EA being assholes again

[Jagos]

Link (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/12/05/ea-origin-bans-update-edition/)

To keep you up to date with the status of our investigation into EA’s dubious banning players from accessing their Origin account games (mostly multiplayer, although we’re hearing exceptions), we have, well, no news.

Unfortunately, despite repeated attempts to receive a statement on EA’s current position on their banning procedure, we have only been met with silence for the last fortnight. After some initial responses, pointing affected customers toward their support lines, we received an ambiguous statement that avoided the current issue and rather said there were plans to “review” whatever the current secret policy might be. And then no responses to our emails since. All the while, we’re hearing of case after case of customers being affected.

So EA's Origin is exposing the fact that the system they have doesn't work for crap.

Mass Effect...
Dragon Age...

It's been nice knowing you, just not my gig.

[Azisien]

As a nice slap in the face, Origin had a big, giant, sweaty download for me for Battlefield 3 when I got home. It was the Back to Karkand DLC. It downloaded and installed, presumably, fine.

Of course, I wouldn't know, because it is PS3 exclusive for another 6-7 days. Why did you have me download it then, assholes?

[Seil]

...Wait, wait, wait. Assume that I'm an idiot.

What's going on? What're they doin'?

[Ecks]

Nothing new Seil, EA have been douchebags from the very beginning and always will be.

[Arcanum]

...Wait, wait, wait. Assume that I'm an idiot.

What's going on? What're they doin'?

When someone is banned on EA's forums they are also banned from playing any games on their Origin account. Now under normal circumstances this would convince people not to be complete douchebags on a game's official forum (and in case you haven't noticed most games' official forums are complete shit holes). However these are not normal circumstances and a lot of people are getting banned for swearing and stuff thanks to EA's content filter or something (I'm a little unsure on the details myself here).

And then to make things worse the ban stops you from accessing anything on your Origin account, including single player content in a lot of cases.

Now I understand EA's mentality behind this, that if you're going to be a complete dick and warrant a ban on their forums then odds are you're a complete dick while playing their games so they won't even give you a second chance there. At least I hope that's their mentality.

And then you have everyone else flipping out because they believe a game's forum and its multiplayer are mutually exclusive and that if they are banned on one they shouldn't be banned on the other. But they really aren't. If you're a douchebag on one of them you're probably a douchebag on the other. Douchebaggery doesn't go away simply because you change the medium.

But I digress. The real issue here is that the bans are being handed out for relatively minor offences, and that single player content is being blocked. If anyone is complaining that they can't access their game's multiplayer because they were a huge bastard on a forum, please point them my way so I can slap them. In the face.

[Jagos]

...Wait, wait, wait. Assume that I'm an idiot.

What's going on? What're they doin'?

Basically, they're banning people who post on the forums for small offenses, and making them go through a large process to be able to play their games.

Other than that, Origin being a spying POS who gets jealous of the other data on your computer isn't all that new.

[Azisien]

Man, though, have you seen the download speeds on this thing?

Pretty good for a beta program!

[Marc v4.0]

Some of the temp bans are turning into perma Bans with no warning, too

[Aerozord]

One reason I dont tie my accounts together. Granted this is also why I dont like my games tied to one system in the first place.

[Krylo]

It's like that thread where a bunch of us were like, Man, Origins is going to suck, because EA is terrible at customer service and they are going to fuck it up, and then a few people, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, were like, but that doesn't mean they're going to suck this time.

Welp.

[Aldurin]

Relevant.
http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/image/641

[CABAL49]

But... I preordered SWTOR. I will say though, EA is still better than Activision. Granted that is like comparing shit to, well, shit but some of my EA games still function despite debilitating DRM.

[Aerozord]

It's like that thread where a bunch of us were like, Man, Origins is going to suck, because EA is terrible at customer service and they are going to fuck it up, and then a few people, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, were like, but that doesn't mean they're going to suck this time.

Welp.

actually to your post title, but all of these services work like this. Your steam account gets banned and there goes all your games on there too.

I think all games should be like minecraft and rely on good old fashion guilt to cut back on piracy and let the multiplayer servers police themselves.

[Jagos]

VAC banning is not the same as Steam account banning.

[Melfice]

I didn't see Aero mention VAC anywhere.
Just Steam account.

[Jagos]

The main way that you get a Steam ban is by selling games to other people. If you're VAC banned, that just means you lose the ability to get on some Steam servers. I'm noting the difference because Aero may not understand the difference between the two bans.

[Aerozord]

The main way that you get a Steam ban is by selling games to other people.

main isn't the same as only. Nor does it require a banning. Account suspension, login errors, or even just a glitch with the system itself. I for example cannot play New Vegas without a constant internet connection thanks to a steam bug. Also was someone that, thanks to an account error of only a few dollar completely lost access to his account and every single game tied to it.

