EA Screwing Gamers Over

So EA is at it again and this time they are coming back with a vengeance, they are out to screw gamers over to make more money. So far the only game of which this pertains to is Battlefield 2142 and Battlefield 2142 Northern Strike if you purchased them off the EA Download service.

Problem for me is, that I have had the games installed for a while now and I had deleted the cache files to save hard drive space. So now I am in a bit of a pickle trying to see how I can re-download and backup the game.

If EA did this is one of their games, they will do it to their other games, not to mention the fact that EA could care less about the community and only about making money. Makes you want the game developers to publish the games themselves rather than hand them to EA.

Source:

http://bf2142.totalgamingnetwork.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27301

Digg:

http://digg.com/pc_games/Electronic_Arts_screw_over_it_s_customers_again

 

Dont get me started on "extended download services"

 

WTF? Are these publishers idiots? And they wonder why piracy is rampant. They're supposed to make it *easier* for actual paying customers, not more annoying, difficult, or make it cost more.

 

EA is just catching up to other vendors offering software downloads with limited-time availability. No company wants to be a permanent personal storage server for it's customers' download purchases.

I've lost count how many apps I've puchased & downloaded that were either a single-shot deal or had a 48-hour grace. The ones I did not back up are the ones I lost.............

Yes, it sucks & it will get much worse, which is why I hate buying online software (but I never learn).

 

Personal storage server?

It only takes a few KB to store what programs you've purchased from them. They'll have the software on their server for years. And they have no issue keeping your personal info on file ready to share with marketing firms. So I don't buy that excuse at all.

Additionally, your point about single backup, EA doesn't even offer an option to back it up. You have to finagle it yourself in order to back it up.

At least Steam offers a simple few clicks to backup your files.

 

Steam is the best service, they keep ur games on there servers permanently, and you can download them anytime you want

 

Exactly, take STEAM as an example and its not just all about saving space on their servers, its about customer service and reputability. Not just that but EA has also abandoned games like BF2 and BF2142, look at other developers and publishers they keep supporting their games long after I.E. Valve, and Infinity Ward/Activision.

Not to mention that EA failed to notify anyone of this.

Apparently now I will have to try to find y CD-KEY for the game and acquire the game by other means to back it up.

 

I guess that this only confirms one thing that we already know, the fact that EA sux. One of the main reasons why EA's on campus advertising at my uni only interests the students who are destined to fail their degree.

 

no wonder i never download purchase a game... i like to have the box so i have a permanant physical disc

 

Yeah steam is the best, I bought like four games from Steam, and I know they'll stay there permanently, unlike EA.

 

I was referring to the bandwidth used. A previous buyer that re-downloads the same game several times uses bandwidth that they would rather see used by new buyers, especially when the exe footprint can go up to 1GB+. (IMO)

I realize that they can make it difficult to find the actual install executable, but in some cases it is worth it to search the drive. Especially after you just plunked down $50 for something.

I agree, there should definitely be clear options for backing up the game. I don't like the "hidden" files approach, and if I can't get back on their server to re-download the game then I just wasted my money (and wished I'd bought a retail version instead).

It's almost as if they'd rather we not buy the online version, because they are sure doing their best to convince us that it is not worth the trouble......

 

Exactly. Buy the retail version I guess, and avoid all this, at least for a while.

 

You just notice this now...?

 

Lets start an alliance to not buy any EA games - after buying Fifa08 and the lack of testing they did on mobile platforms, I no longer care to give them any of my money.

 

Now I noticed that they actually did'nt kill EA Link (or Downloader) completely. I thought it were to be an online management tool only, but here:

http://files.ea.com/downloads/eacore/eadm-installer.exe

I just just sent an angry and locg email to EA complaining about my Booster Packs for Battlefield 2 that are missing. I will now install this downloader and see if I can see them again, fingers crossed!!!

/Patrik

 

PHEW!!!

After several days, during which time I didn't even know that a downloader software still existed, I logged in to the new (?) EA Downloader and there they were! Battlefield 2: Euro Force and Battlefield 2: Armored Fury.

Sweet. If I didn't dislike EA:s general attitude towards their customers (gamers) and their account solutions as much as I do, I would send them an excuse for my earlier angry email .

/Patrik

*EDIT* Well, I read somewhere on EA:s site that downloads would last 6 months only, and that it was for this reason that I could'nt see my games anywhere on their site, among my account pages (as I was under the impression that there was now only an online soöution, see above). I wrote them the email, complaining about this and teeling them that I am convinced that this was illegal, since nothing was said about these booster packs being time-limited at the time of my purchase. Now it seems, that I, at least, wasn't screwed. You had me really worried there for a while. But I can't understand that they have big signs on every page announcing EA Store, and just i teenie weenie link at the bottom of one page allowing the download of EA Downloader.

 

it seems that EA are missing the point with the whole downloading service thing
I agree with everyone that steam has the right answer,
bandwith/storage is minimal to them considering the profit they make reducing overheads/production costs of hard copies.

the great thing about steam is that, (heaven forbid) if my house burnt down
when I got my replacement system, I can log onto my account and grab all my games again.

in fact it would probably be all those oversized game boxes that caught fire in the first place.

 

Ok let's say I purchase Crysis for 49 USD now through EA Link.
If my hardisk goes BOOM and I've got to reinstall Windows will I have to redownload the Crysis game?
Is it really not possible to burn or make a backup of the game files to a DVD and install from that backup?
Let's say I've got to reinstall Windows next week, then I have to pay 49 USD in order to continue playing the game? And if I need to format my HDD a week after again, then another 49 USD need to be spent in order to be able to continue playing?

At least I'd expect to have the possiblity to extend the download for a much smaller fee, because I've paid for the license that costs 49 USD. But I'm talking about extending a download for more than 2 years, even after extending the download service once.

 

I think its if you want to re-download the game six months from original purchase date that you might have to pay a re-download fee, its $5.99 or something.

Of course you can always back up your download...or buy the retail copy.

 

Just buy the retail copy. Get out of the house, go to Gamestop, and buy it. It's so much easier, and then you never have to worry about this. Plus, you might meet some new people who enjoy gaming as well.

 

Something simular happened to me recently. I reinstalled "Oblivion" and went to re-install the add-ons i had backed up after downloading them from their website (cant remember how much they were, a few ££ or something).

Anyway turns out the "key" that you get to install with only validates for a limited period of time. In which case you have to re-buy the add-ons to reinstall them (to get a new key). I emailed them about it but never got any reply....

 

Does that mean EA Link only allows you to play the game for a limited time as well? There is not only time limit to download it you are saying?

 

I'm a MOH fan, played it for a while when it first came out, good multiplayer game... So when the new MOH Airborne came out, I read some reviews and everyone said it was great with great multiplayer support, so 3 of us from work bought it, for some LAN fragging... Well, low and behold, they seemed to have given up on supporting LAN gaming and is internet only. Last straw with EA games... Never again will I spend a dime with them. Went thru the hassle with the BF2 expansions also, not only did I end up buying them twice, but they can only be used for online play, which is ridiculous. Anyway, my copy of MOH is now collecting dust, another wasted $50.

 

Has anyone managed to backup these games?

 

How to backup:

Source:

http://www.totalgamingnetwork.com/main/showthread.php?t=38507

 

Thanx but using that method only worked with booster packes/expansions in my case. Therfore I'd like to know how it can be done with full games.

 

they pulled this crap on me when I had several games downloaded. you have to send them a question on their support service, then they send you one bakc asking for like name address email and the last 8 digits of the credit card you used for the purchases. Then, they will enable all of your old purchases on an ea download accound using your email and password.