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Amazon stops selling Sim City V over game issues

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Re: Amazon stops selling Sim City V over game issues

#42
I feel bad for the game devs who got to see their hard work turn into something they don't intend.

I suppose this is a great advertising technique for small firms, startups, indie shops, etc. "Don't want this[http://amazon-pulls-sim-city] to happen? Work for our small team. We won't destroy your work."

I know it's standard to say "you get a part in the decisionmaking process!" That's part of it. But a lot of people are willing to let go of the big decisions if they get to be a part of something great. But they have to trust that it will come out well in the end.

Re: Amazon stops selling Sim City V over game issues

#43
post #35
post #18

This could be a very big moment. EA is selling a completely broken product - and I mean that from the perspective of the average consumer, not the nerd who thinks all DRM is broken - and they're doing it for absolutely no reason . If this lasts long enough and gets enough press, it could actually be a turning point against DRM like this. That would be so wonderful.

Oh, there's a reason. Like Diablo III, the point is that it's effectively impossible to crack. With enough processing offloaded to the server, would-be pirates need to write something that's almost a whole new game. This is the future that big videogame companies are rushing to embrace, one where customers do not and cannot own games, merely rent them for an uncertain period. Indies and smaller studios with Kickstart…

The irony is that it is not only impossible to crack, it is now impossible to play as well. Unplayable games are impossible to crack, but this does not make them any less absurd. DRM has come to its logical and absurd conclusion, it seems.

Re: Amazon stops selling Sim City V over game issues

#44
post #35
post #18

This could be a very big moment. EA is selling a completely broken product - and I mean that from the perspective of the average consumer, not the nerd who thinks all DRM is broken - and they're doing it for absolutely no reason . If this lasts long enough and gets enough press, it could actually be a turning point against DRM like this. That would be so wonderful.

Oh, there's a reason. Like Diablo III, the point is that it's effectively impossible to crack. With enough processing offloaded to the server, would-be pirates need to write something that's almost a whole new game. This is the future that big videogame companies are rushing to embrace, one where customers do not and cannot own games, merely rent them for an uncertain period. Indies and smaller studios with Kickstart…

I meant no 'gameplay' reason - I know that they have a financial reason to do this, or that they think they do, at least. If they lose enough sales and get enough hate, that removes even the financial reason that they thought they had for doing this. So perhaps, hopefully, maybe, they'll choose to stop doing it.

Re: Amazon stops selling Sim City V over game issues

#47

Seriously, how is this legal? They're obviously very open about it requiring online, and the extent to which the servers are involved, and the fact you need Origin. However, this isn't some cheap game, some small company, some inexperienced producers who didn't know what to expect. That their servers aren't up to the job is inexcusable, and clearly their fault. Even if Origin has Ts & Cs that boil down to you don't a…

It would depend on your local consumer laws. Under UK law, for example, Simcity would not currently be considered 'fit for purpose' and they're clearly obliged to give you a refund:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/nireland/consumer_ni/consumer_...

...assuming you're buying it from a UK(/EU?) subsidiary.

Local laws will vary. IANAL.

Re: Amazon stops selling Sim City V over game issues

#48
post #18

This could be a very big moment. EA is selling a completely broken product - and I mean that from the perspective of the average consumer, not the nerd who thinks all DRM is broken - and they're doing it for absolutely no reason . If this lasts long enough and gets enough press, it could actually be a turning point against DRM like this. That would be so wonderful.

The thinking goes - without DRM, some large number, X % of the games are just copied instead of purchased.

With DRM, close to 0% of the the games are copied, but some large number Y % of the games are no longer purchased because people either are (A) Philisophically opposed to DRM, (B) Want to be able to play the game offline, or now, (C) Can't play the game because the DRM breaks it.

The balancing act, here, is how many of those X% can be converted into purchases, and how many of those Y% valid purchases are lost.

EA may have tipped the balance here through poor execution and resulted in fewer games being sold, but, I don't work in the game industry - so I don't know how high X normally gets. (50%? 75%? 90%? 95%? I'm sure it's a pretty disheartening number)

Re: Amazon stops selling Sim City V over game issues

#49
Where's Steve Jobs when you need him?

> Steve Jobs summoned the MobileMe team to the Town Hall > auditorium on Apple’s Cupertino campus for an obscenity- > laden dressing down. ‘You’ve tarnished Apple’s reputation,’ > he told them. ‘You should hate each other for having let > each other down.’ Then he named a new executive on the spot > to run the team.”

http://macdailynews.com/2011/05/08/steve-jobs-to-those-respo...

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