Stardock Announces 'The Gamer's Bill of Rights'

**Warmaster Horus** · 08-30-2008, 10:53

That's one nice list. The points 6, 8, 9 and 10 are the most likely to rock the videogame industry boat.
If gamers start spreading this on forums, and the press refer to it during interviews and such (if they can), then the developpers will have to take it in consideration.
Let's hope it takes. Stardock is one of the best companies out there, if only for their stance vis-à-vis the customer.

**rajpoot** · 08-30-2008, 11:29

That's very very nice and decent of them. It makes me want to go where these people are, find out the guy who came up with the idea, and give him a hug for being so thoughtful. Specially in times like this when most other developers are going for draconian copy protection software and other stuff like the frequent call-home thing.
I fear however, that this won't really have any effect. The gamers might cheer Stardock, but I doubt the other developers would do anything of this kind anytime soon. It's a shame really............

**JR-** · 08-30-2008, 11:44

I bought Sins Of A Solar Empire in part because they didn't use any obnoxious DRM.

**CountArach** · 08-30-2008, 14:50

An excellent list indeed and I would like to see some of the really major companies sign onto this as well. I am curious as to how #1 would be enforced though - the stores set pricing.

**Warmaster Horus** · 08-30-2008, 17:14

Well, that's it: you buy a game at a store, you return it there, I guess.
If you've got a Peugeot car, you're not going to Nissan to get it fixed, right?

**Quirinus** · 08-30-2008, 18:21

Still can't see #1 as practical, especially in the light of #10-- what's to prevent the gamer from installing the game, claiming it doesn't work, returning it, and in consequence playing the game for free?

**CountArach** · 08-30-2008, 23:45

Originally Posted by Warmaster Horus

Well, that's it: you buy a game at a store, you return it there, I guess.
If you've got a Peugeot car, you're not going to Nissan to get it fixed, right?

Yeah but he Company isn't told what to do with their returns policy. They set their own. The store I work at has very tough restrictions on what you can and can't bring back and what condition it must be in.

Originally Posted by Quirinus

Still can't see #1 as practical, especially in the light of #10-- what's to prevent the gamer from installing the game, claiming it doesn't work, returning it, and in consequence playing the game for free?

They cover that with "No gamer shall be treated as a potential criminal". I know I wouldn't be returning my games in this way - would you?

**Warmaster Horus** · 08-30-2008, 23:56

Originally Posted by CA

Yeah but he Company isn't told what to do with their returns policy. They set their own. The store I work at has very tough restrictions on what you can and can't bring back and what condition it must be in.

D'oh. Well, I guess it does depend on the store directly selling the game.

**Quirinus** · 09-01-2008, 10:38

Originally Posted by CountArach

They cover that with "No gamer shall be treated as a potential criminal". I know I wouldn't be returning my games in this way - would you?

I wouldn't. But you can bet many people will. That's kinda like putting your wares on a busy street with a little tin box that says "$9.99 per copy, pay here please".

doc_bean: "Civilization-in-space" pretty much describes GalCiv II, get GalCiv I for a slightly different flavour. It's going pretty cheap now, I think.