• SimCity launch hobbled by server strain; EA offering refunds
    153 replies, posted
[QUOTE=legolover122;39812550]Until people start some sort of organized mass lobby against EA then i'm out. [U]A few people not buying copies won't do jack shit because the people that do will far outweigh those who don't.[/U] My method is buy the games that I like and don't buy the games I don't. Yeah it's shitty that the launch was a mess. I don't even have my game yet due to UPS being a bunch of fucks. But tomorrow or the next day it'll be just fine and I can get on and play a nice game of sim city 5 with muh bestest of facepunch friends. [editline]5th March 2013[/editline] It's not like EA doesn't notice that this failed miserably. They know for sure.[/QUOTE] It's people like you who are part of the problem; I am sorry but that's how it is. Being all weak-willed in the face of millions is a detrimental trait, and detracts from what is essentially a war effort, plus by crumbling like this you are essentially feeding the enemy. Giving farm to the enemy is NOT a good idea; even if it's just one death that's still 200+ Gold ($60) lining the pockets of Anti-Mage (EA), and right now he's carrying no less than [U]3[/U] fully-levelled Dagon Rapiers! Imagine combining Divine Rapier with Dagon, then levelling it to level 5, and that's pretty much Dagon Rapier in a nutshell; a very dangerous item that is essentially a oneshot. Also, if there isn't an organised mass lobby against EA, then the logical solution is to make one; hell you could start a Facebook page called "Down with EA" and a Steam Group and a Twitter account. Massively spreading the word and preaching to people not to buy from EA could potentially gather a hefty amount of steam with the right motivationals and legitimate information; if we work together we could convince so many people to ditch EA and demand ALL the refunds, cancel ALL the preorders, and boycott ALL of their games. However it'd need to retain substance and not devolve into shouting slogans, even though that's usually effective. If we devolve into slogans and generic propaganda, people wouldn't take us as seriously, so we'd need to be careful in our effort to be the David to the EA Goliath. Also we'd need to be steadfast and full of fortitude, with the concepts of backing down or being apathetic being the subject of many a joke; with a strong enough force and sturdy enough spirit, "Down with EA" could potentially make a difference. But we can't do it alone; we'll need support from all four corners (possibly more) of cyberspace and be determined to get off our asses and do something about EA's horrid business practices. I'm honestly serious; I want to see EA dead before 2020, and the industry needs your help to make this happen. Will you make a stand or will you remain part of the problem? The choice is yours, of course, but you'll end up doing some pretty serious damage to the industry if you keep on buying their shit. Just a heads-up; damaging the gaming industry is not something you'll want on your conscience. You wouldn't need to actively join to make a difference; you'd just need to refrain from buying stuff from EA, that's all. It's simple self-control, something I have become somewhat adept at over the years (not a master, but I can still control myself most of the time).
If EA really grinds your gears so much, just blow their offices up or something. [editline]5th March 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=HazzaHardie;39812793]Hitler didnt have DRM or micro-transactions[/QUOTE] Hitler actually opposed big companies having so much power independant from the government.
My point is that why should I miss out on a game I wish to play when my missing out won't do a single goddamn thing, just like me buying it won't do anything hardly at all. It's the mass that is required. Me and a few other people won't change anything by not buying. So I choose to give EA my money and play a game I want to play. I don't see how that makes me "weak willed," it just means i'm going to do what I want to do. Until something gets started i'm just going to buy and play the games I want to play. [editline]5th March 2013[/editline] It's the mass that effects things. A minority choosing to not buy won't change anything. I want to play the game. So I choose to be in the majority, buy the game, and then enjoy the game.
[QUOTE=Coffee;39812866]If EA really grinds your gears so much, just blow their offices up or something.[/QUOTE] I am many things but I ain't a terrorist; even if you're joking that ain't funny. If such things were legal and permitted, which they aren't, and for good reason, it'd be a different story, but I would never do such a thing. If I could place some sort of ghastly voodoo curse on the investors that are funding them, causing them and their families to refrain from sending any money to EA under threat of supernatural horrors and shattered sanity, I probably would, since there's no legislation prohibiting the use of dark sorceries against people because there's no such thing as sorceries; such things exist only in the realms of fantasy and creepypasta.
