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Game company suppressing negative reviews?
Creollink
Member Posts: 12
It seems that everytime somebody gives the Irth Online open-beta a negative review, approximately four people ( or one person with four accounts) immediately start attacking the gamers for having a negative opinion about this game. They attack the gamers for expressing their opinions using various ploys.
One form of the attack is to suggest that the gamers, who think the game is too buggy, are just a bunch of ignorant kids who don't know what Beta testing means. They demand that everyone adopt their version of the definition of Beta testing to mean a "game in development". They are constantly berating the gamers for complaining too much about bugs.
Another form of the attack sounds like this. A gamer suggests that the game is not ready for Beta and then these attackers immediately jump in and attack the gamer for "violating" the NDA. They demand that he should stop talking about the game, despite the fact that he hasn't revealed any information about the game other than his OPINION that the game is bad. But when another gamer writes that he likes the game, we don't hear a peep from these attackers about "violating" the NDA.
It seems that there is an effort to suppress any negative reviews about this game.
Irth Online seems to be off-limits to any criticism. We can only write about how much we love the game.
Comments
*shrug*
sounds like basic fanboyism, every game has em (sadly)
just look over at the WoW and EQ2 forums
To each their own...but Irth Online is in what I understand to be an early stage open beta, so it has to go through alot of improvements before it releases.
As to the attacks. If someone really likes the concept of the game and really wants to help make that game a reality, then they will probably react strongly to negative posts. I seriously doubt it is one person with four accounts, or even someone employed by Irth Online.
Any for profit company that relies on free labor to beta test their product in order to improve it and thus make it more profitable, is ignorant if they expect such testers to not be motivated by selfish reasons.
The majority of players willing to beta test a product for free, do so to determine if they will like the game, and if so, learn as much about the game prior to retail release so they can gain an advantage, including uncovering and keeping secret, bugs and mistakes that will aid them in leveling and acquiring wealth.
You get what you pay for.
"We feel gold selling and websites that promote it damage games like Vanguard and will do everything possible to combat it."
Brad McQuaid
Chairman & CEO, Sigil Games Online, Inc.
Executive Producer, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
www.vanguardsoh
just have to agree and just have to laugh at everything Creollink said
EQ2 for teh win.
BTW the only definition of bet is to play a pre mature version of a game and report the mistakes currently made.
LOL. Wow. You must be in love with Irth Online. You reacted like you're protecting her honor. LOL.
Well the image not honour!. this game and the devs are really gr8 ppl and very nice and close with their community. The people who play the beta and then mention something negative (that does not aid the devs and is not a bug or some sort of problem) should go to hell...they are not there to mention if the game is good or not, they are there to pinpoint the mistakes. These stupid people who are judging the game while in beta complaining how bad the server is because it lags so much should just never beta test ever again!...
The reason why people ingame are getting angry about these gamers who judge the game in beta is because they love the game firstly...secondly most of the time they get people like these making constant complaints about lag and bla bla bla which is always the case and they never stop hearing it! and thirdly because a lot of people expect that the game is being released very soon which isn't the case because MMORPG.com got the release date wrong. The official release date is "When its ready!"
Now just for your information the devs are working their asses off, because they want to ensure that the game releases before it can be named by ignorant dumbasses (a bad mmorpg not to bother with). They are now focusing on entering all the features they had planned and have done amazing work in the last few weeks. How can you even judge a game in Beta....what kind of thread is this!! A beta is there to get negative feedback...but only for the problems there are, if you state the game is bad because of lag (in beta) ...you are giving people a real stupid impression of yourself!
Whoah, whoah! Calm down. You guys obviously are passionate about the Irth game but no need to start foaming at the mouth.
I have not played the beta and am not really interested in testing it. I am naturally curious about it but am following the progress casually, as I am with other games. Positive as well as negative feedback is necessary, no matter how inflammatory or glorified the perspective is ...I however find it useful. In regards to the claim that this company is suppressing opinions ...well they might be. And they may not be.
The love for this game or the hate for this game raises questions to be sure. How much of it is exageration and how much is true?
Just let the thread die if you find it so offensive.
you completely lost it in that paragraph... you think game developers can continue to make improvements if they dont get any negative feedback?
if i go right to their face and scream at them that there servers are too laggy, thats still feedback. you dont always have to give positive feedback, or civilized feedback ( believe it or not) to help the game dev team out.
I agree that people should not complain about lag in beta, since that is to be expected, however, if someone wants to complain about the game design, then that is fair, since fanbois are hyping a game still in beta.
As you stated, testers are supposed to report bugs, not judge a game while in beta, and that applies to praise as well as criticism equally.
"We feel gold selling and websites that promote it damage games like Vanguard and will do everything possible to combat it."
Brad McQuaid
Chairman & CEO, Sigil Games Online, Inc.
Executive Producer, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
www.vanguardsoh
I've been big fan of Irth since day one I got to test it, sure it's about 180% different and because of that not everybodys piece of cake but It's mine and many others favorite. The devs are just not faceless multi-corp people but gamers like you and me and because of that many of us tend to defend them like defending a friend.
