[UrbanRats]

A whole company? Never happaned yet, but a single game? Yes, plenty of time.
I was dying to play Skate 3 but i haven't bought it for the online pass crap; too bad that after that, virtually anyone started using it so it was pointless in the end.

But yeah if a company is being particulary scumbaggy, i either pick up their game for cheap or used, whether i like it a lot or not.

If I want to play games from shitty companies like EA, I'll get them super cheap and used, without exception. If I can't buy them that way, I won't play them at all. Fuck you, EA.

Yeah basically this.
Though what constitues a "shitty company" can be very subjective, i guess.

[Gez]

Simcity man, Simcity.

Ubisoft has you covered with Anno (Dawn of Discovery)

[sixteen-bit]

I already do.

[SparkTR]

Ubisoft has you covered with Anno (Dawn of Discovery)

Though Ubisoft is a shitty DRM platform away from being worse than EA. There's no damn escape.

[Sqorgar]

Ubisoft has you covered with Anno (Dawn of Discovery)

Didn't the last Anno game come with that retarded always-on DRM, and the one before that came with Starforce or something?

[Sebastard]

... They like them better than the "hundreds and thousands of other games"? I don't think you understand what that word means.

I bought them used ;)

[RockmanWhore]

I won't go as far as totally ignoring a company just because they act like asshole. And sometimes it enters in conflicts with the goodwill of the developpers working for these bad editors. For exemple Diablo 3 will come out in a few years, it's Blizzard, so you know that they'll support the game for a long time and not fuck the customer, but it's still edited by Activision. Then we have EA and its EA Partner thing, I'm pretty hyped for Overstrike, which is the next game from Insomaniac Games, but I don't want to support EA with all the shit they're doing. If Overstrike is awesome game and is a massive bomb sales wise, I would hate myself for not supporting it, especially if it's just for some arbitrary boycott. Another good exemple was Resistance 3, I was very hyped for the game, and I ended up loving it, so I don't regret buying it at full price, but it was also the first game published by Sony with one of these horrible Online Pass...

[U2NUMB]

Honestly no.. while I would love to boycott EA I love DICE and Criterion too much and want to play their games. I will however avoid other EA products due to their treatment of customers.

[fastford58]

I lifted my boycott of EA for Mass Effect 3...I shouldn't have.

[K.Sabot]

I'm definitely poor enough.

[TheExodu5]

It's on a game per game basis. Am I strong enough to pass on Diablo III because I don't agree with many of Activision Blizzard's practices? Definitely not.

[Cornbread78]

I bought them used ;)

See, I onlty really buy the EA game swith MP, so I'll buy them new. The only games I'll buy used are older platformers, action games and RPGs that do not have online MP, so the whole online pass doesn't bother me me.

If people are still all up in arms about that now, just wait until next gen everyone; buy your shipments of tissues and Visene, it's gonna get much worse the next gen. I wouldn't be surprised if they started locking out SP content without a purchased unlock code.....

[Gez]

Didn't the last Anno game come with that retarded always-on DRM, and the one before that came with Starforce or something?

They removed the DRM From Anno 1404 with patch 1.1 from the DVD version.

[alstein]

I'm debating that now- Nyu Media has a bunch of interesting games out on Gamersgate that I'd normally buy, but I see the Capcom name and I recoil, even though I know the games are DRM-free and I'm sure Nyu Media does a good job.

I just see the Capcom name and expect shit now.

[EGM1966]

Absolutely. If I don't want to back the company I won't and I don't care what games or hardware they produce.

But I'm always let down by the "you can't fight it" and "I just want my stuff" crowd who always chicken out - often while whinging about it louder than anyone else.

[someguyinahat]

Passed on ME3 because of EA's practices. I have enough of a backlog that I can pass much more easily on games these days.

Capcom on the other hand...I've got no problem with shelling out my money for English-language versions of Ace Attorney Investigations 2 and Phoenix Wright vs. Professor Layton.

[flyinpiranha]

I bought them used ;)

So you don't boycott the company, you just boycott a certain way to purchase it? Even creating demand for the used market creates an increased demand for the game. People are more willing to part with $60 if they know they'll be able to get some of that back when selling it used (it's one of the main reasons I used to buy new). You're creating that demand and causing more direct purchases of new games from EA, just in an indirect fashion.

Of course, this is all conjecture based on low level econ 101 that I took too long ago to remember and I'm sure somebody will chime in and correct me, but generally a used market can create a larger demand for a product because of resale value and customer confidence in eventually getting some return on their investment.

