Poll: Should we boycott EA Products?

[Nimcha]

Sorry. I just find it hilarious that people with Facebook accounts, writing on internet forums and who knows where else suddenly feel like their privacy is being threatened because one more company will have access to data other companies already have.

Valve has your info, FB has your info, Escapist has some of your info, plenty research companies that scan the posts on forums have your info... You don't really have any privacy to start with any more to have it really breached.

No, you dont get it. They have your open info.

"Congrats, they know my name and where i live".
Thats not what EA is doing. By signing up, you give them the right to monitor your computer. Every program you have on it. Every site you visit. Nearly EVERY piece of info ON YOUR COMPUTER is there's to access.

This isnt, "oh, your phone number, and your middle name, and your area code". This is literally EVERYTHING. "operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware". This includes the information stored for said software, because its part of it. Do you watch anything dirty on the internet? Congrats, EA now knows your every kink, and they have the right to distribute it as they like.

Its not like FB or The Escapist. Your giving them full reign on your private information. Laugh as they monitor everything you do from here on out. Its one step away from having a man standing over your shoulder while you FAP to rule 34.

And even if that were true, what's the problem? It's not like they can actually do anything with that information.

Yes they can. Did you even read it? xD
You literally give them the right to distribute it AS THEY PLEASE.
They can do whatever they want as long as you click "i agree", because you give them the right to.

No not really. They aren't allowed to sell it or use it to send me spam. Or anything like that. A simple TOS doesn't override federal laws.

"EA may also use this information combined with personal information for marketing purposes and to improve our products and services. We may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you"

They can basically give away everything but your name. This includes usernames and E-mail addresses.

Federal laws prohibit doing it WITHOUT a persons consent. By clicking "I agree", your literally handing over your consent to EA. As i said before, "You literally give them the right to distribute it AS THEY PLEASE".

As they please within restrictions, yes. And not personally identifying me. They'll just show ads tailored to what they gathered from me in stead of just random ads. That's all they can do, and again, not identifying me by person.

So, big fuss over nothing.

 

[kouriichi]

Sorry. I just find it hilarious that people with Facebook accounts, writing on internet forums and who knows where else suddenly feel like their privacy is being threatened because one more company will have access to data other companies already have.

Valve has your info, FB has your info, Escapist has some of your info, plenty research companies that scan the posts on forums have your info... You don't really have any privacy to start with any more to have it really breached.

No, you dont get it. They have your open info.

"Congrats, they know my name and where i live".
Thats not what EA is doing. By signing up, you give them the right to monitor your computer. Every program you have on it. Every site you visit. Nearly EVERY piece of info ON YOUR COMPUTER is there's to access.

This isnt, "oh, your phone number, and your middle name, and your area code". This is literally EVERYTHING. "operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware". This includes the information stored for said software, because its part of it. Do you watch anything dirty on the internet? Congrats, EA now knows your every kink, and they have the right to distribute it as they like.

Its not like FB or The Escapist. Your giving them full reign on your private information. Laugh as they monitor everything you do from here on out. Its one step away from having a man standing over your shoulder while you FAP to rule 34.

And even if that were true, what's the problem? It's not like they can actually do anything with that information.

Yes they can. Did you even read it? xD
You literally give them the right to distribute it AS THEY PLEASE.
They can do whatever they want as long as you click "i agree", because you give them the right to.

No not really. They aren't allowed to sell it or use it to send me spam. Or anything like that. A simple TOS doesn't override federal laws.

"EA may also use this information combined with personal information for marketing purposes and to improve our products and services. We may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you"

They can basically give away everything but your name. This includes usernames and E-mail addresses.

Federal laws prohibit doing it WITHOUT a persons consent. By clicking "I agree", your literally handing over your consent to EA. As i said before, "You literally give them the right to distribute it AS THEY PLEASE".

As they please within restrictions, yes. And not personally identifying me. They'll just show ads tailored to what they gathered from me in stead of just random ads. That's all they can do, and again, not identifying me by person.

So, big fuss over nothing.

They can give someone your E-mail address, usernames, phone numbers, and home address, along with any sites youve been on, any programs you use, and the username of anyone on your friends list.

Just because they arnt saying, "Heres John Doe", doesnt mean the spam companies they give your info to cant find it out on their own.
But spam isnt the reason this is bad. They are LEGALLY looking at all of your private information. Its the same as having someone stand over your shoulder, and right down everything you do.
Congratulations! EA knows what you Fap to, and when you fap to it!

Its the fact that they CAN violate our privacy, without 90% of their users ever knowing.

