EA Downloader, WTF only 6 months to redownload game unless you pay more money?!?!

[mAjOrDiSaStEr]

Yes, but the lazy bastards also only released six maps with their game (and only one CTF), so they need the modding community to keep the game alive.

Lazy? 5 games for the price of one and if you already own some of the games you can give the game to someone. where basically getting tf2 for free, people are still playing tfc so they don't need us also tf is CTF !!

yea that sure is lazy :shakehead

[Vreki]

Lazy? 5 games for the price of one and if you already own some of the games you can give the game to someone. where basically getting tf2 for free,

The orange box is a good deal, but that is not the point.
TF2 is the selling point for the box, I did not buy it for a few hours of portal puzzle or some old games.
6 maps were only one is CTF mode isn't much. especially for a game that has been in development since Noahs Ark hit land.

Thats why they need mods to add more content.

people are still playing tfc so they don't need us also tf is CTF !!

yea that sure is lazy :shakehead

I don't quite get what you are trying to say here, but anyway I dont care what TFC was, is or did. That is another game which I did not buy.

[RangerXML]

LOL, yesterday this made the frontpage (got a screenshot). Thats got have looked good for the whole relationship with EA/DICE =D

[ledbythereaper]

In all honesty, you should have backups of important things like this.

[tomfin]

Pay again to play again? No thanks.

In all honesty, you should have backups of important things like this.

Pfffftt. Nonsense.

I have a backup of my HL2 and Episode1 - it's called Valve's Steam server.

I haven't needed to use the disc to install a Valve game since Steam launched, and that goes for my ORIGINAL HalfLife; I just bunged my CD-keys into the Steam "Add Game to Account" registration page and I could download fully patched-up copies of HalfLife and Opposing Force that I bought back in 1999. Eight years on, and I still have access to what I paid for... quality.

I've just joined the 2142-playing community last month and loving it, and until stumbling across this thread I've actually been recommending to friends (nay, yelling at them) to get 2142 through the EA Downloader for fast access - not anymore.

To think I actually believed that as part of EA's Customer Service I might be allowed to use the EA Downloader to fetch my store-bought copies of games, and do away with all the fetching discs out everytime I want to play - after all, I bought an expensive computer and not a console. I have a hard disk to install these games onto, and the DVDs are safely tucked away on my shelves with the store reciepts in case something nasty happens to my account (eeek... stolen or password lost) and I need to re-register them.

EA have been fantastic in Customer Support for some other games when I've been in touch, so perhaps they will rescue themselves from this before too long. But I just can't recommend that my friends 'lease' the game for six months, because if we face facts, in 6-12 months we will have upgraded our computers and be forced to reinstall the game anyway - I already have in the past month to get 2142 running at a decent clip on my machine which struggled at first. Yeah, it's only $5.99, but as others have pointed out the file can simply be copied and backed up, implying there is no special storage format or security peculiarity and therefore no incredible overheads to allowing customers to redownload the game. The files could be openly and publicly shared as it's impossible to play in any form without registering with EA anyway, so why charge again unless you intend to fleece your customers for micropayments in a death by thousand cuts scenario?

Which, incidently, seems to be the way some games are heading (Cases in point: NFS Carbon on the 360 where push-button cheats freely built into the game on other versions are now paid and unlocked for via a credit card and XBLive, and GT:HD on the PS3 where comes with one track and every track, car and paint job you want to add will cost you a dollar or more).

Lets not forget that every time we play 2142, EA also generates revenue from the massive billboards throughout each map prominently advertising anything from Intel Core2 Duos to Heroes Season 1 on DVD. We the customers see no benefit in a reduced game retail price.

2142 is just about the limit in what I can take as a gaming consumer:

• Internet connection required even for singleplayer and LAN
• Invasive PunkBusting with no recourse for erronously banned players
• Prominent adverts everywhere in the gaming world
• Irritating registration process with little room for error
• Charging for the same content multiple times when redownloading
• Hopelessly crippled characters requiring unlocks to become even slightly useful (sprint!)

Did I forget anything?

Rant now over. I still love playing 2142 because it involves actual fun, unlike some other squad-based wargames, and I'll play almost anything made by DICE ever since they created Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasies on the Amiga, two of the finest games of all time.

