Lucasarts called the shots with SWG and SOE cares about their fans

teakbois

Originally posted by TUX426

The one where he said they were listening? Why? He lies more than anyone at SOE. Remember his claim that there would be MONTHLY content update for DCUO because "that's what people paying a sub deserve"?

Smedley will say anything. I don't believe a word the man types.

He made that claim before he was forced to fire 205 of his employees

 

Every single MMO company in existence has said something they meant at the time but later circumstances caused a change.  

teakbois

Originally posted by TUX426

Originally posted by Jakard

I think a lot of the hate that SOE has been given over the years is unwarranted. They're not perfect and have made some major mistakes over the years but I do think they are a company that cares about it's fan base. It's just too bad that you had the SWG fiasco and maybe they should have put more resources into games like Vanguard: Saga of Heroes but they could have easily (and probably should have) killed that game off a long time ago but they haven't. I think that says something about them.

They've EARNED their reputation.

To suggest otherwise is ignorant.

The ignorant deciding what is ignorant is pretty priceless.

Forcan

Originally posted by teakbois

Originally posted by Forcan

 

 

As for the NGE, LucasArts may had the final say in that incident, but SOE is not without fault.  SOE sold an expansion that contains contents which were deemed USELESS when the changes hit.  How's that for "cares about their fans"?  The link to Jeff Freeman's own admission on NGE should show that they are actually proud of what they created (even though the fans at the time hated it.)  When they put it on the TC, almost everyone who tested the NGE wrote on the forum that NGE was not ready, and they would prefer SOE to keep working on it until the fans can agree it's ready.  And that's not counting those who flat-out wrote that NGE screwed up the Pre-CU/CU gameplay, and do not belong in SWG.  What did SOE do?  went ahead as planned.  Oh, and NGE only had 12 ~ 14 days of TC time, and throughout that two weeks, fans were infuriated by SOE's unwilling to listen, and lack of respect for their fans and customers.  They gave no reason as to why they cannot delay the NGE to continue to work on it, and that why have an expansion out when contents inside will be USELESS when the NGE comes around...

 

Yet you make an enormously huge assumption that SoE had a choice.

And why shouldnt programmers be proud of something they worked hard on on a tight timeline?  Freeman's role in the NGE was the combat, and guess what, the combat WAS better (subjective, but the combat wasnt the reason why the NGE killed SWG).  The other crap about the NGE that was why it sucked?  Not Freeman's doing.  He wasnt responsible for the iconic class bullshit that was the reason why the NGE was so hated.

The choice was before they even start down this road.

You think the combat was better, I said it was worse, but what difference does that make?

The fact still remains that they did not consider to communicate with their fan-base.

He can be proud of what he had created, I have no problem with that.  But I do have a problem when the full package was so buggy, and they did not even thought about a longer testing period to iron-out the issues before release.  Those are choices made by executives of both companies, and hence I blamed both.

 

Also, that still doesn't explain the fact that NGE was in development while SOE said they will continue to fix the CU system.

 

Those are choices SOE made.

TUX426

Originally posted by teakbois

Originally posted by TUX426

Originally posted by Jakard

I think a lot of the hate that SOE has been given over the years is unwarranted. They're not perfect and have made some major mistakes over the years but I do think they are a company that cares about it's fan base. It's just too bad that you had the SWG fiasco and maybe they should have put more resources into games like Vanguard: Saga of Heroes but they could have easily (and probably should have) killed that game off a long time ago but they haven't. I think that says something about them.

They've EARNED their reputation.

To suggest otherwise is ignorant.

The ignorant deciding what is ignorant is pretty priceless.

Good come back. You got me.

I suggest you and several others in this thread continue to support SOE. They'll do nothing more foolish with your money than I assume you'll do.

teakbois

Originally posted by Forcan

 

Those are choices SOE made.

Care to provide proof for your accusations?  You worked for Lucas Arts or SoE at the time so you have inside knowledge no one has made public?

