait for the new, improved pirate version...

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 11:33am

    I will also be waiting for the pirated version.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 11:36am

    I've already dropped EA as a supplier of games. They long ago crossed the line with their DRM.

    I value games for their replay value. If a game does the same thing and has you play exactly the same game again, it isn't a game I want.

    If it requires an internet connection just to play, then it isn't for me either. I don't always have a place where there is a net connection 100% of the time.

    Sounds to me like EA is wanting it's games pirated because the pirates have the better model. If I really want to try it out, I can always go that route. Thing is most of them aren't worth the trouble to download.

    Lastly, if I play a game, it's always on a computer without internet connected. I'll transfer the game to the machine that will play it by other means than LAN. But the game machine never, ever, sees the internet.

    Good luck on harvesting the data on that one.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 12:08pm

    My Prediction

    A few months after releasing Battlefield 3 on Origin, EA will send out mass settlement letters to a significant number of their paying customers because their spyware detected a pirated game on the customer's hard drive.

    A year later, EA goes out of business because no one trusts them or is willing to purchase their games anymore.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 12:44pm

    Old news is old Mike. EA already softened the EA taking out the language about using the info for marketing and tightened up the other language a bit

    EA knows that you care how information about you is collected, used and shared, and we appreciate your trust that we will do so carefully and sensibly. Information about our customers is an important part of our business, and EA would never sell your personally identifiable information to anyone, nor would it ever use spyware or install spyware on users’ machines. We and agents acting 37683v1 on our behalf do not share information that personally identifies you without your consent, except in rare instances where disclosure is required by law or to enforce EA’s legal rights."

    "EA collects nonpersonally identifiable (or anonymous) information for purposes of improving our products and services, providing services to you, facilitating the provision of software updates, dynamically served content and product support as well as communicating with you. The non-personally identifiable information that EA collects includes technical and related information that identifies your computer (including the Internet Protocol Address) and operating system, as well as information about your Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware. As noted above, this information is gathered periodically for purposes such as improving our products and services, troubleshooting bugs, and otherwise enhancing your user experience."

    News about:
    http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/26/ea-revises-origin-eula-data-collection-is-still-in-collect ion/

    New EULA:
    http://eacom.s3.amazonaws.com/EULA_Origin_8.24.11.pdf

    EA privacy policy:
    http://www.ea.com/1/privacy-policy

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      HothMonster, 26 Aug 2011 @ 12:44pm

      Re:

      ^ Hothmonster ^

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Jay (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 1:10pm

        Re: Re:

        *ahem*

        Tim usually handles the game writeups nowadays.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          HothMonster, 26 Aug 2011 @ 1:28pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          Oh no I did it, I'm one of them now.

          Can Mike just change his name to Tim, or both the Tims change their name to mike? That really is the simplest solution.

          Old news is old C.Li.T.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 4:52pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            Hoth, you're killing me. "Old news?" That Joystiq post went up a few hours after this one hit Techdirt. RPS just posted their update not more than 2 hours ago (note my timestamp) and it links to a Giant Bomb post that went up sometime today (no timestamp).

            I know this is the internet and all, but... man. That stings a little. (BTW, if EA updated its EULA two days ago, maybe it should have tried to leak the info a little faster.)

            (And yes, the petitions are filling up to have all writers at Techdirt change their names to "Mike." Mr. Ho and Mr. Costanza have taken the lead. I think Nina's up next.)

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      The eejit (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 2:19pm

      Re:

      Man, you missed the part where all previous users are upgraded to the new account automatically, and agree to the terms.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        HothMonster, 26 Aug 2011 @ 2:41pm

        Re: Re:

        hmmm?this is the new new EULA. They redrafted it following the outrage that followed the RPS article

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          The eejit (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 11:50pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          I think you mised it - for example, my Bioware Account will now become an Origin account, even if I don't want it to.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      John Fenderson (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 3:51pm

      Re:

      And EA's statements can be trusted why, exactly? They've demonstrated, repeatedly, that they are not trustworthy. They've tipped their hand with the original version of these statements. Why should anyone believe that the new & improved statements will be adhered to?

      Particularly since, in the first place, the new & improved statements still say they will root around your system to find information they have no business accessing (what apps you've installed, what peripherals you have, etc.)

      In the second place, they have not even defined what they mean by "personally identifiable information" -- and as Apple's EULAs aptly demonstrate, there can and often is peronally identifiable information that is not considered such by the company making such promises. In Apple's case, MAC addresses & location information isn't included even though they clearly identify you personally.

      Does EA have a more realistic definition? Who knows?

      All in all, the new & improved statements aren't really. Any EULA and privacy statement can only be trusted to the same extent as the entity issuing them can be trusted.

