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The Gamer's Bill of Rights
Posted by
Soulskill
on Fri Aug 29, 2008 08:59 PM
from the not-as-catchy-as-a-gamer's-magna-carta dept.
from the not-as-catchy-as-a-gamer's-magna-carta dept.
Edge Magazine is running a piece by Brad Wardell, CEO of game developer Stardock, in which he presents a "Gamer's Bill of Rights." Stardock teamed up with Gas Powered Games to develop a list of ideals they think all game publishers should follow. Some are rather basic operational guidelines (not requiring a disc to play, minimum requirements that make sense), and some are aimed at repairing the damaged relationship between game companies and customers ("Gamers shall have the right to not be treated as potential criminals by developers or publishers"). Wishful thinking or not, it will be interesting to see if they manage to get other publishers to sign on.
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A few weeks ago, we discussed Stardock CEO Brad Wardell's "Gamer's Bill of Rights," a proposal for removing some of the PC gaming industry's more obnoxious characteristics, such as annoying DRM and no-return policies. Shacknews sat down with Wardell for a lengthy interview in which he discussed his reasons for starting the project, how it's being received by game companies, and how he wants the gaming community to help. Quoting:
"I've already gotten calls from Microsoft, from Take 2, and other publishers who are interested in moving forward on this. Obviously the first step is we have to really define these items. And I've had other developers and publishers who have come back and said, 'No, because it's not flexible enough.' For example, what happens if someone wants to do a policy where there's CD copy protection, but after the first month [consumers] can download a patch that gets rid of it. So obviously that's a perfectly good solution too, but our thing eliminates the ability to do that."
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Earlier this year, we discussed the Gamer's Bill of Rights, a document put forth by Stardock CEO Brad Wardell to address what he felt were the unacceptable characteristics of the gaming industry. ShackNews reports that Wardell has taken feedback from gamers, developers, and publishers, and updated the document accordingly. One particular area on which he focused was DRM. Stardock also published a customer report that examines the issue in greater detail (PDF). MTV's Multiplayer Blog fans the flames of the debate by asking if anyone is embarrassed about pirating video games.
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Gamers shall... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Gamers shall... (Score:5, Insightful)
Why only gamers?
Replace it with Consumers. All the DVD:s with the non-skippable FBI warnings that nobody ever wants to see and which destroys the experience of the movie.
Parent
It's worse than that...DVDs and fast forward (Score:3, Insightful)
Not only that, some DVDs disable the fast forward so that you have to look at up to 10 minutes of trash before you can view the movie. It gets even worse, the movie that they were hyping often is a bomb and no longer available but you have to sit through the previews nonetheless. Disney is a BIG offender in this and add to that they specialize in kids movies. Try to explain to a crying kid that just wants to view his favorite movie that he has to wait until the trash is done showing.
Re:Gamers shall... (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Gamers shall... (Score:5, Insightful)
More like "Oh no! I have to watch a screen of legalese and possibly some junky trailers for fifteen to thirty seconds because I bought the movie legitimately! Why didn't I just pirate it and skip this junk!"
That screen can get very annoying when you know that it's well within your abilities to get the movie for free without it, but instead you chose to buy it legally and are now being punished for it.
Parent
At the very least ... (Score:5, Insightful)
I really don't see the "wishful thinking" part. Their model actually works. People who pirate aren't gonna be stopped by copy protections. The only effect those protections have is to annoy the hell out of the paying customers.
Re:At the very least ... (Score:5, Funny)
Copy protection will not stop piracy in general, but it will stop ordinary people from sharing their newly bought game with their friend.
People who play games like Galactic Civilizations have no friend so copy protection is useless.
(Hint to clueless moderators : that's a joke)
Parent
Re:At the very least ... (Score:5, Informative)
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Re:At the very least ... (Score:5, Informative)
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That's Just The Tip Of The Iceberg (Score:5, Funny)
Brad Wardell is also calling for:
* Ponies for everyone
* Sunshine and rainbows, everyday
* World peace out of the power of love
And in his most daring position of them all:
* He's AGAINST kicking puppies
Re:That's Just The Tip Of The Iceberg (Score:5, Funny)
Brad Wardell is also calling for:
* Ponies for everyone
OMG Ponies
Parent
Right #11 (Score:5, Interesting)
Gamers shall have the right to modify their games to alter their singleplayer experience.
