Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

EA requires Battlefield 6 players to change motherboard settings

2026-03-03T05:57:14Z

Arren1217: /* Gigabyte motherboards bricking issue */ reworded for better tone and grammar

{{Incomplete}}
{{OngoingEvent}}
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=EA
|StartDate=2025-08-01
|EndDate=
|Status=Active
|ProductLine=Battlefield 6
|Product=Battlefield 6
|ArticleType=Incident
|Type=Forced Migration
|Description=The Battlefield 6 beta requires Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and GPT formatted storage for its proprietary anti-cheat.
}}

In August of 2025, [[Electronic Arts]] (EA) launched an open beta for their upcoming release, Battlefield 6. Like other new EA titles, Battlefield 6 uses [[EA moves to in-house kernel-level anti-cheat on PC after purchase|EA's proprietary anti-cheat system]], which requires the enabling of Secure Boot<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-04 |title=Battlefield 6 Secure Boot Information |url=https://www.ea.com/en/games/battlefield/battlefield-6/news/secure-boot-information |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Electronic Arts |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251019110852/https://www.ea.com/en/games/battlefield/battlefield-6/news/secure-boot-information |archive-date=19 Oct 2025}}</ref>, a [[wikipedia:Trusted_Platform_Module|TPM 2.0 chip]], and a storage disk with [[wikipedia:GUID_Partition_Table|GPT]] formatting as opposed to [[wikipedia:Master_boot_record|MBR]] formatting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-01 |title=How to use Secure Boot on your PC |url=https://help.ea.com/en/articles/technical-issues/secure-boot/ |access-date=2025-08-06 |website=EA Help |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260209225153/https://help.ea.com/en/articles/technical-issues/secure-boot/ |archive-date=9 Feb 2026}}</ref>

These strict technically detailed requirements caused frustration among PC users.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-05 |title=Secure Boot Megathread - Guide + Community support |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Battlefield/comments/1miaynl/secure_boot_megathread_guide_community_support/ |access-date=2025-08-06 |via=Reddit |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250816171507/https://old.reddit.com/r/Battlefield/comments/1miaynl/secure_boot_megathread_guide_community_support/ |archive-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-04 |title=Secure boot |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Battlefield/comments/1mhodty/secure_boot/ |access-date=2025-08-06 |via=Reddit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223040817/https://old.reddit.com/r/Battlefield/comments/1mhodty/secure_boot/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref> As the game is an open beta there can still be changes to this system. Currently, the game is unplayable on the [[wikipedia:Steam_Deck|Steam Deck]] and on [[wikipedia:Linux|Linux systems]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=@TECC |date=2025-08-06 |title=#EA has confirmed that #Battlefield 6 will be completely unplayable on #Linux systems, including #SteamDeck, due to its new kernel-level anti-cheat system, “EA Javelin,” which explicitly blocks Linux. |url=https://social.tchncs.de/@73CC/114981363363168732 |access-date=2025-08-06 |via=Mastodon |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250806143922/https://social.tchncs.de/@73CC/114981363363168732 |archive-date=6 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klotz |first=Aaron |date=2025-08-02 |title=Battlefield 6's Javelin anti-cheat Secure Boot requirement could kill its Steam Deck support |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/battlefield-6s-javelin-anti-cheat-secure-boot-requirement-could-kill-its-steam-deck-support |access-date=2025-08-06 |website=Tom's Hardware |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251213080741/https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/battlefield-6s-javelin-anti-cheat-secure-boot-requirement-could-kill-its-steam-deck-support |archive-date=13 Dec 2025}}</ref> According to open beta tester 'TECC', it appears that these requirements apply to the entire game, including single-player modes and private multi-player servers.<ref name=":0" /> They point out that EA uses open source tools for their game (Godot game engine<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goodchild |first=Wayne |date=2025-08-01 |title=EA Lets Players Blow Things Up Real Good in Battlefield 6 (And Use Godot to Edit Maps) |url=https://www.eneba.com/hub/news/blow-things-up-real-good-in-battlefield-6-and-use-godot-to-edit-maps/ |access-date=2025-08-06 |website=Eneba Hub |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223040855/https://www.eneba.com/hub/news/blow-things-up-real-good-in-battlefield-6-and-use-godot-to-edit-maps/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref>), but makes the game unplayable on systems built by open source software, which are the Linux systems in this case.

