COD:BO - File a complaint with the FTC

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mdswish

Weaksauce
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Are you upset about BO only being available through GS? If so, make a complaint to the FTC. It's possible that even an FTC investigation could pave the way for Activision to open the game up to other providers. It certainly can't hurt and would most likely be more effective than any type of boycott. (MW2 anyone?) So go to the FTC website and file an official complaint. The more they get the more they will take it seriously. I've already done it.


Link to FTC Complaints: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
 
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not sure what this accolimpishes at all.

Or why there is any legality issue on this in the first place.
 
I'm torn because I wish Activision and and CoD would choke and die, but filing the complaint could assist in making their day worse. Hmmm..
 
4saken said:
not sure what this accolimpishes at all.

Or why there is any legality issue on this in the first place.
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I believe that there might be an issue legally. To me it's the same thing as WalMart getting a contract with dairy farmers and becoming the sole distributor of milk and cheese. Or only being able to buy televisions at Circuit City. It's preventing other GSPs from selling the same type of product that is their very market. This can be spun a hundred different ways, but the core facts are what they are. It's a lack of free consumer choice and a lack of industry competition and that is illegal.
 
4saken said:
not sure what this accolimpishes at all.

Or why there is any legality issue on this in the first place.
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This is America! If you don't like something it's your birthright to complain and have some one (normally the government, possibly your lawyer) fix it to your liking.

Though seriously, I don't get it either. How is this any different than a game being an Xbox live arcade or PSN exclusive? Game makers and publishers have a right to sell their games how they want on what platform(s) they want. Exclusive distribution is a bit unusual in retail box copies, but I think anyone would be hard pressed to find a consumer protection law they could twist into fitting this situation.
 
If BO were not offered on PC, then PC would not be the intended market. That's just like Halo. Halo is an XBOX exclusive title. There's no problem with any anti-competition laws there because PC and PSN are not the target markets. Should Ford be forced to supply OEM parts for a Toyota? It's the same principle. The difference here is that BO IS being offered on PC, which is the same market and constitues the livelihood of most other GSPs, and it is being made exclusive to GS.
 
It's no different than someone purchasing exclusive rights to something. Be it a title exclusive on a certain platform (ie. Xbox 360 or PS3) or in this case, a provider of dedicated servers. Move along.
 
mdswish said:
I believe that there might be an issue legally. To me it's the same thing as WalMart getting a contract with dairy farmers and becoming the sole distributor of milk and cheese. Or only being able to buy televisions at Circuit City. It's preventing other GSPs from selling the same type of product that is their very market. This can be spun a hundred different ways, but the core facts are what they are. It's a lack of free consumer choice and a lack of industry competition and that is illegal.
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The analogy you're making with TVs, milk or eggs is that all the video game publishers / distributors got together and decided to only sell their games at gamestop. And while that probably could be something the FTC would look into and put a stop to, it's not what's happening here.
Since I don't know any brand names of milk or eggs we'll stick to TVs. Imagine if Sharp decided it's current 46 inch LCD would only be sold at Wallmart. You can still buy a TV anywhere, you can even buy a 46 inch LCD anywhere. And while deals like that don't happen often with big brands like Sharp or Call of Duty, you'd better believe a ton of 'house' brands and similar are sold exclusively to one retailer.
 
It certainly is a fine line. And Activision and GS are dancing all over it. But it can't hurt to have some legal experts look at it. But to get it in front of those legal experts eyes, it's going to take us, the consumers, to bring it to their attention. Sitting by and doing nothing isn't the answer either.
 
mdswish said:
If BO were not offered on PC, then PC would not be the intended market. That's just like Halo. Halo is an XBOX exclusive title. There's no problem with any anti-competition laws there because PC and PSN are not the target markets. Should Ford be forced to supply OEM parts for a Toyota? It's the same principle. The difference here is that BO IS being offered on PC, which is the same market and constitues the livelihood of most other GSPs, and it is being made exclusive to GS.
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So, what you're saying, is developers / publishers can make business decisions to support a particular platform.
But publishers aren't allowed to make a business decision about which distribution channels they use?

And my point about Live arcade and PSN was less about console/platform exclusivity, and more about that being the only distribution method available. You can't buy most PSN games in gamestop or any other retail distributor for that matter. Activision is making the same choice.
 
mdswish said:
It certainly is a fine line. And Activision and GS are dancing all over it. But it can't hurt to have some legal experts look at it. But to get it in front of those legal experts eyes, it's going to take us, the consumers, to bring it to their attention. Sitting by and doing nothing isn't the answer either.
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It is your right. Hire a lawyer and pay him to look into this for you. For the rest of us tax payers Id rather them spend my money elsewhere.
 
