I AM DISGUSTED - WHY WOULD EA DO THIS???

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reekydesert

61 posts

Master Geek

#100978 21-Apr-2012 23:18

My friend was leaving the country. Before he left, he gave me his copy of Mass Effect 3 he bought from JB not long ago, saying he doesn't want to carry the game to the new country. Fine for me, until I tried to install it.
I am mainly a PS3 player. So when I found out after putting the disc in my computer, the autorun isn't installing the game but something called Origin, I was really surprised. I felt it's like the bloatware Telcos installed on their custimised phones. Anyway, installed the thing, regiestered an account, I was asked to put in the product key. I could only find something called "series key" on a piece of paper comes with the game. So I entered that.
Then, I couldn't believe my own eyes, I was told but this Origin thingy that the code I just entered has been used. Of course it has been used, because it has been installed and played by my friend!! Now I am using a different Original account, I couldn't even install the game, let alone playing it!?!?!?!?
It just doesn't make sense. Protecting their IP is reasonable, fine. But going this far just shows those companies are out of their minds!!! I know PC game doesn't really have a 2nd hand market, unlike console games, but this code activation thing even kills off the "gift market". I mean, seriously??

I don't know what to do with the game now. I don't want to use my friend's Origin account, and I can't play the game. I don't want to throw it away, it's barely a few month old!!

Have any of you had similar experience? This is plainly ridiculous. It's like if I bought a car, I can't even lend or give to other people to drive. It just doesn't make sense!! I'm furious now...

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2385 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#613016 21-Apr-2012 23:23

You can go online to the EA website and buy a new key for a few bucks

reekydesert

61 posts

Master Geek

#613018 21-Apr-2012 23:28

yeah right, nice way of making money, twice from the same (piece of) product.
i am considering downloading it now, only concern is the game is pretty big...

l43a2

1779 posts

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#613021 22-Apr-2012 00:05

nothing new.

jtbthatsme

937 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#613045 22-Apr-2012 08:38

So what your saying is that you would like to be able to install and play a game owned and registered to someone else for free???

Why would any company want to do that??? What happens when your done with it??? Do you get to pass it it on and have more people install register and play for free??? Hell why not have the original disk passed around your office or school with another 5, 10, 100, 1000 people install and play for free???

You do realise they are a business right??? They have to be able to make money and your idea of pass it on and let anyone with a genuine disk and key install it for free when your done with it doesn't really fit that business model lol.

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#613067 22-Apr-2012 09:02

Speak to your friend and ask him/her to uninstall it so you can use the licence.

Azzura

603 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#613075 22-Apr-2012 09:23

Why shouldn't he be able to play it. As long as the key is only currently being used/played by him...whats the problem?

He didn't pirate it, he is playing with a legit key. I should say...he is trying to play with a legit key.

My car is owned and registered to me....I can lend it to anyone I want...I just have to give them the key. It would seem pretty crazy to think if Honda had a sign on the dash that read - sorry the car is registered to someone else...you must buy your own Honda (or w/e) car.

Klipspringer

2385 posts

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Inactive user

#613080 22-Apr-2012 09:36

Azzura: Why shouldn't he be able to play it. As long as the key is only currently being used/played by him...whats the problem?

He didn't pirate it, he is playing with a legit key. I should say...he is trying to play with a legit key.

My car is owned and registered to me....I can lend it to anyone I want...I just have to give them the key. It would seem pretty crazy to think if Honda had a sign on the dash that read - sorry the car is registered to someone else...you must buy your own Honda (or w/e) car.

Its no different to giving away a Windows Install CD which has already been registered to another computer. The CD (game in this case) is just the media, there is nothing to give away.

If he had unistalled/unregistered the game before giving it away it should be possible. But like a windows install, it does not matter if one has the legit key. You not able to install it on a second computer. It makes sense.

EA offers a solution, a simple visit onto their website to get a new key for a few bucks

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ImHighAs

50 posts

Geek

#613083 22-Apr-2012 09:46

Azzura: Why shouldn't he be able to play it. As long as the key is only currently being used/played by him...whats the problem?

He didn't pirate it, he is playing with a legit key. I should say...he is trying to play with a legit key.

My car is owned and registered to me....I can lend it to anyone I want...I just have to give them the key. It would seem pretty crazy to think if Honda had a sign on the dash that read - sorry the car is registered to someone else...you must buy your own Honda (or w/e) car.

Lol what a ridiculous comparison.

Azzura

603 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#613087 22-Apr-2012 10:09

BraaiGuy:
Azzura: Why shouldn't he be able to play it. As long as the key is only currently being used/played by him...whats the problem?

He didn't pirate it, he is playing with a legit key. I should say...he is trying to play with a legit key.

