Class action lawsuit

[Exile_Ian]

It's all been said but come off it guys - you want to take legal action over a $50 game - get serious!

No-one forced you to run out the minute the game was released. You all had the choice of just sitting back another week or so to see what the reaction was - how many problems there'd be - whether your particular PC setup was going to be up to it etc.

All games have bugs, and as specs of PCs vary so wildily, no software company can test every configuration. (That's the choice we make with PCs vs consoles). For me though, what's important is how supportive is the company when the inevitable problems become known. Firaxis has always been quick to respond (for Civ III especially) - remember they still have to test solutions and patchs are not just written in a day. There were solutiuons for many of the issues being published here before my copy even arrived.

May I at least suggest that all those people who voted yes to this poll make a promise to themselves never to buy a leading-edge game until its been released for at least 2 weeks and only then after assuring themselves that their probability of problems is low.

Excuse me while I get back to playing my Civ IV (which installed and worked perfectly first time by the way).

 

[Vertronix]

*passes MrM a binkie*

Buy a quality rig....or get used to tossing 50 bucks away every time you buy a "top of the line" game.

You whiners amaze me.

 

[MrManganese]

Thanks for once again sharing how funny you think this is, Flevance. I take it you're one of the people who managed to get the game running. It would be nice if you acknowledged that for all of us, though, so we can appreciate the angle you're coming from. Laughing at those of us who can't run the game...

Anyway, once again, the point of this sort of lawsuit is not for us to get rich. It's to make sure that companies aren't making money off of the inability of the individual consumer to fight for his rights. Those of you who think it's silly might also have laughed at the Civil rights movement. You probably think Rosa Parks could have found a better way to get a front seat on a bus, or should have just learned to live with her low position in society.

Also I'd like to point out that most software retailers won't refund money, on the basis that software is easily replicable and thus easy to purchase, steal, and return. I can't say I blame them, and this burden should not be on their shoulders anyway.

 

[Black_Hole]

It seems a large number of "bugs" are rendering the game totally unusable. This is a product that, for many people, is literally doing none of what it is supposed to do. If it were one game-breaking issue that would be one thing, but what we have here is an array of debilitating problems right out of the box. A quarter of the people in these forums are viewing technical support, in case you hadn't noticed. The fact is that developers are free to release a poor game, and the only impact it has is if they plan to make a sequel. Developers should be held accountable to produce a product that works. The pathetic threat that "We won't buy your future products" is ignored by developers, because where the individual may have learned his lesson, the collective has not. What recourse do gamers have, besides begging the local software store to accept a software return? I think a class action lawsuit is completely appropriate.

i have only found 1 bug and it doesnt affect gameplay in the smallest way

 

[King Flevance]

As stated earlier on this subject, your best bet is just to hit them in the wallet, taking your game back makes them lose 50 bucks. SO every 2 people that takes it back they lose 100 bucks. Now go nation wide, and it could easily start to pull large groups of money from them. Thats what I am gonna do if the game isnt at least addressed by monday. I am already figuring out what I can do with my 56.99. thats a couple months of City of Heroes, AOE 3, some other game I have been looking at called like 'Kingdom of Settlers' or something like that.... I know Settlers is in the title. BTW if anyone knows what game I am talking about and has played it can you tell me what you thought of that game?

Basically man, become part of the already large group thats has/is close to taking the game back. Thats the best way to show them how many people dont have the patience to wait for their pokey butts.

 

[Mercade]

Have you tried taking the game back and asking for a refund?

Moderator Action: Moved to General Discussions.

It's almost cute, a new member, or an old member hiding under a new name, calling for a lawsuit over nothing. You're too chicken to list your location, but let me guess, somewhere between Mexico and Canada?

Ainwood, you should have moved this to the humour and silly forum.

 

[Mujadaddy]

Hey, Moron #1 --- Did you read the EULA?Moderator Action: Flaming - warned.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

Try doing so. Or, alternately, you can pay me $500/hour to be your legal adviser and I'll spell it out for you in a couple weeks.

 

[King Flevance]

Thanks for once again sharing how funny you think this is, Flevance. I take it you're one of the people who managed to get the game running. It would be nice if you acknowledged that for all of us, though, so we can appreciate the angle you're coming from. Laughing at those of us who can't run the game.

Actually, I can run it. I just cant make since of the graphics and it looks like hell and hard to play when all the terrain is white, and all the ocean is pitch black. Imagine sending a boat into a black abyss, that you cant tell if you uncovered the ocean tiles or not. your only point of reference is you original starting island.

