Is It Time To Enforce a Gamers' Bill of Rights?

adeelarshad82 writes "The SimCity launch debacle is only the latest in an increasingly frustrating string of affronts to gamers' rights as customers. Before SimCity, we had Ubisoft's always-on DRM (that the company only ended quietly after massive outcry from gamers). We had the forced online and similarly unplayable launch of Diablo III. We had games like Asura's Wrath and Final Fantasy: All the Bravest that required you to pay more money just to complete them after you purchase them. And let us never forget the utter infamy of StarForce, SecuROM, and Sony's copy protection, which installed rootkits on computers without users' knowledge. As one recently published article argues, maybe it's time for gamers to demand adoption of a Bill of Rights."

Comments

Re:Better off enforcing an EA boycott

[amicusNYCL]

There needs to be some way of specifically telling companies: We don't want to be abused.

The current favored method appears to be reviews on Amazon.

Re:Better off enforcing an EA boycott

[PopeRatzo]

If anything, we just need a more organized boycott method.

Strategic consumption is the grassroots political movement of the future.

Nothing else makes any sense. Nothing else will have any impact.

But it has to happen before we go much farther down the road of corporate consumption. What are we, down to 3 national airlines now? Every time a company gains what they call "pricing power" it means they can exercise their will on consumers more freely.

It's going to require a big company or two getting a consumer-initiated "death penalty" before they get the message. A national company is going to have to go tits up after a concerted and publicized boycott, and then you'll see things change.

Any suggestions on who should be first?