Player ban lifted for sarcastic comment in reference to Dragon Age 2 [Update]

A bit of internet snark has left one customer unable to play his copy of Dragon Age 2 recently. According to a frustrated post on the BioWare...

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[Update] An EA representative told Shacknews that the issue has been resolved:

EA strictly enforces the code of conduct at Social.BioWare.com. If a player violates the rules by using profanity, they will be temporarily banned. Unfortunately, there was an error in the system that accidentally suspended a user's entire account. Immediately upon learning of the glitch, EA took steps to restore the user's macro account and apologized for the inconvenience.

[Original Post] A bit of internet snark has left one customer unable to play his copy of Dragon Age 2 recently. According to a frustrated post on the BioWare forums, a user going by the name "vware" was suspended for 72 hours after a sarcastic comment. He had said, "Have you sold your souls to the EA devil?"

Ordinarily, a suspension would just strip a user of forum posting privileges. In this case, however, the user had bought his copy of Dragon Age 2, but hadn't activated it yet. Since activation is handled through the EA Community portal, he can't activate the game in order to play it until the ban is lifted.

BioWare community representative Stanley Woo clarified later in the thread that forum bans only impact forum activity. The EA Community ban came from a different department, after another user apparently reported it. He also pointed to the EA Terms of Service, specifically the sections on Rules of Conduct and account termination.

"Because the BioWare community now operates under the same umbrella as all EA Communities, community members here have all explicitly agreed to abide by and be governed by both sets of rules," said Woo. "Consider it an added incentive to follow the rules you say you're going to follow."

Of course, the user's account is only suspended for 72 hours in total, at least 24 of which have passed already, so he'll be starting the game up before the weekend is over. We've contacted EA for official comment, but have not heard back yet. In the meantime, draconian measure or fair penalty for being a smartass? Let us know in the comments.

Editor-In-Chief
From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 11, 2011 3:30 PM

    Comment on Sarcastic comment prevents Dragon Age 2 activation, by Steve Watts.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 3:34 PM

      Rlslog.net will help this guy

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 3:39 PM

      Ironically, this seems to answer his question...

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 3:45 PM

      Hahaaaaa, just when we thought you were coming around you do something completely and unabashedly evil. I say cheers, though. Being a spiteful little child is a little more acceptable when you are a giant corporation.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 3:55 PM

      That kind of power is pretty gay tbh. I don't care how sarcastic he was

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 4:00 PM

      This does not surprise me.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 4:04 PM

      Chris Priestly's official response:

      "Here is my official response. You will likely see this picked up on news sites soon enough.

      EA strictly enforces the code of conduct at Social.BioWare.com. If a player violates the rules by using profanity, they will be temporarily banned. Unfortunately, there was an error in the system that accidentally suspended a user's entire account. Immediately upon learning of the glitch, EA restored the user's macro account and apologized for the inconvenience."

      http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6465725/48

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 4:04 PM

      The ban was within the forum ToS, and vware was being acidic. Problem is the lack of oversight as to how bans affect activation, apathy towards the legitimate suffering of an proper consumer, and an attitude from a community representative that leans toward malice for disillusioned fans. Though vware was uncivil, it's not wise to try and suppress dissent reactivity when news of said suppression will only fuel a bad public image.

      Combine this with the SecuROM fiesta that's cropped up and you have a recipe for disaster. I don't expect many PC users to be supportive of Bioware in the future if DA2's current image remains as is - or worsens.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 4:07 PM

      UPDATE: RPS says EA has retracted the ban, saying that the linking of the forum account and the entire EA account was a glitch.

      http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/11/ea-retracts-game-ban-for-forum-violation/

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 4:12 PM

        lol

        DAMAGE CONTROL DAMAGE CONTROL

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 5:14 PM

        I seem to remember this isn't the first time this glitch has occured

      • Ely legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        March 11, 2011 11:00 PM

        Honestly this seemed like the obvious reason. I cannot imagine that it's policy to lock a user out of his DLC access due to a forum violation. They probably only use a full account lock out in cases such as credit card fraud.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 4:10 PM

      Is this really newsworthy? Boohoo, some clown can't activate his game for 72 hours. Sucks to be him I guess, but life goes on.

