Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

User:TripleEw

2025-02-07T00:01:25Z

TripleEw: tiny description about myself

Loves Technology, Gadgets and Games.

Rovio

2025-02-06T23:59:13Z

TripleEw: Added references to the info i added earlier

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Rovio
| Type = Private
| Founded = 2003
| Industry = Entertainment
| Official Website = https://rovio.com/
| Logo = Rovio.svg
}}
'''Rovio Entertainment Corporation''' (simplified to '''Rovio''') is a Finnish mobile game developer and publisher founded in 2003 as "Relude".<ref name="History">https://www.rovio.com/rovio-history/</ref> The company would later rebrand to "Rovio" in 2005.<ref name="History" /> In April 2023, Rovio was in talks with SEGA to be acquired by the Japanese gaming company,<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/17/23686155/sega-sammy-acquires-rovio-angry-birds-developer-mobile-games</ref> with the deal concluding in August.<ref>https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sega-finalizes-purchase-of-rovio</ref>

==Delisting of games==
In 2019, a majority of the Angry Birds games made from 2009-2014 were delisted from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Originally, the delistings were for "testing purposes".<ref>[https://x.com/AngryBirds/status/1156820806460219392 "HI Jordan, we've removed some of our older titles from app stores for testing purposes. Stay tuned!" - @AngryBirds (August 1, 2019)]</ref> The updated reasoning from Rovio was due to "changing devices and marketplace requirements".<ref>https://roviosupport.helpshift.com/hc/en/5-rovio-entertainment/faq/2271-i-can-no-longer-find-my-old-angry-birds-games-in-the-store/</ref> This unexpected delisting caused fans of the series to utilize the "#BringBack2012" hashtag on social media sites such as [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]].<ref>https://brockpress.com/rovio-the-company-behind-angry-birds-is-entirely-responsible-for-its-own-downfall/</ref> In November 2021, a remake of the original ''Angry Birds'' game titled "''Rovio Classics: Angry Birds''" was in the works.<ref>https://www.rovio.com/articles/bringing-back-2012-angry-birds-sets-a-flightpath-for-a-re-release/</ref> This version was a paid title and removed third party advertisements from the game. In 2023, the game was delisted from the Google Play store and renamed to "Red's First Flight" on the Apple App Store due to "the game's impact on [its] wider games portfolio."<ref>https://www.gamesindustry.biz/rovio-says-classic-angry-birds-was-delisted-due-to-impact-on-search-results</ref>

These actions and justifications are further put into question as 2-3 years into the sale of ''Angry Birds Trilogy'', the publisher Activision pulled the sale of the game and downloadable content (DLC) from other platforms, specifically Xbox 360/One and the Sony PlayStation 3/4 due to licensing issues with Rovio.<ref>https://forum.psnprofiles.com/topic/47156-dlc-delisted/</ref><ref>https://www.trueachievements.com/forum/viewthread.aspx?tid=691318</ref> Another instance was with the ''Angry Birds Space'' PC port on the Steam store, as the game has been delisted for many years.<ref>https://store.steampowered.com/app/210550/Angry_Birds_Space/</ref>

===Results of Delisting of Games===

Depending on the title, these games will either have no capability of receiving new installs, specifically only seen with the mobile releases, or merely being incapable of being newly purchased, such as the console and PC ports. Consumers who have previously bought or installed the games are still able to redownload their games [at least for titles in google play store, can anyone confirm or debunk if you can still download delisted games in other stores in PCs and consoles?] . Consumers who have redownloaded or installed these games before delisting and never uninstalled them should continue to retain access to their games. However, it is plausible and historically has happened for certain delisted titles to become permanently incapable of being run. Releases such as Angry Birds Go depend on access to a server just to run matches and access crucial assets to launch the game[https://www.reddit.com/r/angrybirds/comments/nk8u3d/angry_birds_go_version_190_through_1139_doesnt/ <nowiki>[20]</nowiki>]. Some titles such as Angry Birds Epic store and access their score assets exclusively in Rovio's servers[https://www.reddit.com/r/angrybirds/comments/132umy1/ok_seriously_we_need_someone_to_make_a_private/ <nowiki>[21]</nowiki>]. Rovio keeps Angry Birds Epic's servers alive to this day, even though the game has been delisted for years by now, but in an event of the servers shutting down it would leave Angry Birds Epic in a state incapable of being run ever again.

