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Feedback On Simcity Gets User Banned From EA Forums

Posted by timothy on from the please-sir-can-I-have-another? dept.

An anonymous reader writes "EA's latest SimCity game requires users to log on online even for single player. After being unable to log on for three hours, one of its users chimed in with his very polite $0.02 opinion, only to get himself banned by EA admins. Another great victory for DRM." Update: 01/29 18:00 GMT by S : The player's ban has been lifted, and it seems to have happened for an unrelated issue anyway.

61 of 386 comments (clear)

  1. Was it EA..... by jythie · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Was it EA that had their forum and DRM systems linked in such a way that getting banned could also lock you out of content you had purchased, or was that another company? I vaguely recall it being a thing a while back.

    1. Re:Was it EA..... by i+kan+reed · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes, it was EA. If you see an EA logo on a game, don't buy it.

    2. Re:Was it EA..... by jaymz666 · · Score: 4, Informative

      I believe the story in question was EA Forum Bans Can Lock You Out Of Games http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/11/ea-forum-bans-can-lock-you-out-of-games/

    3. Re:Was it EA..... by Astatine · · Score: 4, Informative

      And the follow up.

      http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/11/14/ea-forum-bans-are-still-affecting-games/

    4. Re:Was it EA..... by tripleevenfall · · Score: 5, Informative

      I have no idea why anyone would buy any game, from any publisher, that required an internet connection for online play. Mind-boggling.

      I love SimCity, but would never consider this game for that very reason.

    5. Re:Was it EA..... by tonywong · · Score: 5, Informative

      Better summary here:

      https://www.techdirt.com/blog/?tag=beta

    6. Re:Was it EA..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I bought Diablo 3. Beat it, replay value sucked, and then I started having connection BS. At least Blizzard will let you get a full refund within like.. 30 or 60 days. So I did.

    7. Re:Was it EA..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      While I do want a Simcity game, as SimCity 4 is 9 years old at this point, I can't see this new product as a Simcity game. There is no local saves. There are preset map sizes (don't mind that that much), but there is a problem here. The player is not able to edit the land. I can't level a mountain to make way for a road. I can't build a system of streams and lakes. They want players to view making a city a puzzle that also takes into account terrain and wondering how to build a road around that mountain. They want the toy (not a game by Will Wright's point of view) to play with the players instead of letting the players play freely with it. Not everyone wants their cities to be compared to the works of others.

      At this rate, I doubt it will have any fun cheat codes as was a staple of the series.

    8. Re:Was it EA..... by Astatine · · Score: 4, Informative

      Here's the direct link to the article for future convenience (it's at the top of the above link right now but I doubt it'll stay there): https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130127/19023721799/redditor-points-out-flaws-simcitys-online-only-drm-gets-banned-ea-his-troubles.shtml

    9. Re:Was it EA..... by jaymz666 · · Score: 2

      The latest iteration of Sim City, and Civ V for that matter before it, feel like re-interpretations of the games on which they are based. After the designers hear a rough description of what the game is they create it based on a completely different set of rules and expectations than the original game used.

    10. Re:Was it EA..... by Wookact · · Score: 2

      I have yet to see a game that used all or nearly all of the available resources on my PC. Once they do that they can start talking about offloading the work.

    11. Re:Was it EA..... by pclminion · · Score: 2

      Agreed. I only buy games from companies that enable online play through supernatural means.

    12. Re:Was it EA..... by fredprado · · Score: 2

      If we weren't moving in the exact opposing way I would say you have a point. Trying to concentrate memory, processing power and bandwidth in servers is a great recipe to failure. The cost of these resources and the logistic problems associated do not escalate linearly.

    13. Re:Was it EA..... by Omestes · · Score: 3, Insightful

      To be fair... This is sort of inevitable with the Civ and SimCity franchises...

      There has been a ton of Civ games, and pretty much all of them have been good. Yes, some were better, some were worse, but all of them were good. So what can you really do to improve it, outside of graphics? Why would I ever move beyond FreeCiv or Civ 4? Civ has pretty much covered everything now, and the only thing I really want is the Near Future stuff that was in Call To Power, along with the Religion stuff in Civ 4 and Civ 5 Gods and Kings.

      SimCity is worse... How exactly do you make a better version of SimCity 4?