Re: (Score:2)
Why? Ok, it doesn't harm anyone as it's basicly like cheating at solitaire, but is it something the game developer/publisher should spent resources on? Unless of course they intend to have user-created content through an editor of course, but I don't see any ethical problem with just saying "this is how the game works, enjoy!" If you really wanted to pull that angle I'd focus on having bugs fixed instead, but that applies equally well to single and multiplayer.
Re: (Score:2)
It seems to me you've answered your own question. They might want to do something with user mods. The exclusive right to do something commercial with user mods is one of their assets under copyright law, but it isn't worth much if people are just going ahead and doing it without you. If you've ever been involved selling a company, you get through things that have real value fairly quickly, then you spend ten times the time haggling over things that might have value in some kind of radically different fut
Ten Commandments (Score:2)
I take issue with this one (Score:4, Interesting)
"#9 Gamers shall have the right to demand that a single-player game not force them to be connected to the Internet every time they wish to play."
I don't want to EVER have to connect to the Internet to play a game after I buy it. Product activation, DRM, Steam - these are all the reasons why I have stopped buying games. And I used to buy a lot of them.
I'm still curious as hell over whether Half Life 2 is as good as Half Life 1. But I'll never know, because Valve doesn't want to allow me to buy it.
Re:I take issue with this one (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
a good piece of wishful thinking (Score:2)
These are actually more closely related to business ethics than anything else.
More developers are calling for the removal of DRM in their games these days. Publishers don't seem to listen or care and that's part of the problem.
I seriously see EA just not listening to customers. They don't care either. EA believes it doesn't need PC gamers. They believe they can be profitable with console titles alone. And more publishers are believing this every day. LucasArts has decided not to publish for PC due to
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
This gets pointed out a lot but while your praising STEAM it is its own DRM implementation, and the important part here, watch carefully;
It's not the DRM most people hate, it's the poor implementation of it. If it worked smoothly nobody would notice it. But since every user is stuck with CD keys, looking for the play disc, online activations, and verifications, and its all buggy as shit. Then it gets noticed.
STEAM is a method of DRM that doesn't intrude on your gaming experience, most people don't even real
DRM vs. Impulse (Score:2, Interesting)
They've Purposely Omitted: The Right to Sell (Score:5, Insightful)
Like I said on GamePolitics, here's one additional "gamer right" that Stardock wouldn't like (their EULA forbids it), but which I think is essential:
"Gamers shall have the right to sell their copy of the game to somebody else, provided they remove any copies of the game from their own systems upon doing so."
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Can I expect the obvious? (Score:2)
Can I expect that their next release will live up to each and every one of these rights?
If so, I am already interested.
If not, then I have to assume this is all bravado in order to paint their company in a "Holier then thou" image.
As the man said, "Put your money where your mouth is".
In a perfect world: (Score:2, Interesting)
0: The freedom to run the program, for any purpose
1: The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
2: The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
3: The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
Bill Harris's Bill of Rights -- StarForce Must Die (Score:2)
For my November 2006 Escapist article "StarForce Must Die [escapistmagazine.com]," I asked blogger Bill Harris to present a "DRM Bill of Rights [escapistmagazine.com]" that resembles Brad Wardell's list. Really, in a sensible world that recognized our right to control the information stored on our own computers, this would all be common sense.
Maybe a silly point, but... (Score:2)
It's kind of disturbing when people label something that would otherwise be good to have, but otherwise don't have a real *right* to, a "Bill of Rights", when the original, real "Bill of Rights" were more fundamentals being put in for a "just-in-case" measure, more clarifying what they felt were always being protected, for a safety measure. In fact, some opposed the Bill of Rights' inclusion on the grounds that it would lead us down the route it has today--that they are what prevents the government from pa
Except ... (Score:2, Insightful)
Gamers Rights (Score:2, Funny)
Gamers have the right to remain silent (about bad games). They have a right to an attorney.
