Recently, Easy Studios added an update to BFP4F which let players customize their weapons and buy upgrades. Among these were Legacy weapon attachments, which many users paid money for. The Legacy upgrades however brought with them balance issues, which are the leading cause of drama on forums in games most of the time. In an ideal world you would alter the stats of these weapons or make upgrades easier to get in order the solve this, but what they did is of questionable legality at best.
Easy Studios realized their number crunching didn’t go as well as they had hoped, and took the legacy attachments along with the update. Let me reiterate that, people paid money for these items and they were taken away by force. I’m certain that breaks a law somewhere.
Players who have previously purchased these will have to buy new attachments from a new catalog, meaning they will have to spend their money again. The backlash from the community on the official forums for BFP4F is staggering with one thread spanning 3400 posts. The developers have said that those who purchased the items will be getting what they call +3 weapons which are much more powerful than the base weapons, and can be upgraded as you see fit.
As far as I’m concerned, this is theft. Plain and simple. That’s right, theft. You gave someone something for money and then took it back without any form of immediate compensation.
[nR]Hellinator
The TOS that all players signed allows Easy to do this legally.
Also, the +3 weapons only add 3 damage to the weapons (players can take 100 damage). The +3 weapons are not more much more powerful than the standard ones.
Jerdomino
Yes…the TOS. Let’s not forget the TOS. Funny thing about TOS: If it’s illegal a TOS means nothing.
Besides, legal smegal. Bad business, bad feelings. Probably a couple of hundred dollarsm [above the 50+ that I’ve spent already] that won’t make it from my wallet to theirs. I’m only one guy, and they don’t care.
[nR]Hellinator
Re: Jerdomino
Yes, well this TOS happens to be legal.
ja-bre
They are thieves and liars! First they took our money, then took away what we permanently bought! Thieves and liars!
Cpt,Carrot
The TOS doesn’t actually give them any right to replace the weapons bought for BF. It says they can change any of ‘their’ content, however once we buy content using battle funds, the ownership (right to use)of that content transfers to the buyer (defined as YOU in the TOS). Their TOS certainly DOES NOT give the the legal right to take back or mess around with any paid for content that was SOLD as LASTS FOREVER. Feel free to check this out with a contract lawyer. What they have done is illegal and constitutes a breach of contract. In the UK it is a breach of our statutory rights and is a direct breach of contract.
Alexraptor
TOS is ONLY legal and binding if it does not conflict with the laws in the States and Countries that the service is offered to.
Adder
Regardless if the TOS is legal or not it is still a shit move by EA.
So in layman terms the TOS means no matter how much you spend on the weapon or attachment of your choice with your real money we can take it away and give you a pile of shit in return whether you like it or not. Oh and by the way get the new balaclava it is only 3000bf.
Pay and Play responsibly now 🙂
Rian Quenlin
A terms of service is about as legally binding as the rules of a pub. There is a major difference between a TOS and a legal contract, and even a contract cannot break certain laws.