Microsoft Issues Cease and Desist After Accidental Mass Effect 3 Leak
By Yannick LeJacq | November 8, 2011 | News | No comments | Share
Yesterday we reported on accidental leak of early gameplay footage from the eagerly awaited Mass Effect 3 that is not due for release until 2012. More interesting than a leak per se was the fact that it was not even spilled by any of the game’s developers at Bioware. Instead, the material was accidentally handed to early testers of Microsoft’s newly designed dashboard system for the XBox 360, a retooling of the console meant to enhance its qualities as a multimedia powerhouse.
Much of the initial material discussing the leak and any major or minor spoilers for Mass Effect 3 were originally found in a thread on the online gaming forum NeoGAF, but the thread was removed from public viewing last night. It came as a surprise to many readers that the Cease and Desist was issued by Microsoft, rather than Bioware themselves.
Microsoft’s reasoning was the all users of the preliminary version of their new dashboard were obligated by a nondisclosure agreement to not discuss any of its content publicly. This would include any games included on the dashboard, such as the accidentally present Mass Effect 3. So now you’re not only losing the chance to “experience the purest form of the story in Mass Effect 3,” you’re also breaking a contract with Microsoft.
A NeoGAF site administrator who goes by the handle EviLore said that this type of action is standard for large and well-publicized releases. “We’ve gone through this sort of thing hundreds of times,” he commented to The Sixth Axis, “and sometimes action is taken and sometimes it isn’t, based on the circumstances, but it’s dealt with internally. It’s handled in an informed manner in the best interests of the site on a case by case basis and is not up for debate or pending approval of a committee”
