Please Stop Debating About All The Leaks!

[Hackattack]

I'm no mod, but PLEASE stop talking debating whether Skyrim will be a good game over some leaked internet footage. It got old after the first post of the first thread about them. If you watched a leaked copy or obtained one, please keep it to yourselves for the good of all of us.

All of us are going to have to endure all the topics about the game being "overhyped" for first few weeks after Skyrim is released anyway, and none of us (at least me) want it to start early. I apologize if I am coming off prude, for I am just frustrated with some of the community.

So I don't get ripped to shreds, I would actually like if a mod would lock this. I don't need any posts in return; I just wanted to get my opinion across.

[SuperNull]

Maybe the mods can make a separate sub-forum (like happened on the official Beth forums) especially for to discuss the leaked info.
Banning discussion completely on a hot topic usually just makes people more curious.

[Pobatti]

My impression is that we stand to learn a great deal from the leaked footage - but we shouldn't make any judgements at this stage. Not only is there the obvious problem of the footage not exactly giving the graphics the justice they deserve, but watching someone play is not a comparable experience to playing the game yourself.

If you get bored watching someone else play, it's probably because you need to be playing and getting properly immersed in the world and it's lore to truly appreciate this game. I would imagine it's a totally different experience when you're attempting it yourself, just like every other Elder Scrolls to date

[SpikeSpeigel]

I hear you on that.
Mods can decide best on fourm stuff.
I can only decide to not watch anything pirated nor discuss those issues.

You're right. It was a bit exciting at first but I'm kinda over it.
Some forum member solidarity on this would be nice as we get to 111111 but, its a free country

[Spiney]

In my personal opinion, there should be no topics on any leaked content, since every bit of it is leaked, illegal material.

And with the way Zenimax lawyers are, I can foresee many damages lawsuits.

[Fajita!]

In my personal opinion, there should be no topics on any leaked content, since every bit of it is leaked, illegal material.

And with the way Zenimax lawyers are, I can foresee many damages lawsuits.

And with they way Zenimax lawyers are, they will probably lose

[Arkhon]

And with the way Zenimax lawyers are, I can foresee many damages lawsuits.

I think that many people will lose their heads in Russia... Rem the Skyrim map from like two, three weeks ago? Exactly...

[Pobatti]

I'm no mod, but PLEASE stop talking debating whether Skyrim will be a good game over some leaked internet footage. It got old after the first post of the first thread about them. If you watched a leaked copy or obtained one, please keep it to yourselves for the good of all of us.

All of us are going to have to endure all the topics about the game being "overhyped" for first few weeks after Skyrim is released anyway, and none of us (at least me) want it to start early. I apologize if I am coming off prude, for I am just frustrated with some of the community.

So I don't get ripped to shreds, I would actually like if a mod would lock this. I don't need any posts in return; I just wanted to get my opinion across.

I do see your intentions, but usually topics made along the lines of "please don't x" rarely have much impact. It's probably better just to weather the storm for the next week (it will be just a week after all), and then this forum will be wiped and people can start actually debating the finished product.

I see no problem with people discussing the leaks in the way you describe per-se, because people will inevitably do so. Just as long as they keep it confined within the bounds of one thread it doesn't need to bother the rest of us... and I'm sure the mods merge similar topics all the time, as well as closing topics that get out of hand.

In my personal opinion, there should be no topics on any leaked content, since every bit of it is leaked, illegal material.

And with the way Zenimax lawyers are, I can foresee many damages lawsuits.

The reasons those sorts of discussions get closed on the official Bethesda forum is because:

- People link to the footage/leaks
- Sometimes discussions like this can lead to disruptive behaviour, flaming and other rules being broken

Outside of that, Bethesda/Zenimax are aware that the 'genie is out of the bottle' and tolerate (and expect) a certain level of discussion concerning these leaks. Zenimax won't sue UESP just because people are discussing their opinion of leaked material, however they theoretically could do if we were to host that sort of material, or provide links to other places that do.

[SuperNull]

And with the way Zenimax lawyers are, I can foresee many damages lawsuits.

I can't be sure because I don't know where you live but I think you underestimate your legal rights.

In the western countries it's quite legal to discuss anything, except maybe some things that have nothing to do with copyright (defamation, state secrets).
I can definitely not be sued for telling anyone that Skyrim has a quest involving ridable pink elephants, and nether can the person who owns this forum.

Distributing the leaked Xbox copy is an entirely differed matter of cause.

[Pobatti]

And with the way Zenimax lawyers are, I can foresee many damages lawsuits.

I can't be sure because I don't know where you live but I think you underestimate your legal rights.

In the western countries it's quite legal to discuss anything, except maybe some things that have nothing to do with copyright (defamation, state secrets).
I can definitely not be sued for telling anyone that Skyrim has a quest involving ridable pink elephants, and nether can the person who owns this forum.

Distributing the leaked Xbox copy is an entirely differed matter of cause.