[QUOTE=Novangel;39812712]At least they offered refunds, awfully nice. I believe Blizzard pretty much gave a big fuck you.[/QUOTE] I think they offered refunds in South Korea but only because the South Korean FTC launched an investigation.
[QUOTE=ironman17;39812841]-snip-[/QUOTE] I think you're going a little overboard with your hyperbole. Calm down, it's just a video game. And Internet boycotts [url=http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/images/mw2_boycott.jpg]work[/url] [url=http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/11/l4d2boycott.jpg]so[/url] [url=http://i.imgur.com/abXW9.png]well[/url]
Do you think, for those who pre-ordered it, you could get refunded for the game but still keep that 20$ coupon thing? Then buy the game again for 20$ off. Just to fuck with them.
[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;39812996]I think you're going a little overboard with your hyperbole. Calm down, it's just a video game. And Internet boycotts work [URL="http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/11/l4d2boycott.jpg"]so[/URL] [URL="http://i.imgur.com/abXW9.png"]well[/URL][/QUOTE] That was one of my concerns with the potential drawback to "Down with EA"; it'd draw publicity and result in higher sales due to toxic individuals being seduced by the shiny games. Also, [B]NO[/B]; this isn't just about a video game, it's about the future of the entire industry. If we encourage and tolerate stuff like this, we risk bringing more of it into the industry, which could ruin a lot more games due to other not-so smart publishers and developers following suit in the hopes of making a profit, which in turn could ruin a sizeable chunk of [U]our[/U] gaming industry (it belongs to the people and all that). We might not know it, but we have a lot of power collectively; the key is in unlocking that latent gestalt power of change, and voting with our wallets en-masse to say "NO! This is NOT what we want; change things or you will not see a penny of our cash!" In my opinion, more people need to flip out like Arin Hanson glitching into a wall and yelling "WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT IS THIS?!" and say to ourselves "What am I willing to put up with today? NOT FUCKING THIS!" This is not something that's going to go away; as a consumer of the gaming industry you have a great deal of responsibility in your two hands, and though it might not seem like much, collective negligence of the wellbeing of our industry is a danger to our society, since it will bring about undesirable changes that will further rape the consumer for pursuing their chosen hobby. If you are not against EA's practices, and do not act in opposition to them, you are a part of the problem and should not be a part of the industry. I am sorry, but that's the way it goes; if you are harming the industry you should not be allowed to be a part of it, whether you're a simple consumer or a big-name console manufacturing tycoon. There is no way to say "I like the game but I hate your business practices" or "Though I don't like this game I'm ok with the business model" in the black tongue of the Investors; they only understand "I will pay money for this" or "I will not do business with you", and if you cannot understand the consequences by voting with your wallet for something you cannot comprehend, you shouldn't be a consumer in our industry. Even if the damage you do only a minor chip in the wall on your part, there are millions of others like you who are doing the same amount of damage, which amounts to a significant amount of damage overall. And just because the political power you wield alone is a feeble spark, that does not mean that when combined with other sparks it doesn't become something far greater than the sum of it's parts. Do you want pay-to-win transactions in your singleplayer experience? Do you want always-on DRM in your games? Do you want a game that is incomplete on launch, with pre-produced content nickle-and-diming your ass over a barrel and milking you dry? If not, make and effort and take a stand. But if you do, well then I really don't want to know what sites you go to in the nighttimes... Also Ice Tea has the right idea; they've screwed us over for so many years, so naturally we should screw them back with a power drill up the urethra. Piracy is out of the question though; even a socialist like myself has standards when it comes to making purchases. But demanding a refund then using the free coupon to essentially buyback at a lower price is an acceptable compromise; sure you're still feeding like a bad player, but at least you're denying your creeps and minimizing the damage you are doing to the industry. Also, I'd say buy used games to deny them your money whilst supporting your local merchants who probably deserve your money more, but modern DRM is making that course of action less viable.
[QUOTE=Taiset;39810851]crackers are already cracking this i have heard[/QUOTE] How do you know that the people working on the crack are white?