Additionally, older installs may also just stop functioning, since operating system updates can remove programming libraries that games depend on, so for example, a consumer may not be capable of transferring their install of Angry Birds Rio from their device running Android 3 to one running Android 10 or later. PC ports are also not immune to this problem either since Windows 11's compatibility features are diminishing,<ref>https://splicedonline.com/why-old-pc-games-not-working-on-windows-11/</ref> so access may soon only be accessible to tech-savvy consumers.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/zneuok/windows_11_update_has_caused_older_games_to_be/</ref>

===Implications===
Rovio's recent pattern has involved integrating micro-transactions<ref>https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/08/23/review-angry-birds-2-is-a-great-game-ruined-by-ridiculous-microtransactions/</ref> and "rewarded video" advertisements within their releases.<ref>https://www.rovio.com/rovio-ads/</ref> While the original Angry Birds titles were later updated to include in-app purchases and advertisements, Rovio Classics: Angry Birds had a single $0.99 purchase for 390 levels.<ref>https://www.adexchanger.com/ad-exchange-news/monday-27022023/</ref> The delisting of the original games and modern paid versions show the importance of preservation and value in mobile games and how both aspects are lacking in the current day.

==Forced arbitration==
[[File:Rovio AB2 Arbitration.PNG|thumb|right]]
On February 5, 2025, players of the game ''Angry Birds 2'' were treated with a popup message mentioning the changes made to the terms of service that would "resolve disputes in arbitration".<ref>https://x.com/ChickenLover_YT/status/1887352965461119116</ref> Users were only met with two options: agree to the updated terms or view the changed terms.<ref>https://cloud.rovio.com/privacyweb/index.html?locale=en</ref> This is known as [[forced arbitration]] and is made so affected users cannot join class action lawsuits, but rather settle in arbitration court where a third party determines the outcome rather than a jury. This is proven with the new line, "THIS AGREEMENT MEANS THAT YOU AND ROVIO AGREE TO NOT HAVE SUCH CLAIMS RESOLVED IN A TRIAL BY A JUDGE OR JURY."<ref>https://www.rovio.com/terms-of-service/</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Video game publishers]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]

Rovio

2025-02-06T23:49:20Z

TripleEw: Added additional info about states of the games while delisted

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Rovio
| Type = Private
| Founded = 2003
| Industry = Entertainment
| Official Website = https://rovio.com/
| Logo = Rovio.svg
}}
'''Rovio Entertainment Corporation''' (simplified to '''Rovio''') is a Finnish mobile game developer and publisher founded in 2003 as "Relude".<ref name="History">https://www.rovio.com/rovio-history/</ref> The company would later rebrand to "Rovio" in 2005.<ref name="History" /> In April 2023, Rovio was in talks with SEGA to be acquired by the Japanese gaming company,<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/17/23686155/sega-sammy-acquires-rovio-angry-birds-developer-mobile-games</ref> with the deal concluding in August.<ref>https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sega-finalizes-purchase-of-rovio</ref>

==Delisting of games==
In 2019, a majority of the Angry Birds games made from 2009-2014 were delisted from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Originally, the delistings were for "testing purposes".<ref>[https://x.com/AngryBirds/status/1156820806460219392 "HI Jordan, we've removed some of our older titles from app stores for testing purposes. Stay tuned!" - @AngryBirds (August 1, 2019)]</ref> The updated reasoning from Rovio was due to "changing devices and marketplace requirements".<ref>https://roviosupport.helpshift.com/hc/en/5-rovio-entertainment/faq/2271-i-can-no-longer-find-my-old-angry-birds-games-in-the-store/</ref> This unexpected delisting caused fans of the series to utilize the "#BringBack2012" hashtag on social media sites such as [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]].<ref>https://brockpress.com/rovio-the-company-behind-angry-birds-is-entirely-responsible-for-its-own-downfall/</ref> In November 2021, a remake of the original ''Angry Birds'' game titled "''Rovio Classics: Angry Birds''" was in the works.<ref>https://www.rovio.com/articles/bringing-back-2012-angry-birds-sets-a-flightpath-for-a-re-release/</ref> This version was a paid title and removed third party advertisements from the game. In 2023, the game was delisted from the Google Play store and renamed to "Red's First Flight" on the Apple App Store due to "the game's impact on [its] wider games portfolio."<ref>https://www.gamesindustry.biz/rovio-says-classic-angry-birds-was-delisted-due-to-impact-on-search-results</ref>