==Battlefield 6 requirements==
===EA's response===
There has not been a response yet, as the event was recent at the time of writing the article.

==Consumer response==

Generally people are dissatisfied with these requirements, as it is explicitly exclusionary to users on older PC hardware and/or open source operating systems.

==Gigabyte motherboards bricking issue==
Some users noted that after enabling secure boot on Gigabyte/Aorus motherboards their computers were bricked to various degrees, including needing to completely reflash UEFI firmware<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-09 |title="Secure boot" bricked my PC |url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/2807960/discussions/0/600786083350153637/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251017193122/https://steamcommunity.com/app/2807960/discussions/0/600786083350153637/ |archive-date=17 Oct 2025}}</ref>. This is not entirely an EA anticheat issue, but regardless requires changing settings that the average user may not understand.

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:EA Anti-cheat]]
[[Category:Battlefield 6]]

<references />

Games as a service

2026-02-19T22:38:34Z

Arren1217: /* Ubisoft */ rewrote XDefiants section under Ubisoft to fix a problem with a duplicate sentence

{{Main|Software as a service}}
'''[[wikipedia:Games_as_a_service|Games as a service]]''' (also known as live-service games) is a business model designed to monetize games after their initial sale or free download. It is typically through new updates, [[downloadable content]], and [[microtransaction]]s. This model exists in opposition to the traditional method of purchasing a game that can be used and played indefinitely, with no additional transactions required beyond the initial purchase.

A common practice in this model is allowing players to pre-purchase content with the promise that it will be released at a specified time and will include all features advertised in the product's listing. Games as a service also often feature one or more premium currencies, which players purchase with real-world currency to acquire in-game items.

==Issues==
While GaaS incentivizes developers to keep producing content for their game, the game often risks becoming completely unplayable once support is discontinued.<ref>{{cite web|author=Accursed Farms|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70Xc9CStoE|title=The largest campaign ever to stop publishers destroying games|website=YouTube|access-date=2025-01-24}}</ref> There is very little legal recourse for the user to recoup the cost of purchasing the game or its in-game content. The [[End-user license agreement|End-User License Agreement (EULA)]] typically disclaims the publisher's obligation to refund or compensate users, as it clarifies that they are purchasing a license rather than owning the software outright.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kelleherbros.com/blog/2024/3/27/digital-ownership-2-the-eula-era|title=Precarious Digital Ownership: The EULA Era|website=kelleherbros.com|access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref>

Additionally, in some scenarios, content offered and even sold on GaaS may also be discontinued or revoked from consumers while the service continues.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Savage |first=Phil |date=Aug 23, 2020 |title=Here's everything being removed from Destiny 2 at the end of this season—it's a lot |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-everything-being-removed-from-destiny-2-at-the-end-of-this-seasonits-a-lot/ |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |work=PC Gamer}}</ref>

==Examples==

===Ubisoft===
{{Main|Ubisoft}}
XDefiant, developed by Ubisoft, is an example of a game-as-a-service. On December 3, 2024, the game announced its servers would shut down on June 3, 2025.<ref name=":0">[https://archive.is/ueESQ "'XDEFIANT IS SUNSETTING' Tweet"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref> 49 days before the shutdown announcement, XDefiants executive producer Mark Rubin<ref>[https://archive.is/nEche "Mark Rubin Profile"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref> posted online that the game had no plans to shut down after season 4 despite still being in season 2, and that they were recently discussing plans internally for the second year of content.<ref>[https://archive.is/XmekP "Mark Rubin claims NO plans to shut down after season 4"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref> The shutdown post announced that the last 30 days of purchases would be fully refunded.<ref name=":0" />