      These are OLD franchises, probably among the oldest, if not they oldest gaming franchises that are still being made. Civ came out in 1991, and SimCity in 1989. I still have the original disk for the C64 version.

      The always on bit does suck, though. And makes me mad, I would love to play some SimCity, but sadly SimCity 4 doesn't modern hardware/software, and all the clones are pretty bad or boring (CitiesXL, almost good.). I will probably still buy it, though I will grumble the whole time.

      --
      A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
    14. Re:Was it EA..... by luxifr · · Score: 2

      sadly SimCity 4 doesn't modern hardware/software

      it does... it even does run at 1080p...

    15. Re:Was it EA..... by Dachannien · · Score: 2

      SimCity is worse... How exactly do you make a better version of SimCity 4?

      You take your hints from the mod community, which did some awesome things with SC4 in terms of expanding road building, architecture, etc. You combine that with the new developments in automata simulation (everything in the new SimCity is a fully-simulated automaton), and you leverage increased computing power for a more accurate experience.

      Instead, the new SimCity *reduces* player flexibility in these areas. You can build dirt roads up through avenues, but that's it. There are no highways in the city; the only highways depicted are in the region map, shown passing by the various city plots but not actually passing through them and not buildable by the player.

      That's really the thing that kills me. It may be better than SimCity Societies, but it's still SimCity Lite, and I have no interest in going on a Sim Diet. So I guess it's back to SC4 and the various player mods.

    16. Re:Was it EA..... by stephanruby · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Update: 01/29 18:00 GMT by S : The player's ban has been lifted, and it seems to have happened for an unrelated issue anyway.

      Personally, if I had been EA I would have prevented the player from participating in any future *closed* betas (and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what they tried to do in this case). Clearly, that player knew he was in a "closed beta", he mentioned that fact twice at least, but apparently he doesn't seem to understand the meaning of that word "closed".

      In a closed beta, the feedback you provide stays private. That's the entire point of a beta being closed. Either you email the company directly, or you post in a private forum (designated only for closed beta players), but you do not post your feedback in their public forum.

      Sheesh!! The standard is becoming so high, even that word beta doesn't seem to mean anything anymore.

    17. Re:Was it EA..... by hairyfeet · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And ya know what? despite what so many have written poo pooing the idea of a boycott "poo poo they never work poo poo" the fact that EA is on the selling block along with Activision's parent company looking to restructure tells me that boycotts DO work, they just take awhile to be fully felt.

      And if nothing else at the very least you aren't paying to be treated like shit. I refuse to buy any game that has always online DRM and make it clear to the company whose product I'm avoiding not only WHY I'm avoiding them but what competitor got the money earmarked for them. When D3 came out with always online DRM I wrote Blizzard a nice letter telling them that despite buying both of the previous products several times (for myself and for family/friends) this time I would be giving my money to Torchlight II instead which I bought several copies of. While ultimately nobody in a position of power may read my letter at least they know where several sales went and if enough people do the same they can certainly feel it on their bottom line.

      Ultimately even if the corp doesn't hear us we have to make sure the Internet media hears us, so that the corps can't use that old scapegoat piracy as an excuse to demand more draconian copyright laws like DMCA. As it is now if we do not speak up some PHB will be trotting out a PPT and while pointing at the numbers say "If you see here we sold X number of our previous product and our focus groups say X+Y play games of that genre today so the fact that we didn't sell X+Y just proves its those dirty pirates".

      But I make it clear on any discussion of the game/s I'm boycotting that neither me nor my family will have this product as long as its anti-consumer, we won't buy it, download it, it won't be allowed in our home. So make your voice heard, speak up and let the world know when you refuse to buy a game because of shitty practices and no pirating it either, that just gives them more ammo to use against us.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    18. Re:Was it EA..... by xeromist · · Score: 2

      The assumption the companies have is that everyone now has an always-on connection

      Not exactly. These people are smart enough to make incredibly complex games so they are aware that not everyone in the world has a constant connection...they just don't care. The majority of their potential customers have an internet connection so they are willing to piss off the minority who don't for the sake of better DRM. And the number of people who actually have the willpower and desire to boycott DRM on principle is smaller yet, albeit vocal. It's a calculated business decision to deliberately alienate a small number of potential customers for a (real or perceived) greater return.