[QUOTE=ironman17;39813292]That was one of my concerns with the potential drawback to "Down with EA"; it'd draw publicity and result in higher sales due to toxic individuals being seduced by the shiny games. Also, [B]NO[/B]; this isn't just about a video game, it's about the future of the entire industry. If we encourage and tolerate stuff like this, we risk bringing more of it into the industry, which could ruin a lot more games due to other not-so smart publishers and developers following suit in the hopes of making a profit, which in turn could ruin a sizeable chunk of [U]our[/U] gaming industry (it belongs to the people and all that). We might not know it, but we have a lot of power collectively; the key is in unlocking that latent gestalt power of change, and voting with our wallets en-masse to say "NO! This is NOT what we want; change things or you will not see a penny of our cash!" In my opinion, more people need to flip out like Arin Hanson glitching into a wall and yelling "WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT IS THIS?!" and say to ourselves "What am I willing to put up with today? NOT FUCKING THIS!" This is not something that's going to go away; as a consumer of the gaming industry you have a great deal of responsibility in your two hands, and though it might not seem like much, collective negligence of the wellbeing of our industry is a danger to our society, since it will bring about undesirable changes that will further rape the consumer for pursuing their chosen hobby. If you are not against EA's practices, and do not act in opposition to them, you are a part of the problem and should not be a part of the industry. I am sorry, but that's the way it goes; if you are harming the industry you should not be allowed to be a part of it, whether you're a simple consumer or a big-name console manufacturing tycoon. There is no way to say "I like the game but I hate your business practices" or "Though I don't like this game I'm ok with the business model" in the black tongue of the Investors; they only understand "I will pay money for this" or "I will not do business with you", and if you cannot understand the consequences by voting with your wallet for something you cannot comprehend, you shouldn't be a consumer in our industry. Even if the damage you do only a minor chip in the wall on your part, there are millions of others like you who are doing the same amount of damage, which amounts to a significant amount of damage overall. And just because the political power you wield alone is a feeble spark, that does not mean that when combined with other sparks it doesn't become something far greater than the sum of it's parts. Do you want pay-to-win transactions in your singleplayer experience? Do you want always-on DRM in your games? Do you want a game that is incomplete on launch, with pre-produced content nickle-and-diming your ass over a barrel and milking you dry? If not, make and effort and take a stand. But if you do, well then I really don't want to know what sites you go to in the nighttimes... Also Ice Tea has the right idea; they've screwed us over for so many years, so naturally we should screw them back with a power drill up the urethra. Piracy is out of the question though; even a socialist like myself has standards when it comes to making purchases. But demanding a refund then using the free coupon to essentially buyback at a lower price is an acceptable compromise; sure you're still feeding like a bad player, but at least you're denying your creeps and minimizing the damage you are doing to the industry. Also, I'd say buy used games to deny them your money whilst supporting your local merchants who probably deserve your money more, but modern DRM is making that course of action less viable.[/QUOTE] You need to calm down, yes EA is being an asshole by restricting the game with their DRM, but they clearly recognise that they fucked up, and are offering refunds, and what you're trying t do is essentially the same you're complaining about. You trying to tell people what games they can, and can't play based on your own beliefs is restricting games as well, let people play what they want to play.
Heh, classy. Still, piracy is no laughing matter; there is no honour in it. Better to not do business with scumbags than to try and cheat them. Also this is aimed at everyone; every man, woman and child on the internet. Either do business with them and get screwed over, or don't do business and walk out with your ass unrodgered; trying to cheat them only results in a power drill up the pisser.
I knew this would happen, I hope you're all having fun with Sim City, also encouraging EA to keep doing this bullshit by so many of you buying it in this state Meanwhile, all the people who illegally obtained the game and use a crack: Playing freely with no issues. Valve said it best, You have to compete with Free, and EA just will not grasp that concept. This is not how you compete with free
[QUOTE=TheTalon;39813592]I knew this would happen, I hope you're all having fun with Sim City, also encouraging EA to keep doing this bullshit by so many of you buying it in this state Meanwhile, all the people who illegally obtained the game and use a crack: Playing freely with no issues. Valve said it best, You have to compete with Free, and EA just will not grasp that concept. This is not how you compete with free[/QUOTE] Wow it's almost like you didn't read the thread. This game can't be cracked on account of all the server side components.