The shutdown of ''The Crew'' is one of the central issues of the [[Stop Killing Games]] campaign. Despite the game containing some code for an offline mode<ref>[https://steamcommunity.com/app/241560/discussions/0/3803901559414708777/ Offline Mode is in the game] steamcommunity.com - accessed 2025-02-06</ref> from the start, it was not made accessible to the user due to the game's [[Digital rights management|digital rights management]] (DRM) <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qKNY64-QSc The Crew Offline Mode - Setting The Record Straight] youtube.com - accessed 2025-01-28 </ref>, leaving the game in a completely unplayable state.

===EA===
{{Main|Electronic Arts}}
On July 3, 2025, EA announced that [[Anthem]], a game developed by BioWare and published by EA, will have its servers shut down on January 12, 2026.<ref name=":022">{{Cite web |date=2025-07-03 |title=Anthem Game Update |url=https://www.ea.com/games/anthem/news/anthem-game-update |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250704091220/https://www.ea.com/games/anthem/news/anthem-game-update |archive-date=2025-07-04 |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=EA}}</ref> As the title was developed exclusively under the live-service model, the closure of the servers will render the game unplayable.<ref name=":022" />

===Bungie===
{{Main|Bungie}}
The [[wikipedia:Destiny_(video_game_series)|Destiny]] franchise is Bungie's primary source of revenue{{CitationNeeded}}, and its most recent title, Destiny 2, has featured a significant amount of content offered in the game that has been forcibly vaulted by the company.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Glagowski |first=Peter |date=Jun 9, 2020 |title=Bungie To Remove Four Planets And All But Three Raids From Destiny 2 |url=https://www.thegamer.com/destiny-2-content-removal/ |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |work=The Gamer}}</ref> Most notably, player-purchased content, including single-player content that shouldn't necessitate access to a server, has been removed from the game.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=The_Observer |date=Jun 18, 2021 |title=How could Bungie get away so easily with removing paid content from Destiny 2? |url=https://www.neogaf.com/threads/how-could-bungie-get-away-so-easily-with-removing-paid-content-from-destiny-2.1610927/ |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |website=NeoGAF}}</ref> In mid-2022, Bungie did promise to stop removing content from the game,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gach |first=Ethan |date=Aug 23, 2022 |title=Destiny 2 Promises No More Axing Old Parts Of Game, Something That Players Hated |url=https://kotaku.com/destiny-2-lightfall-vaulting-sunset-forsaken-expansion-1849446608 |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |work=Kotaku}}</ref> but not all legacy content has been reintroduced to the game.<ref>{{Cite news |last=GB Times Gaming Team |date=Mar 21, 2025 |title=Why is Bungie Removing Content from Destiny 2? The Content Vault Controversy Explained |url=https://gbtimes.com/gaming/why-is-bungie-removing-content/ |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |work=GB Times}}</ref>

Bungie's previous GaaS title, Destiny, requires an always-online connection, and while the company has stated that they will maintain legacy support for both modern platforms,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bungie |title=Legacy Support for Destiny 1 Activities |url=https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049201951-Legacy-Support-for-Destiny-1-Activities |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |website=Bungie Help}}</ref> and legacy console editions,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bungie |title=Destiny 1 on Legacy Consoles |url=https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049497531-Destiny-1-on-Legacy-Consoles |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |website=Bungie Help}}</ref> it is plausible due to software degradation for the servers<ref>{{Cite news |last=MorphNeo |date=Jul 29, 2024 |title=Destiny 1 - Have they really SHUT IT DOWN? - Error: This version of Destiny is no longer available. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfYzX58wMBs |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |work=YouTube}}</ref> though, that the title could eventually become unplayable for consumers, especially as error frequency grows more common over time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=javagat10 |date=Jan 29, 2023 |title=Destiny Server issue on Xbox 360. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/10o1t6l/destiny_server_issue_on_xbox_360/ |access-date=Mar 31, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ICE BREAKER (Timelost) |date=Jul 19, 2025 |title=Is destiny1 servers shut down permanently? |url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/264186352?page=0 |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |website=Bungie Forums}}</ref>