These actions and justifications are further put into question as 2-3 years into the sale of ''Angry Birds Trilogy'', the publisher Activision pulled the sale of the game and downloadable content (DLC) from other platforms, specifically Xbox 360/One and the Sony PlayStation 3/4 due to licensing issues with Rovio.<ref>https://forum.psnprofiles.com/topic/47156-dlc-delisted/</ref><ref>https://www.trueachievements.com/forum/viewthread.aspx?tid=691318</ref> Another instance was with the ''Angry Birds Space'' PC port on the Steam store, as the game has been delisted for many years.<ref>https://store.steampowered.com/app/210550/Angry_Birds_Space/</ref>

===Results of Delisting of Games===

Depending on the title, these games will either have no capability of receiving new installs, specifically only seen with the mobile releases, or merely being incapable of being newly purchased, such as the console and PC ports. Consumers who have previously bought or installed the games are still able to redownload their games [at least for titles in google play store, can anyone confirm or debunk if you can still download delisted games in other stores in PCs and consoles?] . Consumers who have redownloaded or installed these games before delisting and never uninstalled them should continue to retain access to their games. However, it is plausible and historically has happened for certain delisted titles to become permanently incapable of being run. Releases such as Angry Birds Go depend on access to a server just to run matches. Some titles such as Angry Birds Epic store and access their score assets exclusively in Rovio's servers. Rovio keeps Angry Birds Epic's servers alive to this day, even though the game has been delisted for years by now, but in an event of the servers shutting down it would leave Angry Birds Epic in a state incapable of being run ever again.

Additionally, older installs may also just stop functioning, since operating system updates can remove programming libraries that games depend on, so for example, a consumer may not be capable of transferring their install of Angry Birds Rio from their device running Android 3 to one running Android 10 or later. PC ports are also not immune to this problem either since Windows 11's compatibility features are diminishing,<ref>https://splicedonline.com/why-old-pc-games-not-working-on-windows-11/</ref> so access may soon only be accessible to tech-savvy consumers.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/zneuok/windows_11_update_has_caused_older_games_to_be/</ref>

===Implications===
Rovio's recent pattern has involved integrating micro-transactions<ref>https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/08/23/review-angry-birds-2-is-a-great-game-ruined-by-ridiculous-microtransactions/</ref> and "rewarded video" advertisements within their releases.<ref>https://www.rovio.com/rovio-ads/</ref> While the original Angry Birds titles were later updated to include in-app purchases and advertisements, Rovio Classics: Angry Birds had a single $0.99 purchase for 390 levels.<ref>https://www.adexchanger.com/ad-exchange-news/monday-27022023/</ref> The delisting of the original games and modern paid versions show the importance of preservation and value in mobile games and how both aspects are lacking in the current day.

==Forced arbitration==
[[File:Rovio AB2 Arbitration.PNG|thumb|right]]
On February 5, 2025, players of the game ''Angry Birds 2'' were treated with a popup message mentioning the changes made to the terms of service that would "resolve disputes in arbitration".<ref>https://x.com/ChickenLover_YT/status/1887352965461119116</ref> Users were only met with two options: agree to the updated terms or view the changed terms.<ref>https://cloud.rovio.com/privacyweb/index.html?locale=en</ref> This is known as [[forced arbitration]] and is made so affected users cannot join class action lawsuits, but rather settle in arbitration court where a third party determines the outcome rather than a jury. This is proven with the new line, "THIS AGREEMENT MEANS THAT YOU AND ROVIO AGREE TO NOT HAVE SUCH CLAIMS RESOLVED IN A TRIAL BY A JUDGE OR JURY."<ref>https://www.rovio.com/terms-of-service/</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Video game publishers]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]

Rovio

2025-02-01T19:17:53Z

TripleEw: capitalization fix

Rovio

2025-02-01T17:21:02Z

TripleEw: capitalization fix

Rovio

2025-02-01T15:50:44Z

TripleEw: added missing words, removed unnecessary spacing and general fixes

Rovio

2025-02-01T15:45:11Z

TripleEw: minor change to clarify

Rovio

2025-02-01T15:43:05Z

TripleEw: added additional info on how the delisting effects users and how some games need online connection to servers to function

Digital rights management

2025-02-01T15:05:24Z

TripleEw: tonal change to not include strong emotions

{{ToneWarning}}
{{Incomplete}}

[[Category:Anti-Consumer_Practices]]
[[Category:Common terms]]

[[wikipedia:Digital_rights_management|'''Digital rights management''']] (DRM) broadly refers to any kind of access control technology that is used to deliberately restrict the usage of media content or devices after the sale. It is typically used by a seller to prevent unauthorized distribution or replication of their product. Implementations of DRM can range from very simple (such as a basic disc check) to extremely complex executable binary protection (such as Denuvo).

