Boycott EA Over Origin? I say yes!

[honestdiscussioner]

As you may have read about [a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112559-Internet-Explodes-Over-Origins-Invasion-of-Privacy"]here on this website[/a] or perhaps elsewhere, Electronic Arts's download service Origin, their attempt to compete with Steam, has a clause in the TOS which gives them the rights to basically all of the information stored on your computer. While they claim they won't use the data to identify you specifically, they include among the information they will be accessing and recording your IP address, which I'm fairly certain could can be used to find out who you are. Even if that was not the case, this is following what I consider to be a dangerous trend in privacy, or lack thereof I should say.

While it is perfectly legal for them to do this, as you have to agree to it, I and many others consider this morally problematic. Therefore I recommend we push forward on a long-needed boycott of EA products, or more specifically, Origin itself. Boycotting Origin until we can use it without being forced to give away information would send a clear message to EA and other companies that want to capitalize on user data.

Unfortunately, I know this will not be easy, and will come with a price even if successful. It will mean people will have to skip out on some highly anticipated titles, like the upcoming Battlefield 3. Unless of course, there is another means to get the title, for example EA offering a non-Origin version. The same would have to go for Mass Effect 3, if it requires Origin.

I also realize that huge projects like Bioware's The Old Republic MMO could suffer and fail as well if this boycott is successful. As much as I love Bioware and virtually everything they've done, this may be necessary if we ever want to have our privacy and our games at the same time.

So give me your thoughts people, I've laid it on the table. Who is with me?

 

[honestdiscussioner]

Boycott? Already done for me XD
Wouldn't be hard really, bit im totally with you but you'd have to make a significant movement agaisnt EA for them to give a damn.

Well, that's what the internet is for. Hard to do marketing in the same place a demonstration against your product is taking place. If the internets continue to explode as the article I mentioned suggests, we could actually get somewhere.

 

[scnj]

I only play console games, and EA put out way too many games I enjoy to even consider a boycott.

 

[Cheezeypoofs]

I will be boycotting origin, but just because I won't buy PC games. I vote to boycott computer games and stick to consoles. That supports the developers but not Origin

 

[Legion IV]

Why whats the point? you wont go far.

Also i hate Steam as well i think origins and steam should both just go away forever, now thatd be great for gaming.
I feel bad for those people who most of there games on steam.

 

[Vakz]

I say nay! Why has this suddenly started bothering people? These kinds of clauses have been included in TOS's for ages. Why aren't people boycotting Steam over this?

 

[Total LOLige]

Somehow I don't think boycotting will work. I don't buy PC games so I will be boycotting.

 

[honestdiscussioner]

Somehow I don't think boycotting will work. I don't buy PC games so I will be boycotting.

Oh yea, I forgot ME is out for PS3 and Xbox360. Doh!

 

[Stall]

I say nay! Why has this suddenly started bothering people? These kinds of clauses have been included in TOS's for ages. Why aren't people boycotting Steam over this?

Because EA is an easier target. It's all just sound and fury... don't put any thought in it. The gaming community just loves having something to get pissy about.

 

[Ridgemo]

Most EA games come out on Xbox 360, so i don't really care. As for Origin, it's running right now and all it'll get from me is gaming sites and porn.

 

[honestdiscussioner]

I say nay! Why has this suddenly started bothering people? These kinds of clauses have been included in TOS's for ages. Why aren't people boycotting Steam over this?

Because EA is an easier target. It's all just sound and fury... don't put any thought in it. The gaming community just loves having something to get pissy about.

I looked through the Steam TOS and the information they are gathering is nowhere NEAR the level that EA accessing. Steam is only going through Steam related content, EA is claiming access to pretty much all the data on your computer. Don't say any sort of disagreement is merely people getting pissy, this is a serious issue.

 

[Rawne1980]

I say nay! Why has this suddenly started bothering people? These kinds of clauses have been included in TOS's for ages. Why aren't people boycotting Steam over this?

Because EA is an easier target. It's all just sound and fury... don't put any thought in it. The gaming community just loves having something to get pissy about.

Steam only gathers a certain set of information while Origin gathers everything on your PC.

You want to look at porn on the sly?

Just know that if you have Origin, some little guy in his office will know you are a dirty young man.

Basically Origin has software (or spyware to go in leymans) that can monitor EVERYTHING you do on your PC and you are giving them the right to if you use it.

You are also giving them the right to do whatever they want with any information they gather.

I've got no problem with anybody using it, each to their own, but trying to sugar coat it and make it out that people are ranting at EA for no reason is a bit out of line in this case.