      --
      This sig is exactly seventy characters long and a real waste of space!
    19. Re:Was it EA..... by Spiridios · · Score: 2

      You'd never guess to look at it, but the most hardware-taxing game I've played in years has been Minecraft.

      Minecraft seems ok, even on my underpowered server (though it does peg that CPU occasionally). Dwarf Fortress, however... Get 200 dwarves, all their pets, and livestock, then break into hell while a siege is going on. Easily goes from real-time to turn-based. And none of it is graphics processing.

    20. Re:Was it EA..... by Omestes · · Score: 2

      That was always the endearing thing about the Civ games, I love them in spite of themselves. They always feel "kludgy". I think it might because they are pretty complicated, and they try to shove as much stuff under the hood (its a civ simulation, its a tabletop wargame, its educational, its a resource management game, its a social simulator, its turn based strategy...) as humanly possible. You generally have to fight with the interface for an hour or so, then you get sucked into a 10 hour gaming session. I've noticed all "4X" games fall into this, none of them have good UI, or well explained features. This has been true since Master of Orion. I've been playing GalCiv for almost a decade, and still have no clue if I'm missing something important that might be hiding behind an option, hidden on a screen I've never seen before.

      How would design an easy and intuitive interface for a game as complicated as Civ?

      And, too be honest, I think the creaky complexity is part of the appeal for some. 4X and strategy gamers generally relish the appearance of complexity as a thing in itself. Have you seen some of the more niche 4X games out there? There is software running at NASA or CERN with more usability, and less options. Hardcore strategy gamers are masochists, at heart.

      --
      A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
    21. Re:Was it EA..... by Omestes · · Score: 2

      Did you miss the point where I'm going to pick it up in a bargain bin, or Steam Sale? I'm not going to pirate it, and I'm not going to boycott it. Boycotts mean zero sales, which can be confused for zero demand. Piracy just makes you an entitled ass waving around post hoc excuses for your behavior. I'll wait until its $20, and then grab it. Depending on the reviews, of course. If they are bad (which it seems like they might be), then I won't grab it.

      Notice I said reviews, not the internet hive mind. The internet hive mind thinks the world is on a perpetual state of collapse, and everything anyone does is the worst thing "EVAR". The internet hive mind told me to not buy Diablo 3, and I did, I enjoyed it for a good 100 hours (more shallow than Diablo 2, no reply value, but fun for the through nightmare). I don't actually mind always on-line games, if it adds something. Yes, Diablo 3 annoyed me, until I realized that playing pugs was more fun. the new SimCity has some value added bits. It isn't a deal breaker to me, I live in town with 99.999% uptime, and no caps. I don't play on the road (thats why God invented iPods and books). I should also be boycotting Guild Wars 2 and Planetside 2 right now, because I need to be on the internet? It just doesn't bother me much, except on an ideological level. I don't like DRM, but it has been a fact of life as long as I've been gaming, and for the most part its so much nicer than it was when I was a kid. Remember the silly wheels, and "whats the 15th word, in the seventh line, of page 52" crap?

      It isn't a big deal. All I care about is if the game is fun. Its a game, not a manifesto. Life is too damn short to really give a shit.

      --
      A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
  2. Except it isn't their latest game. by Aquitaine · · Score: 5, Informative

    It isn't EA's latest game - it's a beta test with rules and restrictions typical of beta tests.

    The game doesn't come out until March. Being 'unable to log on' for three hours might be a worthy complaint after that.

    1. Re:Except it isn't their latest game. by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It IS a beta, and if you have a problem with it... such as being unable to log on... you're expected to report such problems (unless the devs already clearly know about it, maybe).

    2. Re:Except it isn't their latest game. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The game doesn't come out until March. Being 'unable to log on' for three hours might be a worthy complaint after that.

      "might be" you say... Is there some mitigating circumstance where it's okay for a released game to arbitrarily not work for some purchasers that puts that "might" in there?

    3. Re:Except it isn't their latest game. by Grashnak · · Score: 3, Informative

      That's moronic. The point of forums is for people to talk about your game. Sometimes, the things they say will be stupid. That's what happens when people talk. Ban everyone with an incorrect or unjustified point and you'll have a pretty empty forum.

      --
      Life needs more saving throws.
    4. Re:Except it isn't their latest game. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Sure, if that's what happened. EA has reversed the ban and is chalking it up to a bug.