      EA has shown they deserve exactly no trust whatsoever.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Call me Al, 26 Aug 2011 @ 1:04pm

    Looks like I'm heading back to piracy or giving up gaming completely. I felt that since I've got a decent salary I had no excuse not to buy games from series that I enjoy such as Fable, Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect etc. However I recently bought Fable III and due to system conflicts with the Games for Windows DRM type thing on that I'm still not able to play the game several months after buying it. I've spent hours and hours trying to fix it.

    I was putting money aside to upgrade my computer ready for Skyrim and Mass Effect 3 but if they both have dodgy DRM then I might just give up on the whole thing. I'm busy and the time I devote to gaming has to be worth it. It no longer seems to be.

    So as someone above points out its not just the gaming companies who will lose out on my money. Its also the hardware companies because I simply don't need anything more powerful then I already have... browsing and dvds is just not that demanding.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Squid Lips, 26 Aug 2011 @ 1:30pm

    Maur flaur.

    Anti-consumer shinanigans everywhere I look these days, not that EA hasn't had that stance for over a decade now...

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 5:07pm

    I don't play at all, unless is on a virtual machine sandboxed :)
    But really I just installed MAME and got the Crash (Exidy, 1979) game, I think I will stick with that.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Jeff (profile), 26 Aug 2011 @ 5:33pm

    Ah, well.

    Roughly translated, this article says "Hey Jeff, guess what, you're going to download this game rather than buy it."

    Thanks for the free game EA/Origin!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Aug 2011 @ 11:39pm

    I don't mind saying that after years and years of getting taken to the cleaners with piss poor games, some that didn't work out of the box (with no method to get a refund on a programming defect) that I prefer to pirate games to find those that are actually worth the money.

    As many times it has come out, it's tryout time. If it is worth the money, I'll go buy it. Just did that tonight with a worthwhile game. But I am tired of wasting my money on games that the programmers and the software house rushed into print without adequate testing time and without fixing the bugs first. Mostly they want to rush it to market, unfixed, and have you connect and download their software in order to get the patches to fix it; if you are lucky. If you aren't lucky, maybe an patch will be out in a year or maybe never.

    I won't buy a car with the understanding the tires for it will come next year. Why would I buy a game with a problem built in it, at the start, without a care about fixing it before selling it?

    Hardware? Yeah, just bought a new computer just to game and do graphics on. High end computers carry high end prices. However they are what you need to game on the computer if you are going to do the up to date good stuff with decent graphics.

    I'll be darn if I am going to agree to either EA, Ubisoft, nor any other gaming makers idea of ripping off the customer more than they already have with some of the defected software sold as completed products. To turn around and add intrusive DRM and spyware at the same time is adding insult to injury when you figure the customer is paying for the game.

    EA and Ubisoft have long been off the radar as far as gaming goes because of their actions tell you where their interests are. It's not to make great games as much as it is to rip off the paying customer. I don't support products and companies I disagree with their practices over.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Austin (profile), 6 Sep 2011 @ 1:21am

    Why I pirated Brink

    This reminds me why I pirated Brink a month ago. I. Hate. Steam. As it is literally impossible to buy the DLC without Steam, I took an alternate route. After signing up for a Steam acciunt and purchasing the DLC (I bought the original game itself in a local Best Buy) I then proceeded to illegally torrent the Game and the DLC and install it without Steam. Thus, I was forced to piracy, even though I purchased a totally legal copy of both the game and the DlC, in an effort to avoid the DRM. This is now the 6th time I've done this - purchasing a game then pirating it to avoid DRM - and it's getting really old.

    I just hope someone can get ME3 on TPB before it's a month old. I love the Mass Effect series and fully intend to pay good money for ME3, just as I did for ME2 and all the DLC so far. But I'd rather leave the internet outright than have software spying on portions of my system that don't pertain to it.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Kawaiido, 7 Sep 2011 @ 9:50pm

    DANMIT!!!

    I had just purchased Darkspore from EA directly for download because I didn't want to bother with the inflated Steam price, and I learn of this.

    ...I wonder if I can get my money back.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    fvj90r, 15 Jan 2012 @ 11:37am

    Had it preordered - bioware is the only company I do that with. Then news hitting with this... Cancelled. If this is ho they plan to treat paying customers they should expect to lose every single customer who sees privacy> a random entertainment product out of many. Its not heroin, its not heart medicine,its not food or wonderful big milky boobies. I can do without it and with this decision you will be doing without a lot of $

    Pirated versions were always faster,lighter,smoother. They don't scratch up, they don't force me to update.

    And now you can add they don't wanna log my keystrokes,browse my porn, and redirect my browser to battlefield 22 sales page because I drunkenly googled peppermint flavored ammo on the 22nd of last yr and their bots thought it a wise sales move.

    So fuck you EA. You made a socialist musketeer out of me. Yeaargh, all for one and one for all. I will turn that 70$ into bitcoin and donate it to random commando comrades.

    When someone hands you money - you dont slap them. I hope enough people all stand together and we can paper cut the fuckers to death.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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