Black Ops 2 filled with hackers

The Unrest Cure · May 3, 2019

I bought this game about 2 weeks ago. Around 8 out of 10 multiplayer matches (as an average) that I've played over about 2 hours since that purchase have hacked lobbies. A refund request to Microsoft was rejected "due to terms and conditions". I can provide
feedback regarding my dissatisfaction with that determination but there is zero way to escalate or discuss this. Support chat advised to respond to the rejection email citing the reasons I dispute their decision, so I did. The refund team sent another form
letter that simply stated the service request was closed. Support chat cannot process or initiate refunds, so they cannot help. In fact, when I sought alternate ways to provide feedback they advised this was the place to go. So here I am.

Legally speaking, MS Terms of Service are pretty clear: unless a game does not work at all there is no refund. Obviously I agreed to this when I purchased the game. But does the player have any fair expectation that a game will function as is it is intended?
The Support Chat Supervisor took GREAT pains to get me to state that the game works. And it does. It loads. It starts lobbies online. But if the lobbies online render playing the game as intended impossible what recourse is there? Evidently none. Interestingly
I contacted Activision (Black Ops 2 publisher) and their supervisor said it was unfortunate that the lobbies are hacked, but that is why there is a report button. Since they didn't take my money, they had no other assistance or recommendation to provide.

I guess my frustration would be less palpable had I purchased the game digitally years ago, played it, and then returned having earned some satisfaction with the purchase. But since the purchase was recent it seems insane that MS would sell a game that
cannot be played as it was intended. {It should be noted that, quite cagily, the Xbox store page for Black Ops 2 doesn't mention anything specific about gameplay or promise anything regarding that gameplay; legally speaking there is zero promised besides
operability!} Does the player have any fair expectation that a game will function as is it is intended?

:)

The Unrest Cure

If my friends came to my house to play Monopoly that would be equivalent to me hosting a private game mode, not a public game mode with a lobby determined via a 2nd or 3rd party, so the comparison is dissimilar. I understand the gist of what you are saying
however, and it is a defense that while not compelling, is substantive. Black Ops 2 has been historically purchased on the strength of its multiplayer modes. Yes, people do play the campaign and zombies, but I think it is safe to maintain that the bulk of
purchases have been to play the multiplayer mode. Regardless, my purchase was made to play the multiplayer mode. While it is operable, it certainly does not function as intended. The base premise that hacking is to be reported underscores that rather than
excuses it. If the hacking was acceptable and "normal" it wouldn't require reporting.

If the contention is that Activision and Activision alone are responsible for this condition it sidesteps several important points: 1) that MS terms of use disallow use of hacks or alteration of online experience, 2) MS sells the license for the game's use,
and 3) consumers pay MS for access to online game modes via the subscription of Xbox Live. To shuffle the responsibility for that license's maintenance to Activision is perhaps, legally conforming, but does it actually engender any confidence in MS as a whole?
After this series of legal contracts ("terms of use" "sells" "pays") listed above it is clear that a reasonable use of online multiplayer is part of the equation. To wit: MS enforces their own terms of use by banning users and initiating disciplinary actions
based upon reports of player abuse of online access. Thus they clearly DO believe they have (at-least) partial responsibility to monitor access to games, and that responsibility is based upon an expectation of intended functionality.

The Unrest Cure

So there is no middle ground from a consumers' standpoint? Either the game is "broken" or it works perfectly? As I noted in my post, according to Microsoft Terms of Service this is how a refund request would be legally determined, and it was. I'm asking
if I have any expectation that the game will function as intended. Your response tacitly acknowledges that the game does not function as intended ("the developers ... do not patch the games like they should to keep that [hacking] from happening in
the first place"). If I have no expectation of game functionality - not simply basic operation - why should I buy any game digitally from Microsoft? If MS does not stand behind the quality of their transaction, I'm better served to not purchase from MS.
Would that not be the logical conclusion?

Let me stress, I am not asking for any legal culpability from MS regarding the normally functioning status of a game they sell. That is well established: it either works or it does not. I am asking if this bare minimum is acceptable to gamers. From the
first few responses it appears it is.

Onyx Is Here

This is an unfortunate aspect of the CoD series and one of the main reasons I stay away from it. At this point the only option you would have is to report anyone you find cheating as well as immediately back out of the game and restart it.

Smwutches

Unfortunately with older games, the Call of Duty games in particular, once a new version has been released, the developers tend to neglect the old versions and do not patch the games like they should to keep that from happening in the first place. However,
the game can still be played so it's not exactly broken. You could always set up a game with friends to avoid running into those people. You can always try resubmitting refund requests, but other than that, there really isn't much else that can be done except
to report anyone you come across who is violating the rules.

XBF Nestor S

Hey there Cure,

As stated by our
Microsoft Service Agreement: Refund Policy. Unless otherwise provided by law or by a particular Service offer,
all purchases are final and non-refundable. If you believe that Microsoft has charged you in error, you must contact us within 90 days of such charge. No refunds will be given for any charges more than 90 days old.
We reserve the right to issue refunds or credits at our sole discretion. If we issue a refund or credit, we are under no obligation to issue the same or similar refund in the future. This refund policy does not affect any statutory rights that
may apply.

Also, we cannot monitor the entire Services and make no attempt to do so, ultimately, this issue is happening on the Activision servers. To prevent repetitive answers we will be locking this as we have no further resolution, however, if there are any further
issues or inquiries feel free to
Start a New Thread.

Black Ops 2 filled with hackers