Cash-Fueled Controversies

Jul 01, 2016, 07:18 PM

Two major controversies arose this week and they have raised questions regarding the rights of consumers who purchase video games and spend money on digital items within them. With MLB The Show 16, developer Sony San Diego banned a relatively large number of player accounts but some users may have found themselves banished unjustly. In FIFA the integrity of Ultimate Team mode has been brought into question, with high-value player cards not having played up to the level at which they were advertised. With those situations in mind it's fair to wonder just what is actually owned when a video game is bought, and how it's possible to determine whether you're actually getting what you're paying for with digital-based content when there's no oversight or regulation. That's the focus this episode of the Press Row Podcast presented by Hit The Pass. What rights do consumers have or not have, given the terms of which that are required to be agreed upon in order to play the games, and what should change about the way publishers deal with consumers when they feel the need to take certain actions? On the show this episode: Bryan Wiedey (@pastapadre), Pastapadre/Hit The Pass/Sporting News Rich Grisham (@richgrisham), Out of the Park Developments/Hit The Pass TJ Lauerman (@ThatSportsGamer), ThatSportsGamer/Hit The Pass Chris (@MillenniumOS), Operation Sports