Bioware attempting to waste UK government and taxpayer money with ME3 marketing stunt

[Mantonio]

Alright, so here's the deal.

Bioware have started an official campaign for UK citizens to petition our government to release documents about UFOs and such. ([link]http://petition.masseffect.com/[/link])

If you're a UK resident, this leads to another link, this one to our government's e-petitions website. ([link]http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/7812[/link]). If a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it has to be brought up and discussed in Parliament. This is a shameful attempt to use our government's time and money (and through that, our money) for a bloody marketing stunt, which I'm pretty sure is actually illegal.

Misuse of government resources aside, the terms and conditions of the e-petitions website says that you may not use the site for "Commercial endorsements including the promotion of any product, service or publication" or "joke petitions". Besides, it's also completely unnecessary. The UK government releases such articles periodically, and you can view them here. ([link]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos/existing-files.htm[/link]).

Here's a conversation on the Bioware forums between a user posting about the issue, and the moderator Stanley Woo. ([link]http://i.imgur.com/dMukm.jpg[/link]. I've heard that this user was shortly banned after that conversation, but I cannot confirm that.

I've seen some terribly marketing in my time, but this one takes the cake. I am quite angry about this.

Edit: Cleaned up the post a bit, added some info.

 

[Terminate421]

By god you people get pissed about anything. They are just having a bit of fun with the marketing, cut bioware some slack.

You don't even HAVE to sign it.....

 

[Mantonio]

By god you people get pissed about anything. They are just having a bit of fun with the marketing, cut bioware some slack.

A foreign company is trying to use my governments resources - and through it, taxpayer money - to market their product.

If you look under the terms and conditions of the petition website, it says you may not use it for "Commercial endorsements including the promotion of any product, service or publication" or "joke petitions".

What they're doing is illegal. So no, I will not 'cut them some slack'!

 

[Iwata]

By god you people get pissed about anything. They are just having a bit of fun with the marketing, cut bioware some slack.

I agree.

I don't even CARE about the games, but these days it seems that people will jump on Bioware for the stupidest reasons. There is literally NOTHING to be upset about here. Get over yourselves.

 

[Verzin]

By god you people get pissed about anything. They are just having a bit of fun with the marketing, cut bioware some slack.

why? if anything, we need to try and bring Bioware back to its senses, if such a thing can be done.
Truth be told, the pre-EA bioware is all but dead. their team has been split up across the country, their habit of focusing on one game is long broken, their last few games have been rushed out to milk their cash cows, in true EA fashion, and their fans are starting to either turn on them, stop caring, or go into fan-ultra-hyper-mega-bioware defense mode.

still, if enough 'constructive' rage is directed at them, maybe things'll shift back towards what they used to be (I don't really believe that, but optimism rarely hurts.)

 

[GiantRaven]

I don't know...I'd kind of like for that information to be released...

 

[Mantonio]

By god you people get pissed about anything. They are just having a bit of fun with the marketing, cut bioware some slack.

I agree.

I don't even CARE about the games, but these days it seems that people will jump on Bioware for the stupidest reasons. There is literally NOTHING to be upset about here. Get over yourselves.

Must I repeat myself?

A foreign company is trying to use my governments resources - and through it, taxpayer money - to market their product.

If you look under the terms and conditions of the petition website, it says you may not use it for "Commercial endorsements including the promotion of any product, service or publication" or "joke petitions".

What they're doing is illegal. So no, I will not 'cut them some slack'!

I don't know...I'd kind of like for that information to be released...

Did you not even read my post?

The UK government releases such articles periodically, and you can view them for free here. ([link]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos/existing-files.htm[/link]).

 

[Epona]

Alright, so here's the deal.

Bioware have started an official campaign for UK citizens to petition our government to release documents about UFOs and such. ([link]http://petition.masseffect.com/[/link])

If you're a UK resident, this leads to another link to our government's e-petitions website. ([link]http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/7812[/link]). If a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it has to be brought up and discussed in Parliament. Not only is this a shameful attempt to use our government's time and money (and through that, our money) for a bloody marketing stunt, which I'm pretty sure is actually illegal, it's also completely unnecessary. The UK government releases such articles periodically, and you can view them for free here. ([link]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos/existing-files.htm[/link]).

Here's a conversation on the Bioware forums between a user posting about the issue, and the moderator Stanley Woo. ([link]http://i.imgur.com/dMukm.jpg[/link]. I've heard that this user was shortly banned after that conversation, but I cannot confirm that.

I've seen some terribly marketing in my time, but this one takes the cake. I am quite angry about this.

Don't members of Parliament get paid regardless of whether they are in session or not? If they already release this information, then how is this in any way strenuous on the government?

 

[GiantRaven]

Did you not even read my post?

The UK government releases such articles periodically, and you can view them for free here. ([link]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos/existing-files.htm[/link]).

Apparently not. Shame on me. Unfortunately I don't appear to able to view them for free. Ah well.

 

[daveman247]

By god you people get pissed about anything. They are just having a bit of fun with the marketing, cut bioware some slack.

I agree.

I don't even CARE about the games, but these days it seems that people will jump on Bioware for the stupidest reasons. There is literally NOTHING to be upset about here. Get over yourselves.

I dont see how this is a stupid reason. Using a goverment website that specifically says "not for use for marketing stunts" in which this clearly is does seem a bit off. The conversation that the guy had with the mod seems a bit off also. The mod seems to be "fobbing him off" so to speak.

 

[hazabaza1]

Yeah this is kind of ridiculous.
I get it EA, you want to sell Mass Effect. Chill.

 

[Loop Stricken]

Bioware attempting to waste UK government and taxpayer money with ME3 marketing stunt

It doesn't take any government or taxpayer money to ignore something. UK.gov has been doing it for YEARS.

 

[Vegosiux]

By god you people get pissed about anything. They are just having a bit of fun with the marketing, cut bioware some slack.

As I see, what they're doing is actually illegal - no, I refuse to cut them some slack.

I'm not a fan of marketing altogether, my position is quite firm - good merchandise should speak for itself, so cut the hype. I tolerate marketing because it's the way is is; but, too far is too far.

 

[sms_117b]

For crying out loud, the UK government wastes plenty of money a joke petition is nothing, I work for the local authority and good god, you shold see the money Cardiff throws away.

Relax, it's all a bit of fun, it'll cost the tax payers less than a penny a piece, they have to convene anyway, and on top of that a lot of UK citizens don't know about the e-petition, this could show them a way to have their voice heard.

 

[sms_117b]

This is not a defence. If something is illegal someone needs to be held accountable. Especially if the act is taking money from taxes to do it. Shame on you for defending it "oh its just a little bit of money". That's not good enough.

Why do you say my e-petition 'could' be debated in the House of Commons?

If your e-petition reaches the 100,000 signatures, it is eligible for a debate in the House of Commons. However a debate may not be possible:

> if the subject of the e-petition is currently going through legal proceedings, it may be inappropriate for a debate to be held;
> if there has just been, or is about to be, a debate in the House of Commons on the same topic as your e-petition.

100,000 signitures, then it could be eligiable, someone is going to take one look at this and throw it aside, there will be no debate, if, IF it gets to 100,000 because when I signed it 2 hours or so ago there were about 400 signatures. As for setting up an e-petition it takes a net user 5 mins and doesn't have to be checked by anyone in the governement prior to going live.

Now sit there and brood as you think about paying me near £200 over the release weekend to play it.