November 9, 2007

MLB Alert On Main Download Page

MLB now has a notice on its main download page, in a red, bolded font:
Having trouble viewing downloads purchased prior to 2007 – Click Here
This is excellent!

(However, there is nothing on the main download page of 2007 games -- which is where fans are directed when they click on Buy Now option for World Series game downloads on MLB's main page. There should be something there, as well. Fans who go to order 2007 games might very well have ordered games in 2003-06.)

Still, based on what I have seen over the last two days, MLB is taking quick and correct steps to fix this problem.

10 comments:

9casey said...

Hey RS, Is everything all set with this now....I can tell you it's been way over my head from the get go....

But it seems as though as though your persistence has paid off....

Why are they so guarded about these games anyway?

I am suprised they just don't sell them ala carte anyway....

allan said...

Hey RS, Is everything all set with this now

Not even close. MLB still has to coordinate making all of these hundreds of games available and having all of the thousands of downloads that everyone will be doing again go smoothly.

So far, all MLB has done is alert fans that there is a problem.

But it seems as though as though your persistence has paid off....

Plus the good luck of the post getting exposure at a few other sites. And especially, a reader/lurker here who tipped off BoingBoing.

Why are they so guarded about these games anyway?
I am suprised they just don't sell them ala carte anyway....


MLB has always been very protective of its "content". They put this guard on the game files so I cannot make a copy of a game and give it to you. They want to make sure that the person who purchased the file is the only one to view it.

However, this has the potential to create huge problems, as we see. And MLB is still using the same technology, so I think we can expect more problems in the future. maybe even the exact same problem they are trying to solve right now.

They should allow fans to buy the file and have access to the file without any more connection to MLB.

Like when you bought an LP at a record store. It was yours forever. Yes, you could make a cassette tape of it for your friend, but Sony or whoever had to live with that.

If MLB dropped the DRM protection, more fans like me would buy games and all the fans who have vowed never to buy anything with DRM on it would also buy games.

MLB would end up making more money than they do now. But MLB is slow to understand these things -- and it's going to take them a while to figure it out.

Amy said...

Allan, though this issue does not affect me personally, I just wanted to say that it is quite impressive that you have been able to get the responses and the coverage that you have gotten. Good for you, and good luck with getting some real satisfaction from MLB.

allan said...

Thanks. I'll definitely be watching this closely.

In a Google search of my name and "drm", I got 650 hits.

Gareth said...

I checked my downloads on my home computer yesterday and as soon I clicked on them, they just opened right up, unlike my attempts to view them in recent months. No error page, nothing: very smooth.

Thanks for all of your work banging the drum!

allan said...

Were they files on the hard drive or burned on a CD?

I grabbed two at random -- Sox October 1, 2004 and the WBC championship game -- and I got the new, improved error message both times.

Glad yours worked, though!

Gareth said...

I had them in both formats, and it worked no matter what. I was pretty surprised, to be honest, especially since I experienced the exact same problem as you up to this point.

chip said...

anyone heard anything from MLB yet? They told me I'd hear back after 7 days. It's been over a month. Typical. I still say we go for the class action.

allan said...

Have you requested the new download links for the games you bought and MLB is ignoring you?

chip said...

yes, I sent an email, stating the exact games I couldn't access. Their original (now revised to include no time frame at all) alert said 7 days, but I still haven't heard back.