Boycott Games for Windows - Live

[Crian]

I already posted this in the software forum... but I kinda feel strongly about it so I'm putting it here for maximum exposure. :D

Hopefully it'll get some peoples' attention before the mods lock it up or something.

http://boycott-live.com/

EXCERPT:

Boycott Live? Why?

We have decided to start a boycott campaign against Microsoft’s Games for Windows – Live service because it’s violating our rights as PC gamers. Microsoft is pushing hard to make online PC gaming exactly like the Xbox’s. They want us to pay additional costs to subscribe to their Live service, and pay more monthly fees for a gold account, or to use the barely/non-working Silver account. Even if a gamer surrenders his soul for the attached fees to Microsoft; he may not even be able to purchase a subscription because the Live service is only available in 26 countries out of the 257 countries. This means that gamers from 231 countries are currently unable to purchase gold subscriptions even if they want to.

These two main issues put the future of online PC gaming at serious risk. This is what convinced us someone needed to start a boycott campaign against the Games for Windows – Live service. This became imminent to preserve online gaming and gamers rights. Of course Microsoft is a multi-millionaire corporation and they probably won’t care about this boycott, but game developers and publishers are more vulnerable to boycotts, and therefore we will target them instead. Sega, Eidos and THQ already signed to bring more Games for Windows – Live titles. The clock is ticking, now it’s the time to stop it. Say NO to LIVE.

[caravel]

Agreed with every word. I've seen a disturbing trend on this forum later where gamers are more interested in / sympathetic to the global profits of Sega than they are in quality games that are free of stupid anti piracy software and provide a decent challenge to someone over the age of 10.

The other issue is that the more and more gamers accept this restriction of basic freedoms (namely the freedom to make a backup copy, the freedom to play online without restriction and the freedom to choose what is installed on your machine) the worse it will become.

M$ have sought to bring everything PC under their monopolistic banner for years. They have made no secret of this and the ".NET Passport" thing was the beginning of this. The .NET passports makes it possible to monitor exactly what a user is doing on the net. Already part of MSN hotmail and the key part of the messenger service, integrating it into gaming is taking it a step further. This will bring Xbox and PC gaming under one umbrella. Developers that ignore it, as with developers that ignore DirectX, will be isolated and picked off.

[Ravencroft]

And Micro$oft got away from the anti-trust case with a relative slap to the wrist...

Man, I was only around seven back then, found out by reading my mom's TIME magazines.

[Spartan198]

Consider Microsoft Games for Windows - Live boycotted by me. Glad to stand by my fellow Orgahs.

[Abokasee]

United States, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, South Korea, Singapore, Portugal, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Mexico, Japan, Italy, Ireland, India, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Finland, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Austria and Australia.

What the worlds largest country isn't on the list? what the fudge? what in gods name are these people doing?
They seem to be only be adding countrys where PCs are at 1-1 ratio (India, Mexico and Austria are not... would someone correct me if this is false)

All I have to say is £25 - £30 a year just to play online? **** off windows, let alone WINDOWS live on the PC! I never played lan but... I would like to use that feature on day!

Well its easy for me since I won't be buying anygames (Although TF2 is tempting) until septemberish (Spore if they extend it this time) where everything would of been "updated" (Milk that goat dry windows!) to windows vista

P.S Hopefully by september the boycott would of have some sucess... unless they ignore as they seem to be doing at this moment in time

[ArtistofWarfare]

As I and several others have expressed in every location that this thread has shown up: If you want to run around with your hair on fire screaming, go right ahead. Few will follow. There's absolutely nothing to be concerned about here.

All these threads are doing is showing me who has a clear "anti spending money on anything" bias.

It's the same names showing up in any thread that discusses spending money. "Don't upgrade your PC", "Console games have more value (even though they cost more)" "MS is trying to steal the world from under our feet by charging us 8 cents a day!".

Relax. Things cost money. It is what it is. Other than these petitions and threads started by the OP, I don't see anyone on the internet or in real life even mentioning this topic. It really, seems like about 3 people on the entire internet.

Lastly, as others have pointed out- These countries that are being "excluded" by and large don't even have internet access. They've yet to become a part of the "information age". That's why they're not included in this: There's nothing to market.

Total fuss over nothing here.

[caravel]

It really, seems like about 3 people on the entire internet.

And I am honoured to be among those three people.

[Puzz3D]

Well I won't buy the Microsoft - Live Gaming Service, but should I also get rid of MSN?

[caravel]

Well I won't buy the Microsoft - Live Gaming Service, but should I also get rid of MSN?

That's up to you. Why would you want to?

[ArtistofWarfare]

And I am honoured to be among those three people.

Obviously...

I think the other 2 of them might have forgotten about this already if it wasn't for your zealous support of this "boycott".

Again- "Don't upgrade to Vista!!!", "Don't pay to play!!", "Don't spend money on a gaming PC!!". I definitely get the drift.

I've spent thousands in the past week on Vista, pay to play games, and on a new gaming PC. Thousands.

I'm still here...no flames engulfing me.

I'm going to really go off the deep end this weekend when I install M2TW:K Gold. I'll be installing SecuRom on my hard drive!!! Can you imagine? Surely, my entire PC will explode immediately, along with my house. My family will all become cancer stricken and my dog will contract herpes. I'll probably never be able to get a date again, and assumably- my legs will fall off as well.

Still- I'm goin' balls to the wall baby!! Everyone scream "FIRE!"

(sorry, I just think that above scenario seems more exciting than spending the next 6 weeks on these forums with the Heretics, cursing all of the Gods above).

[caravel]

Herpes? How terrible, have a beer!