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Author Topic: A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)  (Read 1210 times)

Ghost Whistler
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I bought a game that has a faulty disc. Apparently this is a known issue. I coudln't install from disc, but i could copy data to HD and install from there.
The installation hasn't been 100% succesful; there are a few glitches - so far. meaning I may find more as i use it. I am using the software and it's perfectly fine otherwise - again assuming no further errors arise.

My question: is it fair to return the product because of these problems, even though I am using the software and it is, to all intents and purposes, otherwise perfectly usable. Should I settle for less than 100% when that is, to be fair to me, what I paid for - even though I can tolerate a bit less, and bearing in mind the potential for subsequent errors.

What's the right thing to do?
“Ghost Whistler” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

Casey777

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A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2010, 01:01:33 PM »
If there was a bad batch of discs, return it for a new disc that works or uninstall the program and get your money back.

If the program itself is slightly borked but it sounds like the company is working on it, hopefully they'll patch it. Hopefully. I'd still get a new working install disc tho.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2010, 01:03:56 PM by Casey777 »

Ghost Whistler
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A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2010, 01:16:55 PM »
Quote from: Casey777;360835
If there was a bad batch of discs, return it for a new disc that works or uninstall the program and get your money back.

If the program itself is slightly borked but it sounds like the company is working on it, hopefully they'll patch it. Hopefully. I'd still get a new working install disc tho.


Thing is the shop doesn't have any more discs, so i'd be getting a refund and, with the game still installed (don't need the discs to run it either), i'd have a free game.
“Ghost Whistler” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

Joey2k

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A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2010, 01:35:38 PM »
What about the manufacturer/developer?  They won't replace it?
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IMLegend
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A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2010, 01:59:51 PM »
Quote from: Ghost Whistler;360841
Thing is the shop doesn't have any more discs, so i'd be getting a refund and, with the game still installed (don't need the discs to run it either), i'd have a free game.


No, you'd have a free game with glitches and errors likely related to a faulty disk. You paid for 100% of a functioning game. Computer game companies make more than enough money to provide you with the proper, fully-functioning product that you paid for. You are completely entitled to the product you paid for whether or not you now have a version you can "get by" with. Damn it man, stand up for yourself.
My name is Ryan Alderman. Real men shouldn't need to hide behind pseudonymns.

Ghost Whistler
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« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2010, 02:26:31 PM »
Quote from: IMLegend;360857
No, you'd have a free game with glitches and errors likely related to a faulty disk. You paid for 100% of a functioning game. Computer game companies make more than enough money to provide you with the proper, fully-functioning product that you paid for. You are completely entitled to the product you paid for whether or not you now have a version you can "get by" with. Damn it man, stand up for yourself.


Yes but i don't intend to uninstall it unless i absolutely have to (it's 10 bloody gig including a long patching process that I care not for going through again).
“Ghost Whistler” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

Ghost Whistler
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A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2010, 02:27:29 PM »
Quote from: Technomancer;360846
What about the manufacturer/developer?  They won't replace it?


Under UK law it's the vendor's responsibility to fix these problems. I would assume they likewise can take issues of faulty merchandise with the distributor/producer.
“Ghost Whistler” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

IMLegend
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A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2010, 02:31:46 PM »
Quote from: Ghost Whistler;360868
Yes but i don't intend to uninstall it unless i absolutely have to (it's 10 bloody gig including a long patching process that I care not for going through again).


Well then be happy with what you've got and quit bitching. Why even ask the fucking question then if you're not willing to do what needs to be done to rectify it. :jaw-dropping:
My name is Ryan Alderman. Real men shouldn't need to hide behind pseudonymns.

Ghost Whistler
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« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2010, 05:24:03 PM »
Quote from: IMLegend;360873
Well then be happy with what you've got and quit bitching. Why even ask the fucking question then if you're not willing to do what needs to be done to rectify it. :jaw-dropping:


I didn't say I wasn't happy. You can calm down, testosterone boy.

Let me explain, again: I am fine with the game as it is, but i don't excuse the graphical gltiches that are present. I don't want them to be there, but I can put up with them. However I am concerned that there might be more in the game later on (equally there might not be, i cannot know). Thus I am considering what is the correct course of action, ethically speaking, as I do nto intend to uninstall the game unless I absolutely have to - ie there are way more graphical mishaps.
“Ghost Whistler” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

Casey777

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A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2010, 06:30:44 PM »
Quote from: Ghost Whistler;360841
Thing is the shop doesn't have any more discs, so i'd be getting a refund and, with the game still installed (don't need the discs to run it either), i'd have a free game.

If they can't get a replacement in (as in order one; is this an OOP product? otherwise that boggles me) then contact the manufacturer.

OTOH it's sounding like the problem might not be a *physical* one, as in a defective install disc, but bugs in the program itself. If it's the program itself, from what you're describing, keep it and check the manufacturer's site for updates and stuff like forum posts for other people with the same issue. It may just be a video driver issue (look for updates), a setting mismatch or some other correctable issue.

Ethically, yeah it's wrong to return a game without uninstalling it (though it happens "grey" enough), legally I think so to but don't have the legalese in front of me and software licenses change all the time.

Much luck! Hope you get to play the game through.

Ghost Whistler
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A Computer Gaming Ethical Dilemna (o/t really, as its about retail)
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2010, 04:12:36 AM »
It's the lord of the rings online, which is otherwse very impressive, I'm amazed I got it to work at all. However The problem seems to lie in a file called 'client_mesh.dat'. Other people have had problems with this file and this particular edition of the game (the twin pack containing the core and the expansion in one volume). From what I can find the manufacturer can't really do anything beyond slip a note (as i said) into the packaging warning peopel they may have to copy files to HD and install from there. They blame the dvd drives for not being able to read dual layer discs properly (it read the expansion disc just fine). Methinks it's a file that didn't get written to disc properly in the production process as it's one of the larger game files. There isn't any other fix (someone uploaded the file to a sharing site but it didn't work either).

So the only solution is to get another version of the game. I can return it, get a refund and order it off amazon. But the ethical dilemna comes from the fact i've used the activation code (you can't really play the game otherwise) that came with it. That's really the only part (aside from the expansion which I can get for a fiver in town easily enough, just not the core game on it's own) that's worth money as the game can be installed by downloading it from the website (though you'd have to pay for the expansion). So in that respect it's a bit sus.
“Ghost Whistler” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.