My car is owned and registered to me....I can lend it to anyone I want...I just have to give them the key. It would seem pretty crazy to think if Honda had a sign on the dash that read - sorry the car is registered to someone else...you must buy your own Honda (or w/e) car.

Its no different to giving away a Windows Install CD which has already been registered to another computer. The CD (game in this case) is just the media, there is nothing to give away.

If he had unistalled/unregistered the game before giving it away it should be possible. But like a windows install, it does not matter if one has the legit key. You not able to install it on a second computer. It makes sense.

EA offers a solution, a simple visit onto their website to get a new key for a few bucks

Depends on what version of Windows you refer to.

Retail versions of Windows can be moved to different machines but each product key can be installed one only 1 computer at a time.

And you don't have to go to Microsoft and buy a new key for a few bucks.

jtbthatsme

937 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#613094 22-Apr-2012 10:48

It's basically DRM the company is protecting their digital rights for their intellectual property. You do not own the game, buying it if you accept the terms of use (EULA) then you have the right to use it.

If they want to restrict the number of people who are allowed to install it they have every right to do so. Did your friend buy a game that said 2 (or more) user licence??? I doubt they did if you want that try Steam as sometimes they sell multipacks of the same game for you to share around your friends.

What your suggesting is that anyone with a genuine key and disk is good to install it. Again I'd have to point back to what I said earlier what's to stop you passing that key and disk around dozens, hundreds, thousands of people then the company is missing out on sales and the money they need to be able to make more games for us all to enjoy.

reekydesert

61 posts

Master Geek

#613101 22-Apr-2012 11:13

I am really surprised that many people think this is normal. so it is not something new?
@jtbthatsme I am not trying to install and play a game for free, my friend, the original owner gave it to me, I now have the ownership of the game. Whether I paid for it or not should have nothing to do with my title to it.
I also understand the disc is just a media holding the content and the product key is the ownership. Passing it around and get multiple people install and play is not right - concurrent usage of the software and game using one key is not legal and companies have all the right to bar that. But it is not the case for me here. I am the sole owner of the game now through legit means. I guess this is the key difference between pc and console game market. For console games you can buy and sell, the disc is both the content and the ownership.
if in this case my friend gave me a ps3 game, would any of you still think it's ridiculous for me to complain should I not be able to play it? Why should the owner of a pc or console game get treated differently?

The car analogy is very right. As the owner of the vehicle you can do any lawful things with it, including lending it to other people, or give it away for free. Another analogy can be books, you can borrow or lend books from or to other people. Kindle (maybe Nook or Kobo, need to validate that) starts or is starting to have the "lend" function, from what I read once the book is lent out, it will disappear from your library till the lend period finish. If Kindle/Amazon thinks this a good business model, why would game companies think differently (losing money and sales)?
To some people's point, passing it around to multiple people to install is NOT right, but I am talking about legit transfer of ownership. About paying a few bucks to EA to get a new key is just a way game companies trying to control/get a cut from second hand game market which traditionally they have no control over.

Handle9

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#613110 22-Apr-2012 11:39

You don't one the game, your friend doesn't own the game. Your friend has a license to play the game under the EULA, which he agreed to when he installed the game. I imagine as part of that EULA it says that he can't resell the game etc etc etc. The mechanism that EA enforces this is through it's account system. It's not like EA have concealed this.

You are equating a license agreement with ownership of property. They're different and to equate them is not accurate.

I would imagine that EA wouldn't see a great deal of difference (other than scale) between your friend giving you his license key and posting it on the internet for random people to use.

The reason that you find this unfair it used to be open season and software companies didn't have an easy way to enforce their EULAs, now they do with near universal internet adoption. If you don't like the way a company licenses their products then don't buy them. If enough customers stop buying them then they might look at changing. Given that you haven't paid for this license then I don't think that they'll be loosing much sleep over it.

LookingUp

411 posts

Ultimate Geek

#613121 22-Apr-2012 12:09

The car analogy is very right. As the owner of the vehicle you can do any lawful things with it, including lending it to other people, or give it away for free. ....

As others have said, it's not like a car - your friend didn't actually "own" the software. If you want an analogy it's more like a drivers licence - you can't hand that on to someone else when you're finished with it, even though you did pay to get it.

Things are LookingUp.... A photo from my back yard :-)

jtbthatsme

937 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#613128 22-Apr-2012 12:38

Also just wondering about your comment about why are pc to console owners different they aren't however you will always pay more for a console game than a pc game and both next gen sonsoles are rumoured to not be able to play 2nd hand games which wouldn't be hard to setup as it would simply be a case of keeping a file on the 1st console that plays it to show that this is the original owner in 99.99% of cases.

Azzura

603 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#613141 22-Apr-2012 13:27

They should call it what it is....you're renting the game.

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