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Why didn't funcom just be honest and stop trying to hide the problems?
Grapejuices
Member Posts: 20
It's just like when you're son comes home and you ask him why he's late... had he said he didn't want to come home b/c he was having too much fun at his friend's house you'd be upset but not too upset.
BUT if he lies to you striaght up and says "oh i tried to go home but my friend's house almost caught on fire and jessica's dad was blah blah blah," you kind of start to wonder why he's lieing so much. Was he doing drugs or out looting stores? You don't know but the lies make you assume the worse.
Had funcom just told us they were sorry some features weren't in game due to technical issues, most players would have griped and groaned but still remained loyal to the game since it had potential. But when they go so far as to lie to us customers and then try to hide ALL evidence (delete posts, remove search option, ban players, lie in PR interviews), it really makes us wonder if the problems are really disasters waiting to unfold.
It's sad really, I like the game but I canceled today when funcom refused to awknowledge the pet bugs on necroes... i mean the bug doesn't make the game unplayable but the fact that they won't awknowledge it makes me wonder if they'll ever fix it or for the matter ever implement the features promised pre-launch.
I'm just too scared to invest time/money into a game and then see the funcom dev's jump ship... leaving us to die...
Comments
No...in fact this person is speaking a whole lot of truth. A lot of frustration of people who LIKE the game comes from the way FC is handling it right now. I know...because I am among them. I like the game and I love the potential it has...but the way FC is managing things is just plain bad.
One more week and that's what they get from me for now. It's a good game, and even enjoyable at times right now, but the way they are doing/handling the situation is plain wrong.
Which Final Fantasy Character Are You?
Final Fantasy 7
I am being honest when I say I do enjoy the game. I've had the game ever since release and it took me all the way until today to cancel. Everytime I logged on I kept wondering, will funcom ever implement the promised features and revive the game? Is there a future for AoC? Is funcom jumping ship? (already talking about a new MMO they're working on)
I finally brought myself to cancel and well, I'm an old guy. Don't have forever to live so i tend to like things with bright futures.
Are you saying that funcon is doing drugs?
I'm not a no life that sits in front of his computer all day long, I'm an intern that sits in front of his computer all day long.
Your profile says 23. So if you're old, then I better just dig a damn grave for myself now and get it over with.
I bought and played AoC for about 12 days before I was bored with it. But on the original topic I don't think FunCON would know Honesty if it danced naked in front of them. *shrug* Just my opinion.
Your profile says 23. So if you're old, then I better just dig a damn grave for myself now and get it over with.
I asked my son to make the account for me.
Your profile says 23. So if you're old, then I better just dig a damn grave for myself now and get it over with.
I asked my son to make the account for me.
Heheh, alright then.
Funcom probably guessed people would have stayed away. So instead they took the path of lies in hope to save the company. They might even have succeeded. I think the initial sales are so high they might be able to break even sometime this year. Sad thing is that AoC has zero future and the retention of subs are really low.
I think every mmo player should walk away from the game to teach them a lesson. Personally I have to think twice before playing another Funcom game again. At this point I can't see that happening..
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CASUAL CONFESSIONS - Draccan's blog
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I think every reputable mmo in the future should give away the client and first month for free and then charge 60 U$ for the 2nd month and 15 for the following months. This sales model would sort out alot.
Funcom's game director has released 2 public statements regarding the game, patches are steadily being pumped out, PvP is already being worked on and ready to be released, they added a test server and the list can go on and on. So Funcom is working to correct the problems. Posts are being deleted in the official forums because of the trolls spamming useless junk.
Well said OP. Someday companied MIGHT get it.
Funcom's game director has released 2 public statements regarding the game, patches are steadily being pumped out, PvP is already being worked on and ready to be released, they added a test server and the list can go on and on. So Funcom is working to correct the problems. Posts are being deleted in the official forums because of the trolls spamming useless junk.
I guess I made the mistake of buying it for what I was told it was, as opposed to what it will be. (ie bait and switch)
Yet when you look closer the director's second public statement was damage control for not delivering the content he talked about in his first statement. The PvP system they are working on is an afterthought and nothing of what they talked about pre-launch. The blood money idea and jail system got completely scrapped for what is essentially a watered down version of their other game's PvP system - hell you can see Anarchy Online code in the tooltips!
Then we come to the test-live server, a server that until recently you didn't know what you actually had to test. They didn't put "everything" they released on the production patch to the test live server, and guess what? It caused bugs they had to hotfix the next day! Is anyone really shocked that their patches break some obvious things that don't get caught in QA when the majority of the QA is being done by players on their free time?