Draccan

Originally posted by superniceguy

Basically SOE cares about the players and its fans

Oh yea and pigs fly !!

 

REALLY!

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t_1L7ulAOfA/TxWqbfLiIEI/AAAAAAAAB68/mSHvvkcb8qI/s1600/flying-pigs.jpg

Ginaz

This has been soe's attitude and level of care they have had for their customers for quite some time now.

superniceguy

Originally posted by Forcan

You may experience customer services from SOE differently than others, and I can accept it that your opinion is that SOE "cares about their fans".  But I do disagree with your opinion, hence my interjection, and trying to be as objective as I can.

 

Others have experienced CS the same as me, so I am not alone.

You are not objective, you are totally 100% anti-SOE

I used to hate SOE too, because of the NGE, but I just do not see it any more. The anger and hate of it is now gone, and I can see clearly now

Get a clue

superniceguy

Originally posted by Forcan

Originally posted by teakbois

Originally posted by Forcan

 

 

As for the NGE, LucasArts may had the final say in that incident, but SOE is not without fault.  SOE sold an expansion that contains contents which were deemed USELESS when the changes hit.  How's that for "cares about their fans"?  The link to Jeff Freeman's own admission on NGE should show that they are actually proud of what they created (even though the fans at the time hated it.)  When they put it on the TC, almost everyone who tested the NGE wrote on the forum that NGE was not ready, and they would prefer SOE to keep working on it until the fans can agree it's ready.  And that's not counting those who flat-out wrote that NGE screwed up the Pre-CU/CU gameplay, and do not belong in SWG.  What did SOE do?  went ahead as planned.  Oh, and NGE only had 12 ~ 14 days of TC time, and throughout that two weeks, fans were infuriated by SOE's unwilling to listen, and lack of respect for their fans and customers.  They gave no reason as to why they cannot delay the NGE to continue to work on it, and that why have an expansion out when contents inside will be USELESS when the NGE comes around...

 

Yet you make an enormously huge assumption that SoE had a choice.

And why shouldnt programmers be proud of something they worked hard on on a tight timeline?  Freeman's role in the NGE was the combat, and guess what, the combat WAS better (subjective, but the combat wasnt the reason why the NGE killed SWG).  The other crap about the NGE that was why it sucked?  Not Freeman's doing.  He wasnt responsible for the iconic class bullshit that was the reason why the NGE was so hated.

The choice was before they even start down this road.

You think the combat was better, I said it was worse, but what difference does that make?

The fact still remains that they did not consider to communicate with their fan-base.

He can be proud of what he had created, I have no problem with that.  But I do have a problem when the full package was so buggy, and they did not even thought about a longer testing period to iron-out the issues before release.  Those are choices made by executives of both companies, and hence I blamed both.

 

Also, that still doesn't explain the fact that NGE was in development while SOE said they will continue to fix the CU system.

 

Those are choices SOE made.

The reason why they did not communicate is because they were held by confidntiality agreements, and you said so yourself.

Originally posted by Forcan

  SOE was silent on this issue.  SOE may not be able to say anything since they may be violating their licensing contract with LucasArts.

 

They can not be choices by SOE, if held under agreements from LA, which force SOE to do stuff. The only choice SOE may have had, would be to break the partnership with LA, resulting in SWG being shutdown there and then.

Shayde

There's more crazy in this thread than all of Arkham.

 

$OE has never cared about its players, and they still don't. Perfect example is the ProSeiben fiasco...

http://www.mmofringe.com/forum/9-Industry-Drama-Culture-and-Rumor/24263-The-SOE--ProSiebenSat1-Controversy-Blows-up

superniceguy

Originally posted by Shayde

There's more crazy in this thread than all of Arkham.

 

$OE has never cared about its players, and they still don't. Perfect example is the ProSeiben fiasco...

http://www.mmofringe.com/forum/9-Industry-Drama-Culture-and-Rumor/24263-The-SOE--ProSiebenSat1-Controversy-Blows-up

That is not perfect example, as it is still in planning stage atm, and nothing finalised

People getting their knickers in a twist over nothing.

