Two major controversies arose this week and they have raised questions regarding the rights of consumers who purchase video games and spend money on digital items within them.
With MLB The Show 16, developer Sony San Diego banned a relatively large number of player accounts but some people may have found themselves banished unjustly. In FIFAÂ the integrity of Ultimate Team mode has been brought into question, with high-value player cards not having played up to the level at which they were advertised.
With those situations in mind it’s fair to wonder just what is actually owned when a video game is bought, and how it’s possible to determine whether you’re actually getting what you’re paying for with digital-based content when there’s no oversight or regulation.
That’s the focus this episode of the Press Row Podcast presented by Hit The Pass. What rights do consumers have or not have, given the terms of which that are required to be agreed upon in order to play the games, and what should change about the way publishers deal with consumers when they feel the need to take certain actions?
On this episode: @pastapadre, (@richgrisham), (@ThatSportsGamer), (@MillenniumOS)
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In following an update that included some massive shifts in ratings this week’s changes in MLB The Show 16 don’t come across quite as impactful. No players were bumped to reach the Gold or Diamond tiers, and only one player fell out of the latter and into the former. Read more
On Monday a fairly large number of accounts were banned in MLB The Show 16. Typically wiping out cheaters would be a good thing, creating a level playing field for those who are competing within the rules – but the situation wasn’t nearly as simple at that.
It quickly became apparent that something might be amiss with some people possibly being unjustifiably banned. After initially saying they would be not be reevaluating anyone’s status, and being abrasive in their responses to any and all inquiries from consumers on social media, Sony San Diego went dark for two days. Now it appears they may recognize that they’ve done some wrong in the process of trying to punish those taking advantage of exploits.
We hear your concerns. This is very
important to us. We are looking into it. We thank you for your
patience. More to come soon.— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) June 30, 2016
The backtracking on reviewing the situation is not unexpected as the response from consumers necessitated it despite their defiance to doing so publicly at first. Hopefully a resolution is nearing that will return any users who were improperly banished, and eventually compensation provided to those who were impacted.
In recent years the Madden franchise has failed to properly represent the equipment that players wear on gameday. It’s especially embarrassing when even the covers prominently feature equipment not found in the game.
That’s about to change with Madden NFL 17, as a lot of new licensed gear has been added and the equipment carrying over has been scanned in order to look much better. Read more
Ultimate Team in FIFA generates hundreds of millions in digital revenue for Electronic Arts every year. The mode is built on digital purchases of in-game currency that is then spent on player and item cards. That can be unsettling as, unlike most physical products, they can’t necessarily be inspected and tested to ensure they function to their described specifications.
This has now become a major issue as a serious flaw has been identified in FIFA’s Ultimate Team that causes the most desired and valuable players to be penalized, failing to play up to their set attributes and take advantage of advertised Chemistry boosts. Read more
Just a few days ago Sony San Diego reiterated a policy that has always been effect for account suspensions and bans relating to MLB The Show 16. This of course is all completely reasonable. Basically every online video game has a similar TOS in place and it’s just a matter of how violations are ultimately acted upon.
Yesterday though a mass banning apparently took place as users took to social media and forums to express frustration and seek answers. They’re finding plenty of the former and none of the latter. Given the sheer number of accounts impacted there’s quite a bit of turmoil in the community right now. Even the guy who became a social media sensation in discovering hockey recently is involved in the mess and getting nowhere with reps for the game.
Is it possible that some of the banned accounts did nothing wrong but were swept up by an erratic system that improperly flagged them? SCEA claims they have data that shows “market manipulation” and they refuse to reevaluate anyone’s accounts. But how realistic is it to assume that all the people in question definitively did break TOS? Many are vehemently denying the accusations and claiming they have no idea what the company is even claiming they did.
What’s especially troublesome about the situation is the lack of explanation being given. It again goes to show how paying for a video game doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to utilize all its features if a company decides to block you from them with or without any proof of wrongdoing. Obviously publishers have no incentive to ban their customers, as the act directly cuts them off as revenue sources. That however doesn’t mean mistakes can’t be made or that the lines of communication shouldn’t remain open with them to clarify and resolve any issues that might be in question.
A new patch went out for EA Sports UFC 2 today that added three more fighters to the roster. That makes it 12 total that have been added post-release to what was an already immense roster when it first came out in March. The fighter most fans were hoping would make it in, with return of Brock Lesnar for his UFC 200 bout on July 9, unfortunately is not one of them.
Josh Samman – Men’s Middleweight
88 Overall: 90 Stand-Up, 86 Clinch, 85 Ground
Best Attributes: Choke Submission, Takedown Defense, Ground Defense, Ground and Pound
Lorenz Larkin – Men’s Welterweight
87 Overall: 89 Stand-Up, 83 Clinch, 85 Ground
Best Attributes: Ground Defense, Takedown Defense, Choke Defense, Joint Defense
Leonardo Santos – Men’s Lightweight
88 Overall: 87 Stand-Up, 82 Clinch, 89 Ground
Best Attributes: Top Game, Takedown Defense, Ground Defense, Joint Defense, Stamina
GAMEPLAY UPDATES
♦Added Stockton Slap and Imanari Roll Takedown moves to Ultimate Team and CAF.
♦Adjusted AI tendencies regarding Stamina Management and Kicking for specific fighters.
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Take a look at the brand new Flashback cards just added to MLB The Show 16.
♦Video breakdown of the AL West teams for Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 16.
♦Make sure to register for the NHL 17 online beta prior to July 7.
♦Pre-orders of NBA 2K17 are 20% off for Amazon Prime members including the $100 edition.
♦Pre-orders of Madden NFL 17 are live and 20% off for Amazon Prime members.
♦Pre-orders of FIFA 17 are live and 20% off to Amazon Prime members.
♦EA Sports announced Japan J1 League will be officially licensed and featured in FIFA 17.
♦Screenshots of Serge Ibaka and Victor Oladipo on their new teams through NBA 2K16.
♦Screenshots of Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague on their new teams through NBA 2K16.
♦There’s a summer sale on Out of the Park Baseball 17 $20 which is half off for limited time.
♦Carl Edwards revealed the cover for Nascar Heat Evolution that features himself.
♦The extreme sports game developed at Criterion announced in 2014 has been cancelled.
♦All the details on the latest big content update that went out for Rocket League.
♦If you missed any of the recent Press Row Podcast episodes they can all be found here.