[IrishNinja]

yeah, but only because it's easy for me since im not overly interested in most of this stuff.

and when it's not, i can rent, borrow or buy used. Im borrowing ME3 soon as the ending thing is done, bought RE: Revelations used (not that im actively boycotting capcom but it does feel good i guess), etc.

likewise, i don't really want to have an origin account, and that's worked out because there's nothing requiring me to get one yet that i absolutely have to have. EA would have to, i dunno, revive Starflight or something to get me thinking about it right now.

[ShutEye]

Considering after 3 weeks I still cannot play Mass Effect 3 because of a glitch that Bioware refuses to update us about; I can't really justify buying EA products again because I don't have faith they will actually be playable.

[Sebastard]

So you don't boycott the company, you just boycott a certain way to purchase it? Even creating demand for the used market creates an increased demand for the game. People are more willing to part with $60 if they know they'll be able to get some of that back when selling it used (it's one of the main reasons I used to buy new). You're creating that demand and causing more direct purchases of new games from EA, just in an indirect fashion. Of course, this is all conjecture based on low level econ 101 that I took too long ago to remember and I'm sure somebody will chime in and correct me, but generally a used market can create a larger demand for a product because of resale value and customer confidence in eventually getting some return on their investment.

You think that boycotting EA is my religion or something?

I love the Mass Effect series, and it begun as a Microsoft publishing game and ended up with the second and the third game in the hands of EA.

What was I suppose to do? Of course im willing to break my boycott in a tiny gesture by buying it used. Like I said its not like I believe that supporting EA in any single way is the ticket straight to hell.

[Tain]

I have the "strength" to not care (also could be said "the strength to not be resentful"). I'm in for the game mechanics and don't give a shit about the petty "power struggles" over toy prices and distribution. If something doesn't reach my expectations of value, I don't buy it and move on.

bam.

The games are and will always be more important to me than any bullshit circling them.

[Derrick01]

I don't really have too much of a hard time with my EA boycott but honestly that's because they don't make anything good. They make my job easier.

Disclaimer: I did put it on hold for ME3 because I wanted to finish off the story but if I could go back I wouldn't bother. That game wasn't worth temporarily breaking the boycott.

[wickedcapedkid]

You are quite right with your implication that it would be a challenge, especially after an extended period of devotion. Now, I don't buy Square Enix games, because I simply don't like their games. Ironically, despite how much of an asshole Capcom is as a company, I seem to keep throwing them money. I feel like an abused spouse who just keeps hoping that if I'm nice enough they'll stop beating me and spit out another Rockman.

[Skilletor]

I don't think about that kind of stuff. These are games. I buy what's worth it to me and ignore what's not. If I don't like what they're doing with Rock Band, I just won't buy it. On the other hand, I love SSX, so I'll support that (yay dlc). Hopefully they'll get the message through spending. If not, I just won't buy the products I feel aren't worth my dollars.

[Gooster]

I don't buy EA products.

[hardcastlemccormick]

I do not buy games with online passes. I never buy DLC. I do pretty well.

[BibiMaghoo]

I have not purchased an Activision game since COD4.

I have no intention of doing so either, a couple of times I have picked up a game and realised who published it, it has gone back on the shelf.

[DangerousDave]

When I want to boicott a company, I buy their games in the used market. I play the game and they get 0 money.

[BattleMonkey]

They have to first do it to a game I care about or am currently playing. So far all their shit has been for games I stopped playing long ago or don't care about.

[RealDeadOne]

I used to be too weak willed but now I have almost 300 games on Steam that I've barely played any of, it suddenly hit me that I don't really need to play any Ubisoft/Capcom/EA games for awhile or really new games at all (except big ones like BioShock). So thanks Steam!

[alstein]

It's a lot easier to boycott something when there are good alternatives.

KOFXIII made it easier to just rent Capcom's latest offerings instead of buying.

[george_us]

If the game is actually withholding content I actually care about then I won't buy it. Something like Max Payne I could care less about since I don't play multi. If consoles truly do try and lock out used games then I won't be buying those either.

[faridmon]

I still buy every SE game out there, so that should answer your question.

Yes, I even bough Childeren of Mana and Lord of Arcana...

[kurtrussell]

No, I love games. Sim City is out soon, I wish to play it. By boycotting it, the only "consumer" I'm being anti is me.

Besides I've made my peace with the lack of consumer rights over DD software - as far as I can see, I have no rights if I buy from Valve, and I have no rights if I buy from EA. No difference there. What should I do - stop buying games altogether and have a hissy fit?