      I.E. Nothing to see here, move along.

    5. Re:Except it isn't their latest game. by Tridus · · Score: 3, Informative

      Such feedback was explicitly allowed during the weekend beta. Game videos/screenshots were the only thing restricted.

      --
      -- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
    6. Re:Except it isn't their latest game. by Tridus · · Score: 2

      The weekend beta was open, and the feedback forums are public: http://answers.ea.com/t5/Feedback/bd-p/Feedback

      --
      -- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
  3. I love the SimCity series by i+kan+reed · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And I have no reason to think the gameplay of this latest iteration is bad. But I'm never going to buy it. Ever. I don't care if that doesn't influence EA to stop being terrible, but all I can ever do is not buy their stuff.

    If you must play this game(and you don't) please pirate it. Please.

    1. Re:I love the SimCity series by Abstrackt · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you must play this game(and you don't) please pirate it. Please.

      Personally, I think it sends a stronger message to tell the company "your product isn't even worth pirating" than to establish that there is in fact demand for it despite the issues.

      --
      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
    2. Re:I love the SimCity series by mjr167 · · Score: 2

      I'm with you. I loved Sim City and the Sims until Origin. Now I won't buy another EA game.

    3. Re:I love the SimCity series by ddxexex · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you must play this game(and you don't) please pirate it. Please.

      I never like it when people suggest pirating software as a form of protest, if you think the DRM is too intrusive, don't buy the game at all. For the bad car analogy, Let's say you don't like On-Star because you think its too intrusive. You see a car you like, but it only comes with On-Star. So to protest On-Star you steal a car. That's not protesting it's an excuse to steal.

      If you must play the game, buy it, feel guilty about not sticking to your morals, then attempt to forgive yourself by donating to the EFF or something.

    4. Re:I love the SimCity series by brxndxn · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think it would send the strongest message if they could see the following:

      - sales rates go up when games have less DRM
      - piracy goes up when games have more DRM independent of sales rate
      - EA sales would increase if EA stops being assholes
      - EA does not see any of this because EA's head is in its ass

      --
      --- We need more Ron Paul!
    5. Re:I love the SimCity series by The123king · · Score: 2

      If you get a better gameplay experience from pirating software instead of buying it (as is the case here) it just shows how horribly broken the retail version is. That's the sign of poor management and terribly implemented DRM.

      --
      If you gave me a choice between a printer and a giraffe with explosive diarrhoea, i'll get my ladder and my raincoat
    6. Re:I love the SimCity series by ericloewe · · Score: 2

      Or: Buy the game and grab a pirate version that allows you to play without their Origin crap.

    7. Re:I love the SimCity series by WrecklessSandwich · · Score: 4, Funny

      Did you seriously just go full-on YOU WOULDN'T DOWNLOAD A CAR!!!!1 on Slashdot?

  4. Solution is so simple.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    STOP buying EA games.

  5. DRM = NO SALE by Kaitiff · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was an avid Diablo and Diablo II player. Same with Starcraft. These games gave me endless hours of enjoyment in some cases decades after release. I have not and will not purchase either Starcraft II or Diablo III. I am a 'lost sale' because of the WAR on gamers by the studios. Any game I purchase, in a store or otherwise, that I can't play at my leisure now or at any time in the future because the creator or owner of the license shuts down a server, or stops supporting the game will not be in my inventory.

    --
    If I sound stupid, it's not me talking....
    1. Re:DRM = NO SALE by Ravaldy · · Score: 2

      Unfortunately you're a minority because game sales have never been so high. I 100% agree with you that DRM is bad since it doesn't bring any benefits to the single player experience. I think game companies should continu providing good multiplayer experiences in hopes that drives piracy down.

  6. As a longtime Sim City player, I am sad by Isca · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This setup is the stupidest thing to come down the pike in a long time. I can understand having the DRM to be able to play online. What I don't understand is why there is not an offline mode that does not allow you to take advantage of all the online only features and who's gameplay doesn't affect the online version. And the article shows just how far they have gone into looney land - no constructive feedback allowed. This will be literally the first Sim City I will not own. I have bought literally every version of it over the years including the original Sim City.

  7. Re:beta? by X0563511 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    More like beta user submits valid beta feedback and is banned for their trouble.