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 4:23 PM

        Yes it is.

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 4:27 PM

        so.. your comment right there might be considered offensive and cause of a timed ban. During that timed ban, you can't access the ea communities section keeping you from accessing any and all dlc you purchased. Would you still be boohooing? What if it was a permanent ban?

        • reply
          March 12, 2011 1:06 AM

          A permanent ban would be a completely different story and I'm sure the guy would garner the sympathy of everyone because it would be completely unreasonable. Seeing as how I have never purchased DLC, nor do I plan to given the general level of quality, that threat wouldn't stop me.

          If it was access to an MMORPG, maybe I'd feel the pain. OTOH, I'd pay heed to the TOS and not do anything on said site to incur the wrath of possible overzealous employees monitoring the forums.

          • reply
            March 12, 2011 8:18 AM

            So you really read EULAs and TOS in their entirety? Really really? You really don't think losing the ability to play the games you paid for simply because you act like an ass on a forum is a big deal?

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 4:30 PM

        Though the perpetrator's plight is rather mundane, the legal ramifications could be severe. DA2's EULA has no mention of how proper forum etiquette is required to start playing, and that vware was not permitted use of software for reasons not stated in the EULA could constitute a breach of contract.

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 4:39 PM

        Responses like this are the reason we can't have nice things.

        • reply
          March 11, 2011 4:50 PM

          I feel like he should be banned, to fully appreciate the gravity of the decision.

          • reply
            March 11, 2011 5:06 PM

            That is similar to saying 'I feel illegal immigrants should be shot to deal with the problem of illegal immigration'. Somethings are immoral, unjust, and just plane petty.

            Perhaps instead of going for a knee-jerk decision they should instead question WHY someone would come on their forums and say they sold their soul to EA. More importantly WHAT that means and WHY that is bad. You know, the whole caring and actually figuring out the problem.

            • reply
              March 11, 2011 5:11 PM

              LOL.

              Your paragraph #2 completely contradicts your first paragraph. "I'm going to compare video game bans to shooting illegal immigrants."

              "They should be reasonable to someone spouting profanity in their house to their face."

              Retarded.

            • reply
              March 11, 2011 5:22 PM

              Sorry, allow me to clarify. I feel StealthHawk should be banned.

              • reply
                March 11, 2011 5:31 PM

                That was pretty clear; I'm surprised anyone missed it.

                • reply
                  March 11, 2011 5:34 PM

                  I'm pretty sure that may have something to do with the amount of fpp's around here.

            • reply
              March 11, 2011 10:30 PM

              Exactly the same. Best analogy of the year.

            • reply
              March 12, 2011 1:12 AM

              Why do you immediately defend his actions? You speak as if the guy is a martyr fighting for internet freedom, when in all likelihood he's just some forum troll. There are always people who are critical, that hardly means they are justified in their distaste. Clearly his goal all along was to show EA and the misguided people of the world their horrible soulless business practices and operating philosophies.

              • reply
                March 12, 2011 8:21 AM

                So what if he's a troll? He even admitted that he was out of line with the comment that resulted in the ban. Even the worst trolls don't deserve to lose access to the games they paid for simply because they were trolling a forum. Ban them from the forum, sure. But removing their ability to play the game they already bought is beyond fucked up.

            • reply
              March 12, 2011 7:27 AM

              This is was happens when you let front pagers post.

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 4:45 PM

        More so than most IMO. I don't appreciate restrictions on things I purchase, as a general rule.

        I understand if the game is MP things have to done for the good of the group. Dragon's age is a single player game, so preventing him from playing is crazy.

        • reply
          March 12, 2011 2:59 AM

          The problem is, the things that you purchased are not restricted in this special case. The dvd case, the pamphlet and the DVD itself are what you bought, nothing else.

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 7:06 PM

        It is, because without some kind of public outcry a really poor precedent could be set.

        • reply
          March 11, 2011 10:07 PM

          That precedent has already been set a long time ago.

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 10:38 PM

        That sounds like a sarcastic remark to me, and your games should probably be disabled for 72 hours because of it.

