Diablo 3/UFC Que Choisir: "DRM is problematic"
By Poischich, Gamekult.com
Interview - Thursday, 14/06/2012 at 17h 30
Alerted by many consumers disappointed repeated errors accompanying the release of Diablo III , UFC-Que Choisir said Tuesday it has given notice Blizzard to address these problems, while reporting the situation to the DGCCRF.
This is not the first time that the consumer association protested against the publishers of trade policy: it had published such a study and filed a complaint against some of them last November , to denounce DLC and online Pass.
We took advantage of this new release for a few questions on the topic Edouard Barreiro, director of public relations of the UFC-Que Choisir.
What is your goal with this notice?
There are two things, communication and warning. The formal notice, it is especially for Blizzard to move and put things in place as soon as possible so that consumers can quietly enjoy his game The second thing that is in the press, it is the aspect DRM . To tell you frankly, this is for me what is most important.
In principle, DRM reduces the consumer's rights and reduce usage, it is something in the game, since it is always in connection with an internet connection, creates technical inconvenience. So, in future, even if the game publishers are the means of infrastructure, networks, will never be an ideal situation. Even if we assume that the network works perfectly well, the player always manages to connect to identify themselves, the fact is he can not do what he wants his game
The first thing is that he can not enjoy it as he wants. You travel, you want to play on the train, it is not possible, even with Wi-Fi in the Thalys, for example, it is not even worth thinking about. You go to Tata, if she does not have a connection that's fucked up. And if there is connection but it is not good, with this system as in Diablo III where the party is deported to a remote server, it does not even bother to think about either.
Then the second point is that you have a property that you acquired, but ultimately you do not have the rights that go with it, usufruct, etc.: you can not transfer it, you can not resell, you can not give.
The term DRM is relatively broad. You challenge the copy protection in general, which is not always associated with a permanent Internet connection, or this one in particular?
Generally speaking, DRM is problematic. It always creates compatibility problems, whether the copy protection on a CD 15-20 years ago, or the DRM on mp3 tracks on DVDs, Blu-ray boxes or games. Even with just an online authentication, not a permanent internet connection, it will always be problems, compared to the connection, or if Steam or Battle.net saturate because there are too many people, and not necessarily on the same game you ... DRM, in principle, poses a real problem.
What are the actual powers of the UFC-Que Choisir in such cases?
The powers are those that have been on everything, eventually. It is access to justice, to have the means to take action, that is not necessarily the consumer: it has the means to afford a lawyer, was also in-house expertise with several services, legal , Economic, and we have access to a consumer base that can give us testimonials. That's our means. And then also this political power, which is not always successful, of course, but allows us to capture all the public and the government telling them that there is a real concern and need s' deal.
In the case of Diablo, you really get compensation?
We must not caricature, it is not asking Blizzard to pay players. But in general, an allowance, it can be offered objects, it may be only a gesture, to show the consumer that does not ignore him, we really aware that we showed to a failure. It's asking them somewhere to be commercial. You do something that does not work, the least we can do is to compensate, not necessarily compensate. As a mobile operator can give you a free half hour per month, something like that, when there is a problem.
Diablo 3 is not the first game to require a permanent internet connection ...
But we have already denounced it, there are six or seven months.
There are six or seven months, this concerned mainly the passes online, you have a complaint about it anyway?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, when you make a call, there are a few things and even then, we took a stand against DRM. The passes online, it is also a form of DRM, this is not something else. When you have a game with a unique code to activate it or to play multiplayer, and this code you can not sell it, or else when you give in, the one you buy has access to your results and can not start over, one way or another it is also a form of DRM.
Precisely, the complaint on the passes online, where it is?
Well the procedures in France are very, very long, that is to say we do not return it for now. You know, a process lasting several years, so I think we will not have a final judgment within two years ... last year and a half now, since it was launched six months ago. The procedure is underway, there was no further information currently.
For you, the release of Diablo 3 was an opportunity go even further?
Always distinguish two things in a communication from consumers. On the one hand, it is asking a publisher, here Blizzard , to make things right, but it is also put into perspective a more general political demand.
Diablo on, for now it is a formal notice with the DGCCRF transmission, it is not a complaint. Do you plan, if the response from Blizzard does not satisfy you, move to the next level?
Nothing is excluded. We study several possibilities, whether for Blizzard or others elsewhere. We our concern is to be certain that this market works and that the consumer does not feel injured. In fact, as we will by period of influx of people that we understand various issues, some general ... For example, for our first submission, there were many stories of players who were saying "games are not finished, it does not work", that's what sparked the trick. This time, they are really people who have seized on Diablo , but every time you will like that, occasionally, massive demands of consumers, it will mean that there are things that do not work: we will be interested and see what we can do.
You have other leads, other battles ahead in the video game?
I can not tell you because if you start talking too soon, publishers can find ways that are always on the edge of legality but that does not improve things for the consumer. We are studying several things that could possibly lead to proceedings because there is always a work of feasibility study to do, but I can not tell you because it may endanger the action.
We must not forget that when we began an action against a publisher, the goal is not to convict him, but rather to create a law that protects consumers in the future.
But for example, the purchase of dematerialized games, like Steam, it's something that interests you?
Yes, of course. These are things to look for, in contract, in terms of price too. I find it amazing that a game whose uses are much smaller, that is to say we can not sell, we can not use it wherever you want, costs the same as a game box , which allows all this. I know this is an example that is totally anachronistic, but there is still a reduction of consumer rights that is not accompanied by a decrease in the price.
In counter-example, one can take the offer cloud gaming Bouygues Telecom, I quote it here but it could be another. When you pay a set from 10 to 15 and you have the right to use it for a year, well, you can understand: you do not pay the game, but you pay a usage right, from 10 to 15 it's not 60 or 80 . It's a bit the same principle with the music, when you buy a CD 15 with a jacket, a pocket, the work being done on the presentation, during which time it offers the digital files for the same price. Since the cost is not at all related to the price, you really feel that makes fun of you.
only about 5-6 per million now lol. I've sold about $2,800 worth though, but spent about $700 on accounts and $1100 on my computer so I can run more bots. Probably will get around 10 bots running on softcore then start working on hardcore! That is where all the money is at, gold prices are still high and should stay that way."
