So I just cancelled my Pre-order for Mass Effect 3...

[artanis_neravar]

You need to actually read that before getting your knickers in a twist. It just makes you look like an idiot.

IP address: collected by everything that connects to the internet.

Operating system: collected by nearly everything by proxy of what web browser you are using. You aren't going to be using a safari configured for macs on a windows system but if everyone is now running macs, they want to know so they can sell to the most people

Application usage: yes, they want to know how often you use their services

Software: the games you downloaded?

Software usage: how often you play them?

Hardware: apparently you don't seem to understand that there are a lot of different computers out there with different hardware and they need to know what people are using so they don't develop something that puts BF3 graphics to shame only to have no one on earth run it.

There is literally nothing there even slightly out of the ordinary nor is there anything in there that lets them root through your hard drive. So keep wearing your tin-foil hat and calling EA the Illuminati, I'm sure Jesus will return on his alien spaceship and let everyone know you were right.

What games I play, what software I use, and so on, is none of EA's business, unless I decide otherwise. I don't let the grocery store sales lady rummage through my fridge and I don't let the appliance store vendor take a stroll through my bathroom in order to be allowed to use their groceries and appliances respectively. And it's why I keep my door locked even when I'm home, because I can't be bothered to let anyone who has 5 minutes trample through my apartment, and it's why I have my curtains closed because my private life isn't something I'm prepared to show to just anyone. And gaming is part of my private life.

So twist it as much as you like, this isn't a case of tinfoil hats, it's a case of people being upset when their privacy is being breached.

It is a case of tinfoil hats. EA does not access anything other than stuff related to the running of origin. Stuff like your IP address and OS still have to do with the running of Origin. And Steam does the EXACT same thing. It collects info on you and reports back to valve. What do you think cookies on web browsers are? Anytime you use the internet you are sending most of the stuff EA is collecting. And they looking at stuff related or Origin, not what porn you are so intent on protecting. You analogies make no sense. A more accurate one would be credit card companies keep track of your spending and how you use their card. They don't go through your mail to see what catalogs you are buying. If you don't want EA looking at Origin related stuff then don't use Origin. But also don't go saying they are rooting through your files when they can't and don't and have gone well out of their way to make people see that but people like you keep up with the conspiracy theories that everyone is out to get you.

THEN FINALLY, and this is the mac daddy issue I'm having with ME3, It's owned by EA, so it has online passes and you are required to sign up for EA Origins in order to play the game. If you don't know the EA origins scandal by now, signing up for an account with them is basically giving EA permission to put spyware on your computer, so that they can watch your online activity whenever you're online, and they can go snooping thorough your hard drive whenever they want to. I know this last part isn't bioware's fault, but it's still a gargantuan issue, and a huge arguing point for why I won't be picking up Mass Effect 3.

Oh gods... how I love that argument. It's so ridiculous it's actually funny. You use Steam? You use Windows? You use a web browser? Great, You have 3 times as much "spyware" as Origin. If You have iPhone you are even "spyware'ed" in Real Life. You know what Origin does? It scans the file structure to check for games that associated with Origin. It doesn't read the files, only checks whenever they exist.

But, as always, people will believe what they want... after all They are watching. They have the satellites, watching each of Your moves. Don't let Them catch You. Remember Area51....

You agree that EA may collect, use, store and transmit technical and related information that identifies your computer (including the Internet Protocol Address), operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware, that may be gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, dynamically served content, product support and other services to you, including online services. 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. IF YOU DO NOT WANT EA TO COLLECT, USE, STORE, TRANSMIT OR DISPLAY THE DATA DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE APPLICATION. This and all other data provided to EA and/or collected by EA in connection with your installation and use of this Application is collected, used, stored and transmitted in accordance with EA?s Privacy Policy located at www.ea.com. To the extent that anything in this section conflicts with the terms of EA?s Privacy Policy, the terms of the Privacy Policy shall control.

Unless something has changed (which it very well might have) agreeing to the origin TOS gives origin permission to examine every file on your computer and that they can sell it. Also, unlike Steam, there is no way to opt out of it.

snip

And you need to actually read conversations before you but in, it makes you look like a pretentious douche. I was responding to someone who said that Origin only looked at files in the Origin folder.

That's all it does look at, which is why you are an idiot. Ok fine if you want to debate specifics if you save games in folders other than Origin it will scan those too. But Origin just looks at stuff related to it, the games on it, and the system running it (meaning the OS and hardware specifics) It's not piracy that makes developers shy away from PC, it's crap like this where people freak out over stuff that has literally no impact on anything outside of running the game. ME3 is just as much spyware as Origin is under your logic because it has to read what hardware you are using and interface with it. Call the ghostbusters!

Did I call it spyware? No. All I said is that you give them permission to examine everything on your computer, which Steam does as well but with Steam you can opt out of that option, with Origin you can not.

