You can play steam games offline. I do it all the time.
Very interesting thread. As far as the legal issues go, my guess is that the corporations hold all the trumps here if anybody were to ever take them to court.
I sometimes look at my PS3 and wonder if the product designers made it a big “black box” without even the slightest trace of irony.
THat’s part of the problem. Most folks are like “Oh well, doesn’t matter to me” but a company has the ability to basically turn off something on a system that you bought. You really don’t have an issue with that?
THat’s part of the problem. Most folks are like “Oh well, doesn’t matter to me” but a company has the ability to basically turn off something on a system that you bought. You really don’t have an issue with that?
I hate this 'licensing" buillshit. I won’t get too deep into this topic cuz it’ll end up in rants, so I’ll just say what I fear most:
Apple has the iPhone on complete lockdown (unless jailbroken), so you are forced to use it how they tell you to and purchase apps only from a market they rule with an iron fist. They eliminate apps that are capable of replacing their own, that are compile in any language but the ones they specify, and ban any content providing app that will divert revenue away from their beloved itunes.
Even so, the iPhone has been a massive success due to it’s ease of use, aesthetic appeal and smooth user interface. Apple has made huge profits because of it, far surpassing their desktop market. I’m afraid that Apple will get the bright idea to implement this iPhone-like iron fist with their next OS, where you’ll only be able to install apps from their apps market, only load music/videos from their iTunes service, etc. They’ve gotten away with the iPhone because they are still seen as underdogs, even though it has a monopoly on the smartphone market, with 95% of all smartphone apps having been purchased through their app store. Under the same guise, they could get away with doing the same to their desktop market.
I don’t like that these huge corporations are granted such a disgusting amount of control over a product because it’s part of some bullshit “eco-system”. Fuck. I tried to avoid ranting and did it anyway:lol:
I guess the least you could do to fight back would be to personally boycott them. That way at least you aren’t getting screwed by them. Sony and Microsoft don’t care about just one person I think.
With Microsoft and the hardware, yes that is very very lame for those who were only getting their consoles fixed. But if they say you can’t do something and you agree to it, then that’s that. Your Xbox is not your personal computer.
With Apple. Man RC, you are only talking about the jailbreakers and quite honestly, again, you agree to it. It’s not a personal computer. Same with the iPad.
Same with Sony.
These are not personal computers anymore. We are given up our rights to have a safe experience with high tech devices. Basically, we are all buying a bit of the Matrix by choice.
Sorry guy, can’t agree with your post. The whole "I bought it I can do whatever I want with it (i.e. mod, cheat, pirate etc etc [not saying that’s what everyone does but still I’d say enough people do it]) doesn’t really hold up. It basically means you bought it so you play by their rules. If you don’t want to play by their rules it’s as simple as not buying it. No one is holding a gun to your head. Sad that you have to be online to play AC2? Don’t buy it, there’s a bunch of other games out there to play. I have a R4 card for my DS and if nintendo decided to brick my DS then I’d be sad but I would understand. Dems da breaks kid. If you complain so much about Sony and Microsoft go buy a Wii lol.
So on a scale of 1 to 10, how grateful should I be to Microsoft if they ban my XBOX Live account for replacing a faulty disc drive and heat sink on their hardware?
:wtf: Apparently being at the mercy of another company for a product you bought rather then having the freedom to play it any time you want isn’t important to you.
i sure as fuck do.
this isn’t the first feature sony has removed folks
i really really hate the way most companies treat stuff like this. i paid for my game/console/song/wtf ever and i should be able to do whatever i want with it (provided i’m not breaking a law worth upholding).
Don’t forget region locking as well, it’s just a way to make sure publishers can safely screw us over since we can’t import, lets them take all the time in the world to publish foreign materials, charge full price for games or DVDs that were released years ago elsewhere and even cut content (Where have the voices in Battle Fantasia gone 505? Why are the enemies dieing in showers of child friendly ash in No More Heros?), it’s ridiculous.
i don’t have a problem with microsoft banning modded 360s. the vast majority of those with modded 360’s are pirating and stealing games, and will most likely continue to do so even without xbox live capability; that said, it sucks some people that just got their system repaired got caught up in those sweeps/bannings but microsoft does offer a repair service that one could’ve used to avoid their current situation.
i think it’s bullshit that apple has bricked people’s phones via updates and shit. i don’t really see any legit reason why apple that apple would have to stop you from doing your own thing with your phone. the whole point of the iphone is to allow you to compute and shit on the go…yet if you try to compute too much they brick your shit?
i wasn’t aware that people were actually out there using toe “other os” option, if so that sucks for them but i’m guessing they’d argue that the interest of the few are outweighed by their interest to make a profit and safeguard their platform as pirate-free…if they’re giving refunds then, i don’t see a problem.
Fixed
Except they are refusing to give refunds.
the obvious benefit of having microsoft to fix your shit is that you remain in compliance with the TOS.
If you are done with console gaming, you should see what they are doing with PC games and DRM these days! It sucks.
I’m gonna have to agree with the Microsoft and Sony also. I’m all for modding you systems and doing what you want with them…but the moment you come online you have to play by the rules. The moment your system can effect other peoples gaming experience it should be standardized so everyone has a fair and equal playing experience.
In less than a decade this all won’t even matter. We’ll be playing by everyone’s rules.
“The Network is the Platform!”
In a world where the most popular music player and most popular phone have to be sent back to the manufacturer just to change the fucking battery, none of this is surprising at all. What ElderGOD was saying is true by extension for a lot of consumer electronics: you don’t so much “own” the products, as much as you rent them indefinitely. If the companies can count on nothing else, the semi-regular maintenance of stuff they’ve already sold will provide some income. Step 1: Release faulty product. --> Step 2: Make yourself the only source of repairs/replacements. --> Step 3: $$$$$$$$$$$
And a lot of companies seem to use piracy to justify Draconian ways of punishing wayward consumers, instead of trying to fix what’s wrong with the business model in the first place. Just a thought.
Best solution: don’t buy the products. The most functional form of democracy we have in this country is the kind where you decide whether or not to open your own wallet.
If it was under warranty you should have sent it in to Microsoft it get it repaired. If it was out of warranty then it lasted as long as you originally were promised to last for. Worried about stuff like that? Buy an extended warranty or don’t bother buying it at all.
Seriously, the people on their 3rd or 4th xbox and still bitch about it RRODing are stupid as hell.