They do not communicte they are the bad guys

They do communicate they are the bad guys

They can not win it seems - Totally unreasonable.

teakbois

Originally posted by Shayde

There's more crazy in this thread than all of Arkham.

 

$OE has never cared about its players, and they still don't. Perfect example is the ProSeiben fiasco...

http://www.mmofringe.com/forum/9-Industry-Drama-Culture-and-Rumor/24263-The-SOE--ProSiebenSat1-Controversy-Blows-up

Comeback in a month and see what the final solution is.  People love to rush to swift conclusions without looking at SoE's recent history (which has had SoEannounce things that might not have been looked at things from all angles, but made right by the customers, even going above and beyond.  i can give you numerous examples in the last few months)

fenistil

SOE even in it's 'good times' was ignorant and greedy.

Now when SONY as a whole orporation has serious problems (losing on many fronts especially to Koran companies)

and with earthquake, Fukushima, Thailand (yes Sony also suffered) and strong yen - all that impacts Sony bad and they will have 2,2 bln $ losses for 2011.

 

Sony NEED cash - that's why Pro7 deal - since it will get them money from Pro7 and allow to cut costs on EU staff.  Ofc that is at possible expense of future income from EU market ,but well kinda normal thing to do when you're restructuring a company and Sony is starting to do this.

 

Why this is relevant to us?

 

Expect Sony to ramp up it's greed. SONY need for money + increasing competition in freemium / f2p department and SOE announced that they will switch to freemium fully (they almost there) will result in hideous microtransactions, cash shops and /or RMT. 

 

Just wait and see heh

Forcan

Originally posted by superniceguy

Originally posted by Forcan

You may experience customer services from SOE differently than others, and I can accept it that your opinion is that SOE "cares about their fans".  But I do disagree with your opinion, hence my interjection, and trying to be as objective as I can.

 

Others have experienced CS the same as me, so I am not alone.

You are not objective, you are totally 100% anti-SOE

I used to hate SOE too, because of the NGE, but I just do not see it any more. The anger and hate of it is now gone, and I can see clearly now

Get a clue

And other have experienced CS 180 degree opposite than how you experienced, so I am right in stating that it is your opinion that SOE cares about the fans.

If that's the case, how am I not being objective in pointing that out?

It is you who need to "get a clue."  As you do not represent everyone who are/were SOE's customers, just as I do not represent everyone who played SWG.  So I don't say I speak on their behalf, and can only point out that there are players on both side of the scale in relation to how SOE treated their customers.  So as I said, I disagree with your opinion, but I do accept it as it is your opinion, as it is mine to say SOE doesn't care about their customers.

VikingLegion

It wasn't SOE, for a while everyone knew it was lucas arts who wouldnt renew the license to soe.

take a look at planetside, 1 server left, still up and running. vanguard not much better but still up and running. pirates of the burning sea 4 servers left and still running.

swg had 3-4 servers with heavy pop at peak times and a total of at least 10 servers. not sure of how many servers exactly but was somethin like that.

Forcan

Originally posted by superniceguy

Originally posted by Forcan

Originally posted by teakbois

Originally posted by Forcan

 

 

As for the NGE, LucasArts may had the final say in that incident, but SOE is not without fault.  SOE sold an expansion that contains contents which were deemed USELESS when the changes hit.  How's that for "cares about their fans"?  The link to Jeff Freeman's own admission on NGE should show that they are actually proud of what they created (even though the fans at the time hated it.)  When they put it on the TC, almost everyone who tested the NGE wrote on the forum that NGE was not ready, and they would prefer SOE to keep working on it until the fans can agree it's ready.  And that's not counting those who flat-out wrote that NGE screwed up the Pre-CU/CU gameplay, and do not belong in SWG.  What did SOE do?  went ahead as planned.  Oh, and NGE only had 12 ~ 14 days of TC time, and throughout that two weeks, fans were infuriated by SOE's unwilling to listen, and lack of respect for their fans and customers.  They gave no reason as to why they cannot delay the NGE to continue to work on it, and that why have an expansion out when contents inside will be USELESS when the NGE comes around...

