Only in America Would This Happen

[Eldriken]

Sure, in this case it's just about petty graphics. But that doesn't change the fact that they often lie about gameplay too.

The most obvious example is how they hyped Kinect to be really revolutionary and amazing. Of course now when they try to lie about Kinect 2 nobody believes them anymore because we all know it's gonna play like shit. But it's the principle that any company can just say anything and make false promises to sell their product without any real backlash aside from complaints after purchase.

5 million is between 1/6 and 1/20 of the budget of a small triple A title. It really isn't that much for a big gaming company especially if they've sold more than a million copies. 3 million copies sold at 60$ is 180 million profit. Maybe they should've asked for a little less but I would not ask for less than a million.

But what makes you think the guy deserves a million dollars, much less $5 million for this? What did he lose? Nothing other than prettier graphics which in no way impact how the game plays. Was he harmed in any way? No. Was he lied to? Sure, it would seem that way. But if he truly wanted to experience real 1080p and it means that much to him, he should know to be a PC gamer to achieve that and not rely on consoles.

I don't agree with being lied to about anything, regardless of how trivial it is. But suing for an absurd amount of money over something like this is just that: absurd.

I don't think it will uphold in court at all simply due to the amount that he's asking for. The main thing I would question is where he got that amount from and exactly why he feels he's entitled to that amount due to being lied to about a video game's resolution.

 

[Vulcan Hades]

It's not about what he personally deserves. It's about what the punishment should be for companies doing false advertising and being dishonest in general towards consumers. If it's just 1000$ then it's not really a deterrent and they'll just continue lying to everyone.

Of course this would have more weight if it was a class action instead of one greedy guy. Realistically he'll just get his money back lol.

 

[I$AAC]

So does this mean we can file a lawsuit against NRS for not having the "gold standard" for netcode in mk9 like they promised?

 

[Eldriken]

It's not about what he personally deserves. It's about what the punishment should be for companies doing false advertising and being dishonest in general towards consumers. If it's just 1000$ then it's not really a deterrent and you'll continue lying to everyone.

Of course this would have more weight if it was a class action instead of one greedy guy. Realistically he'll just get his money back lol.

The punishment should be people not buying their damn games anymore because that's going to be far more effective than filing a lawsuit that's likely to get thrown out. If a million people refuse to buy a $60 game, the company will notice it a lot more than a $5 million lawsuit.

I see a $5 million lawsuit more of a cash grab than "I'm going to teach them a lesson."

 

[Johnny San]

The punishment should be people not buying their damn games anymore because that's going to be far more effective than filing a lawsuit that's likely to get thrown out.

Well, actions like lawsuits do just that. Bring awareness to an issue that people will take note of. It's not like this guy can post some crap on Neogaf and get millions to boycott Sony games.

 

[Eldriken]

Well, actions like lawsuits do just that. Bring awareness to an issue that people will take note of. It's not like this guy can post some crap on Neogaf and get millions to boycott Sony games.

And if the lawsuit fails? What then?

 

[Forbidden_Donut]

*Facepalm* Im surprised that Rockstar didnt get sued b/c they dont have heists yet in GTA V online when online debut. Sure I was pissed b/c they didnt have it yet but im not gonna complain and bitch b/c that feature wasn't added yet. Same thing for Battlefield 4 and how the saved files erases all your unlocks and ranks etc.

It's funny because Lindsay Lohan is trying to sue rock star because she thinks the chick on the cover looks like her as well as the girl from the celebrity sex tape mission lol

 

[Hades]

I don't see a problem with wanting some accountability from these "video game" companies that live to screw you over.

5 million dollars for a game not having 1080p graphics it said it would have. I can not logically see how this could have this effect on one person. This person is not doing this for accountability they are doing it for the money plain and simple. I just don't see why you would even view this as remotely ok. Like I said before over here in New Zealand we can't file lawsuits against companies like this and instead we have to approach the company directly to make our opinion noted. There are other ways of doing this, exposing them on the news, social media etc. This kind of shit disgusts me, 5 million American dollars... An issue this small could not cause someone 5 million dollars worth of trouble.

 

[Johnny San]

And if the lawsuit fails? What then?

If it fails, it fails. It won't have it's intended effect on Sony but it's already brought awareness and discussion to the issue. It's on TYM right now.
This is implying this guy is fighting for the sake of video game consumers (which I doubt he is).

An issue this small could not cause someone 5 million dollars worth of trouble.

The size of the "1080p" issue is irrelevant. The real issue at hand is the accountability of a corporation to its consumers. This guy probably is doing this for personal interests but the action stands for more than just that.
Also, isn't this not gaining attention in news outlets and social media? We're talking about it right now.

 

[Killphil]

My issue here is lets say this guy wins: he gets all that money. What about the rest of us who paid for the game? Aren't we entitled it as well? What makes him and the $60 he spent more valuable than me and mine? I guess its the patience to deal with the legal system snail in the United States, but damn. Five million for that? Give him his money back and let the pansy keep his "distracting" game. Case closed. Yea they use some distortion/playback edit*not post processing, but previous frames* in multiplayer. I never really noticed a difference, but my eyes are pretty bad too so there's that.

