Deus Ex: The Fall penalises jailbroken devices

Update

Square Enix has told Polygon that it is currently working on an update for Deus Ex: The Fall to remove the restriction on jailbroken devices.

"We have not been clear in our communication earlier this week when we launched Deus Ex: The Fall. We did not state clearly that the game would not support jailbroken devices and so we will be switching this off via an update, so that all the supported iOS devices will be able to play the game in the near future.

"We feel it's the right thing to do in this situation and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. No customer should be out of pocket when we were not clear from the start, so we'll get the game updated as soon as possible so that everyone who wants to play Deus Ex: The Fall can do regardless of whether their device is jailbroken or not. As soon as this update is live we will communicate this via the Eidos Montreal Community channels."

Original story

Gamers attempting to play Square Enix's Deus Ex: The Fall on jailbroken devices are reporting that the game blocks them by disabling all in-game guns.

Reddit poster KipEnyan published a screen shot within the game which clearly displays the error message "we are sorry but you can't fire on jailbroken devices." He added that the message appears during the tutorial, where the lack of fire power actually prevents the user going any further.

Jailbreaking devices like iPhones is not illegal, in fact the US Copyright Office considers the process "fair use" when it comes to smartphones.

"I've never had this happen before, on either a rooted Android device or a jailbroken iPhone, and I've used both extensively for years," said KipEnyan.

"This is on iPhone and, like I said, it is a seriously isolated incident. This is the first time I've ever seen a developer pull anything like this, and it is wildly unacceptable."

Another user reported he had had a similar experience with the Final Fantasy games on a rooted or jailbroken Android phone.

"Here Square says right to my face 'We think you stole our game because your device is jailbroken. Therefore, we will make a product you paid $7 for nonfunctioning with no method of recourse for you," continued KipEnyan, who considered the move "obscene."

Jailbreaking allows users to run software not approved by Apple on their iPhones, and allows access to parts of the iOS operating system usually off limits to consumers. While popular with users who want more control over the content on their devices, the move voids the phone's warranty, and breaks the terms and conditions users are required to sign up to to use both the device and associated services, leaving users like KipEnyan little legal recourse when software they then purchase won't work.

"Apple strongly cautions against installing any software that hacks iOS," says Apple on the subject.

"It is also important to note that unauthorised modification of iOS is a violation of the iOS end-user software license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorised software."

Square has yet to comment on the reports.