Topic: Banned on EAs forum = banned from EA games. All of them.

[idolminds]

Yeah.

Well, its actually going to be a bit nastier for those who get banned.

Your forum account will be directly tied to your Master EA Account, so if we ban you on the forums, you would be banned from the game as well since the login process is the same. And you’d actually be banned from your other EA games as well since its all tied to your account. So if you have SPORE and Red Alert 3 and you get yourself banned on our forums or in-game, well, your SPORE account would be banned to. It’s all one in the same, so I strongly reccommend people play nice and act mature.

All in all, we expect people to come on here and abide by our ToS. We hate banning people, it makes our lives a lot tougher, but its what we have to do.

Those banned will stay banned, but like most other internet services, its not that hard to create a new fake e-mail account. However, its a lot harder to get a new serial key =)

Avatars should be back within 2 weeks of the launch.

-APOC

I'm not clear on the "Those banned will stay banned" part. It could be a response to a poster asking if the current banned accounts will still be banned on the new forums. Reading further posts though, it sounds like bans are permanent once you get them. ie, they don't unban people.

[Ghandi]

That's absurd.

[Xessive]

That is utter crap. That's actually worse than Valve's VAC ban.

All the more reason to continue my boycott on EA products. I started it right after I got Crysis WARHEAD (I was under the impression that I needed to activate online upon installation, instead I'm stuck with a phone-home activation that sparks up every time I launch the game; note this only happens in with the Singleplayer, the multplayer is clear and only activates online once after installation). I'm tempted to get Dead Space but it's gonna be a while before I can start respecting EA.

[Pugnate]

WHAT THE FUCK? THAT IS THE MOST FUCKING ABSURD THING EVER!

WHY THE HELL SHOULD $500 worth of software be in the hands of some teenage internet moderator on a power trip.

I can't believe this.

[Xessive]

Does the term "Draconian" still apply? I don't think we've overused it just yet.

I play it safe and never post anything on the forums unless it's a tech support case. Also I use cracks as often as possible to refrain from connecting to EA servers for anything. God forbid I should call someone a salad-tosser in the heat of a multiplayer match and get banned from all my other EA games. I can't site precedence but with EA anything that ridiculous is plausible.

I think bans should be restricted to cheaters and forum-flamers. Even then they should get a warning first. And such bans should not be permanent unless they did something so horrible (like turding Riccitello's house, actually is that horrible or commendable?). The ban should be like a penalty, like you can't sign in for 3 days. Kinda like team-killing.. You don't get permanently banned, you either get a time penalty on respawn or you get booted off the server if you do it enough.

[Quemaqua]

That's absolutely insane.  Whatever goodwill they earned in the last while from me (which was precious little in the end), this is just so far beyond reason it isn't even funny.  Fuck EA.  Fuck EA in John Riccitello's ass.

[iPPi]

While I really despise EA and the shit that they are pulling, a real easy remedy to all these problems with DRM, activation, and all that shit is just to get the console version of the game.

[K-man]

While I think it's absurd, people could just, you know, not be dicks on the forums...or just not post there.

[Pugnate]

I've e-mailed this to all the video game tabloids.

While I think it's absurd, people could just, you know, not be dicks on the forums...or just not post there.

I see what you are saying, but being what is interpreted by some bitchass teenage moderator as being banworthy shouldn't mean your punishment extends to your games. That's just insane.

Secondly, you know what, people are going to be too afraid to voice their true feelings.

[idolminds]

While I really despise EA and the shit that they are pulling, a real easy remedy to all these problems with DRM, activation, and all that shit is just to get the console version of the game.

That doesn't send the right message, though. They still got their money. Plus reading the TOS, they also mention the online portion of 360 and Ps3 games. They might be able to ban you from those as well.

[Ghandi]

While I think it's absurd, people could just, you know, not be dicks on the forums...or just not post there.

Yes, asking people on the Internet not to be dicks will work wonderfully...

[Cobra951]

Keep handing online services the keys to your purchases.  Go on.  As you were.

[Quemaqua]

I can't afford to be a gamer anymore anyway.  I think maybe I'll just play Fallout 3 for the rest of my life, and then maybe start building ships in a bottle.