 

Yet you make an enormously huge assumption that SoE had a choice.

And why shouldnt programmers be proud of something they worked hard on on a tight timeline?  Freeman's role in the NGE was the combat, and guess what, the combat WAS better (subjective, but the combat wasnt the reason why the NGE killed SWG).  The other crap about the NGE that was why it sucked?  Not Freeman's doing.  He wasnt responsible for the iconic class bullshit that was the reason why the NGE was so hated.

The choice was before they even start down this road.

You think the combat was better, I said it was worse, but what difference does that make?

The fact still remains that they did not consider to communicate with their fan-base.

He can be proud of what he had created, I have no problem with that.  But I do have a problem when the full package was so buggy, and they did not even thought about a longer testing period to iron-out the issues before release.  Those are choices made by executives of both companies, and hence I blamed both.

 

Also, that still doesn't explain the fact that NGE was in development while SOE said they will continue to fix the CU system.

 

Those are choices SOE made.

The reason why they did not communicate is because they were held by confidntiality agreements, and you said so yourself.

Originally posted by Forcan

  SOE was silent on this issue.  SOE may not be able to say anything since they may be violating their licensing contract with LucasArts.

 

They can not be choices by SOE, if held under agreements from LA, which force SOE to do stuff. The only choice SOE may have had, would be to break the partnership with LA, resulting in SWG being shutdown there and then.

 

SOE do have choices, as if you search the SWG Vet. Refuges posts, you will find post after posts that show Smedley mentioned on the official forums that "The CU is here to stay" in Sept. 2005, and from Dan Rubenfield's blog, they created NGE in 2 to 3 months, which was around the same time as Smedley's statement that "the CU is here to stay."  So they knew there may be drastic changes to the system, yet, they did not consider to at least let your players know that there are major changes coming, instead of pushing for an expansion that would have its contents render useless by the major change that is the NGE. 

Another choice that existed also means they should be in discussion with LA to have NGE stay in TC for longer than the 2 weeks deadline, that did not appear to be the case.  All TC forums got was the PR responses and we still saw NGE live on the 11/15/05.  If they truly cares about their fans, they would rather have them for long term customers by telling them exactly what's going on (even though the license might be gone, and game shut down, but fans would at least understand and would stay with the company you so claim that cares about their fans) instead of lies and deceits that is Trial of Obi-Wan and NGE.

 

 

They had the choice, they made the wrong one.

superniceguy

Originally posted by Forcan

Originally posted by superniceguy

Originally posted by Forcan

Originally posted by teakbois

Originally posted by Forcan

 

 

As for the NGE, LucasArts may had the final say in that incident, but SOE is not without fault.  SOE sold an expansion that contains contents which were deemed USELESS when the changes hit.  How's that for "cares about their fans"?  The link to Jeff Freeman's own admission on NGE should show that they are actually proud of what they created (even though the fans at the time hated it.)  When they put it on the TC, almost everyone who tested the NGE wrote on the forum that NGE was not ready, and they would prefer SOE to keep working on it until the fans can agree it's ready.  And that's not counting those who flat-out wrote that NGE screwed up the Pre-CU/CU gameplay, and do not belong in SWG.  What did SOE do?  went ahead as planned.  Oh, and NGE only had 12 ~ 14 days of TC time, and throughout that two weeks, fans were infuriated by SOE's unwilling to listen, and lack of respect for their fans and customers.  They gave no reason as to why they cannot delay the NGE to continue to work on it, and that why have an expansion out when contents inside will be USELESS when the NGE comes around...

 

Yet you make an enormously huge assumption that SoE had a choice.