{{Quote|DRM creates a damaged good; it prevents you from doing what would be possible without it. – Defective by Design<ref>https://www.defectivebydesign.org/what_is_drm</ref>}}

==DRM in video content==

Attempting to protect video content is one of the most common uses of DRM. The idea of using copy protection on video content predates the term "DRM", one early example being the "Automatic Gain Control" requirement in VCRs used to enforce the "Macrovision" copy protection scheme.<ref>[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/1201#k_1_A 17 U.S. Code § 1201 - Circumvention of copyright protection systems, K.1.A.i]</ref><ref>[https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/cs181/projects/1999-00/dmca-2k/macrovision.html Macrovision Demystified], Stanford CS181. </ref> This requirement resulted in VCRs not being able to record commercial VHS tapes{{citation needed}}.

From 1996, DVDs began to feature the "Content Scramble System" (CSS), an encryption based DRM. CSS was successfully circumvented as early as 1999, less than five years after its introduction, partly due to the limited length of the 40-bit encryption key, which was used to comply with US government export regulations of the time.<ref>http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/FrankStevenson/mail1.txt</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000302000206/http://www.dvd-copy.com/news/cryptanalysis_of_contents_scrambling_system.htm "Cryptanalysis of Contents Scrambling System", Frank A. Stevenson, archived from dvd-copy.com]</ref> Following this, DVDs as well as HD-DVDs and Blu-Rays would implement other types of DRM, one of them being the "Advanced Access Content System".<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20070302130221/http://www.aacsla.com/specifications/specs091/AACS_Spec_Common_0.91.pdf
</ref> When the AACS key was similarly extracted, the AACS Licensing Administrator began issuing cease-and-desist letters to websites where the key was posted.<ref>http://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=03218</ref> Another form of Blu-Ray DRM, [[Cinavia]], uses a form of audio watermarking that makes certain releases unplayable in devices that are not equipped to recognize it, a notable example being Sony's Playstation 3.<ref>https://www.anandtech.com/show/5693/cinavia-drm-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-blurays-selfdestruction/2</ref>

In the attempt of preventing video ripping via a capture card, modern displays, optical disc players, and computers use the [[wikipedia:High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection|High-Definition Content Protection]] system to encrypt display signals.<ref>https://www.digital-cp.com/about_dcp</ref> For example, [[Netflix stream-quality controversy|Netflix will refuse]] to stream content at the full resolution advertised for the plan if the user is not streaming through an HDCP compliant video card and display.

==DRM in audio content==
Another place DRMs were used in was audio content, which was rarely implemented due to audio's analog nature (compared to video and software), making it questionable whether it could effectively block data replication. The most notable application of audio DRM was [[MediaMax]]<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaMax</ref>, which essentially functioned as malware to prevent users from simply playing these audio discs on Windows and macOS. There was also the less-notable [[Extended Copy Protection]]<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Copy_Protection</ref> (XCP) DRM, however it did leave [[Sony]] in hot water<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal</ref>, dubbing this form of DRM also as the Sony Rootkit.

==DRM in software==
Most discussions about DRM often associate its use with some form of software protection, from the simple product key, to the infamous [[Denuvo]] DRM. Historically, DRM started off with simpler physical techniques, such as decoder wheels and LensLok<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenslok</ref>. The effectiveness of these systems varied, and many cracking groups simply found ways around them, especially since second-hand copies of software that used these primitive forms of DRM could easily become lost, damaged, or worse, fail to function with certain hardware.<ref>https://www.eurogamer.net/banging-the-drm-article?page=2</ref> This has essentially sparked a game of cat and mouse that continues to fester, especially for the gaming community, to this day.

==Consumer rights issues with DRM==
DRM, by definition, is designed to make content less compatible with devices. This means there is a higher likelihood of software or hardware refusing to play content due to buggy or overly restrictive DRM. For example, with the aforementioned Netflix HDCP requirement, it is not enough for the display you intend to watch the content on to support HDCP—all monitors connected to the system must support it.<ref>https://old.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/1avkwtb/netflix_requires_all_monitors_to_be_hdcp_22_how/</ref><ref>https://old.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/mam2l9/how_do_i_get_netflix_working_at_4k_on_my_second/</ref><ref>https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23931</ref> This means that on PCs with multi-monitor setup PC, older but fully functional monitors cannot be used as secondary screens without violating Netflix’s DRM restrictions.

