[RD] Games as a Service

EULAs bother me. The consumer has literally no option to negotiate, it's either take it or leave it.

Tron: Evolution is a classic example of this issue, where the DRM now stops all copies from running.

It wasn't that game, but once I bought a game at Wal-Mart that turned out to require access to an online service...which had just shut down a month or two earlier. And I could not get a refund because the packaging was open.
 
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I don't think so, but it was so long ago that I can't be entirely certain.

I think I eventually did get a refund after escalating to the manager with a printout from someplace proving that the game was shut down but that was a hassle.
 
EULAs bother me. The consumer has literally no option to negotiate, it's either take it or leave it.

I agree. Companies get around this though by saying the consumer is not obligated to purchase their product and that by purchasing the product, the consumer is giving implied consent to the EULA.
 
and that by purchasing the product, the consumer is giving implied consent to the EULA.

...except that the EULA is often on the inside of the box. Assuming you're buying it physically.
 
I agree. Companies get around this though by saying the consumer is not obligated to purchase their product and that by purchasing the product, the consumer is giving implied consent to the EULA.
...except that the EULA is often on the inside of the box. Assuming you're buying it physically.

And that's why EULAs probably aren't legally enforceable, but then the corporations have armies of expensive lawyers and extensive legalese on their sides, so it's unlikely ever to be tested in court.
 
And so many of them say "you agree to binding arbitration, and we get to pick the arbitrator!"
 
And that's why EULAs probably aren't legally enforceable, but then the corporations have armies of expensive lawyers and extensive legalese on their sides, so it's unlikely ever to be tested in court.

It would depend on the jurisdiction the case is tried in as well. I would imagine EULAs would probably be ruled unenforceable in the EU while in the US, it really could go either way.
 
Indeed, yes.
 
So, any anybody done selling the duplicate trading cards on the Steam marketplace? Apparently I can only get a few cents for each one and no guarantee that they'll actually sell.
 
I've probably made at least $3 selling cards over time.
 
Stumbling on this thread _x months late; Ross's video was what first came to mind but I did come across this article from a couple years back. It's not specifically about games, but the overlap is abundant.

What deceptions?
Steam was originally billed as an optional patch distribution service, then when it rolled out people realized it was essentially retroactive DRM. It was also not clearly communicated that going forward Steam would be mandatory for all future games, even when sold in hard copy; I remember a lot of people (myself included) were blindsided that Half-Life 2, a singleplayer game, needed an online account just to install.
 
It kind of bothers me when I see an interesting game and then see that it has a lot of DLCs because it can be hard to tell if the DLCs are just cosmetic things or if they change the entire game around. Or worst of all, putting necessary fixes into DLC so you can sell it for money.
 
Stumbling on this thread _x months late; Ross's video was what first came to mind but I did come across this article from a couple years back. It's not specifically about games, but the overlap is abundant.


Steam was originally billed as an optional patch distribution service, then when it rolled out people realized it was essentially retroactive DRM. It was also not clearly communicated that going forward Steam would be mandatory for all future games, even when sold in hard copy; I remember a lot of people (myself included) were blindsided that Half-Life 2, a singleplayer game, needed an online account just to install.

Half-Life 2, one of the most anticipated sequels of all time, was intentionally parleyed into a position in the DRM business that destroyed brick and mortar PC game distribution. That was the plan, that was the result, and everyone at Valve who has ever claimed "by gamers for gamers" should face summary execution.
 
Idk, turned out pretty good imo. B&M were no friends of mine.
DRM manufacturers who claim they are doing me a favor are no friends of mine, and I can't imagine what you had against wandering along looking at games on the discount rack as you passed through a store. Even without buying anything I always enjoyed that, and I got some of my favorite games that way; Civ3 among them. Indirectly maybe, but me being on this forum results from the discount rack at a Target store.
 
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