And why shouldnt programmers be proud of something they worked hard on on a tight timeline?  Freeman's role in the NGE was the combat, and guess what, the combat WAS better (subjective, but the combat wasnt the reason why the NGE killed SWG).  The other crap about the NGE that was why it sucked?  Not Freeman's doing.  He wasnt responsible for the iconic class bullshit that was the reason why the NGE was so hated.

The choice was before they even start down this road.

You think the combat was better, I said it was worse, but what difference does that make?

The fact still remains that they did not consider to communicate with their fan-base.

He can be proud of what he had created, I have no problem with that.  But I do have a problem when the full package was so buggy, and they did not even thought about a longer testing period to iron-out the issues before release.  Those are choices made by executives of both companies, and hence I blamed both.

 

Also, that still doesn't explain the fact that NGE was in development while SOE said they will continue to fix the CU system.

 

Those are choices SOE made.

The reason why they did not communicate is because they were held by confidntiality agreements, and you said so yourself.

Originally posted by Forcan

  SOE was silent on this issue.  SOE may not be able to say anything since they may be violating their licensing contract with LucasArts.

 

They can not be choices by SOE, if held under agreements from LA, which force SOE to do stuff. The only choice SOE may have had, would be to break the partnership with LA, resulting in SWG being shutdown there and then.

 

SOE do have choices, as if you search the SWG Vet. Refuges posts, you will find post after posts that show Smedley mentioned on the official forums that "The CU is here to stay" in Sept. 2005, and from Dan Rubenfield's blog, they created NGE in 2 to 3 months, which was around the same time as Smedley's statement that "the CU is here to stay."  So they knew there may be drastic changes to the system, yet, they did not consider to at least let your players know that there are major changes coming, instead of pushing for an expansion that would have its contents render useless by the major change that is the NGE. 

Another choice that existed also means they should be in discussion with LA to have NGE stay in TC for longer than the 2 weeks deadline, that did not appear to be the case.  All TC forums got was the PR responses and we still saw NGE live on the 11/15/05.  If they truly cares about their fans, they would rather have them for long term customers by telling them exactly what's going on (even though the license might be gone, and game shut down, but fans would at least understand and would stay with the company you so claim that cares about their fans) instead of lies and deceits that is Trial of Obi-Wan and NGE.

 

 

They had the choice, they made the wrong one.

SOE did not have the choice, LA were the ones who made the choice

They did not let the players know because of some kind of NDA from LA, you said so yourself

If they told people what was going on then LA could have sued SOE, and then SOE could have gone out of business and had no fans.

There is no lies and decepts when you undertsand the nature of th NDA

superniceguy

Originally posted by Forcan

Originally posted by superniceguy

Originally posted by Forcan

You may experience customer services from SOE differently than others, and I can accept it that your opinion is that SOE "cares about their fans".  But I do disagree with your opinion, hence my interjection, and trying to be as objective as I can.

 

Others have experienced CS the same as me, so I am not alone.

You are not objective, you are totally 100% anti-SOE

I used to hate SOE too, because of the NGE, but I just do not see it any more. The anger and hate of it is now gone, and I can see clearly now

Get a clue

And other have experienced CS 180 degree opposite than how you experienced, so I am right in stating that it is your opinion that SOE cares about the fans.

If that's the case, how am I not being objective in pointing that out?

It is you who need to "get a clue."  As you do not represent everyone who are/were SOE's customers, just as I do not represent everyone who played SWG.  So I don't say I speak on their behalf, and can only point out that there are players on both side of the scale in relation to how SOE treated their customers.  So as I said, I disagree with your opinion, but I do accept it as it is your opinion, as it is mine to say SOE doesn't care about their customers.

If SOE do not care about their customers, then no one cares about their customers. I have yet to find a CS team to deal with problems better than SOE.