    That smells the same way asking for someone's opinion then punching them when they give it to you does.

    --
    For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
  8. NDA? by addie · · Score: 2

    I'm guessing his getting banned is more to do with openly discussing his experience in the closed beta than criticizing the DRM.

    1. Re:NDA? by Tridus · · Score: 3, Informative

      There was an open beta on the weekend where discussing feedback was allowed and wide open. They even had a public forum for it: http://answers.ea.com/t5/Feedback/bd-p/Feedback

      In fact DRM complaints were probably #2 on the complaint list... a mile behind the city sizes being absurdly tiny, which was the #1 complaint.

      --
      -- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
  9. Re:My $.02 by snemarch · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Unfortunately for folks, this means fans of the game have to give EA the middle finger and pirate it, or simply not buy the game, but at least they've finally released a new version of the game after years.

    There, FTFY.

    --
    Coffee-driven development.
  10. Consider Me Warned by houbou · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Feedback is feedback.. the feedback I read, did not warrant getting banned. Worse, it was constructive in many ways. Finally, this is a paying customer. If this is how EA will now do business, consider me warned, I'm not buying their wares. I think it should be illegal to stop a paying customer from being able to provide feedback, especially since this customer is trying to have access to a product which he paid to used in the first place.

  11. Rant mode on... by WilyCoder · · Score: 2

    I am ever so close to abandoning video games as a hobby because of shit like this.

    I've got a nice collection of board games and they are so much fun to play with a group of friends over some drinks and pizza. When I contrast that experience with the racist, homophobic insults I may encounter on XBOX live and other crap like this DRM, its getting harder and harder to justify that $60 video game.

    As a programmer by day for a long time now, there is NO functional need for always online DRM for most game types. It benefits me, the consumer,(cough) I mean CITIZEN, in no way whatsoever. They know it, I know it, and yet they want me to buy the shit they are shoveling at me.

    With these types of citizen abuse occurring in the gaming industry I hope it tanks. Not that I want to see people lose their jobs, but I want the business model to change.

    The future, in my humble opinion, lies with the indie market. Look at games like FTL and Hotline Miami. Available to purchase without DRM, probably pirated to hell and back, and yet those small 1-2 man teams are each now probably millionaires. And they deserve it. Does EA deserve even a single penny for their anti-citizen activities? One of the tenets of capitalism is ownership of private property. With each new AAA game released, I own less and less of it. Fuck you EA, you are anti-capitalist and you are part of the reason why citizen rights are eroding.

    1. Re:Rant mode on... by SuricouRaven · · Score: 4, Informative

      If you want a pizza-and-drinks game... Munchkin. Doesn't take up as much space as a board game, as it's nothing but cards and dice, and it's a lot of fun.

  12. Also seen on Reddit by Bogtha · · Score: 2

    The EA developers working on this did a Q&A last month. Needless to say, the responses mentioned DRM quite a bit... this person summed a lot of them up nicely. Those are responses only from the Q&A, and he only stopped because Reddit doesn't allow longer comments.

    --
    Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
  13. Just don't buy it by h4rr4r · · Score: 2

    The solution is simple. Do not buy these games.

    Spend your entertainment dollars on something else. That is the only way they will get the message.

  14. Re:My $.02 by aalex675 · · Score: 2, Funny

    He told me his nick is: ' OR 1 = 1; DROP TABLE Users

    - Glad I could help

  15. The ban was not due to his post! by mrbene · · Score: 3, Informative

    As he updated today, again on Reddit:

    It turns out however, that EA is having really bad technical issues and managed to accidentally ban several users. The cause, they credit, is something to do with the email opt-out. (Which explains why I did not receive information regarding the ban)

    ref

    Always On DRM is still a reason not to buy the game, as is buggy account management. However, the day-long Slashdot lag is providing only half the story.