 

[Killphil]

One more thing on the topic of suing: Back in my consumer ed class in high school I was informed that you were 300% more likely to get sued than people were back in the 90's. I imagine that statistic could be wrong, but with cases like these, there's probably some truth to that.

 

[Doombawkz]

Sure, in this case it's just about petty graphics. But that doesn't change the fact that they often lie about gameplay too.

The most obvious example is how they hyped Kinect to be really revolutionary and amazing. Of course now when they try to lie about Kinect 2 nobody believes them anymore because we all know it's gonna play like shit. But it's the principle that any company can just say anything and make false promises to sell their product without any real backlash aside from complaints after purchase.

5 million is between 1/6 and 1/20 of the budget of a small triple A title. It really isn't that much for a big gaming company especially if they've sold more than a million copies. 3 million copies sold at 60$ is 180 million profit. Maybe they should've asked for a little less but I would not ask for less than a million.

Your Avatar is of Christie from Tekken.
You are not Christie from Tekken.
If I had known you weren't Christie from Tekken, I never would have talked to you.

You'll hear from my attorney. </3

That being said, while I agree its not a bad thing to call industries on their stuff, a guy saying its not 1080p so 5 mil please? I wouldn't be surprised if they tell him to just return his game for 49.99 and gtfo. That's what I would do.

 

[Gesture Required Ahead]

I don't see what's so funny about it. I mean if they promised 1080p (as in used high res to promote the game/mode) and didn't deliver that's false advertising and it's about time that consumers do something about it.

I hope he wins this case and more people sue game companies for lying to players' faces. They need to stop this trend of showing pretty things you aren't really getting. Like severly toning down the graphics, promising exciting modes and features that end up being not even 1% of what was promised etc.

It's an annoying trend and it's becoming a real issue in the video game industry tbh. There needs to be a deterrent otherwise companies can just get away with any lie to sell their half assed product.

I don't fully agree. Yes, companies should not do false advertising on their product, but I think people should also not get the ability to do stupid shit like suing a company for 5 million for false advertising. If one can get away with something like that, imagine what else they can get away with.

 

[T33-Kahn]

People these days care too much about graphics.

 

[Doombawkz]

People these days care too much about graphics.

Back in my day, we didn't even have a full range of colours. Kids these days, I swear.

 

[Ray'sGoodLiquor]

Why should Sony be absolved of fraud when you're average person is held to it? Stop being a console sheep tween and accept the fact that the gaming industry has been fucked over by the same forces that rule hollywood. It's about money, plain and simple, fuck the customer. If you don't believe this, you're a naive rube. Accept the industry for what it is, buy games you're willing to support, and pirate games from companies you despise. Vote with your money, otherwise every game you buy will be 5 months from completion, never patched, and filled with DLC. Rubes...

 

[Vulcan Hades]

Why should Sony be absolved of fraud when you're average person is held to it? Stop being a console sheep tween and accept the fact that the gaming industry has been fucked over by the same forces that rule hollywood. It's about money, plain and simple, fuck the customer. If you don't believe this, you're a naive rube. Accept the industry for what it is, buy games you're willing to support, and pirate games from companies you despise. Vote with your money, otherwise every game you buy will be 5 months from completion, never patched, and filled with DLC. Rubes...

Unfortunately it's not only the shitty companies that are doing this trend. It's often companies people love and want to support.

Total War: Rome II is a good example. People that loved the other games were anticipating that one and ready to support it. But then fans like Angry Joe realized they were lied to on so many levels. Not just on the graphics but on the supposedly improved AI and combat system which turned out to be a disaster riddled with bugs. I have nothing against open betas or even paid betas so long as you admit it's a beta or pre-alpha stage and you don't charge 60$ for an unfinished and clearly rushed product.

More recently, Dark Souls 2 had severely toned down graphics AND gameplay mechanics. The torch mechanic was advertised as being a central part of the game. They made the levels look really dark like you needed a torch to navigate them and solve puzzles etc. They made the game seem like it was almost a survival horror. But that all changed at the last second.

 

[Doombawkz]

What ever happened to just returning your games and not being a complete plebian boob?
Remember back when we had a 90 day return policy on electronics? If this suit goes through, I might buy the game just to score some of that 5 mil cake.
Still, I doubt it will. Its not a matter of Sony not delivering the graphics (I've tried the game, looks like 1080p to my eyes), its the matter of someone needing to be escorted out of the gene pool when its the adults swimming time.

Seriously lol. If I pick up a game (Wildstar, for example) and its shit on ice, I just give it back to the store and recollect my cash. I don't bring a class-action suit because they said it was "mind-blowingly fun" and I didn't enjoy it.

