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EA disabling purchased copies of Rock Band iOS? [Yes / No / Maybe / Bear's Driving!]

S

ScrabbleDude

Member
A Human Becoming said:
Seems to be related to DRM. I guess you can only keep playing it if you never go online with your iOS device after May 31st.
Click to expand...
No. You still would not be able to play. The DRM requires a chunk of code to be downloaded off of their servers. If you can't connect to the servers then you can't download that code. This is the way it's been explained to me.



I wouldn't be surprised if this was done because of Rock Band Blitz. On Android they've shut down a version of Tetris that people had to buy. All of a sudden your Tetris purchase was completely useless. The following week they released a new version of Tetris that you had to buy in order to play, even if you had bought the last one. That received no attention though. It's a dirty, horrible anti-consumer practice.
 
E

Eusis

Member
It's even worse and stupider to do this sort of "DRM" on a handheld game. This is something I may want to whip and play whenever, not have the game go "oops you're not online you can't play now!" What the fuck? Had similar crap with Angry Birds Seasons, where I try to go access newer levels and it wants an internet connection, whether to download the level or just play period. Didn't bother too much with that afterwards.
 
R

Ridley327

Member
ScrabbleDude said:
No. You still would not be able to play. The DRM requires a chunk of code to be downloaded off of their servers. If you can't connect to the servers then you can't download that code. This is the way it's been explained to me.



I wouldn't be surprised if this was done because of Rock Band Blitz. On Android they've shut down a version of Tetris that people had to buy. All of a sudden your Tetris purchase was completely useless. The following week they released a new version of Tetris that you had to buy in order to play, even if you had bought the last one. That received no attention though. It's a dirty, horrible anti-consumer practice.
Click to expand...

I don't think the existence of Blitz would have much impact over it if it wasn't for the fact that Harmonix no longer deals with EA on the franchise. That, and MTV Games no longer existing.

Why maintain something you no longer you have a stake in? I'm absolutely not justifying their decision to do this, but I get why they'd kill it.
 
beat

beat

Member
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57426660-93/ea-not-killing-rock-band-for-ios-after-all/

The message Rock Band for iOS users received yesterday alerting them to the fact that the game would be rendered unplayable at the end of this month was sent by error according to the company.

In a statement provided to CNET this afternoon, Electronic Arts said the message was a goof:

"Rock Band for iOS will remain live - the in-app message users received yesterday was sent in error," the company said in a statement. "We apologize for the confusion this caused. We're working to clarify the issue that caused the error and will share additional information as soon as possible."
Click to expand...
 
A

A Human Becoming

More than a Member
ScrabbleDude said:
No. You still would not be able to play. The DRM requires a chunk of code to be downloaded off of their servers. If you can't connect to the servers then you can't download that code. This is the way it's been explained to me.
Click to expand...
Can you play the game without always being connected to the internet? I don't own it I just thought it did a check every time a person got online.

EDIT: Well, I guess EA sucks a little less now.
 
C

Card Boy

Banned
What a PR disaster.

For fucks sake, don't lie when you have being caught with your pants down. Seriously. It wasn't a mistake, own up to your lies EA.
 
A

A Human Becoming

More than a Member
beat said:
"...the in-app message users received yesterday was sent in error," the company said in a statement.
Click to expand...
user84_pic459_1232477670.gif

Nice try EA.
 
F

faceless007

Member
Even if it was a goof (lol) they deliberately typed that string and included it in the game. No reason to do that unless they plan to use it at some point.
 
S

saunderez

Member
faceless007 said:
Even if it was a goof (lol) they deliberately typed that string and included it in the game. No reason to do that unless they plan to use it at some point.
Click to expand...

That's the only evidence I need to know it's not a goof. They intended on doing this and don't like the reaction from the internet. Lying in this situation is absolutely ridiculous and gains them nothing.
 
C

Card Boy

Banned
Someone needs to make a new thread or a mod needs to update the title.

RandomVince said:
You dont goof that. You announce it with every intention of pulling the game, then realise it's illegal.

EA = thieves.
Click to expand...

Vince excuse my ignorance but is this illegal under Australian law?
 
B

balladofwindfishes

Member
I still don't see the angle. It's totally nonsensical. Why shut down the game?

I feel like someone at EA's PR department is trolling them, or is terrible at their job, that they don't put the brakes on something like this. And I don't see where EA was making money by making this move? Now they have bad PR AND they didn't even get to pull the game.
 
Y

Yagharek

Member
Gez said:
Someone needs to make a new thread or a mod needs to update the title.



Vince excuse my ignorance but is this illegal under Australian law?
Click to expand...

I'm not a lawyer. In the spirit of the law, surely it would be reasonably considered theft? I highly doubt this shit would fly in EU though.
 
J

JonathanEx

Member
This approach, of dubious explanations for immoral actions that are either misleading or due to incompetence, is also known as "doing a News International", or "doing a James Murdoch".
 
Q

Quadraphonic

Member
J

JonathanEx

Member
Valnen said:
What if it really was in error?

Edit: So it wasn't. Oh well. I don't see any reason to get this angry over a throw away app.
Click to expand...

If it was, which is theoretically possible but nigh on improbable, it'd be amazingly incompetent to a whole new level
 
R

Roto13

Member
Valnen said:
What if it really was in error?

Edit: So it wasn't. Oh well. I don't see any reason to get this angry over a throw away app.
Click to expand...

Explain to me the sequence of events that leads to a fake message being sent out saying that a game people paid for was about to become completely unplayable forever, and then gets that information added to the official FAQ for the game.

And people get angry about it because it's not a throwaway app, people paid money for it, plus more for DLC, and it was about to just be taken away from them.
 
S

saunderez

Member
balladofwindfishes said:
you don't put up a FAQ in error.
Click to expand...

You also don't type "Dear rockers, on May 31 ROCK BAND will no longer be playable on your device. Thanks for rocking out with us!" by accident. The chances of accidentally typing out that exact string of characters in that exact order is infinitesimally low. When I randomly hit keys on my keyboard all I get is gibberish so they must have some insane auto-correct going on over at EA Mobile.
 
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