Is a gaming consumer watch dog needed?

elmuzzy66.

elmuzzy66.

elmuzzy66.

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After reading what is happening with greebo and all this EA banning people's account for what could best described as an 'opinion', do gamers need help from an offical regulator to ensure that we get fair treatment.
 
Most definitely, for some reason the games, movies and music industries seem to be able to make up their own rules that go against normality and get away with it. I still can't get my head around why developers think they're entitled to money from second hand sales.

I also think the watch dog should be involved in how much "help" hardware manufacturers give their own hardware, when "working with" games developers, at the expense of their competitors' performance.
 
Welcome back, kylew. :)

I had issues with EA's download manager. I bought Crysis yet couldn't access it after my first play though.
 
It's multinational, therefore unenforceable.

Most developers make you sign up to TOS. If you don't read them properly then it's nobody else's fault.
 
it would be a bad thing in my opinion. when i had my ps3 there was a lot of games (mortal kombat stands out) that were delayed on the europe store due to the germans being against it, so sony had to fight to get it released. i fear similar issues would arrise with a watchdog, everything would have to go through soo many processes before it could get released, and if something did crop up, customers would suffer whilst it was being investigated.
the t&c's are there for a reason, break them and you cant really complain. i know its frustrating, and maybe bits are on the boarderline of being illegal, but im sure their lawyers have made sure if it went to court they would win.
 
paradisiac said:
the t&c's are there for a reason, break them and you cant really complain. i know its frustrating, and maybe bits are on the boarderline of being illegal, but im sure their lawyers have made sure if it went to court they would win.
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Except 'breaking the T&Cs' can easily be down to some ridiculous clauses they have in there, be a complete grey area that is open for interpretation or just includes a general 'we can close it for no reason'. That last 1 hasn't stood up in court for anything so far.
 
Evilsod said:
Except 'breaking the T&Cs' can easily be down to some ridiculous clauses they have in there, be a complete grey area that is open for interpretation or just includes a general 'we can close it for no reason'. That last 1 hasn't stood up in court for anything so far.
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Doesn't matter, unless you've got limitless time and money to pursue it. If you don't like the T&Cs then vote with your feet and EA will have to resolve the issue.
 
MagicBoy said:
It's multinational, therefore unenforceable.
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So are many industries that have watchdogs. You can put legislation in place so that if a multinational games publisher chooses to operate in your market, they have to abide by certain conditions.

The implication is of course, that if you have too strict a watchdog then you risk publishers pulling out of that market if they don't deem it to be profitable enough. Germany was one that sprung to mind actually (see earlier poster).
 
genan said:
No.
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****
equally as succint & pointless as your post :rolleyes:

I will edit this in the morning and give an actual discussive point rather than a monosylabic **** fuelled answer. I accept I've had a belly of beer happiness. It will be interesting to see if you can do the same?
 
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MagicBoy said:
Doesn't matter, unless you've got limitless time and money to pursue it. If you don't like the T&Cs then vote with your feet and EA will have to resolve the issue.
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This is where people often get confused, Terms and Conditions are often not worth the paper they're printed on, same as EULAs, they're full of crap that they'd never be able to enforce in a million years. But they seem to think "you've agreed to it, so it's enforceable", to which it really isn't. "Contracts" can be null and void simply because of the outrageous terms in them, regardless of if you sign or not, and "you said mean things about us, so we're taking your property from you, because we think we own it because we manufactured it".

I look forward to the day when Volkswagen start using audio controlled computers that stop the car if you're heard saying anything negative about them, and will only start again after a full written apology, and a signed contract saying you'll never do it again, or you'll lose a finger.
 
HangTime said:
So are many industries that have watchdogs. You can put legislation in place so that if a multinational games publisher chooses to operate in your market, they have to abide by certain conditions.

The implication is of course, that if you have too strict a watchdog then you risk publishers pulling out of that market if they don't deem it to be profitable enough. Germany was one that sprung to mind actually (see earlier poster).
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I suppose it's down to what they're actually "watching", didn't the Germany issue have something to do with the game's content? Don't they have conditions where things like blood have to be green?
 
The issue i have with t&c of games is that you get to read them once you have bought the game so you are kind of force to accept them. Try getting a refund for an openned pc game becuase you don't agree with the t&c. Games have stopped being a niche market for nerds, its big buisness and some regulation is needed.
 
elmuzzy66. said:
The issue i have with t&c of games is that you get to read them once you have bought the game so you are kind of force to accept them. Try getting a refund for an openned pc game becuase you don't agree with the t&c. Games have stopped being a niche market for nerds, its big buisness and some regulation is needed.
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Which is just one of the many examples of why EULAs and T&Cs are worthless, you have to buy the game before you're even presented with the "contract".
 
kylew said:
Which is just one of the many examples of why EULAs and T&Cs are worthless, you have to buy the game before you're even presented with the "contract".
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It's the same with most software, take Windows as an example. If you go buy a new Dell PC you can technically refuse to agree to the EULA and request a refund for the OS. It is possible, but extremely difficult.

As regards retail software a lot of retailers won't refund software, historically due to piracy concerns.
 
MagicBoy said:
It's the same with most software, take Windows as an example. If you go buy a new Dell PC you can technically refuse to agree to the EULA and request a refund for the OS. It is possible, but extremely difficult.

As regards retail software a lot of retailers won't refund software, historically due to piracy concerns.
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Exactly, which makes the whole process completely and utterly pointless. You can't read the EULA until you've bought it, and once you've bought and opened it, thus getting the chance to agree or disagree, your only option to to "agree" as you can't disagree and get a refund with any sort of "ease".
 
money that the big companies generate no chance in hell of anything being done.

who would try and go against the power money they have.


hmm independent noobs take on activision / ea yeah right oh.

lol imagine top 20 lawyers in world and some hero independent fighting the pc cause :p . say this mister say that . this is what is happening now. this is why its starting to happen as they can dictate what they want due to the money that is involved.
 
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