My issue isn't that these things happen from time to time, errors are to be expected. An error with systems like Steam or Origin dont knock out one game, but all games connected to it. Even if just temporary do you know what I like to do while waiting for an error to be fixed? Play other games, which I cant do if the error takes all of them.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

actually to your post title, but all of these services work like this. Your steam account gets banned and there goes all your games on there too.

NOPE.
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOOOOOPE.

Your Steam Forum account is not related to your Steam account. In fact, you can have different account names and passwords for them.
Valve will VAC ban you from VAC protected servers for cheating on them, but they won't disable your account entirely even for that. This is EA Banning people for cursing on their FORUM.

Actually technically speaking one guy got banned because a post containing curses quoted/addressed toward him.
There's no equivalency. At alllll.

The only consistent way I know of to have your account entirely banned and your games locked is proven cases of credit card fraud.

[Ramary]

I was VAC-Banned by an error once. Before I could even send in a support ticket, it was fixed. So at the very least Steam, from what I have seen, does fix the errors it does have. Origin seems to actively be trying to fuck you over.

[Aerozord]

NOPE.
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOOOOOPE.

Your Steam Forum account is not related to your Steam account. In fact, you can have different account names and passwords for them.
Valve will VAC ban you from VAC protected servers for cheating on them, but they won't disable your account entirely even for that. This is EA Banning people for cursing on their FORUM.

Actually technically speaking one guy got banned because a post containing curses quoted/addressed toward him.
There's no equivalency. At alllll.

The only consistent way I know of to have your account entirely banned and your games locked is proven cases of credit card fraud.

three things
1) wasn't talking about VAC ban, I dont know why you mention it
2) you can choose to have a different forum and origin account both are free and I see no reason to not just make two.
3) this doesn't change the fact that both systems inherently links your games to a central account that if for whatever reason is inaccessible denies you access to these games.

[Fifthfiend]

The difference between this and VAC shit is you deserve to be banned from all games if you get banned for VAC shit, fuck yo hax.

I think all games should be like minecraft and rely on good old fashion guilt to cut back on piracy and let the multiplayer servers police themselves.

I will carve out your kidneys and craft them into comfy slippers.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

3) this doesn't change the fact that both systems inherently links your games to a central account that if for whatever reason is inaccessible denies you access to these games.

No it doesn't but it also doesn't seem to make Steam equivalent to Origin or Valve to EA which I'm pretty sure is what you're trying to suggest.

Glitches aside, you will not have your Steam account entirely banned in all but the most extreme of circumstances.
You most certainly will not be rendered unable to access your games because of something you've said on the forums, or better yet something someone who quoted you said.

I mentioned VAC bans because it's really the only system Valve has in place to consistently ban someone from anything.

While we're on the subject though, hey! Nobody here was talking about glitches removing access to games. Just EA deliberately and pretty heartlessly banning people for cursing or being cursed at. Entirely removing their access to the service on purpose for what amounts to jack fucking shit. So why is the fact that your Valve account has all your games on it anymore relevant than my statement about VAC?

[Aerozord]

I will carve out your kidneys and craft them into comfy slippers.

whats wrong with how minecraft does it? DRMs suck

[Fifthfiend]

whats wrong with how minecraft does it?

Then I'll fashion your gall bladder into a propellor beanie.

For my dick.

[Revising Ocelot]

good old fashion guilt to cut back on piracy

This wasn't http://www.nuklearforums.com/images/icons/lolitrollu.png?


Bleugh

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

This wasn't http://www.nuklearforums.com/images/icons/lolitrollu.png?


Bleugh

It's hard to troll with the subject of Minecraft being involved because Notch already trolled that shit right up.
Hard to top that guy.

[Revising Ocelot]

I was referring more to Aerozord thinking it's a legitimate method that would work.

Let's take two games now. Witcher 2 and Arkham City.

The GoG version of Witcher 2 has no DRM. Nada. Zip.
Arkham City is bloated with Steamworks, GFWL & Securom with an activation limit.


The ratio of piracy to sales is very likely to be the same for both games, despite many more public claims of pirating Arkham City to avoid being saddled with the excessive DRM. CD Projekt stated very recently that Witcher 2 was pirated a whole lot (probably not 2 million times like I think they said but meh).

[Osterbaum]

I think they claimed it was pirated over 4 million times and that even that was a conservative estimate. Which sounds like a completely made-up statement to me, but hey they also said they still don't support DRM so that's good.

[Marc v4.0]

2) you can choose to have a different forum and origin account both are free and I see no reason to not just make two.
3) this doesn't change the fact that both systems inherently links your games to a central account that if for whatever reason is inaccessible denies you access to these games.

2) EA requires you to actually own some games to access the particular game-Centric Forum, and they PUSH you to link the accounts together for "Ease of Use" (read: Ease of Abuse).
3) No, they don't. Steam didn't link shit to shit, I did that by choice.