Stardock announced today the Gamer’s Bill of Rights: a statement of principles that it hopes will encourage the PC game industry to adopt standards that are more supportive of PC gamers. The document contains 10 specific “rights” that video game enthusiasts can expect from Stardock as an independent developer and publisher that it hopes that other publishers will embrace. The Bill of Rights is featured on Stardock’s website (www.stardock.com) and is on prominent display in Stardock’s booth (1142) at the Penny Arcade Expo.“As an industry, we need to begin setting some basic, common sense standards that reward PC gamers for purchasing our games,” stated Brad Wardell, president and CEO of Stardock Corporation. “The console market effectively already has something like this in that its games have to go through the platform maker such as Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony. But on the PC, publishers can release games that are scarcely completed, poorly supported, and full of intrusive copy protection and then be stuck on it.”
Chris Taylor, CEO and founder of Gas Powered Games stated, “This is an awesome framework for the industry to aspire to, and ultimately so that we can provide our customers with the gaming experience that they have wanted for years, and really deserve.”
According to Stardock, the objective of the Gamer’s Bill of Rights is to increase the confidence of consumers of the quality of PC games which in turn will lead to more sales and a better gaming experience.
The Gamer’s Bill of Rights:
1. Gamers shall have the right to return games that don’t work with their computers for a full refund.
2. Gamers shall have the right to demand that games be released in a finished state.
3. Gamers shall have the right to expect meaningful updates after a game’s release.
4. 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.
5. Gamers shall have the right to expect that the minimum requirements for a game will mean that the game will play adequately on that computer.
6. Gamers shall have the right to expect that games won’t install hidden drivers or other potentially harmful software without their consent.
7. Gamers shall have the right to re-download the latest versions of the games they own at any time.
8. Gamers shall have the right to not be treated as potential criminals by developers or publishers.
9. 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.
10. 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.
I agree with almost all of the rights, especially 6, 7 (now this would be nice. Even if I bought the disc version?) and 10.
The game should be stable from the start and not need updates to start working or work properly, and, gamers should expect new content in a meaningful way, no conflict. Update does not mean bug fixing.
Last edited by SLiDeR_pt on 30 Aug 2008 - 02:14
BTW, 2 and 3 don't necessarily conflict. An update can add new features and/or new content. Sometimes additional game balancing is done post-release and is adjusted based on player feedback.
And if you want my opinion, the way Stardock does games is 100% the best way.
Actually, there is...the BSA (Business Software Alliance); actually they like to consider themselves the police.
Actually, there is...the BSA (Business Software Alliance); actually they like to consider themselves the police.
Oh, the old Bull **** Alliance. It seems like the only thing they're concerned with is piracy and lobbying the US government for tax breaks and outsourcing benefits. I've never heard of them policing software companies over their criminal activities (spyware, faulty products, etc)?
Too bad that's not going to happen though
I'd propose that a correctly done service could offer money-back. If it could track the generation of crash logs, you could "lemon-law" a game. If you get more than X crashes within the first Y days of ownership, it would unlock the ability to request a refund. Or you could add it on specific conditions (if it crashes within one minute of launch, it's probably fatally unable to run on this machine).
Now, of course, you could probably game that by, say, deliberately making your PC unstable to earn refunds.
I am starting to like Stardock more and more.
AMEN to that!!!!!
1000000000000000000+ to Stardock
thats one reason i like steam!!!! its like a media hub for game but without the malware program installs (gamespy! comes to mind, lol)
Last edited by SolwayUK on 30 Aug 2008 - 12:30
It'd be good if the mainstream media paid attention. Maybe people will start demanding that software companies stop abusing their customers. It's like if you buy their product they feel they have a right to come to your house and raid your refrigerator.
As far as I know NONE of the games that Stardock has made to date, have been "Crappy". Sins of the Solar Empire is one of the best RTS games I have ever played, with the exception of the original Red Alert game from Westwood. No other RTS games come close to the quality of these games. Sadly, the Red Alert label is now owned by EA Sucks and as such will never be good again.
I welcome this list with open arms, and hope more companies adopt these rights. In the end, the companies are punishing the people who BUY the games, more than they punish the piraters.
HAHAHA, kudos to you.
I'd like to see this adopted by game companies, but they're there to make money. Game companies making gamers happy is just a byproduct of their desire for bigger profits.
it gets cracked and people play regardless
and multiplayer requires valid cdkeys to play, multiplayer to me is the biggest part of a game, meaning only sold copies get onto the servers regardless
#1, thats a toughy, cause you could burn and return, or take the key, there would need to be somethin that doesnt set piracy/cdkey being stolen from the box to prevent this
I think a system that makes the vendor check for the cdkey, and then return everything back to the publisher to hav the key disabled
then again..none of this stuff will happen
I think a system that makes the vendor check for the cdkey, and then return everything back to the publisher to hav the key disabled
The store could then refuse return of a game where the seal is broken.
Of course, there would need to be some elaborate warning signs, as some people are all too quick to rip open every packaged item, not waiting until it's actually needed.
The only problem with this is MMOs or other online-only games, where you kind of need the CD key in order to create an account/validate your game purchase, though these games are in the minority.
There's no way to make this fool-proof and have it work for every game, at least from my perspective.
either they are suffering from delusion of grandeur, or this looks too much like a publicity stunt ...
A time for celebration.
And people don't buy EA PC games as they are made by EA.
and i don't have to go searching for the disc whenever i want to play it.
1. Gamers shall have the right to return games that don’t work with their computers for a full refund.
Sound fine ... for scammers.
4. 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.
Fine but for online games.
5. Gamers shall have the right to expect that the minimum requirements for a game will mean that the game will play adequately on that computer.
Or you could say, in or over 60fps, 640x480 (or 800x600) full screen.
7. Gamers shall have the right to re-download the latest versions of the games they own at any time.
But with some restriction, for example a abusive users can download several times in the month a 8gb game.
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