 

[Farther than stars]

EA's never actually given me any trouble personally, so I don't see why I shouldn't return that favour. It's a really simple choice actually, if you don't want Origin, don't get it. If you want to play Battlefield 3, you're going to have to put up with it. If I would be boycotting EA, it would be for different reasons that this. Moreover, I wouldn't want to risk a delay of Mass Effect 3, which I'd kind of like to see here as soon as possible, you know?
Don't get me wrong, you can have your gripes as much as you like; I have no problem with that, but there's one final thing. I challenge your statement that most console gamers are underage. I'd say most of them are adults already. What, especially with the average gamer being in his/her 30s and with more people over 50 playing games than kids under 18.

 

[Farther than stars]

Because we gamers are hyprocrites. I don't have a problem with Origins ( YET ), because i'm a Console gamer. But i do expect this shit to come to consoles in the futur , and when that day comes, i will rest on my old gaming library ( about 200 console games , I'm prepared for the gaming apocalypse ) ). But most gamers just like to complain , but then they will still get the games EA produce because, well , they like the series. So even thought they voice against it , they won't deprive themselves of games they like out of principle.

I couldn't agree with you more. I mean, what's all the fuss about anyway? So what if Origin does monitor all your programs? They're only going to use that info to try to make your gaming experience as good as possible. It's not like they're trying to affect you personally by going after all of your super-secret CIA business. >.> I feel people are just making too much of a fuss about this on principle, because they're too sensitive about their privacy. (And you especially cannot compare it to dictatorial oppression [that's just insensitive].)

 

[DustyDrB]

Though I won't personally be participating in this boycott, I support people who wish to make a statement with their wallets. I don't understand people who get so mad at those who do this though.

"But what about [company X] who had similar policies?": People have to draw the line somewhere. It happens all the time in life. Even if this turns out to not be a big deal, people have a point where they say, "No. I will not support this". And that's completely their call to make.

"But you'll buy it anyway!": Oh, so you're clairvoyant? Seriously, how is this statement helpful at all? You just make an ass of yourself. Yeah, we've all seen that image of the Modern Warfare 2 boycott group on Steam. But that example doesn't foreshadow this one. That boycott was trivial, plain and simple. I think most people who "participated" realized that. This one involves a company asking you to forfeit too much privacy in order to play games. Also, the major upcoming games associated with this boycott will have some serious competition. So what if you miss out on Battlefield 3 when you have six other great games coming out over that month-long period? The presence of alternatives is a major game-changer.

 

[LordRoyal]

I don't boycott shit games simply because they serve no interest in me. The only game that I am remotely interested in from EA right now is Mass Effect 3

Uh, it's up to you. The TOA specifically says that if you dont want your stuff to be monitored, don't install Origin.

You know that limits the consumer significantly. "Hmm should I install this program that is essentially Spyware, but I can my game that I legally purchased on it... Hmm"

Doesn't matter. You can't have your cake and eat it, too. Your choices are to get Origin to get the game(s) or get it on a console. If neither of those sounds good to you, then you don't get to play the game. It's really not that complicated.

OT: Origin's EULA reads like every other EULA ever. I have no idea why people are taking offense now. You're much, much too late. If you wanted to change anything, you should have protested ToS agreements when they were first introduced.

Now you know why people choose Steam, at least they dont sell your information without your consent.

I don't boycott shit games simply because they serve no interest in me. The only game that I am remotely interested in from EA right now is Mass Effect 3

Uh, it's up to you. The TOA specifically says that if you dont want your stuff to be monitored, don't install Origin.

You know that limits the consumer significantly. "Hmm should I install this program that is essentially Spyware, but I can my game that I legally purchased on it... Hmm"

You know steam has a very similar clause, and so does apple, and so does blizzard if you want to be eligible to enter into their betas. Unless you want to be a dirty stinking hypocrite you best start boycotting all of those.

Steam asks you before you want to submit any information, usually in place of a survey or a specific Steam beta.

EA specifically doesn't give you a choice with what you wish to do. Even if you legally purchased a product off Origin if you don't want some spyware on your computer you can't do anything about it.

 

[LordRoyal]

Double post, damn

 

[mental_looney]

I don't buy pc games while I say fine fine for people who want to make a stand, these kind of boycotts may never have as big an influence as they hope. Steam sucked at the start maybe it will just take them some time to get it sorted.

I'm going to keep buying the games I want anyway.

 

[I'mANinja]

Sure, as soon as DICE and Bioware find new publishers... I will not boycott a Publisher if the Developer did a good job!

 

[Mxrz]

brb, giving EA money.