[QUOTE=TheTalon;39813592]Meanwhile, all the people who illegally obtained the game and use a crack: Playing freely with no issues. Valve said it best, You have to compete with Free, and EA just will not grasp that concept. This is not how you compete with free[/QUOTE] Despite the fact that we've iterated time and time again that at minimum a crack would require a server emulator that doesn't exist yet? There is no "crack," because the game logic takes place on the server. This is the same concept with Diablo III's servers - there is not nor will there ever be a "crack" that will enable it to run offline - there has to be at minimum a server emulator.
[QUOTE=nicatronTg;39813674]Despite the fact that we've iterated time and time again that at minimum a crack would require a server emulator that doesn't exist yet? There is no "crack," because the game logic takes place on the server. This is the same concept with Diablo III's servers - there is not nor will there ever be a "crack" that will enable it to run offline - there has to be at minimum a server emulator.[/QUOTE] You guys do realize that it can and will be done, right? it isn't magically unplayable unless you buy it just because EA stores some of the content
[QUOTE=ironman17;39813584]Heh, classy. Still, piracy is no laughing matter; there is no honour in it. Better to not do business with scumbags than to try and cheat them.[/QUOTE] Who was that directed at?
[QUOTE=plunger435;39813695]Who was that directed at?[/QUOTE] Probably me. I rated him funny because I strangely read his post in the voice of one of those 1930's PSA narrators.
[QUOTE=TheTalon;39813688]You guys do realize that it can and will be done, right? it isn't magically unplayable unless you buy it just because EA stores some of the content[/QUOTE] It's not content, it's the game logic. You need to learn how server based programming works. There is literally no game code on the client itself - it networks with the server in order to get data back and forth, akin to a MMORPG. Yes, writing an emulator can and will be done eventually. See RuneScape, World of Warcraft, or several other games with server emulators that exist. Your post, however, implied the existence and usability of one as existing now: [quote] Meanwhile, all the people who illegally obtained the game and use a crack: Playing freely with no issues.[/quote] This is a false statement entirely. There are no cracks currently in existence. There are no players playing "freely with no issues" using said crack.
[QUOTE=TheTalon;39813688]You guys do realize that it can and will be done, right? it isn't magically unplayable unless you buy it just because EA stores some of the content[/QUOTE] For the full game, with multiple cities in a region, there will probably never be a simple crack. EA isn't just storing some of the content, they're doing a lot of the calculations too.
[QUOTE=plunger435;39813548]You need to calm down, yes EA is being an asshole by restricting the game with their DRM, but they clearly recognise that they fucked up, and are offering refunds, and what you're trying t do is essentially the same you're complaining about. You trying to tell people what games they can, and can't play based on your own beliefs is restricting games as well, let people play what they want to play.[/QUOTE] I would be more endorsing of free will if it didn't threaten to potentially ruin the industry for the rest of humanity. Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do for the overall benefit of society and the world; if it means the difference between a brighter future or a dark doom for us all, then personal preference is not a factor, and you are obligated as a member of society to do what is best for all of us. It's a matter of doing what is actually right, and not what we personally want; you need to think about the bigger picture and the consequences of your actions if you are going to get anywhere in this grim dark world we live in. This applies to all things, not just video games; it's a life lesson that HAS to be learned, it's not like you have a choice in the matter. Trust me; it's for your benefit and the benefit of the entire gaming industry that you do not buy games. It's not like SimCity is the only game of it's kind out there; there are still the earlier titles that are better than the new one, and other games in it's genre. Do not be afraid to go retro; there is still enjoyment to be found in the past. If your enjoyment of something directly harms the industry, you need to exercise self-restraint for all of our sakes; your selfishness and bull-headed determination to do what you want to do will doom us all! Not just you mind; this goes for every single gamer on Earth. You are an active voter in the industry; you are obligated to make the right choices for all of us, and sometimes doing the things that you want to do is detrimental to everyone else, and you DO have something to prove to us; you have to prove that you are a responsible voter and not part of the problem that gnaws away at our fine industry like a serpent gnawing at the roots of the world tree. In the grim corporate darkness of the present day, responsibility and understanding is mandatory in ALL areas of life, even in leisure and hobbies. Use your power responsibly or relinquish it completely; power and responsibility can never be separated so you have to make the right choices if you don't want to destroy everything we have strived SO HARD to accomplish.