Posts are being deleted for all kinds of reasons and are not consistent; the product of a forum moderated by volunteers. I was banned with a reason of "no reason given" and I still don't know what I could have said to deserve it.
Because the tactic worked for them with Anarchy Online, and they knew they had a large contingent of fans blindly hyping the game no matter what the true state of the game was or would be. They knew people were desperate for a new mmo and they cashed in on the blind faith. At least to get them the initial sales. With that initial sales money, they were hoping to get just enough to fix it up.
The truth might have given them low sales and low subscription. Where as lies can give them high sales and low subscription. So from a business standpoint, when you are selling a poor quality product, it can mean greater profit when you lie (ever see how car salesman work?).
Waiting for: A skill-based MMO with Freedom and Consequence.
Woe to thee, the pierce-ed.
Funcom's game director has released 2 public statements regarding the game, patches are steadily being pumped out, PvP is already being worked on and ready to be released, they added a test server and the list can go on and on. So Funcom is working to correct the problems. Posts are being deleted in the official forums because of the trolls spamming useless junk.
First statement included
"Meaningful PvP with rewards"
"Itemization"
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Second statement
"Oops, well, no PvP yet...but SOON"
"Oops, well, no Items yet...but SOON"
Good stuff there.
Who knows exactly what FunCom meetings consisted of.
1. They knew about the flaws, deemed them simple problems that can be patched in a matter of a few months. The first half of he game is so polished and fun the players will give us little or no grief. The players will remain loyal with expectations of improvements in coming months.
OR
2. They had no clue. They focused so heavily on launch, the solo game, combat mechanics and less on details such as profession abilities / balance (Necro seems to be in every patch) (who needs an auction house at launch anyway?, stats on items?- mere window dressing..sieges won't be necessary for a few months, .etc.) now the patch schedule is behind. The game wasn't tested enough and the game was delayed already in the name of "polish". We need revenue badly.
OR
3. They can play the Mythic tactic. Did they really PROMISE all these things at launch? We are receiving feedback and are being responsive to you, the players. Enjoy he game its gonna be great.
I have been asking myself the same question. It would seem that they would be better off being what we like to calll honest, and admit that they have some really big issues with everything really from the engine,graphic,content, balance and you name it.
What strikes me reading the interviews with that Gaute character is that they seem to be in total denial. A bit like that Iraqi minister that kinda took it to another dimension. Reading Gautes interviews it sounds like AoC is THE game of the milennia, flawless and well, just simply perfect.
Everytime Gaute is in a interview it must be like being slapped in the face for the poor people still paying for that game. I really think that guy needs to get his head examined tbh. Being so removed from the real world like he is.
I get a feeling they hired in some kind of communication "expert" that has given them some extremely bad advice on how to.."communicate" with the media and their players. "Bad advisors" we say in Norway, gimmicking one of our old princesses talking about the younger generation. It kinda fits in here.
In the survey they sent out, they admitted there were a "few problems" with the game that they needed to get resolved, but they never mentioned anything specific. I swear, it's like they took classes at SOE on customer service and partial game design.
Funcom did nothing different than any other sales person would have done......You take your product and try to make it sound like its the best thing on the planet, whether it really is or not......You generate enough hype and get enough ignorant people to believe and you will sell alot .........How many copies do you think they'd sell if they came out and said "Hey we got this game its missing alot of stuff and there are alot of things broken in it but we're going to work hard and try to make it better!!"
This is the AOC marketing plan
Seeker=Idiot
This post is nail on the head.
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If you are insulted by being called a fanboi it's a good bet that you are one
LOL. This guy is amazing. If he would sell Iraq victory flags, at least 100,000 will preorder.
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Never argue with idiots. They are immune to logic.
Your profile says 23. So if you're old, then I better just dig a damn grave for myself now and get it over with.
One of the best post I've seen in this forum in a long time.. That was funny..
I guess Warhammer will be a good test case for your question. Or it may not matter at all. Anectdotal evidence has shown me that the majority of casual MMO players don't follow gaming news. My work friends who are looking forward to Warhammer didn't even know about all the cuts until I told them about it. So really any admission by Funcom would only appeal to the serious gamer, and I'm sure you guys know we're in the minority.
Another unsavory aspect of corporate politics is that if a company does admit to mistakes they are looked down upon by their peers. It can be a career ender for a PR person if they admit to any fault. It's considered bad business, no matter how sincere it may seem. Funcom is a victim of their own hype.