[K-man]

Yes, asking people on the Internet not to be dicks will work wonderfully...

If I knew this was a policy and I wanted to continue playing EA games then I would probably have the common sense to not be a dick on the forums.

But then assuming everyone on the Internet has common sense is silly to begin with.  The fact remains though that ultimately your destiny in this situation lies in your own hands.

[Quemaqua]

I think that's arguable.  Granted, most people probably won't find it a problem, but if you accidentally cross a temperamental mod (and as Pug said, there are a lot of crappy teenagers with mod privileges out there), injustice could well be part of the equation, and a pretty extreme injustice, too.  I don't trust these people nearly enough to willingly give them that kind of control over me, bad attitude or not.

[Ghandi]

If I knew this was a policy and I wanted to continue playing EA games then I would probably have the common sense to not be a dick on the forums.

But then assuming everyone on the Internet has common sense is silly to begin with.  The fact remains though that ultimately your destiny in this situation lies in your own hands.

But whether or not this policy is enforced is irrelevant- it shouldn't exist to begin with. Why should you be denied the right to play something you purchased simply because some mod bans you? Its the equivallent of someone taking away your car because you yelled at a salseman at the dealership.

[Quemaqua]

Good comparison.

[K-man]

I'm not agreeing with EA's tactics here.  I'm just saying that even with this ridiculous rule, a negative experience is very avoidable.

[Ghandi]

True. I don't post on their forums and I'm certainly not going to now.

[MysterD]

So, what's next?
EA gonna see this Overwritten site and start banning us from their games for talking shit about EA?
Once companies feel too powerful, they abuse their power.
EA want to ban someone from the forums for being an asshole on the boards? FINE.
But don't ban them from a game product they paid for.
That's just flippin' ridiculous.
As if the Securom Internet Activation shit wasn't enough already.

EA keeps this up, people won't buy their games when they expensive.
People will pirate them and/or buy them cheap with a freakin' crack.

[idolminds]

From reading the thread and stuff, this policy extends to game lobbies and in-game behavior. So getting banned from the game gets you banned from all games. Getting banned in the forum gets you banned in all games. Basically, if its tied to a single account, any banning would disable everything on the account.

[Xessive]

From reading the thread and stuff, this policy extends to game lobbies and in-game behavior. So getting banned from the game gets you banned from all games. Getting banned in the forum gets you banned in all games. Basically, if its tied to a single account, any banning would disable everything on the account.

That is plain retarded. I hope EA goes up in flames. Literally.

[MysterD]

From reading the thread and stuff, this policy extends to game lobbies and in-game behavior. So getting banned from the game gets you banned from all games. Getting banned in the forum gets you banned in all games. Basically, if its tied to a single account, any banning would disable everything on the account.

Are they trying to force legit gamers who get banned to use cracks or something?

Hell, why the hell do they even publish PC games if they are going to treat us PC gamers like we're all jerks and pirates?

[Xessive]

Are they trying to force legit gamers who get banned to use cracks or something?

Hell, why the hell do they even publish PC games if they are going to treat us PC gamers like we're all jerks and pirates?

This isn't treating us like pirates. This is treating us as though we're living under martial law in a quarantine zone with a zero tolerance policy. This is when I pull out the big "FUCK YOU" to EA and actively pursue sabotaging their sales and inter-corporate relationshsips.

I actually wanted to buy Dead Space and perhaps even Red Alert 3 but not anymore. I'll inform my friends, who may be interested in buying any EA title, of EA's fucked up system ensuring that they too don't buy anything from EA. Heck I will even hang out at stores and raise awareness on EA's poopfest.

[MysterD]

This isn't treating us like pirates.

When I said "jerks," I was referring to the whole EA banning from forums and games.
When I said "pirates," I was referring to their Securom protection.

I know, sometimes when I type, I do a lot of indirect referencing/alluding to things.
So maybe, I should be more clear at times.
 

This is treating us as though we're living under martial law in a quarantine zone with a zero tolerance policy. This is when I pull out the big "FUCK YOU" to EA and actively pursue sabotaging their sales and inter-corporate relationshsips.