I have been on these boards for 3 days now, sometimes when I would report something that 'changed my graphics' someone else would try that and it would fix theirs. and their comp had worse gear than mine as far as reqs were concerned. That sucks but you smile at them say grats and go back to misery land. I feel for you man, we all do but we are all in the same boat too. The other Civ'rs out there that have it working we cheer them on in hopes one day we will be in their boat and the one we are in can just sink.

 

[Pounder]

Let me guess, pain and suffering.

Is it the pre-order version, I'm sure that someone here will offer to buy it from you.

 

[MrManganese]

Hey, Moron #1 --- Did you read the EULA?Moderator Action: Flaming - warned.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

Try doing so. Or, alternately, you can pay me $500/hour to be your legal adviser and I'll spell it out for you in a couple weeks.

Installation didn't get that far for myself and others. You may either begin eating your words, or offer to handle the case pro bono

 

[Red Door]

why dont you just buy new video and graphic card, and heck, even a new computer with the money you'll save because of lawyer's fees if you dont sue.

 

[PriestOfDiscord]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Oh man, a great game comes out and people still find reasons to be apocalyptic.

 

[Defenestrator]

I got a paper cut when I opened the box. This caused tremendous emotional stress and my professional career as an Olympic typist is ruined. I want ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS as compensation because their paper was too sharp. I don't care about the money that I would've gotten had my life not been tragically ruined by their carelessness. I only want to send a message to the cardboard box industry that we won't tolerate such shoddy manufacturing.

 

[MrManganese]

why dont you just buy new video and graphic card, and heck, even a new computer with the money you'll save because of lawyer's fees if you dont sue.

Once and for all, most of these are not hardware related issues. They are all software related, and they are all the fault of the game developer.

If even one of us wins a class action lawsuit, every one of us wins. I'm willing to do it just for the associated publicity, nevermind the personal satisfaction and getting my $50 back.

 

[Novaya Havoc]

I think that Firaxis handled this game and educating consumers about the updated graphical requirements HORRIBLY. Now they're really emphasizing to "make sure you meet the specs" -- but before? Peh!

I also think that the majority of posters who keep attacking the irritated consumers -- or anyone excepting 2K and Firaxis, for that matter -- are living in an "Ivory Tower" of PC gaming. Very conservative and judgemental arguments coming from this crowd, not to mention downright close-minded and arrogant.


That being said, I voted no. A class action lawsuit? Come on. I think there should be some element of consumer protection involved as far as buggy/patched games, but I don't think class action will solve it.

-B

 

[CivLaw]

Guys, this is a silly idea. You simply don't have a genuine cause of action to file a class action suit. Basically you weren't forced to buy this game and you weren't defrauded by Firaxis by buying it (I know you want to claim you were duped into it, but no one would buy that). As mentioned above, you're simply unhappy about the deal you made, but that's not a valid basis for a lawsuit in this case. Plus, there's no way you could afford it.

 

[MrManganese]

I got a paper cut when I opened the box. This caused tremendous emotional stress and my professional career as an Olympic typist is ruined. I want ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS as compensation because their paper was too sharp. I don't care about the money that I would've gotten had my life not been tragically ruined by their carelessness. I only want to send a message to the cardboard box industry that we won't tolerate such shoddy manufacturing.

The literate forum members among us can all tell that you haven't understood a word of what has been said thus far. I think you for sharing your irrelevant post, and I request that the moderator who moved my thread to the General Discussion forum remove your post.

 

[Mujadaddy]

Installation didn't get that far for myself and others. You may either begin eating your words, or offer to handle the case pro bono

Here's your pro bono -- the most you can expect from Firaxis/Take2 is your purchase price.

 

[ainwood]

The literate forum members among us can all tell that you haven't understood a word of what has been said thus far. I think you for sharing your irrelevant post, and I request that the moderator who moved my thread to the General Discussion forum remove your post.

We don't censure people for making claims like that - unless they're over-the-top trolling. Your best action would be to explain why punative damages don't get awarded like that.

Or ignore him.

 

[MrManganese]

You simply don't have a genuine cause of action to file a class action suit.

If Apple customers can file a class action suit for the shoddy quality of the plastic used to build an iPod nano, crippling Apple's sales, then there's no reason whatsoever why gamers can't do the same to set an example for what happens when consumers are substituted for beta testers.