[Dead Man]

I think it is HILARIOUS that salsashark is impassioned enough to write this thread about videogames; but there are companies on the planet that do much worse (detroy ecologies/skew the environemnt/take advantage of the poor) but VIDEOGAMES!!! I'd like to see a thread in the OT that truly showcases the corporations you shouldn't support in any way shape or form.

What is stopping you from making that thread?

[Blizzard]

I have done this for Ubisoft -- a couple of their games looked interesting, but I didn't want the DRM so I didn't buy them. I have more than enough other games and it's not like it affects me much, so there's that.

Then Ubisoft came out with Rayman Origins without the DRM (for a reasonable price IIRC) so I probably bought it.

The ONLY thing that I can see getting me to try Origin would be an Origin-exclusive Mirror's Edge sequel, and even then I would be sad (especially if it has paid DLC).

[Neo C.]

I haven't bought EA games for ages, but I wouldn't mind buying one if there's a product without these bullshit practices.

Bought Capcom games like MonHun3 and Zack&Wiki because those games don't have the "anti-customer policy".

More than boykotting I rather like to support those small companies like Marvellous or Treasure. Too bad I don't have the time to do it more often these days, I'm getting old.

[Fine Ham Abounds]

I've been buying Capcom games consistently for 2 decades, so apparently not.

[Dead Man]

The Saboteur. Blur. :(

Yeah, Saboteur broke me. Great game, fuck EA for closing Pandemic.

[MMaRsu]

Stop being so entitled.

God I hope this post was meant as a joke :(

I think it is HILARIOUS that salsashark is impassioned enough to write this thread about videogames; but there are companies on the planet that do much worse (detroy ecologies/skew the environemnt/take advantage of the poor) but VIDEOGAMES!!! I'd like to see a thread in the OT that truly showcases the corporations you shouldn't support in any way shape or form.

Go right ahead, are you saying we shouldn't care about companies which are threatening the fun of our hobby?

[Gunmonkey36]

Yes, I haven't bought a capcom title since RE5 due to the ridiculous DLC, and multiple super/gold/arcade editions of all their titles.

[Ranger X]

As passionate as I am for gaming, I can still easily vote with my wallet against stuff I don't believe in.

[KageMaru]

I went through a period where I didn't purchase a single EA title since Mutant League Football on the genesis. That stopped with the Orange Box and for the most part I've been happy with EA titles ever since.

[GeekyDad]

If I feel I'm getting a good value for my crack, the issue is moot. I'm already strong enough to withhold support from companies who don't give me what I want. I don't buy their shit. I know for a fact I'm in the minority, but it still works for me. I don't need others to high five with about boycotting products. If I think I'm getting a fair deal, I buy. If Capcom a company refuses to lube up first, I don't buy. Pretty simple. However, I will gladly support an outcry about a particularly shitty practice by a company.

[Nibel]

I love gaming.

But not more than justice and fairness.

[CitizenCope]

No I'm not strong enough. If it's a game I'm interested in and EA has something to do with it I will still purchase it even though they are dirt bags.

[PsychoRaven]

Yup. I already have. I quit buying EA games a long time ago. Sure there are some good games put out by them but they've proven themselves so anti-consumer that I will not buy their games. It's really that simple.

It's not like their aren't plenty of great games out there I can play without EA. The one and only exception I made was for Bulletstorm. That was a tough one too. I wanted to support People May Fly and Epic for such a great game but really hated EA. So I bought it for 5 bucks in the Steam Christmas sale.

[MechaX]

bam. The games are and will always be more important to me than any bullshit circling them.

Eh... There is a fine line between getting a game for its own sake or declining to do so because you want to send a certain company a message that some of its practices might be bullshit.

Luckily, most of true ridiculousness these days is coming from a very select few companies (EA, Activision, and to some extent, Capcom) , so its easier to isolate. For those cases, it is a rare case of the game's quality being good to the point where it outweighs shitty corporate policies, because more often than not those shitty corporate policies in the first place do interfere with the game's overall quality in more ways than one (for instance, relying on things like online passes/day one dlc to the point where it does end up making the main game suffer as a result).

[Chavelo]

Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3 are on my top-wanted list.

I can afford them. But I still haven't around to get em... and at this point, with EVO coming up and Diablo 3 being released... Yeah... :/

[Grieves]

I've stopped buying Square Enix and more specifically Final Fantasy games, but that has been quite easy since they have turned a bit shit of late.