Modding single player Mass Effect 3 bans you from Origin

[cookyy2k]

Seems a bit weird to ban these guys. I know they can but why? Like what does EA gain from it?

They get to sell DLC that took absolutely no work and that a competent modder could shit out in an hour thus making their DLC worthless?

It's absolutely ridiculous that they ban you from playing your games just because you *gasp* tryed to improve the function for yourself. I have modded several games, some against EULA, at the time nothing could be done about it because it was pre-origin/steam. Because of modders for one game its playability was stretched far beyond what it would have been. Constant graphics updates and new units (twas an RTS) to name 2. When I lost my disc I bought it again to download the mods and have a new experience. If there was no modding I wouldn't have bought it again.

The has to be very few people (outside EA drones/plants) who think a company saying this and the entire licence/own shift are actually good things.

 

[SajuukKhar]

The has to be very few people (outside EA drones/plants) who think a company saying this and the entire licence/own shift are actually good things.

I haven't seen anyone ever saying that this is a good thing, only that they legally can.

If you buy a lawnmower and add better blades to it, do the people who made the lawnmower have a right to take that lawnmower away from you?

The difference is you own the lawnmower, while you don't own games.

You own a license to play the games.

 

[tacotrainwreck]

I'm sure what it really comes down to is you're getting access to new content that you didn't pay EA money for. They'd rather just ban it, observe it, and then sell DLC with similar content.

 

[Joshimodo]

I didn't buy the game on Origin (360 version here) but unless they made you sign a EULA BEFORE you purchased the product they have no right to do this, but then again there is some shady legal stuff behind Origin anyway. Its best to avoid it all together if you want to buy video games as actual products instead of renting them for an undisclosed amount of time.

Still counts, and still exists. You own the method of transport, not the content. There's also a secondary EULA to accept when you go on ME3 when connected to LIVE.

 

[cookyy2k]

I wonder how long (I say this as if it hasn't probably already happened) it'll be before someone, somewhere comes up with an origin-emulator or a no-origin "patch".

I'm seriously thinking this generation of games will be my last. I don't want origin or steem keeping an eye over my shoulder, I ain't touching always on DRM and the consoles seem to be moving towards digital distribution/no used. It's going to be retro and indie for me before long.

 

[Versuvius]

I believe that by paying for a game i can do whatever the fuck i like with it. As such anything that decides to tell me otherwise will not be getting my money. People less scrupulous than me will just pirate it, mod it, have fun and no one gets the money. And it is all their own fucking fault. Ban from all games if i mod one game? Trolololol. I think not EA. Keep your games.

 

[SajuukKhar]

I believe that by paying for a game i can do whatever the fuck i like with it. As such anything that decides to tell me otherwise will not be getting my money. People less scrupulous than me will just pirate it, mod it, have fun and no one gets the money. And it is all their own fucking fault. Ban from all games if i mod one game? Trolololol. I think not EA. Keep your games.

the thing is you didn't pay for the game you payed for a license.

 

[Versuvius]

I believe that by paying for a game i can do whatever the fuck i like with it. As such anything that decides to tell me otherwise will not be getting my money. People less scrupulous than me will just pirate it, mod it, have fun and no one gets the money. And it is all their own fucking fault. Ban from all games if i mod one game? Trolololol. I think not EA. Keep your games.

the thing is you didn't pay for the game you payed for a license.

I disagree with this practice. And if i do buy ME3 i Will strip out Origin, it will be cracked and i will do what i damn please with it. That game goes on the shelf, or i download it, and i pay for it, i will do what the fuck i like. EA can come stop me if they like.

Also i should note in the EU i believe EULA unless they are given to you by a guy for you to read and a pen to sign you need not do anything but follow the law and ignore the extras within the TOS because things being amoral matter here.

Edit: Perhaps this is relevent to the lega weight of EULAS
"The enforceability of an EULA depends on several factors, one of them being the court in which the case is heard. Some courts that have addressed the validity of the shrinkwrap license agreements have found some EULAs to be invalid, characterizing them as contracts of adhesion, unconscionable, and/or unacceptable pursuant to the U.C.C. see, for instance, Step-Saver Data Systems, Inc. v. Wyse Technology, Vault Corp. v. Quaid Software Ltd."