I think at some point people started over estimating their own particular influence as a consumer.

 

[DementedSheep]

Well it certainly makes me far less likely to buy any of their products tho i'm not really boycotting them. I don?t want their fucking spyware on my computer and if that means I miss out on a few games I want, so be it.

 

[headbanger97]

of course we should not buy any of their products, they have never released a single game that I would consider worth buying, so I would just continue to do what I do normally

 

[Rednog]

If you are a PC gamer you should already have EA on your shit list, Dead Space 2 not getting DLC and terrible launch problems (which pretty much killed its multiplayer instantly), Medal of Honor had a lot of problems with patching going in infinite loops/ didn't even patch through steam and the list goes on. Seriously I don't see how people are just now getting fed up with EA.

But honestly no boycott will work BF3 will come out the masses will praise it, despite all the nonsense associated with it.

 

[Ridgemo]

Yes,EA has gone too far this time.ANGRY MOB TIME!!!!GET YOUR PITCHFORKS!!!!

You know...

If people can stand up to a protester-torturing/shooting regime and succeed...

Why can't we succeed against the EA bunch of executive ****-less office gerbils that haven't seen the world outside of their tinted-glass windowed limos.

Because that was a real problem, and this isn't...

Boycott if you want, i think it's silly. This is just derived from entitlement, considering as EA games arn't an essential to living, so they can do what they want.

If you want to play the game, "suffer" with Origin, or get it on the console. Alternativly, don't play the game.

 

[Iron Lightning]

I don't boycott shit games simply because they serve no interest in me. The only game that I am remotely interested in from EA right now is Mass Effect 3

Uh, it's up to you. The TOA specifically says that if you dont want your stuff to be monitored, don't install Origin.

You know that limits the consumer significantly. "Hmm should I install this program that is essentially Spyware, but I can my game that I legally purchased on it... Hmm"

You know steam has a very similar clause, and so does apple, and so does blizzard if you want to be eligible to enter into their betas. Unless you want to be a dirty stinking hypocrite you best start boycotting all of those.

I've read that clause in Steam and if I read it correctly then all it says is that Steam is allowed to gather information on your Steam client (e.g., what games you have, your playtime statistics, modifications to the code, etc.) whenever Steam wants to and other information if you permit then to (such as in the voluntary surveys and stuff.) Origins will spy on you completely and all the time no matter as soon as you install it.

 

[Ham_authority95]

EDIT: Nevermind, that was an uneducated post.

 

[teisjm]

I've been wondering if theres bette ways than a boycott.
Sure, they might loose a few sales, but for every 1000 people saying they'll boycott, i doubt more than a 100 if not less will actually go through with it.

I saw some guy on reddit was developing a program, that would limit what Origin could access, preventing in from probing your entire computer, but only what you allowed it to.

I also wondered, not beeing very technical when it comes to computers myself, whether it would be possible, to lay out viruses in the files origin would search, and name them in a way that would amke it snatch them up and send them to EA.
I'm assuming origin can't get any info from us without copying, and sending it to EA, so if you could mask a virus as something origin would wanna deliver to the fucktards at EA, you might be able to hurt them.
I don't even think this would be illegal, as you're not actively sending a virus to them, but rather they're willingly taking it from your computer with their own spyware program.

I keep wondering what people have to hide that makes them get all in arms over something that trivial.

From what i understand from the TOS, they're allowed to probe for more or less anythign that they want.
While i don't by a far stretch belive they would abuse it, they're basicly allowed to obtain my passwords for other stuff as well.
The PSN scandal is enough proof, that if companies are allowed to store your info, theres a chance it will eventually get out.
They're also allowed to share your email with retarded spam services.

Also, do you welcome spyware on your computer? Not neccecerily the truly bad kind, that steals your credit card info, but less harmfull stuff?
What's described in the TOS, is in no way neccecery for the game to run, function proberbly, or anythign else.
It's like an electronics salesmann selling you a TV, but it will only work, if he can install cameras in your living room, sure you may have nothing to hide, and it may possibly help him suggest new devices for you, but i doubt you'll like it anyways.

EDIT: also, it is supposedly hogging far more rescources than steam, from what i read, it was a notable chunk of your memory.

 

[Nickompoop]

Should I boycott EA? Absolutely. I fucking hate EA so much, especially with their Origin bullshit.

Will I boycott EA? Nope, or more accurately, I can't. Bioware's publisher is EA and Bioware makes Mass Effect. I can't not buy ME3. So I'm buying it retail, but it seems like I might be forced to use Origin no matter what. Fuck you, EA.