Bungie has also announced ''{{Wplink|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_(upcoming_video_game)|Marathon}}'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bungie |date=May 24, 2023 |title=Bungie Announces Marathon; Nathan Fillion To Return to Destiny 2 for The Final Shape Expansion |url=https://press.bungie.com/Bungie-Announces-Marathon-Nathan-Fillion-To-Return-to-Destiny-2-for-Th |access-date=Mar 31, 2025 |work=Bungie Press Room}}</ref> a reboot for their older franchise. This game has the plausibility to release as a live service title as well, considering Bungie's recent history with their games.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Services]]
[[Category:Common terms]]

Whaling (gaming industry term)

2026-02-19T19:19:25Z

Arren1217: changed style of list titles (paragraph to sub-heading 2) to improve readability. spacing might be a bit off from the previous version

{{SloppyAI}}
{{ToneWarning}}

{{See also|Value based pricing}}
In the 2016 presentation ‘[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNjI03CGkb4 Let’s Go Whaling],’ a mobile game executive openly discusses designing free-to-play systems aimed at ‘whales,’ the small percentage of players who spend exorbitant amounts, employing psychological manipulation while deferring any moral inquiry until after the presentation. The use of gambling language, targeting of vulnerable groups including children and addicts, and deliberate opacity about spending raise serious ethical concerns that consumer advocates must confront.

==How it works==
Whaling is an industry term, borrowed from the world of casino gambling, used to describe the practice of extracting large sums of money from a small subset of players, often referred to as ''whales''. In the ''Let’s Go Whaling'' video (2016), a mobile game executive lays out a clear blueprint for identifying and monetizing these players using a set of psychological tools designed for maximum profit.

==== Core Tactics: ====
*Behavioral Profiling – Tracking in-game activity, spending patterns, and engagement time to pinpoint potential high-spenders.
*Scarcity & FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – Leveraging limited-time offers, daily login rewards, and countdown timers to create urgency.
*Gacha & Random Rewards – Using loot boxes, randomized draws, and “spin-to-win” mechanics to keep players chasing rare rewards, mimicking slot machine behavior.
*Social Pressure – Encouraging spending through leaderboards, cooperative rewards, and gifting systems so players feel compelled to “keep up” or avoid letting teammates down.
*Gradual On-Ramping – Introducing players to the game for free, then easing them into small purchases that normalize spending before escalating to high-priced offers.

The presentation notably postpones any discussion of ethics until the very end, framing these practices not as moral questions but as business optimizations.

==== Terminology with Consequences: ====
By borrowing the word “whale” from gambling culture, the industry reinforces a mindset where players are reduced to revenue sources. This language not only normalizes aggressive monetization but also obscures the human and ethical costs associated with the term.

==== Who Is Affected: ====
While whales can include affluent players willing to spend, these tactics also disproportionately affect vulnerable groups:

*Minors, who lack a mature understanding of money and probability.
*Compulsive spenders and gambling addicts are especially susceptible to randomized reward systems.
*Financially insecure individuals, who may spend beyond their means in search of in-game status or rewards.

These strategies create a finely tuned monetization engine, one that maximizes revenue while sidestepping the broader conversation about fairness, transparency, and consumer protection.

==Why is it a problem==
Although the gaming industry often frames ''whaling'' as a harmless and even innovative business model, the underlying mechanics raise serious consumer rights and ethical concerns. The ''Let’s Go Whaling'' presentation makes clear that these systems are deliberately engineered to maximize profit, often at the expense of vulnerable players.

==== Psychological Manipulation ====
These mechanics draw directly from behavioral conditioning and casino playbooks:

*Randomized rewards mirror slot machines.
*Scarcity tactics and limited-time offers generate artificial urgency.
*Social features create peer pressure to spend to maintain status or support a team.