In STO I sent a query to them as could not start series 3, but character was high enough level. They responded not to ask them for cheats on how to play game! WTH! They changed the game so that the mission appears in the journal instead of pop up on screen when enter the relevant sector. 

EA/Bioware took 2 months to deal with a query about Dragon Age 1, and in SWTOR they sent a copy and paste response 3 times from a post sticked on the forums, and not relevant whatsoever in what I asked, and a fourth they just totally ignored.

City of Heroes I sent in a ticket as unable to log into forums, and got ignored.

I sent a ticket to Turbine, and got ignored.

SOE have never ignored me, even if they were unable to deal, and responded direct to my query. Most of the ticket is copy and paste, but the main part is unique and shows they have read it

I am still a SOE customer, are you? Each time, they get better and better.

They have not dealt with all my queries to my satisfaction every single time, and certain resolutions have almost made me quit. but in reality most of things they angererd me on, was based off unreasonable requests, and expecting them to bend of backwards for me, because they owe me for the NGE. That is not SOE fault, that is my diliusion, which I think a lot of people including yourself base their experinece with SOE on, and end up with misguided opinions.

teakbois

Originally posted by Forcan

 

They had the choice, they made the wrong one.

So you are saying that the choice could very well have been discuss what was going on beyond closed doors and probably have the game shut down, or not mention it and they should have gone with option a and shut the game down.....

kobie173

Originally posted by superniceguy

You are not objective, you are totally 100% anti-SOE

You are not objective either. You are totally 100% pro-SOE. Look at the fellatious thread title, for starters.

superniceguy

Originally posted by kobie173

Originally posted by superniceguy

You are not objective, you are totally 100% anti-SOE

You are not objective either. You are totally 100% pro-SOE. Look at the fellatious thread title, for starters.

The thread title proves nothing, it is words copy and pasted from the article, I did not make it up:

It was something that SOE could say "yes" to a couple of months after it had to say "no" to pleading Star Wars Galaxies fans. So why did EQMac get saved while SWG was not? It came down to licensing, and with LucasArts calling the shots with SWG, SOE didn't have the flexibility that it did with EQMac. SOE's reticent to shut anything down, Smedley said, although sometimes the higher-ups have to make the call to do so.



The decision to save Al'Kabor was attributed 100% to the fan response, especially the pleas from Mac gamers to a Mac-loving president. "We left it running because we cared about the fans," Smedley confessed. "I was so personally moved by 600 emails on the subjects by rabid fans on that server; it was really touching to me."



"We're not cold-hearted," he said. "We treat customers like we treat families." Those who want to make a conspiracy out of the issue or read into it miss the simple truth of the personal angle. SOE, Smedley assured me, is not a faceless bureaucracy but a group of like-minded gamers who care about the same things that its customers do.

 

I have been objective as I have said that SOE annoyed me once, and it was all to do with SWG. I just do not see the point in it any more, when LA seems to be the main ones pulling the strings, and there are many things that happen behind the scenes that will never be made known, but yet all the hate is based on the small limited known information. If all the facts and information is known, I bet SOE would not be hated one bit, and everyone would see them for the caring company they are.

kobie173

Originally posted by superniceguy

Originally posted by kobie173

Originally posted by superniceguy

You are not objective, you are totally 100% anti-SOE

You are not objective either. You are totally 100% pro-SOE. Look at the fellatious thread title, for starters.

The thread title proves nothing, it is words copy and pasted from the article, I did not make it up:

It was something that SOE could say "yes" to a couple of months after it had to say "no" to pleading Star Wars Galaxies fans. So why did EQMac get saved while SWG was not? It came down to licensing, and with LucasArts calling the shots with SWG, SOE didn't have the flexibility that it did with EQMac. SOE's reticent to shut anything down, Smedley said, although sometimes the higher-ups have to make the call to do so.



The decision to save Al'Kabor was attributed 100% to the fan response, especially the pleas from Mac gamers to a Mac-loving president. "We left it running because we cared about the fans," Smedley confessed. "I was so personally moved by 600 emails on the subjects by rabid fans on that server; it was really touching to me."