 

[Shaazzyam]

What ever happened to just returning your games and not being a complete plebian boob?
Remember back when we had a 90 day return policy on electronics? If this suit goes through, I might buy the game just to score some of that 5 mil cake.
Still, I doubt it will. Its not a matter of Sony not delivering the graphics (I've tried the game, looks like 1080p to my eyes), its the matter of someone needing to be escorted out of the gene pool when its the adults swimming time.

Seriously lol. If I pick up a game (Wildstar, for example) and its shit on ice, I just give it back to the store and recollect my cash. I don't bring a class-action suit because they said it was "mind-blowingly fun" and I didn't enjoy it.

There's a difference between hyping something up and straight up lying.

 

[SkaGoogle]

hahahah this guy actually thinks he's gonna win this case. It's one thing to sue a person or a small company but to sue fucking SONY! their lawyers will fucking demolish his. lets do the math
x=sony's lawyers
y=plaintiff's lawyers

x+5 > y+5

sony wins.

 

[Doombawkz]

There's a difference between hyping something up and straight up lying.

Theres a difference between a minor problem that could be the fault of any number of things (his set, system, configurations, etc) and something that ruins the game (things that outright stop the game from being played normally).

This is something that you should return your game for, not bring a 5 mil lawsuit that won't get anywhere. Should we sue movies because the trailers have the character speaking a certain line, but in the movie another line is spoken? Maybe sue some gaming sites who have unfounded opinions? Perhaps I'll sue the churches for their religious preferences, since they don't match my own and I can be somewhat certain the world wasn't made in 7 days by a benevolent deity whose actions are riddles with more plotholes than the twilight series.

Why not sue the sites that shared the claim? Obviously other people had a good experience, since according to his story reviews echoed the company claim. Why is he entitled to something only he sees? As I said, I'd tried the game and it looks good to me. 1080p and 1080i isn't a discernable difference to the naked eye, and I doubt it ran at 720p and no one noticed.

 

[Shaazzyam]

Theres a difference between a minor problem that could be the fault of any number of things (his set, system, configurations, etc) and something that ruins the game (things that outright stop the game from being played normally).

This is something that you should return your game for, not bring a 5 mil lawsuit that won't get anywhere. Should we sue movies because the trailers have the character speaking a certain line, but in the movie another line is spoken? Maybe sue some gaming sites who have unfounded opinions? Perhaps I'll sue the churches for their religious preferences, since they don't match my own and I can be somewhat certain the world wasn't made in 7 days by a benevolent deity whose actions are riddles with more plotholes than the twilight series.

Why not sue the sites that shared the claim? Obviously other people had a good experience, since according to his story reviewed echoed the company claim. Why is he entitled to something only he sees? As I said, I'd tried the game and it looks good to me. 1080p and 1080i isn't a discernable difference to the naked eye, and I doubt it ran at 720p and no one noticed.

Come on. Is that where you really draw the line?

Saying your product does "this" and "that", when it only does "that" is BS. Period. This guy has a valid point, whether you agree with 5mil or not.

If it's not such a big deal why does Sony even bother to lie about it? Why do you think Sony should not be held accountable for false advertising?




Edit: See? Even the TYM Resident Scumbag liked my post. And hee hates me. I must be right.

 

[Jaku2011]

Money grab? Maybe but I'd rather this guy win than Sony if they just straight up lied I'd rather they get the message that lying is bad than the other option.

 

[BenGmanUk]

I'm with Vulcan on this. Whilst it is quite a funny cause and easy to mock this guy, it's become far too prevalent an issue within the industry to simply perform a bait and switch. Running demos on PCs and passing them off as 'next gen' footage is nothing short of deception. For anyone that was looking forward to the lighting of Dark Souls 2 they'll know what I mean. (Ah I see Vulcan has already mentioned this)

The sooner this practice stops, and companies are more accountable to what they advertise the better, though I admit this isn't the worst case by far.

 

[Doombawkz]

Come on. Is that where you really draw the line?

Saying your product does "this" and "that", when it only does "that" is BS. Period. This guy has a valid point, whether you agree with 5mil or not.

If it's not such a big deal why does Sony even bother to lie about it? Why do you think Sony should not be held accountable for false advertising?




Edit: See? Even the TYM Resident Scumbag liked my post. And hee hates me. I must be right.

Did you not see my part where I say I've directly played the game and it looked like every other 1080p AAA title I've come across?
The product seems to actually do "this" and "that", and not just "that". That's my problem.
The game isn't unplayable, the game runs fine and it looks like it should. The guy could have setting errors or just a bad set, who knows?

The problem is Sony isn't lying about it. It not coming in "native" 1080p doesn't mean its not a 1080.
It either runs at 1280x1080, or 1920x1080. Certain parts have different specs, but no, it still runs at 1080.
It being Native means just that, its not scaled by system. Some games run at 1028x720, but the system runs them at 1080p.
This is one such game, it has 1080p capability should your system and set have the means to provide it.
Unless the definition of native graphics has changed since 2005... This guy is complaining because the game runs at 1080p, but isn't made to only run at 1080p.