  16. The rest of the story... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    About mid-day yesterday, I was banned from EA's Answer HQ[2] for, what I thought, was constructive criticism.
    It turns out however, that EA is having really bad technical issues and managed to accidentally ban several users[3] . The cause, they credit, is something to do with the email opt-out. (Which explains why I did not receive information regarding the ban)
    EA's representative did, however, issue an apology to me and I felt it only fair I set things right. (And give him credit for being an awesome guy in a place where he would normally be considered a dick)
    I received a message earlier today (here on reddit) from Chris Deum[4] , the guy who heads up EA's Answer HQ, apologizing for the glitch. The message is below.
    Hi Puppier,
    I made a post in reply on both imgur and your reddit post, but I just wanted you to know that we've lifted your ban on AHQ. As you know, the system is sending out a lot of emails and it looks like you opted out of receiving mails from us, which for some reason is banning users. There's a few posts on it, for example here http://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Problems/Problem-with-Answer-HQ-banned-because-I-tried-to-stop-getting/m-p/419214/highlight/true#M1430[5] . It's not the biggest thread, but it's the first I could get to.
    The team is working to fix the bug, but in the interim I actually have one member sitting scanning our logs for anyone that opts out, so we can unban them as quickly as possible.
    Apologies again - as you mentioned. There's a lot of similar feedback to yours that hasn't been removed from the forums and the authors banned.
    Feel free to give me a shout with any other feedback you have. I'll personally make sure it gets to the right people to make up for the annoyance.
    Cheers,
    Chris.
    I finally did get SimCity to play and IMO it looks as if it will be a fun game. Although they still need to consider their always online policy, I believe that this game is looking out to be good. Thanks for all the support though and bringing this to the attention of EA!
    TL; DR EA fixes false ban, EA sucks less.

    http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/17e1ap/result_of_my_previous_ea_ahq_ban_post/

    1. Re:The rest of the story... by ildon · · Score: 2

      I'd like to point out this follow up was posted well over 24 hrs ago. Yet all these "gaming news" sites chose to run the story anyway without any additional fact checking.

  17. Re:It's the same for Blizzard. by AK+Marc · · Score: 4, Informative

    Steam will play in offline mode. Diablo III will not. Nor will Simshitty.

    --
    Learn to love Alaska
  18. Send a letter when you vote with your wallet by Andrio · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I too am a long time SimCity fan who will not buy this game because of the DRM.

    Perhaps I should send a letter letting EA know that I voted with my wallet. See, that's a problem with "voting with your wallet" in that there's really no way to tell what someone voted with their wallet for/against. If the game sells badly because people voted with their wallets against always-on DRM, it's more likely that the higher-ups at EA conclude "There isn't a big enough market for city simulation games. Let's just not greenlight any such future games, and focus on Medal of Madden XXVI!"

    You could send an email, but realistically, those things will never really be read. An actual paper letter though; that's something someone *will* look at.

    --
    The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity.
  19. Re:Globalization by MiG82au · · Score: 2

    What's especially funny is that you can get banned on the Battlefield 3 forums for mild swearing, but the game itself has choice lines shouted out like "fuck, I'm getting my shit pushed in here!".

  20. Stop supporting EA. by MaWeiTao · · Score: 2

    This is one of the many reasons why I've long since stopped buying anything from EA. Obviously most people aren't doing the same hence why EA continues to tread with impunity.

  21. Re:It's the same for Blizzard. by ifrag · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Steam will play in offline mode.

    The degree of "play" will depend on the exact title you are using on Steam. For example, some Ubisoft games you'd be out of luck with for offline.

    It would be nice if Steam started to play hard with those companies and mandate Steam's DRM only if the game was to be offered on Steam.

    --
    Fear is the mind killer.
  22. Re:It's the same for Blizzard. by sammyF70 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Steam might play in offline mode. More often than not this is not the case. Believe me, I used to have a very bad internet connection and the times I was not able to play anything from my Steam account when the connection was down and Schteam was telling me to log in far outweighted the times when it happily remembered that I had played just one day before.
    Steam is not nearly as evil as EA, but it still has an intrusive and often obnoxious DRM (Along with an atrocious EULA).

    --
    "DRM is like the Ford Pinto: it's a smooth ride, right up the point at which it explodes and ruins your day."-C.Doctorow
  23. Re:It's the same for Blizzard. by AK+Marc · · Score: 2

    More often than not this is not the case.

    I have a few Fallouts and some others, and I've never had anything not play just fine when it was in offlline mode. Seems like you were trying to play in online mode when offline. And yes, I've had trouble switching to offline mode from online mode when actually offline, but that wasn't the issue in question. You can go online to get a game, then go offline and never go online again.

    If you did that, what games did you find that didn't work when you went into offline mode while properly online?

    --
    Learn to love Alaska