It would be even easier to boycott BO if its only available in GS (gamestop right?).
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
So, how are the PC faithful supposed to get our hands on this, then? Finding a PC game at Gamestop is as common as a basement dwelling WoW player landing a date with Kristen Stewart.
 
GS isn't GameStop. CoD:BO's uses a company, GameSevers.com, for all of the dedicated servers. GameStop has nothing to do with this story, as you can pre-order the game from several places.
 
SicKlown42012 said:
GS isn't GameStop. CoD:BO's uses a company, GameSevers.com, for all of the dedicated servers. GameStop has nothing to do with this story, as you can pre-order the game from several places.
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Oh. I misunderstood what OP wrote.
 
SicKlown42012 said:
GS isn't GameStop. CoD:BO's uses a company, GameSevers.com, for all of the dedicated servers. GameStop has nothing to do with this story, as you can pre-order the game from several places.
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GameStop's genius marketing makes most people think they are the only place to preorder from, without directly saying it, lol :p
 
Your analogy is backwards. It's like you producing your own milk and cheese, then being sued by Walmart because you wouldn't sell it through them. There is nothing illegal here. If GS obtained the rights to all games ever and was the only place that sold them, you'd have a point. Activision made the game. They can sell it through whatever means they do or do not want to.
 
There's no legal issue here. Sorry. Not going to file a frivolous complaint.
 
If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's not like there aren't a bunch of other games to choose from, and it's not like they are springing this on you after you buy it. Grow up OP.
 
obs said:
If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's not like there aren't a bunch of other games to choose from, and it's not like they are springing this on you after you buy it. Grow up OP.
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NKDietrich said:
There's no legal issue here. Sorry. Not going to file a frivolous complaint.
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pretty much my thoughts as well. If you don't like it, don't buy it :)
 
Dude seriouslly how many forums are you going to post this crap on? If you dont like it dont buy it.
 
yea... filing with FTC isn't going to accomplish anything, just don't buy the game, that's the best thing you can do.
 
Show up to a midnight release of the game, but 20 copies, smash them, and post a video of yourself smashing them. THAT'LL SHOW EM.
 
While we're at it let's file a complaint because I can't host my own BC2 server, because I can't get an iPhone 4 for T-Mobile, and because Apple keeps breaking sync between WebOS devices and iTunes.

I swear some people actually get more jollies from complaining about video games than from playing ones they claim to like.
 
LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
While we're at it let's file a complaint because I can't host my own BC2 server, because I can't get an iPhone 4 for T-Mobile, and because Apple keeps breaking sync between WebOS devices and iTunes.

I swear some people actually get more jollies from complaining about video games than from playing ones they claim to like.
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+1
While I'm at it, I'm gonna file a complaint that this is the only forum I can find this post on :D.

Seriously though OP, if you don't like it don't buy it.
 
I've always been of the mindset that if they don't make the product they want to sell readily available to you, then they clearly don't want your money.
 
Redleader said:
It is your right. Hire a lawyer and pay him to look into this for you. For the rest of us tax payers Id rather them spend my money elsewhere.
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Agreed completely. Ultimately I'm sure the FTC would say the same thing if/when they see this complaint.
 
<3 people saying this is illegal. I love that here in America everything we don't like is illegal and we need to sue. They can have exclusive distributors, it's perfectly normal. It's not close, it's just plain legal.
 
Dont buy it if you dont like it. You are free to file a complaint but I dont expect much.
 
He was just letting everyone know.. You waste your own time by trolling. If you are dissapointed and want this looked into then complain to the FTC. If not quit trying to argue it. I filed my complaint last week because I think that GameServers.com is a lousy provider. I have been a long member of NFO and it peeves me that I have to move to gameservers.com if I want a server? They are already slow and laggy. Now what with 1000+ cod servers its going to be worse. That is just me of course and I will speak with my wallet.
 
Good news for Aussies - Internode is handling the BO servers here (or GS is using Internode hardware...something like that). Internode servers are pretty good in my experience (I always use their COD4 servers) and it will be all unmetered for 'Node users.
 
Filing a complaint is going to accomplish exactly nothing

I'll be buying it day one.
 
The game co's know they can do anything and no one is going to do a damn thing.
Live is the biggest fing rip off and what started the whole thing of F them you will pay and pay.
Of course you need to remember in 2010 we are 25th in the world in education.
Stupid people just pay and pay.
Don't know why or what for, I is bees told to.
 
mdswish said:
It's a lack of free consumer choice and a lack of industry competition and that is illegal.
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This is one game, from one publisher. You have a choice to play thousands of other games from hundreds of other publishers/developers. Whatever the reasons they come up with to explain the exclusive servers contract I'm sure it just comes down to wanting an extra monthly fee. So say no thanks and buy something else.
 
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