I think this whole thing was a absolute Mess, but i can see points for all the arguments raised from both sides i really can.
But
I think i would been very annoyed if my pegi-7 son or daughter came and played this game to be threatened by the developers, for something that to them would be no more moraly wrong then getting a biscuit from the biscuit barrel without mommy or daddys say so, this i think has been a monumental error on behalf of BB_. BB i think its time you maybe re-assed your pegi-7 rating if you want to threaten 7 year olds with the lose of there accounts, these children don't understand fraud and i can assure you they would not of view it as theft.
I'm sorry BB_ i like you and i like that game but on this occasion the "Threat" was wrong you should of just left them of removed them.
i m with wolf...they kinda scared people here... even the big ones )
They shouldn't really be playing a game if they can't understand the rules, even if the age permits them to play it.
Especially not if their parents refuse to take accountability for what they do online.
Actually, just as in Real Life: If your 7-year-old-child gets $100000 for going over start in Monopoly, that will also result in nobody wanting to play with him anymore.
This is just the virtual version of the very thing which is very, very normal in reality, so what is wrong with that?
Plus, Bluebyte is not "threatening people with the loss of their account"
Bluebyte is merely saying "You got something you shouldn't have, and you MUST give it back!"
What would you say if in Real Life, your 7-year-old child came home with the teacher's wallet?
Would you explain to the school that they can't impose consequences because a 7yo can't understand the concept of theft, or would you explain to your child that they did do something wrong and must give it back? Would you consider it draconic if the school threatened consequences if the teacher didn't get his wallet back unscathed?
Yes, mistakes can happen, but a very polite warning "You crossed the line, now undo it" is NOT an immoral "threat".
I know certain other gaming companies where you'd simply end up with a no-warning permban. That may be better in the sense that you wouldn't be able to call it a "threat".
But would you like it better?
The existence of the glitch was BlueByte's fault. But the people abusing the glitch are responsible for their own action. Just because there is a glitch doesn't mean you have to abuse it.
yeah id even pay a percentage for an extra 2 storehouses, say 75% of what one is worth? ill barter for extra, unlike those pesky exploiters who are like children caught with there hands in the cookie jar. :P
And because of this action of the players the company must ban them?
Look i understand the game has rules who must obey from the players and if they violates them the company must take action against them.
But in the summer event the company give this event unfinished and untested to the players with the known side effects.
And i believe the Bluebyte must find an other legitimate way for the player who make use of the bug.