Anything they do/say can and will be used against them in their moms basement.
11 (Score:3, Insightful)
Can be summarized in one. (Score:5, Insightful)
Thou shalt listen to your customers.
Linux Rights. (Score:3, Interesting)
What about the right to play the game under Linux or Mac? Trust me, Game developers hate Linux with a Holy passion.
Its a religious thing.
Re:Key bindings for dvorak users (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
W = ,
A = A
S = O
D = E
Its much easier to say "AOE" than ",AOE" or "AE,O" or something...
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
There's a default awkward pause after the word dvorak in my mind, so he's good.
Re: (Score:2)
TFGH
It opens up many more keys for the ring and little fingers to utilize.
I actually use TFVH, with G as a quick-action key, but everyone I know things I'm insane to do so.
Re: (Score:2)
TFGH
It opens up many more keys for the ring and little fingers to utilize.
I actually use TFVH, with G as a quick-action key, but everyone I know things I'm insane to do so.
TFVH? Wow... TFBH wouldn't be too bad though.
Re: (Score:2)
4562 (ESDF is only good on an ergonomic keyboard with straight columns)
4562 is pretty useless on a laptop unless you've got one of those new Lenovo monsters...
Re:Full Refund is self righteous B.S. (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Funny you say that.
I had the exact same experience with two of the Rainbow 6 franchise games. Yeah. I was stupid enough to go back a second time, but that was the experience that led me to investigate, and further my knowledge of, the entire gaming industry. Odd side effect, but it actually improved my gaming experience in the long-term.
Re:Here's another addition (Score:4, Interesting)
What? They won't let you download shit off their servers unless they can verify that you paid for the game?
Boo Fucking Hoo.
They basically gave the game out for free. A fully functioning and playable game for free, a game me an my roommates spent countless hours messing around with for a few weeks, un patched.
Pardon them for not letting the people who didn't support them with a purchase suck down their bandwidth too.
Jesus fucking Christ people are never happy. It's never enough for some people unless they can have what the want and maybe if they are feeling generous toss a few bucks to the creators.
Parent
Re:Here's another addition (Score:4, Insightful)
10mb patches spread over a few tens of thousands of people? Are you kidding?
If it's not costing them that much, how about YOU fucking pay for it, you arrogant sonuvabitch?
Parent
Re:Here's another addition (Score:4, Interesting)
That's the business model on how to cope with piracy. Release a product, and only let legit users update the product. Pirates will just have to keep downloading new versions of the product (or find someone distributing the patch).
I see nothing wrong with this - patches can be considered "support" and pirates don't deserve support. If they wanted support, they can buy the product and get the updates with no issues, or just log onto their favorite site and grab the update that way.
They know people will pirate their software. So they make it worthwhile to be a legit owner - patches, updates, etc. Let the cheapskates get their way, and let the legit owners know they're appreciated. In effect, it boils down to, is your time hunting for updates (and fixing any viruses/trojans/etc that get installed) on your favorite pirate sites worth it compared to just buying a copy and having it do the updates for you without any worries. Seems a fair trade.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
If by terrorist you mean any indie game maker that hasnt signed up or follow the rules, then yes.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The problem is that those of us that do that are very much in the minority on this.
As much as I'd love to play Spore, I'm not going to be buying a copy as long as I'm going to be subjected to that draconian DRM. It's a shame, but I'm not willing to put up with that bullshit.
I don't mind paying for software, but it needs to be a reasonable price, fully completed and the copy protection basically non-existent. As a customer, it isn't me that should have to put up with the pain in the ass which is DRM.
Re:Do as I say, not as I do? (Score:5, Informative)
So that's eight passes, one unknown and one late resubmission. They are doing comparatively well.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You forget that DRM is often the choice of the publishers and not the developer.