        • reply
          March 12, 2011 1:14 AM

          I accept your punishment. Please disable all games I own that haven't been activated yet which are published by ShackNews.

          • reply
            March 12, 2011 1:38 AM

            More sarcasm. In a just world, your computer would be disabled for 72 hours.

      • reply
        March 12, 2011 7:53 AM

        Yeah it could affect quite a few people, sit down and shutup.

      • reply
        March 12, 2011 8:08 AM

        [deleted]

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 4:49 PM

      unprofessional

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 5:13 PM

      i'm not sure where people get their logic about this. yes it was a little overboard a punishment for such a dull sarcastic comment, but the fact of the matter is he broke a rule. you dont like the rules, dont go to the games site and break them, i mean whats the point of his post/comment anyways.

      so judging EA for enforcing a rule while (no matter how fitting or over reactive), brings up the age old question, how many rules or how far do you let something go before you have to reel it in?

      this doesn't change my thoughts about EA in the least, because i would never have this guys problem. it also doesnt change my opinion on forums and how people act there stereotypicaly.

      • reply
        March 12, 2011 3:01 AM

        Yes forum moderation is fine, its nothing new und unspectacular. Except if this forum moderation can take influence on your abilitiy to use purchased goods or "log in" to a single player game.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 5:15 PM

      Really piss-poor by EA on all fronts.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 5:29 PM

      serves em right. trolls gotta learn that just because no one knows who you are, it doesn't give you the right to say anything you want and expect no recourse

      • reply
        March 12, 2011 5:03 AM

        So criticizing is now trolling?

      • reply
        March 12, 2011 7:56 AM

        I cannot comprehend how people think this way. You think by 'saying' something you're stripped of your purchase YOU PAID FOR!!!! It's just unbelievable that people believe the company has some right in this.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 6:17 PM

      Summary: It was a bad week for one sarcastic gamer. After making a snarky comment, he had his user account temporarily banned, which prevented him from activating his copy of Dragon Age 2. The issue is resolved now, and EA attributes it to a glitch.

      • reply
        March 11, 2011 10:24 PM

        Just like last time something similar happened, right?

        'Just a glitch.' Until we have to try and save face of course...

      • reply
        March 12, 2011 3:02 AM

        Glitching around the perimeter, trying to find the limits.

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 10:41 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      March 11, 2011 11:32 PM

      bot needs to update posts when theres an update

    • reply
      March 12, 2011 6:21 AM

      ea is a piece of shit and so is da2

    • reply
      March 12, 2011 8:07 AM

      What part of "Have you sold your souls to the EA devil?" contains profanity exactly? What rule did this break exactly? Anyone? Or are the people posting on here defending EA just massive retards?

      • reply
        March 12, 2011 2:19 PM

        I was wondering the same thing....

      • reply
        March 12, 2011 3:13 PM

        More likely Bioware fanboys. I find it hilarious that this is ban worthy seeing as how that statement contains no profanity. Bioware seems to get worse and worse with each of their game releases so it certainly seems like this young man had every right to post his honest opinion.

    • reply
      March 12, 2011 1:53 PM

      Moral of story: buy digital distributions of games through competent 3rd parties like steam or impulse.

    • reply
      March 13, 2011 1:30 AM

      Sorry to be 'that guy' here, but...

      I can't help but wonder where all this righteous indignation is whenever someone loses their Steam account for equally pathetic reasons?

      Or is it because this is EA we're talking about?

      • reply
        March 13, 2011 5:35 AM

        You don't lose access to your Steam account if you're banned from the Steampowered forums.

        • reply
          March 13, 2011 11:39 AM

          And yet people have lost their Steam accounts for silly reasons. But the righteous fury that seems to have engulfed this particular case rarely materialises. And the usual response to those that do have a little rant about it is "don't violate the ToS, and you'll be fine", or "I've never had a problem, so it must be all your fault".

    • reply
      March 14, 2011 7:44 AM

      This is old news now kinda, but couldn't he have just made a new account? It said he didn't activate his game yet.

    • reply
      March 15, 2011 3:04 AM

      Wheres the Shacknews review at anyway?!

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