Exactly, this is not a R**n G***s (the footballer) super-injunction situation - it's just a software company trying to keep control over as much of it's game as it can - for our sake. Once a leak happens, certain things become public knowledge, the 'genie is out of the bottle' - and we're free to discuss those things (as we're not bound by any gagging order or NDA) just as long as we don't contribute to further leaks, host (or link to) any of the actual leaked material or software being pirated or anything like that we should be 100% safe

[Kestral]

Everybody needs to chill out.

On the legal bit: no one is any legal hot water. To go out and pull DMCA on anyone who's talking about a leak, is either not legally possible or futile. I'm positive that they're buzzing over all of this on Bethesda's very forum. Simply because one act has questionable legality, does not mean that its discussion is also illegal. I can talk about the sale and possession of drugs, for example, but I certainly can neither sell or posses them now can I? Same here, and even then, even it was illegal, nothing would come of it. ZeniMax really wouldn't care, and it would just be an issue left to the administration.

On the leak in general: this stuff happens. If you don't want to hear about the leak, don't click on the topics about the leak. We already have spoiler policies, and if they break that tell them so. Most thread about the leak generally are titled with "leak" somewhere in it. A new forum is needless, everyone just needs to keep themselves in check.

@Pobatti, you'd be 100% safe even if you did host such things. Even if there was some sort of danger, then 90%. No lawyer is going to care what some teen with a keyboard is doing on a fringe forum that is supposed to be about a fringe-wiki of a popular game series.

[Pobatti]

@Pobatti, you'd be 100% safe even if you did host such things. Even if there was some sort of danger, then 90%. No lawyer is going to care what some teen with a keyboard is doing on a fringe forum that is supposed to be about a fringe-wiki of a popular game series.

I would agree with your logic, but it's not something I could ever claim is 100% safe since that would be condoning such behaviour, and sometimes companies with money like to make the occasional example. Even if there wasn't a real threat to legal action, forum administrators rarely see it that way and a ban is sure to follow.

Better to be safe than sorry in situations like this.

[Kestral]

I did mention that it was an administration issue on the forum end, but the danger of being put in a stick by lawyer action is negligible due to the sheer impossibility of it.

[Wolfie]

So its highly unlikely but even then it dont mean we should do it

[Spiney]

I did mention that it was an administration issue on the forum end, but the danger of being put in a stick by lawyer action is negligible due to the sheer impossibility of it.

I take a "Better safe than sorry" approach, even if that's a bit paranoiac.

Nevertheless, the discussion of leaks have caused many an issue thread-wise and flame-wise.

[Kestral]

I did mention that it was an administration issue on the forum end, but the danger of being put in a stick by lawyer action is negligible due to the sheer impossibility of it.

I take a "Better safe than sorry" approach, even if that's a bit paranoiac.

Nevertheless, the discussion of leaks have caused many an issue thread-wise and flame-wise.

People just need to keep themselves in check. I don't even think a debate on the issue is warranted, but, in for a penny in for a pound.

[Ilikeskooma]

Don't we have freedom of speech or something? Or text in our case?

[Wolfie]

Freddom of speach dose not give you evreything, you still can get in trouble for saying things you dont have the rights to

or tellign pepole someons SS number ect

[Kestral]

That's highly offtopic in regards to the question. The free speech is argument is silly and nonsensical. I don't understand why there is any sentiment that it is somehow prohibited to talk about the leak, which, in most likeliness, wasn't illegal. (Save for the leak of the actual game as a torrent.)

[Pobatti]

That's highly offtopic in regards to the question. The free speech is argument is silly and nonsensical. I don't understand why there is any sentiment that it is somehow prohibited to talk about the leak, which, in most likeliness, wasn't illegal. (Save for the leak of the actual game as a torrent.)

We do have freedom of speech. It's not illegal to discuss the leak.

However the US Government are entitled censor you. As are the moderators of this forum. I think, rather than us debating here whether such a discussion is allowed we should just leave it to the moderators to draw the line concerning what we're not allowed to discuss here.

Usually, when threads get closed it's not the sensitivity of the content that's the problem - it's the user's behaviour spiralling out of control, maybe someone forgets him/herself and posts a link... that kind of thing. If a moderator does decide to enforce a rule saying we can't discuss this sort of thing, 9 times out of 10 it's primarily intended to prevent threads that have a tendency to eventually dip into illegal or forum-rule breaking territory from ever reaching that point.

[SilentPsycho]

I can handle ignoring the leaks, if they stay in the specific threads. It's when someone posts information from stuff like the intro, on a different thread that talks about something else that annoys me. Even if they put it under a spoiler, unless they write above it 'Spoilers from xxxx', people will open it thinking it's from a tweet or review or something. I've already learnt more than I actually want to about the opening sequence due to this.

[The Tom]

I will have to confirm this with the others but for now you may discuss 'leaked' material IN PROPERLY LABELLED SPOILER THREADS. But in the meantime, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES link to any leaked material. This will result in an official warning.

Now I'm going to lock his thread. I can't believe people are trying to claim things about 'laws of free speech'. What's the US government got to do with this thread!? Please ... just stop. It's arrogant and useless, not to mention offtopic.