For the sake of clarification, here's what DRM traditionally is: Data Rights Management is the process by which something is secured and access is restricted from the client. It is only usable with data from the server to decrypt or run the client code. This is like asking for permission to use a downloaded file. Server based games, like MMORPGs, rely on the server for the main game logic. The client is simply responding to what the server says. The server tells you "okay, it looks like you want to use an item with another item." Then, it checks itself and verifies that it exists, does something, then tells you "it just got used and here's the result." They're two fundamentally different concepts - each with its own way of reverse engineering required to "work offline," so to speak. The latter is a [b]much longer process[/b] as it requires rewriting [b]some or all of the game[/b], in addition to making it work with an existing client. This is without keeping it up to date. A crack simply needs to keep the existing game code in tact and let it execute under all cases - which generally requires less work and time.
[QUOTE=ironman17;39813778]*text*[/QUOTE] You need to say this when leading your troops into battle against the vicious hordes of EA.
I'm not even surprised this flopped as hard as it did
People who pirate games were never going to buy them in the first place. You can say people use them as demos but it's utter bullshit. What EA does by adding DRM is nothing but fucking over their actual customers. Pirates don't just admit defeat and buy your DRM-ridden game. They just end up not playing it. Simple as that. There are very few people who intended to pirate the game who actually ended up buying it after they find out it's impossible to play illegally.
[QUOTE=DeandreT;39813897]People who pirate games were never going to buy them in the first place. You can say people use them as demos but it's utter bullshit. What EA does by adding DRM is nothing but fucking over their actual customers. Pirates don't just admit defeat and buy your DRM-ridden game. They just end up not playing it. Simple as that. There are very few people who intended to pirate the game who actually ended up buying it after they find out it's impossible to play illegally.[/QUOTE] I don't blame pirates because nowadays you have a 50% chance of getting a shit game. Perhaps you need another Aliens Colonial Marines to realise it?
[QUOTE=Mrglitch2000;39813835]You need to say this when leading your troops into battle.[/QUOTE] If I start up a Down with EA Facebook page, yes; I would say this to all the members of the group (all 24 of them, knowing Nuffle and his bullshit) and make sure they know that being a consumer is now just exchanging money for goods and services; there is a whole labyrinth of important concepts and responsibilities affiliated with trade and commerce, and there's politics in there too. In order to stop being part of the problem and be a responsible consumer, you have to acknowledge that you have a small spark of power that when combined with similarly-aligned sparks that bring about either great things or terrible disasters, like reinvigorating an entire genre of games or bringing about a vile plague of anti-consumer business practices. You have to work together and work responsibly if you're going to be a part of our industry. I know this is beyond the mental capacity of the average Joe who just wants another boring MMS, but responsibility and understanding of our gestalt power is compulsory learning if you are going to be a part of our industry and not be a part of the problem. It's sad and complex, but it is true; there is no escaping it through civilised means, so you'd better get used to it; it's only going to get worse if you don't. This is a fact of life, and if you try to deny or ignore it you might as well believe that the Earth is flat and that the metric system is the work of the devil. Which of course makes you a dolt in the eyes of humanity, an example of what not to be. I'm sorry, but that's just how the universe works; you can't change it no matter how hard you try, they are rules of physics and psychology that can't be broken or bent very far.
Has internet connection required DRM ever worked as intended? The only cases I recall are this and Diablo 3, both of which failed miserably on launch. They need to fuck off with this shit already.
I feel bad for Maxis. The game looks really good, but again EA and their shitty business practices are fucking the devs over.
[QUOTE=ironman17;39812490] So do your part to save the future of [U]our[/U] industry; do not give EA any of your money.[/QUOTE] lmao how self-righteous can you be its a game [editline]5th March 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=DTkach;39814030] The only cases I recall are this and Diablo 3, both of which failed miserably on launch. [/QUOTE] diablo 3 has a huge user base of people who are satisfied with the game, so who cares?
I'm so glad I'm piss broke right now. Yet at the same time, it's also sad this happened. The game looks really fun and no one can play it.
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