People are justified in their hatred on this one and i'll give them that.

As for me, I don't use Steam either so I wouldn't be using Origin anyway as such it doesn't affect me at all.

 

[gbemery]

*sigh* you know there are lots of places that gather your personal information for marketing use. Marketing is a multi-million dollar if not billion dollar business. If you have ever wrote your personal information on a loan, or any type of document for credit cards, phone cards, cell phones, contests, hell even gift cards or registering games etc. The list is monumental. They have in the agreements that they can use any and all information to sell to third parties. They can say that the information won't be used to identify you and as long as they don't do it they are in agreement with the TOS. But once they sell it to the third party that party can do what ever the fuck they want because there is no tracking where they got it from.

TL;DR:
Where is the boycott for your cell phone provider, the different credit card companies, your local grocery store, your local walmart, gas stations, any website you have to put your personal info in to sign up etc, your bank, hell even the government? I just see a bunch of people who are upset because Origin is in competition with their precious Steam. The only thing that makes them hate it more is that Origin is ran by EA, who apparently is the devil incarnate. I laugh because Steam does the same thing but no one has a problem and even defends them just because they give you the option to opt out. But it doesn't change the fact it is still practiced by them. If it is so "morally" problematic to collect personal info like this, as many have proclaimed, then why defend ANYONE who allows it, opt out option or not, including Steam?

TL;DR's TL;DR: Don't buy it get over it and hide in a hole until it's all over.

 

[teisjm]

I say nay! Why has this suddenly started bothering people? These kinds of clauses have been included in TOS's for ages. Why aren't people boycotting Steam over this?

Because EA is an easier target. It's all just sound and fury... don't put any thought in it. The gaming community just loves having something to get pissy about.

I looked through the Steam TOS and the information they are gathering is nowhere NEAR the level that EA accessing. Steam is only going through Steam related content, EA is claiming access to pretty much all the data on your computer. Don't say any sort of disagreement is merely people getting pissy, this is a serious issue.

The difference is quite big actually.

imagine one beeing a cable company, that monitors what you watch on your TV, so they can improve their programs (tv stations monmitor rating already)
The other would be a cable company insisting on setting cameras up in your home, as part of the deal, so they can monitor everything you do, and use it for whatever they please.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

I boycott these products because I'm broke anyways, so I may as well make a point about it!

 

[oplinger]

Origins monitoring is similar to WoWs governor/warden.

Origin just doesn't look through the title bars of all your open applications. It gathers information about the programs as well. Maybe even usage statistics.

It's not exactly surprising. However it is something to be upset about. It's a huge invasion of privacy, especially just for marketing reasons.

 

[Ajna]

*sigh* you know there are lots of places that gather your personal information for marketing use. Marketing is a multi-million dollar if not billion dollar business. If you have ever wrote your personal information on a loan, or any type of document for credit cards, phone cards, cell phones, contests, hell even gift cards or registering games etc. The list is monumental. They have in the agreements that they can use any and all information to sell to third parties. They can say that the information won't be used to identify you and as long as they don't do it they are in agreement with the TOS. But once they sell it to the third party that party can do what ever the fuck they want because there is no tracking where they got it from.

TL;DR:
Where is the boycott for your cell phone provider, the different credit card companies, your local grocery store, your local walmart, gas stations, any website you have to put your personal info in to sign up etc, your bank, hell even the government? I just see a bunch of people who are upset because Origin is in competition with their precious Steam. The only thing that makes them hate it more is that Origin is ran by EA, who apparently is the devil incarnate. I laugh because Steam does the same thing but no one has a problem and even defends them just because they give you the option to opt out. But it doesn't change the fact it is still practiced by them. If it is so "morally" problematic to collect personal info like this, as many have proclaimed, then why defend ANYONE who allows it, opt out option or not, including Steam?

TL;DR's TL;DR: Don't buy it get over it and hide in a hole until it's all over.

Bro. You're missing the point.

Origin installs spyware on your computer. There's no sugarcoating that or "other places do similar shit" about it. Nothing else has this level of access to your info, and with damn good reason.

 

[jpoon]

At this point I am going to boycott Origin because of this. Really pisses me off that they think they have to right to snoop on everything, seems its a very slippery slope from here and we're talking about a video game. EA are a bunch of nosey bastards that's for sure!

 

[Scythas]

I'm usually part of the "boycotting is just upset gamers being bitches" crowd, but even I can't stomach this one. Not touching Origin with a ten foot pole. A shame too, I was excited for Mass Effect 3, but there are plenty of other games running from far less Orwellian platforms to keep me going.