Why does EA even have forums that allow replies if they're gonna go this route?
Why don't they just have locked topics full of info regarding patches and junk?

I actually wanted to buy Dead Space and perhaps even Red Alert 3 but not anymore. I'll inform my friends, who may be interested in buying any EA title, of EA's fucked up system ensuring that they too don't buy anything from EA. Heck I will even hang out at stores and raise awareness on EA's poopfest.

Is EA just asking for people to march up to their offices and protest them?

[Pugnate]

Well it looks like the banning restriction only applies to the online portions. It still sucks of course.

[MysterD]

Well it looks like the banning restriction only applies to the online portions. It still sucks of course.

So, if you get banned, you can still still play Spore SP -- but you won't be able to access say Spore's MP Community side to download new creatures and junk?

That would suck -- b/c the game's re-playability is probably really built off of what the users create.

Imagine getting cut-off from Crysis Wars (MP) -- ick. MEans you'd be stuck with only Crysis: Warhead SP, eh?

[Xessive]

So, if you get banned, you can still still play Spore SP -- but you won't be able to access say Spore's MP Community side to download new creatures and junk?

That would suck -- b/c the game's re-playability is probably really built off of what the users create.

Imagine getting cut-off from Crysis Wars (MP) -- ick. MEans you'd be stuck with only Crysis: Warhead SP, eh?

Pretty much. Which is pretty much the same access pirating those games would give you. So what they're indirectly saying is "Since we're gonna be dicks about it go ahead and pirate our shit."

I get the feeling Ricitello is a lot like the Homeland Security director in the recent South Park episodes "Pandemic" and "Pandemic 2 - The Startling."

[K-man]

I'm fairly positive that once this gets some media attention it won't be the policy for long

[MysterD]

I'm fairly positive that once this gets some media attention it won't be the policy for long

EA's already being sued for Securom for Mass Effect PC and Spore PC (in a class action suit).
So, this might be next.

[idolminds]

Haha, Pug is famous!

[Quemaqua]

Heh, way to go, Puggy.

[Pugnate]

lol, I've had Kotaku and Joystiq post news I've sent a couple of times... but they both skipped this one. Good thing Shacknews found this to be worthy of concern.

I also posted the item on 1UP and Penny Arcade:

http://boards.1up.com/zd/board/message?board.id=games&thread.id=914385

and what has really spawned into a long discussion:

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=73499

edit:

Idol how did you ever find something as obscure as this EA mod's forum post? Good thing you did, because people over the interwebs are getting upset heh. The thread has spawned to 12 pages on PA in 24 hours.

edit:

http://kotaku.com/5070957/backtalk-in-eas-forums-get-banned-from-your-games

Kotaku finally posted, though they didn't give credit. Oh well. If this actually works, then secretly we know that the Overwritten community helped bring EA to its knees... or something.

[idolminds]

I can't take any credit for finding it. It came across my RSS reader the other day from this blog post.

[Ghandi]

Nicely done, Pug

Its shitty that they didn't give you credit, though. You should threaten to hold back future breaking stories until they credit you.

[Pugnate]

Insert Quote
I can't take any credit for finding it. It came across my RSS reader the other day from this blog post.

Regardless, OW.net may have started some sort of a shitstorm for EA. The post count on Kotaku and Shack is going higher by the min.

This one guy on Kotaku had a good point though:

1. EA does something stupid
2. Everyone Complains
3. EA ignores everyone
4. People still buy the games
5.
6. Profit

Rinse and repeat

[Quemaqua]

Haha, quoted for truth.  Sad, but still just a little funny.

[MysterD]

Congrats on a job well done, Pug.

Now, quick!
Someone quickly plug OWNet on the other sites shamelessly!

[Xessive]

Keep it up Pug!

I hope the lawsuit against EA goes through and works out in the gamers' favour. At the very least it will force them to reconsider some of their asanine policies.

One more title I was really interested in but will boycotte is Mirror's Edge. I refuse to support these dipshits and I hope that all the studios currently aligned with EA (Bioware, DICE, and others) catch wind of the shitstorm and hop off this sinking ship.

[MysterD]

Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, Crysis: Warhead -- I would've bought them, if it wasn't for the DRM and all of EA's associated new BS.