EA Refuse to Refund SimCity - Possible account ban if you take action

[Rydian]

It just goes to show that these companies are only kept afloat by a few flagship juggernaut franchises.

That's how it is in the gaming world in general. Most large companies make pants-on-head retarded decisions, and only their publishing key franchises from others (that they can't damage to an extent) keeps them alive.

An old thread I made about this issue...
http://gbatemp.net/threads/is-it-just-me-or-are-most-video-game-companies-stupid.312221/

 

[Hadrian]

And this :
People should buy another old Simcity game like Simcity 4 (8€ on Amazon)...

Yup, and they'll still be able to play all of the old ones in the future because EA are kinda shitty with keeping servers open. They not too good with newly released games let alone older ones. It's one of my worries about the future of gaming, not being able to play the games in 10 years time. Some are ok, you can hack the shit out of them but SimCity that isn't the case.

 

[corenting]

Yup, and they'll still be able to play all of the old ones in the future because EA are kinda shitty with keeping servers open. They not too good with newly released games let alone older ones. It's one of my worries about the future of gaming, not being able to play the games in 10 years time. Some are ok, you can hack the shit out of them but SimCity that isn't the case.

Yes this game needs to be cracked if we want to play it in 5 years

 

[The Catboy]

Makes me glad I only pirate EA games and even then I hardly ever do that.

 

[Dr. Ivo Robotnik]

That's how it is in the gaming world in general. Most large companies make pants-on-head retarded decisions, and only their publishing key franchises from others (that they can't damage to an extent) keeps them alive.

An old thread I made about this issue...
http://gbatemp.net/threads/is-it-just-me-or-are-most-video-game-companies-stupid.312221/

Essentially, yes. UbiSoft's keeping itself afloat thanks to series such as Assassin's Creed, Activision's piling in the money from the horror that is CoD and, of course, being paired up with Blizzard (who only ever PRODUCES juggernauts ) doesn't hurt their chances.

Oh well, I suppose it helps that I very rarely purchase games from any of these companies anymore these days.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

 

[pokefloote]

I see they've disabled some features from the game to attempt to fix it.
I'm assuming EA will charge everyone to get those features back as a DLC.

 

[BasedKiliK]

I didn't think EA could honestly sink any lower. Weren't they rated 2012's worst company in the world?

Might as well rename themselves "Egotistical Assholes".

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I don't know what you guys are complaining. Rome wasn't built in a day, apparently neither were the Sim City servers.

Joke is something about city building but I'm kinda blank.

 

[Dr. Ivo Robotnik]

I don't know what you guys are complaining. Rome wasn't built in a day, apparently neither were the Sim City servers.

Joke is something about city building but I'm kinda blank.

It's not so much the shoddy release as much as it is EA's singularly atrocious handling of the fallout of same. Offering refunds and then instantaneously reneging on it, going so far as to threaten account bans if users felt forced to take steps on their own end, being too slow to fix things, and so on.

Of course, I'm merely speaking from an observer's position, not having gotten the game, but that's my belief on it.

 

[tbgtbg]

needs more mass effect

 

[Hadrian]

needs more mass effect

And Medal of Honour, that was a fine series until they went modern. I hope Tomb Raider 2013 teaches companies how to reboot a series properly.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Looks like they're knee deep in the hooplah.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Looks like they're knee deep in the hooplah.

I like this City song better lol

I think I found a video of EA customer support in action.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

I like this City song better lol

I think I found a video of EA customer support in action.

Man I loooove me some KISS.

 

[the_randomizer]

So if unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days you may have noticed (it's hard to miss) the recent debacle regarding EA's new reboot of SimCity. Always-online DRM even for a single-player game already had gamers raising their clenched fists; but coupled with extreme under-estimates of server load on EA's part launch adopters of the game have faced persistent problems ranging from disconnects and loss of save data to simply being unable to access their game.


While the server stress appeared to be improving as it released in Europe this wasn't to last and it seems for those who are unhappy with their purchase things have just taken a turn for the worse. Tom Reiertsen, a reader of Eurogamer, has reported that EA are refusing to refund his purchase regardless of his claims of the game being "broken" and "unplayable". Under EU law this is normally grounds to demand a full refund of your purchase, no matter what the product is and this should still be the case here. However, EA state that they are "unable to offer a refund on digital downloads" and, to make matters worse, any attempt to claim a refund charge through your bank account will result in your entire Origin account having "action taken against it". Read the full conversation below:

Via Eurogamer.net

*Reads about Origin* So, EA is upset that Nintendo never wanted this system implemented? Can't say as I blame them for not wanting. Man, that EA rep was a real dickweed. I know where NOT to purchase games.

Product doesn't work
Customer contacts EA via chat
Rep answers question like a dick
Customer demands a refund
Rep "apologizes" for the inconvenience and threatens to lock account

Makes sense to me.

And people say digital downloads will overtake physical copies.

 

[Auryn]

When you guys will learn to keep your money in your pocket even if you would like to play a game that badly??
The thing about always online was know from day 1 so why buy the game at all??
You sure can let a note to EA somewhere saying "i am not buying the game becase xxxx disturbs me".
I understand this is an indirect problem that could not be see before trying the game but I am sure that if you are a sim city fan, you have heared of the server problems soon enough.
If all Sim City fan just don't buy the game, EA has to remove the DRM.
Never forget that we have the power to make any gaming company do what we want, just take the right actions at the right moment.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

When you guys will learn to keep your money in your pocket even if you would like to play a game that badly??
The thing about always online was know from day 1 so why buy the game at all??
You sure can let a note to EA somewhere saying "i am not buying the game becase xxxx disturbs me".
I understand this is an indirect problem that could not be see before trying the game but I am sure that if you are a sim city fan, you have heared of the server problems soon enough.
If all Sim City fan just don't buy the game, EA has to remove the DRM.
Never forget that we have the power to make any gaming company do what we want, just take the right actions at the right moment.

What did you just call my mother?

 

[DJPlace]

wow man this is the last time I'm buying an EA digital... unless it's only digital. I bought burnout for ps3 and my account is locked on my email and they won't change it so fuck that...

 

[Catastrophic]

Why on earth would someone make an online only game that clearly has single player? Do they care more about pirating than their own reputation?