Such requirements are not always clearly disclosed. When they are, they are often buried in the Terms of Service or, in Netflix's case, require navigating through multiple FAQ pages. Furthermore, some content may surreptitiously install DRM without the knowledge or consent of the user, such as in the Sony Rootkit scandal.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150317040653/http://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/31/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights-management-gone-too-far.aspx</ref> Such software may contain exploits that can compromise the security of the user's PC.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20061116191907/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2005/11/virus_writers_exploit_sony_ant.html</ref>

DRM in video games has frequently been implemented in an intrusive manner, hurting load times and performance.<ref>https://80.lv/articles/testing-reveals-games-with-denuvo-launch-up-to-four-times-slower/</ref> This behavior has been more a result of negligent usage of the DRM rather than deliberate malicious intent.

DRM failures can also come as a surprise. For example, with a YouTube Premium subscription, you can "Download videos to watch offline", but such videos are only available for 48 hours without an internet connection.<ref>https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269</ref> This creates confusion and problems, as users may want to download videos in anticipation of a period without internet access.

===Ineffectiveness of audio and video DRM===
Non-interactive content such as audio and video is nearly impossible to protect from copying once it is distributed to the consumer. Many HDMI splitters<ref>https://old.reddit.com/r/PS3/comments/19dohrh/bypassing_hdcp_in_2024/lbtqiky/</ref> and capture cards<ref>https://old.reddit.com/r/PS3/comments/19dohrh/bypassing_hdcp_in_2024/kj7cu60/
</ref> are capable of decrypting HDCP and copying the video stream. As long as at least one bypass exists at the HDCP level, all streaming content can be trivially ripped.

Audio DRM is trivial to bypass, as the audio must be decrypted into a plain analog signal in order to drive physical speakers or headphones.

===DRM degradation===
The development of some forms of DRM, such as Games For Windows Live<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_for_Windows_%E2%80%93_Live</ref>, are reliant on special processes within some operating systems that end up becoming unsupported or deprecated as time goes on. Legacy [[SecuROM]]-protected titles (released roughly between 1998 and 2005) are notoriously known for not running on operating systems newer than Windows XP<ref>https://www.lucadamico.dev/papers/drms/securom/ArabianNights.pdf</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20220226230919/http://www.reversing.be/article.php?story=20061015153108847</ref>. Customers must spend an extensive amount of time circumventing the DRM (or using more illicit methods) just to play content they legitimately purchased.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjkqI7dBDVg</ref>

This DRM degradation has the worst effects on physical licenses of products, as unlike a digital installation, if a physical copy of a game's DRM stops being supported by modern hardware, developers cannot simply distribute a patch to directly modify the code on a disc, and online patches cannot last forever.

===Always-online DRM===
Some DRM requires a constant internet connection. While this may make sense in something that inherently requires an internet connection such as a streaming service or multiplayer-only video game, this has also been employed in games with single-player content, rendering customers unable to use their purchase if they do not have an active internet connection.<ref>https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/05/17/diablo-iii-fans-should-stay-angry-about-always-online-drm/</ref> Conversely, if operations for these services are shut down, user, even those with legitimate copies of software and internet access, cannot run their games without resorting to hacking them first.<ref>https://keowu.re/posts/Rewriting-completely-the-GameSpy-support-from-2000-to-2004-using-Reverse-Engineering-on-EA-and-Bungie-Games/</ref><ref>https://www.slashgear.com/gamespy-shuts-down-may-31-will-your-game-be-affected-04323788/</ref> [[Ubisoft]] has historically been known for server shutdowns and transfers cutting off access to games for many players.<ref>http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/121/1218211p1.html

[https://web.archive.org/web/20250000000000*/http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/121/1218211p1.html Archive]</ref>

==DRM present elsewhere==

===Printer Ink===
''See also: [[HP Dynamic Security]]''

Companies such as [[HP]] only allow printers to only use ink sold by the same brand. There are a number of DRM systems employed by different companies to this end, an example of which is HP Dynamic Security, which has caught controversy during recent years.

==References==
<references />