Comments on: Apple, EA, DRM and Consumers http://comments.deasil.com/2008/09/15/apple-ea-drm-and-consumers/ escape colon w q Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:30:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: The battle against Apple iPhone app control http://comments.deasil.com/2008/09/15/apple-ea-drm-and-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-12873 The battle against Apple iPhone app control Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:42:32 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/?p=1874#comment-12873 [...] the other hand, Apple’s two most recent bans were for competitive reasons. Podcaster was banned because it was in competition with the iPod software on the phone and most recently [...] [...] the other hand, Apple’s two most recent bans were for competitive reasons. Podcaster was banned because it was in competition with the iPod software on the phone and most recently [...]

]]> By: felix http://comments.deasil.com/2008/09/15/apple-ea-drm-and-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-15133 felix Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:24:03 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/?p=1874#comment-15133 Yeah, I've heard a lot of not great things about EA in general. Even from the developer side how terrible the working conditions are. So I guess a lot of this stuff is not surprising.<br><br>It's definitely true that if the product works and is good you get a lot more leeway to do crappy things. Sigh. Yeah, I've heard a lot of not great things about EA in general. Even from the developer side how terrible the working conditions are. So I guess a lot of this stuff is not surprising.

It's definitely true that if the product works and is good you get a lot more leeway to do crappy things. Sigh.

]]> By: poyla http://comments.deasil.com/2008/09/15/apple-ea-drm-and-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-15134 poyla Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:11:18 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/?p=1874#comment-15134 I think this will hurt Apple's rep a bit but not iphone sales. Apple is supposed to be so much better than Microsoft not only in product but in the way ideas are approached but if you ask me this has got Gates all over it. Hey it's Capitalism and that means if there is money involved damn the morals. Admittedly I do not know much about either Apple or Gates but it just seems wrong. Like turning on late night preacher on TV. Something just 'aint right. <br><br>What I do know about is EA Games. I have had a long time love/hate relationship with EA and here is my take on their deal. They made a lot of money making sports games.... you know, "EA Games..... It's In The Game!" Eventually their management became more jock and less nerd and you can tell. The EA site is a hob-gob bunch of information scattered all over the place and several times I have downloaded patches for games and had them not work only to go to forums or 3rd party sites to get a working one. That is sad. But even sadder is the "EA Downloader" fiasco they had. This thing was an app on your puter that would manage your games from downloading to installing and patching. For the first 2 years mine work approximately 20% of the time but never for the stuff it was supposed to make easier. For Spore it worked however. <br><br>So the company hires (or buys) great games but lacks the game developers themselves to polish these games before distribution. It is already obvious that the quality control system is flawed to say the least. Also EA support is notoriously ignorant and unhelpful. This is probably why people are so upset. If it were a company that's games ran flawlessly maybe it wouldn't be such an issue. In my case anyway the DRM issue is more about technical issues than feeling like I was getting screwed. EA, get your shit together and people will fall in line, check out Apple :) I think this will hurt Apple's rep a bit but not iphone sales. Apple is supposed to be so much better than Microsoft not only in product but in the way ideas are approached but if you ask me this has got Gates all over it. Hey it's Capitalism and that means if there is money involved damn the morals. Admittedly I do not know much about either Apple or Gates but it just seems wrong. Like turning on late night preacher on TV. Something just 'aint right.

What I do know about is EA Games. I have had a long time love/hate relationship with EA and here is my take on their deal. They made a lot of money making sports games…. you know, “EA Games….. It's In The Game!” Eventually their management became more jock and less nerd and you can tell. The EA site is a hob-gob bunch of information scattered all over the place and several times I have downloaded patches for games and had them not work only to go to forums or 3rd party sites to get a working one. That is sad. But even sadder is the “EA Downloader” fiasco they had. This thing was an app on your puter that would manage your games from downloading to installing and patching. For the first 2 years mine work approximately 20% of the time but never for the stuff it was supposed to make easier. For Spore it worked however.

So the company hires (or buys) great games but lacks the game developers themselves to polish these games before distribution. It is already obvious that the quality control system is flawed to say the least. Also EA support is notoriously ignorant and unhelpful. This is probably why people are so upset. If it were a company that's games ran flawlessly maybe it wouldn't be such an issue. In my case anyway the DRM issue is more about technical issues than feeling like I was getting screwed. EA, get your shit together and people will fall in line, check out Apple :)

]]> By: felix http://comments.deasil.com/2008/09/15/apple-ea-drm-and-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-15135 felix Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:36:00 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/?p=1874#comment-15135 Michael, as I understand the situation there's no getting a 4th install. It's 3 and you're done. Just read, also, that they're limiting you to one player account per game ( <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080912/0031172248.shtml" rel="nofollow">http://techdirt.com/articles/20080912/003117224...</a> ) - you have to pay another $50 for each additional account - which is at odds with their documentation. I think of all the games they could have had bad PR for, this was like the one that they wanted only glowing press. <br><br>And yeah, Apple can do whatever it wants. I guess the question is whether long term it is best for either Apple or the consumer to behave the way it has. I'm kind of on the fence about it. Michael, as I understand the situation there's no getting a 4th install. It's 3 and you're done. Just read, also, that they're limiting you to one player account per game ( http://techdirt.com/articles/20080912/003117224... ) – you have to pay another $50 for each additional account – which is at odds with their documentation. I think of all the games they could have had bad PR for, this was like the one that they wanted only glowing press.

And yeah, Apple can do whatever it wants. I guess the question is whether long term it is best for either Apple or the consumer to behave the way it has. I'm kind of on the fence about it.

]]> By: Michael Natale http://comments.deasil.com/2008/09/15/apple-ea-drm-and-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-15136 Michael Natale Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:12:08 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/?p=1874#comment-15136 I object to DRM on general principle, but I think as long as EA provided an easy, quick way for me to get past that third install, I'd be fine with it. Inconvenient? Yeah. Dealbreaker? No. I can't imagine how that type of restriction would actually get in my way to the point of making me not buy it if I really wanted the game.<br><br>As for Apple's banning of the iPhone app, well...it is their sandbox. They can take their toys and go home if they want. I still think its kind of lame, but certainly within their rights. I object to DRM on general principle, but I think as long as EA provided an easy, quick way for me to get past that third install, I'd be fine with it. Inconvenient? Yeah. Dealbreaker? No. I can't imagine how that type of restriction would actually get in my way to the point of making me not buy it if I really wanted the game.

As for Apple's banning of the iPhone app, well…it is their sandbox. They can take their toys and go home if they want. I still think its kind of lame, but certainly within their rights.

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