This game was opened for beta early and devs aknoweledge that and the devs need and want a lot of input and by what i've seen they respect just as much negative views as positive ones. Sure Irth community has it's share of quite "vocal" fan base but I tend to try help those new testers I am able to. If you have questions or problems please do PM me either here or Irth forums or then come nudge my sleeve on irths irc channel and i'll do my best to help you...I won't bite!
Could you refer me to the post you feel offended about so I could take better look at the issue and maybe point out the ones that are picking on you to devs for scolding?
I think he meant that there's no place for feedback like "OmgwtfbbqthisgamesuxiroxusuxigplayWoWkthxbye" it's by no way constructive...
This is a forum for discussion of your opinions about games. If a beta tester decides to give his/her opinion of how great the game is or how horrible the game is, then he is doing the rest of the community a favor.
There hasn't been any breach of the NDA that I've seen about this game. I've only seen people offer their opinions and reviews. And I welcome their opinions and reviews. That's what this forum is all about. I read these threads to learn about new developments and directions concerning MMOs. If the beta testers think it's great, I want to hear about it. If the beta testers think it's horrible, I still want to hear about it.
People don't come to this site to read about what the definition of a beta is. Or whether it is kosher to express your love or hate of a particular game. They want to hear honest to goodness opinions from real gamer with direct experience with a game.
So, if the game developers or fanbois start to suppress any negative reviews of a game, they are taking away a good source of information for the rest of the gamer community. I hope this doesn't continue or at least it would be minimized.
Okay, I will keep this short. THere have been 5 occasions I am aware of where a negative post removed. 4 of the 5 were made by the same person, and weren't completely about the game but personal attacks against the developers. Another one was a fake interview that was deleted by that boards devs because it was slandering and offensive. There seems to be one or two people who have a grudge against a couple of the devs and are trying to do all they can to hurt the game. THough the game they have never even tested.
You are right, everything needs reviews both bad and good. Without the bad then how can it improve?
I am a Irth Tester and I must admit my outlook is a little biased. But I can assure you negative reviews of the game, if they made about the game are not "removed", but if they are personal attacks against individuals, well then it is up to the moderators to do as they shall on that forum.
THis isnt a mafia business, MHS does not go around with baseball bats telling mods on other forums they better not allow bad stuff to be posted. lol
Well, not as short as i wanted... Did I miss anything? I usually do.... Have a nice day
It's funny ,the different expectations that people have for Beta -If this was at a stage ,considered finnished & polished the only way you would be able to play would be to pay for it.
I've been playing a lot the last few days & I must say that while it still needs some work ,It seems to be coming along fine.I've had lots of fun playing & thats what is important to me.
There is a huge need for open ended skill based games & hopefully they keep on track with that.
I've had my fill of EQ2 & WOW ,they are just not fun anymore.
Bingo.
If you think "complaining" has any place in BETA then you have no understanding of the purpose of a BETA test.
If you think there is too much lag, too many bugs or whatever! then you "make observations" via the recognised BETA channels laid out by the devs.
You can post anything you want during a BETA but it MUST be framed in the context of an "observation" not a "complaint". There is just no place for complaining in BETA because it completely overlooks the fact that there are supposed to be problems or the game wouldnt be in BETA.
The devs want you to make as many negative observations as you can. Thats the entire point of the exercise.
The devs have no use for your complaints or opinion based comments as they are completely out of context in a BETA.
I dont know how else to put it... but its actually not a hard concept to grasp.
If you complain during a BETA you are simply displaying your ignorance of the process and your complete unsuitability to be there and you should expect to get flamed.
There was a thread just recently entitled "Betas are not FREE TRAILS!" that basically sums it up.... what part of those 5 words is so hard to understand ?
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"MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol"
http://purepwnage.com
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"Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
amen
By the time a game has entered Beta it's is for the most part a finished game. Sure they'll tweak this and that during Beta but the all the fundamentals of the gaming engine are etched in stone and will not change. For example I'm Beta-testing a game right now (name with-held) that is so fundamentally flawed that I refuse to play it any longer. There is nothing this company can do in Beta that will change this game unless of course they restart from scratch.
So I guess my point is that sure games can be a bit buggy during Beta but if they just plain suck from the core then a Beta review deserves attention.
You would think so... but time after time this has proven to be untrue.
The most recent examples would be the EQ2 crafting system which was totally different on release to how it was in Beta. Then there is the SWG CU patch, this bsically turned the game 180 degrees long after release.
I appreciate the point your making but lots of stuff get changed dramatically during Beta. Again I say that is the whole point of Beta.
The real answer to the OP's thread title would be.
No game companies are not surpessing negative reviews in relation to the rest of the topic because there is no place for reviews during beta. The topics are mutually exclusive.
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"MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol"
http://purepwnage.com
-+-+-+-+-+-+
"Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
thats pretty ignorant statement...f.ex. I was in WoW from day one first beta started...it wasn't nowhere near finished by the time nor was most of the dozens of games i've tested.
Reviewing game according to beta is like booing in special olympics.