As far as I understand it the problem
@wasme is having is that the EULA has been changed retroactively on already purchased games and especially that
@Famous said (or at least strongly implied) that playing these games means automatically accepting the new EULA - or rather the other way around: Not accepting the new EULA means not being allowed to play games already purchased (a decade ago).
It's not about the content but the procedure.
Exactly.
It may be legal for Paradox to do this (their EULA claims it is, but not everything written in EULAs is actually enforceable), but it's definitely *morally* wrong to change a contract retroactively. And extra specially to do so without compensation if the new contract isn't agreed to.
I will not accept a forced retroactive change to EULAs to games I have purchased and already agreed to an EULA for. Change the EULA on new games? Sure, that's fine. Change the EULA on actively provided services (such as this form)? Sure, that's fine. Change the EULA on new purchases of old games? Sure, that's your right. Change the EULA on old games I've already agreed to an EULA for? Well, if it's a *choice*. If I can continue to conform to the old EULA if I want, well, then maybe. But to force it? NO! Again, you may (or may not) be able to do that legally but it's horribly immoral.
Hey wasme!
Apologies for the late reply. I've had the flu so I've been bedridden for a while.
We are sad to have upset you, who obviously seems to be a long-time fan of our games. Unfortunately, we need to update our EULA from time to time in order to ensure that it reflects our games, services, and law.
We hope that you will understand and that you can continue to enjoy our games.
Cheers!
And no, I do not understand, nor agree, nor, by your own wording, can I continue to enjoy your games because you've voided the EULA I've already agreed to. As I said, you can change the EULA over NEW games. Or even new purchases of old games. But *not games already purchased*. You can *ask* for me to agree to a new EULA, but you cannot (morally) *force* it.
And so I want a refund. For every game I've ever purchased developed and/or published by Paradox. From Paradox. It's not the retailers who voided the EULAs I agreed to. It was Paradox.
I do not trust companies to be able to retroactively change EULAs (and other contracts). You claim it's immaterial now, but companies have already pulled stunts like that is claim IP rights over mods *cough*Bethesda*cough* or install root kits on computers *cough*Sony Music*cough*. Geeze, my cough is really acting up today. Or to spy on you and send information to foreign governments *cough*Tencent*cough*. Gah, that cough again. Or their own servers *cough*Microsoft*cough*. Man, sorry about that.
So I need Paradox to either
A) Refund me for all the games Paradox has developed/published that I have purchased in the past (and I won't be purchasing any more in the future).
or
B)
1) Walk back the claim that merely playing games I already own is automatically agreeing to the new EULA. That's a ridiculously huge overreach I will not tolerate.
If Paradox Legal would do just that then I'll rescind my demand for refunds for already purchased games. But if that's all they do I will never purchase another game published by Paradox. Because I find this whole affair unacceptable. If you want me to trust you as a company again I'd also require:
2) That you walk back the claim that Paradox games are a 'service'. They are not a service. Me running EU2 on my computer requires no usage of resources on the part of Paradox. These aren't MMORPGs or MOBAs or mobile Gacha games. Maybe if Paradox published those they would be services, but not stand alone games that don't connect to any centralised servers. Paradox games are *products*, not services.
[EDIT: This is important because I agree that you can change the EULA (or ToS) of an ongoing service. Because, well, it's an ongoing service. Stand alone games aren't a service. As I said, they require no ongoing expenditure of resources to continue to play. They may be patched, but patching is a voluntary activity on the part of a company. And I can continue to play the game as-is without installing any patch anyway. So I don't consider patching a 'service'. And, you know what, I'll even agree you can stick a new EULA on a patch. As long as patching the game is voluntary and I can continue to use the game as-is under the original EULA I agreed to.]
3) Formally state that Paradox will never pull a stunt like this again.
I'll repeat, I'm fine with you *asking* for me to agree to a new EULA, but to invalidate the old EULA and state that merely playing my old games is me agreeing to a newt contract is unacceptable.