==== Lack of Informed Consent ====
Players are rarely provided with:

*Transparent spending summaries
*Upfront disclosures about odds and probabilities
*Warnings about the potential for high cumulative costs

Without these safeguards, informed decision-making is undermined.

==== Regulatory Blind Spots ====
Many countries do not classify loot boxes, gacha pulls, or similar mechanics as gambling because they involve the trade of virtual items rather than direct cash payouts. This loophole leaves a wide regulatory gap, allowing minimal oversight of overly aggressive mechanics. Without age verification requirements in most markets, minors can access and spend on these systems unchecked. The absence of strong consumer protections means vulnerable users, such as problem gamblers and financially insecure individuals, remain exposed to psychologically persuasive designs.

==Examples==
Many of the world’s most profitable free-to-play games rely heavily on whaling mechanics, integrating psychological triggers and monetization systems designed to target a small subset of high-spending players. ''Fate/Grand Order'', for example, is a gacha game notorious for players spending thousands of dollars in pursuit of rare characters. ''Genshin Impact'' uses a similar gacha model, combining limited-time character banners with extremely low drop rates to create spending frenzies whenever new content is released.

In the strategy genre, ''Clash of Clans'' and ''Clash Royale'' utilize time gates and competitive pressure to encourage players to purchase premium currency, thereby accelerating their progress. Casual games like ''Candy Crush Saga'' use endless microtransactions, lives systems, and time-limited boosters to keep players paying for “just one more turn.” Meanwhile, ''Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes'' aggressively promotes pay-to-win character unlocks through randomized packs, and ''Raid: Shadow Legends'' floods players with constant pop-up offers and bundle deals, targeting those who have already shown a willingness to spend.

==References==

====Primary Sources====

*Luton, W. (2016). ''Let’s Go Whaling: Tricks for Monetising Mobile Game Players with Free-to-Play''. PocketGamer Connects Helsinki 2016. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNjI03CGkb4 Video link]

===='''Academic / Industry Reports'''====

*Zendle, D., & Cairns, P. (2018). ''Video Game Loot Boxes Are Linked to Problem Gambling: Results of a Large-Scale Survey''. PLOS ONE, 13(11), e0206767. [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206767 Link]
*Drummond, A., & Sauer, J. D. (2018). ''Video Game Loot Boxes Are Psychologically Akin to Gambling''. Nature Human Behaviour, 2, 530–532. [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0360-1 Link]
*King, D. L., & Delfabbro, P. H. (2019). ''Predatory Monetization Schemes in Video Games (e.g., ‘Loot Boxes’) and Internet Gaming Disorder''. Addiction, 114(10), 1967–1975. [https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14902 Link]
*Australian Senate Environment and Communications References Committee. (2020). ''Gaming Microtransactions for Chance-Based Items''. [https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/aust-gov-response-senate-evironment-comms-references-committee-gaming-micro-transactions-chance-based-items.pdf Report PDF]

====News & Analysis====

*Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2022). ''Gambling-like features in online games: Literature review''. [https://www.classification.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/agrc_literature_review_final_20220906_accessible.pdf Classification Board PDF.]
*Ashcraft, B. (2022, May 3). ''Some Genshin Impact players are spending thousands on characters''. [https://kotaku.com/genshin-impact-whales-hoyoverse-gacha-gambling-spending-1849734889 Kotaku].
*Norton Rose Fulbright. (2023). ''Regulation of loot boxes: [https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/knowledge/publications/e51412c4/regulation-of-loot-boxes-a-global-perspective A global perspective]''.
*Derrington, S., Star, S., & Kelly, S. J. (2022). ''Loot boxes and microtransactions: Towards a unified classification framework''. Canadian Development Studies Press. [https://cdspress.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Stephanie-Derrington-Shaun-Star-Sarah-J-Kelly.pdf PDF].

[[Category:Common terms]]