If 2142 appeared on Steam, I would have no hesitation in re-recommending it, because Steam has got it all worked out sensibly and fairly (you can even give games away to friends if you buy a pack that duplicate some you bought already, a la Orange Box - wow!). Unfortunately, this is never likely to be while EA try to launch this pale imitation of a rival's service. Sadly.

Will we ever get back to realising a businesses' biggest asset is the customer?


Cheers. That is all.

-Tom

[ReaperOfsouls]

Wow, way to go EA, you guys truly are a bunch of dbags.

[GrossKopf]

Looking at the last few replies, it looks like this has gone FAR from the original topic, but just FYI - I had to uninstall BF2142 and I just downloaded it again from EA Link without any charges. I first bought BF2142 the day it was released, so this "only 6 months" thing seems to be wrong.

[Vreki]

Looking at the last few replies, it looks like this has gone FAR from the original topic, but just FYI - I had to uninstall BF2142 and I just downloaded it again from EA Link without any charges. I first bought BF2142 the day it was released, so this "only 6 months" thing seems to be wrong.

All pre-existing purchases will expire 6 months form the day this policy was enacted, not 6 months form the original date of purchase
At least that is they way I understand it.

[Wiking44]

The day I found out about advertisements in game was the day I decided EA wouldn't get another dime from me. Looks like a good decision.

Those of you supporting in-game advertising and this policy of re-paying for a product are only making it worse for everyone.

When you all knuckled under and bought this game and played it despite the invasiveness you sent a message not only to EA but to the industry:

"We're sheep and we'll buy whatever you throw out there as long as there is a lot of hype. Beyond that if the gameplay is decent you can jam us for even more money."

Thanks. I protested and I voted with my dollars. I still haven't bought 2142 nor will I ever. Any whining you guys have about how much EA is sticking it to you is all the community's fault.

You bought it. Now deal with it.

[GrossKopf]

All pre-existing purchases will expire 6 months form the day this policy was enacted, not 6 months form the original date of purchase
At least that is they way I understand it.

Do you have a link to this "policy"?

The day I found out about advertisements in game was the day I decided EA wouldn't get another dime from me. Looks like a good decision.

Those of you supporting in-game advertising and this policy of re-paying for a product are only making it worse for everyone.

When you all knuckled under and bought this game and played it despite the invasiveness you sent a message not only to EA but to the industry:

"We're sheep and we'll buy whatever you throw out there as long as there is a lot of hype. Beyond that if the gameplay is decent you can jam us for even more money."

Thanks. I protested and I voted with my dollars. I still haven't bought 2142 nor will I ever. Any whining you guys have about how much EA is sticking it to you is all the community's fault.

You bought it. Now deal with it.

I haven't seen in-game advertising on the billboards in a while. Maybe they removed it?

[Vreki]

Do you have a link to this "policy"?

I had a quick look around, but found nothing official.
A quote without source on wiki says that old games will not expire, but I cant find anything from EA
However I can see that all my games on EADM are listed as added 17/09/2007.

[fiDDLEsOCK]

Installing the BF2 boosters from a copy of the cache folder on another windows install worked, but it didn't work with BF2142.

Anybody got this working with full games (not boosters and expansions)? If yes how did you do it and what games worked?

[iDash]

Report back, I like to Reformat and BF2142 is getting close my download end date!

[Shask]

ea suck.






there is my input to this thread, ty + good day

[tomfin]

Installing the BF2 boosters from a copy of the cache folder on another windows install worked, but it didn't work with BF2142.

Anybody got this working with full games (not boosters and expansions)? If yes how did you do it and what games worked?

Yeah - anyone able to confirm this for 2142 as well as Northern Strike yet? I bought a retail version of 2142 but could go back to recommending the Downloader if backups can be made. Otherwise I think not.

I've just bought and downloaded NS - the IDS Radar is a must, and picking them up in-game is tricky as they can usually see you coming...

I've taken backups of the installers so sometime I'll have a chance to try the solution posted above. With some luck it'll be through choice and not because of catastrophic system failure.

Still - cracking game, despite all the hassles and connection problems. Let's hope it lives a while yet as I'm sure there's no way I'll be able to play BF3 without remortgaging the house for a new computer. On the other hand, I suppose that could be an ideal time to test my freshly-made NS backup