 

[SajuukKhar]

Don't believe for one minute that EULAs are legally enforceable, especially if you don't live in the US

I wont comment on places outside the US but there have been several court rulings in the US that say they are enforceable, and until the supreme court makes a decision one way or they other it is solely on a case by case basis if they are not.
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Secondly the way EULAs are worded right now do not take away all your rights, that is hyperbole, very transparent hyperbole.

I don't agree with the EULA system as is, but blatantly lying is not the way to get things changed.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

So let me just process this for a bit. Modding Mass Effect 3 in any way, no matter how small like making the textures better can get you banned from your ENTIRE Origin account. So say someone has 100 games on Origin (including ME3) then they mod the textures in Mass Effect 3 they can be banned access from not only Mass Effect 3 but the other 99 games that they bought on Origin.

I'm sure that's not going to cause problems for EA and BioWare.

 

[Eamar]

None of you read the thread did you?

The problem they're having is that people screwing with the coalesced file impacts multiplayer as well as single player, giving them an unfair advantage (whether or not that was actually the user's intention is a different issue). Also for the record, many, many people on the forums have been altering their coalesced.ini files to give themselves extra war assets, so yes they are cheating, not "modding" in the traditional sense. I've not actually seen anyone talking about "real" modding yet.

Bioware are not saying modding is evil. I'm not saying that people shouldn't be allowed to cheat in SP if they really want to, but I can see where Bioware are coming from with the multiplayer issue. I really wish people wouldn't jump to conclusions based on the title of a thread.

EDIT: inb4 "Biodrone"- I've had plenty to say against Bioware and especially EA recently (not necessarily on the internet though). It's just funny how worked up people are prepared to get over something they haven't even read.

 

[SajuukKhar]

So let me just process this for a bit. Modding Mass Effect 3 in any way, no matter how small like making the textures better can get you banned from your ENTIRE Origin account. So say someone has 100 games on Origin (including ME3) then they mod the textures in Mass Effect 3 they can be banned access from not only Mass Effect 3 but the other 99 games that they bought on Origin.

I'm sure that's not going to cause problems for EA and BioWare.

It hasn't caused much problem for Valve and Steam yet, and hey are going on what? 6? 7? years now.

I will suspect it will at sometime in the future

 

[Zeraki]

Sorry is single player that hard for you?

Do you need someone to hold your hand or make you invincible?

If you need to mod the game in anyway, I laugh at you.

It's easy enough.

Most people just mod the game to add cool stuff to it.


Like that.

 

[Jadak]

Source: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/344/index/9917845/2#10648995

Previously I didn't care about Origin, it just seemed like Steam but slightly worse. However after this I can't endorse it's use to anyone.

Disgusting behaviour from EA, they truly are ruining the industry.

Did you even read the thread, or just the very last post?

Also in the thread is a very clear statement that they are only taking action against those who are modding in a way that impacts the multiplayer experience.

Now, since the last post would seem to conflict with that, I don't really know what they're actually doing, but I would think it's referring to the fact that some of the files that can be edited to change things in single player also happen to be used for multiplayer, which raises the concern that Origin may not discriminate between the exact changes being made.

Either way, not really worth raging about without confirmation on exactly what changes trigger banning, which is not provided in that thread.

 

[Kahunaburger]

enforceable

Define "enforceable."

Can someone get banned from IWNet for using an aimbot? Sure. Can someone get prosecuted for modding their .ini? Haha, nope.

 

[SajuukKhar]

Define "enforceable."

Can someone get banned from IWNet for using an aimbot? Sure. Can someone get prosecuted for modding their .ini? Haha, nope.

Violating a liscening contract could get one prosecuted, and given the sue happy nature of America and large corporations I could see it happening.

really people have gotten sued over more stupid things.

Most people just mod the game to add cool stuff to it.

I must be blind but what was the mod in that video?

 

[Kahunaburger]

None of you read the thread did you?

The problem they're having is that people screwing with the coalesced file impacts multiplayer as well as single player, giving them an unfair advantage (whether or not that was actually the user's intention is a different issue).

.ini tweaks are pretty standard for most multiplayer games, particularly e-sports. If EA really, really doesn't want people to tweak their .ini in multiplayer, they can patch the game around this.

Also for the record, many, many people on the forums have been altering their coalesced.ini files to give themselves extra war assets, so yes they are cheating, not "modding" in the traditional sense. I've not actually seen anyone talking about "real" modding yet.