 

[walrusaurus]

so your complaints are. In order.
1. Waaaaah people can play this game with their friends!!!!!!
2. Waaaaah people can play this game in a way thats different than me!!!!
3. Waaaaah i don't get my favorite weapon through preordering and will have to actually play the game to get it!!!
4. Waaaaah I'm being forced to use a delivery system that i don't like, that i don't know will actually be manadatory, which even then will only be required on 1 out of 3 available platforms regardless!!!!

Theres a distinct lack of substance in your complaints. Not one of them has anything to do with the actual gameplay or story.

 

[MassiveCoffeedrinker]

What?? Did i get that right? NO Assault Riffle????
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
That was my favourite weapon in both ME 1 and 2(

Well i won´t cancel my pre-order anyways. Want to know what happens after the events of ME2.


PS: First Post, hello to you all^_^

 

[sifffffff]

I'm still having a hard time understanding how forcing a PC user to have Origin to play a game is any different than forcing a PC user to have Steam to play a game Ie: Civ 5, Deus Ex H.R. and Skyrim.

 

[Atmos Duality]

It's owned by EA, so it has online passes and you are required to sign up for EA Origins in order to play the game.

when did that get confirmed? TOR is also owned by EA but doesn't require Origin at all.

Give it time.
Blizzard and Valve merged their games with their online systems; EA is eventually going to do the same.

And if I owned/operated EA, I'd do the same from a business standpoint.

 

[Erttheking]

1. You admitted that you were wrong about multiplayer.

2. You sound awfuly selfish, why should Bioware continue to appeal to the same audiance, why the Hell shouldn't it try to expand and share the Mass Effect experience with more people. Hate to break it too you, Bioware isn't here just to bend over backwards for hardcore ME fans, they're trying to expand their audiance, which I support whole heartidly Hell, after my first run I might actually try those modes out.

3. No N7 assualt rifle...really? Can you get anymore petty? This is pre-order only stuff to begin with and it comes with the collector edition only, how is that a deal breaker?

4. I don't know that much about it I admit, but it being spyware sounds like a conspiracy theory. Personally I play Xbox so...I'm good.

And like what several others have said, you're filtering out the good news, like Ashley/Kaiden, Garrus, Tali, Liara all being squadmates and Wrex playing a big role, and that most ME2 squadmates will be making an apperance, and that your decisions will decide the fate of entire civilations and that endings will be massively different because of import decisions, and that you will be rewarded if you didn't cheat on your LI and punished if you did, and even rewarded if you stay single, and if you make too many bad choices the Reapers can actually win, and that you'll have to chose between the Salaraians and the Krogan and between the Quarians and the Geth, and we get to see the Salarian homeworld and that you can visit multiple cities on a planet and you can customize your guns to get "A thick brown brick of a shotgun or a long sleek double barrled sniper rifle" (something like that) and that you can pilot a Cerberus mech and that your melee is stronger. I think I read about a playable epilouge somewhere too.

(sorry, spell check is on the fritz)

 

[TheCowman]

WOO HOO!!

More people rage-quitting ME 3.

That means all the more for me!!


(That's how it works, righ?)

 

[Amnestic]

It's owned by EA, so it has online passes and you are required to sign up for EA Origins in order to play the game.

when did that get confirmed? TOR is also owned by EA but doesn't require Origin at all.

The Old Republic does require origin.

Will I require an Origin account in addition to a SWTOR account?
Yes, you will require an active Origin account in addition to a Star Wars: The Old Republic account. You can create a new Origin account by going to the Origin Account Registration page, entering your email address in the appropriate space and clicking ?Start my EA Profile.? This will take you to a screen where you can create your EA Master ID and set your password. You can also start a new Origin account by logging in with either your Facebook or PlayStation Network accounts, or by downloading and running the Origin client for the first time.

Also putting link for confirmation.

http://www.swtor.com/info/faq#170974

It says you need an Origin account. Not the Origin client. You can register an account via web browser should you so desire.

Source that you don't need the Origin client [http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=6823172]

Thank you for the clarification, Stephen. I have one more question, will we have to install Origin and run it in order to play the game, get updates, etc. even if we purchase a boxed copy?

No, you won't.

While Origin will be the exclusive digital retailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic (in other words, if you want to buy it online and download it, you?ll do so through Origin) that does not mean that Origin is required for you to access or play The Old Republic.

Origin is a digital storefront, and the desktop application is there to give you quick access to Origin exclusives and deals.

However, you won?t need to launch the Origin application to run The Old Republic, nor will you patch the game via Origin. Once the game is on your hard disk, you?ll be connecting to our servers to patch and launch the game, and Origin does not have to be running to do that.

To answer another question - boxed versions of the game will include the client on DVD(s).