PC gamers get bill of rights
The Bill of Rights, original flavor.
(Credit: The National Archives)Edge Online had an interesting post Thursday in which it reported that PC game developers Gas Powered Games and Stardock have collaborated on a PC Gamers' Bill of Rights. The full 10-point list below:
- Gamers shall have the right to return games that don't work with their computers for a full refund.
- Gamers shall have the right to demand that games be released in a finished state.
- Gamers shall have the right to expect meaningful updates after a game's release.
- Gamers shall have the right to demand that download managers and updaters not force themselves to run or be forced to load in order to play a game.
- Gamers shall have the right to expect that the minimum requirements for a game will mean that the game will adequately play on that computer.
- Gamers shall have the right to expect that games won't install hidden drivers or other potentially harmful software without their express consent.
- Gamers shall have the right to re-download the latest versions of the games they own at any time.
- Gamers shall have the right to not be treated as potential criminals by developers or publishers.
- Gamers shall have the right to demand that a single-player game not force them to be connected to the Internet every time they wish to play.
- Gamers shall have the right that games which are installed to the hard drive shall not require a CD/DVD to remain in the drive to play.
All of these ideas sound great, but we're not sure how realistic that first one is. How would you return a downloaded game for a full refund?
A line in the Edge post states "our goal, if we get enough industry support on this, is to create a consortium that upholds the following basic standards for PC games." We cringe at the idea of yet another PC game-focused industry group on top of the PC Gaming Alliance. It's also unlikely that the industry at large would adopt this list in its current state, but we give all involved credit for making the attempt. Let's hope that these ideas at least give PC game developers and publishers something to think about.
Rich Brown reviews desktops and various other components and peripherals for CNET. E-mail Rich.
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WARNING: THIS ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE CONTAINS COPY PROTECTION TECHNOLOGY. Such technology may cause unwanted, harmful side effects including but not limited to: a) degradation in computer performance and reliability, b) failure to load the enclosed software, c) increased vulnerability to malware such as viruses, and d) transmission of personal data to third parties.
This would be in big black-on-white letters on the *front* of the box, with penalties if it's not displayed correctly. What d'you think?
I really have to applaud Stardock for trying to make PC gaming user friendly again. Sins of a Solar Empire has been one of the best PC gaming experiences I've had in ages. It just works, no DRM, and it sold very well despite what the naysayers in the industry claimed. It's definitely worth more than the $40 they charge for it. It brought me back to PC gaming's golden age in the 1990s before publishers began declaring war on their own legitimate customers.
call of duty 4 being the worst so far.
wont ever purchase online again if the game doesnt come with what a cd-dvd version will do.
I feel ripped off and from what I can tell, if me, an individual, was to practice this kind of buissnes, I would go to jail or at least be sued.
when I try to update cod4 I get " cant upgrade or add-on due to the purchase made online.
Bad buissness if you want continued sales.
It's a good thing we're used to a fantasy world. Actually getting them will continue to be just another fantasy.
Excellent list and I agree wholeheartedly with it.
I do see people abusing number 1 though - people playing through the game in a few days, then returning it to the store because it 'didn't work'.
Looking at the list, it seems like the two companies involved are trying to win over gamers with policies counter those of some bigger developers. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, they just need to practice what they preach.
Frankly, there have been MANY times where I have bought a piece of software, only to have it not work correctly on the latest operating system or a small flavor change to the operating system. I'm still going to return it, and I have ******* enough and threatened to call the Attorney General's office and report the company if they won't take the software back... works every time, because here in Maryland.... customers are allowed to return ANYTHING, including software, within 7 days if it doesn't work or doesn't work correctly.
I've been in the navy for almost a decade. Though I'll soon be leaving the service, and thus never agian being deployed at sea, I rember the days from 2001-2005 when I'd bring my laptop on board for entertainment while underway, only to find that the games I wanted to play required an internet connection, even though they were single-player RPG's. It broke my heart.
How about this one: the consumer shall have the right to not buy a game which doesn't offer all the protections listed above. Oh, wait... you as the consumer already have that right!
not that there's a problem with that, but it seems a little immediately over-ambitious.
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by jabailo
September 2, 2008 3:34 PM PDT
- You don't need a consortium to do this -- just one really well run company.
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