"We're not cold-hearted," he said. "We treat customers like we treat families." Those who want to make a conspiracy out of the issue or read into it miss the simple truth of the personal angle. SOE, Smedley assured me, is not a faceless bureaucracy but a group of like-minded gamers who care about the same things that its customers do.

 

I have been objective as I have said that SOE annoyed me once, and it was all to do with SWG. I just do not see the point in it any more, when LA seems to be the main ones pulling the strings, and there are many things that happen behind the scenes that will never be made known, but yet all the hate is based on the small limited known information. If all the facts and information is known, I bet SOE would not be hated one bit, and everyone would see them for the caring company they are.

"Small limited known information"? Bull. The details of exactly what happened and how with the NGE have been hashed out publicly numerous times over the last six years. And taking John Smedley's postmortem "we care" as gospel, completely absolving him of any and all blame for SWG's problems since its inception, is simply nuts.

Is LA blameless? Of course not. Is SOE, as you seem to be suggesting? No.

JYCowboy

Lord you guys haven't even mention the EA contract.

You are totally right that SOE does not close games. Beat the last red cent out of 'em.  SWG was no finacial giant but it had a steady player base that payed.  Understand that word  ... PAYED.  Lucas Arts got themselves in a bind when EA had them sign thier contract for TOR with a NO Competition Clause.  What does that mean?  There could be no LA owned or controled product in direct competition with TOR. That was SWG.  Clone Wars Adventures is F2P giving it a pass. SWG, however, took subs which EA coveted.  "Surely, those SWG players would jump to play the new hotness." At many points in the years of TOR's development, LA insisted to us, SWG players, that both games could co-exist.  EA buys Bioware and the whole ball game changes.  I believe, SOE and LA had meetings on whether SWG could go F2P but in the end that would not be quickly possible (in those 8 months), LA was tired of its reputation with SWG and they wanted a fresh start on thier WOW clone graphed money tree that the NGE was suppose to be.  Compare the NGE to TOR and you can see they were still trying to get that formula of Market Research to work.

SOE didn't have the guts to pull the NGE switch without LA insisting it happen (as they kept a weather eye on thier WOW sub projection in 2004).

Do I give SOE a free pass? Hell NO!  I have seen way to much from them to excuss them.  LA, however, is not the company in the early '90s it use to be.  SWG started as a new venture into a very young genera of computer games with untold potential for achievement.  WOW launched and showed all the major producers how to make an avalache of money by making game-play pretty simple  ...stupid even.  Thats the "dragon" LA and all the MMO makers have been chasing with thier IP's.

So who closed SWG?  EA -->LA --> SOE

IMHO

NagilumSadow

 

SOE's John Smedley expresses regrets over SWG mishaps (mistakes)

 

http://tinyurl.com/7o4amhe

 

 

djmtott

Originally posted by JYCowboy

 but it had a steady player base that payed.  Understand that word  ... PAYED

Sorry, but I laughed hard at this, and I had to share it with the guys at work.

But seriously, this whole thread is laughable. SOE does have decent customer service in recent times, because they have a smaller amount of customers and their company is swirling down the drain. I've seen many nightmare customer service stories in the past, and many problems with other SOE employees.

I have no doubt that the decision of the NGE came down from LucasArts. Jeff Freeman may have designed it, but it would have been done at the bidding of LA. Whenever I read those old snippets from Nancy and Julio I see that SWTOR was the culmination of their vision. I have no doubt that LA told SOE that they wanted SWG changed to match the "Star Warsy and Iconic" idea and what was designed was the result. 

In the end SOE couldn't make the successful game that LA wanted so they got BioWare/EA to make it for them.

But to say everything was the fault of LucasArts and SOE was just an innocent pawn is dumb. LA might have been almost completely responsible for the game shutting down, so you can blame them for that, but to say that extends to every other issue is dumb as well.