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Contest Ethics

johnnychangsjohnnychangs Member UncommonPosts: 261
in The Pub at MMORPG.COM

I think that all of the contests that MMORPG.com offers is great.  However what is the deal with the selection process?

This guy won two contests in the past 3 months...

http://www.mmorpg.com/contests/9dragons_promo.cfm

http://www.mmorpg.com/contests/zboard_mega_promo.cfm

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Comments

  • ViolentYViolentY Member Posts: 1,458

    That's pretty ridiculous. It's not like he just won the first prize on the first contest, he won the grand prize.

    Not to mention, the two PC winners that weren't even active enough to claim their prize...

    I think this website needs a better contest winner selection process.

    _____________________________________
    "Io rido, e rider mio non passa dentro;
    Io ardo, e l'arsion mia non par di fore."
    -Machiavelli

  • ridd1ckridd1ck Member Posts: 38

    Pretty sick for him, draws are made randomly, if his named poped up in 2 contests I'm fine with that. Let's not be jealous now.

  • twhinttwhint Member UncommonPosts: 559

    Perhaps, but it does draw into question that random process. With the number of users on here, that's a pretty high coincidence, hm? Just depends on how much you trust the site.

     

    For me, I come to this site to see information about MMORPG games. This additional stuff where they're trying to branch out, while I can understand it, just seems to be hurting their credibility with me. This further erodes my trust in the other things they do. And while I am not much alone, I am willing to bet I'm not the only one being affected like this.

  • ViolentYViolentY Member Posts: 1,458

     

    Originally posted by twhint


    Perhaps, but it does draw into question that random process. With the number of users on here, that's a pretty high coincidence, hm? Just depends on how much you trust the site.
    For me, I come to this site to see information about MMORPG games. This additional stuff where they're trying to branch out, while I can understand it, just seems to be hurting their credibility with me. This further erodes my trust in the other things they do. And while I am not much alone, I am willing to bet I'm not the only one being affected like this.
    I completely agree. There's quite a lot of posters on these forums, but there's MANY more that come to this site for news, and/or just the contests. I've been here for a long time, and have entered in every contest here, and have logged in about 95% of the days that give me an added chance to win something, and the only thing I've won is an RYL beta key that I think 200 other people won along with me. I don't think I'm unlucky in the slightest, though, because the odds are I probably won't win anything... but to win a GRAND PRIZE twice in 3 months, from someone that doesn't even contribute to the community?

     

     

    To me, with the way the contests are conducted, it seems that MMORPG.com is striving for more daily hits, not a bigger/better community. To them, if the people that hit their website decide to join the community, it's only seen as an added bonus.

    And its not really just that, either, that is shaking my foundation. The reviews are slow, the management isn't the greatest, and there really isn't anything on this site that isn't already on another site much sooner, aside from the contests. The only reason I keep coming isn't because I like the website, but because I like the community. I think this goes for many of the posters here.

    _____________________________________
    "Io rido, e rider mio non passa dentro;
    Io ardo, e l'arsion mia non par di fore."
    -Machiavelli

  • rshandlonrshandlon Member Posts: 173

    Sorry to burst your bubble guys, but this is not the first time this has happened.  We had someone else win a grand prize for the second time recently also.  One of the computers was one by a guy who had won 2 other contests here.  Now, I am not one to start pointing fingers and whispering conspiracy, but the odds of getting multiple winners constantly are pretty high.  And lo and behold we get it happening not once recently but here we get a second one within about a month of each other, both winning grand prizes for multiple times here.  The odds of that happening get pretty staggering, if it is pure luck then I wish I had 1/100th of their luck and I would be a very wealthy man right now.

    I don't know if its flatout cheating or a broken random generator but something is definitely fishy in Denmark and I don't even live there.

     

  • csthaocsthao Member UncommonPosts: 1,123
    Originally posted by ViolentY


    That's pretty ridiculous. It's not like he just won the first prize on the first contest, he won the grand prize.
    Not to mention, the two PC winners that weren't even active enough to claim their prize...
    I think this website needs a better contest winner selection process.



    It doesnt matter if they werent active members on this website because they didn't claim their prize. So what are you so mad about? This is the pretty fair to me, its random and as long if they are members in this community they still deserve their fair chance as we all do. Whose to say they arent active members in the first place because if they didnt log in they wouldn't have had a chance to win the prize anyway. Why are you getting mad anyway? They are giving away FREE stuff and not many sites offers that, you should be glad they do this and we dont have to pay for anything.

  • tvalentinetvalentine Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 4,216

    Originally posted by ViolentY


     
     
    Originally posted by twhint


    Perhaps, but it does draw into question that random process. With the number of users on here, that's a pretty high coincidence, hm? Just depends on how much you trust the site.
    For me, I come to this site to see information about MMORPG games. This additional stuff where they're trying to branch out, while I can understand it, just seems to be hurting their credibility with me. This further erodes my trust in the other things they do. And while I am not much alone, I am willing to bet I'm not the only one being affected like this.
    I completely agree. There's quite a lot of posters on these forums, but there's MANY more that come to this site for news, and/or just the contests. I've been here for a long time, and have entered in every contest here, and have logged in about 95% of the days that give me an added chance to win something, and the only thing I've won is an RYL beta key that I think 200 other people won along with me. I don't think I'm unlucky in the slightest, though, because the odds are I probably won't win anything... but to win a GRAND PRIZE twice in 3 months, from someone that doesn't even contribute to the community?

     

     

     

    To me, with the way the contests are conducted, it seems that MMORPG.com is striving for more daily hits, not a bigger/better community. To them, if the people that hit their website decide to join the community, it's only seen as an added bonus.

    And its not really just that, either, that is shaking my foundation. The reviews are slow, the management isn't the greatest, and there really isn't anything on this site that isn't already on another site much sooner, aside from the contests. The only reason I keep coming isn't because I like the website, but because I like the community. I think this goes for many of the posters here.

    QFT

    amazing seeing people with less then 100-200 posts winning grand prizes ........ more then once....... i lost respect for this site when they decided to host Gold seller ads and when people win more then 2 contests in less then 4 months ..... if it was split into like 9 months than yeah who cares, but this close together, and the huge community we have, its real ridiculous to see this. I am not jealous just disapointed in the site.

    image

    Playing: EVE Online
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  • MarLMarL Member UncommonPosts: 606

    I've won a few contests here. Mostly beta stuff. Its weird that he won 2 contests, but its also weird you found it out.

     

    For the people saying anything about this forum.....you need to realize this is not a gaming forum site. This is a gaming site with a forum.

    I personally would ban everyone with more than 1000 posts..lol (Since they couldnt have enough time to play any mmos.)

     

    As for the gold seller ads....until the games take action against gold sellers its a non issue to me.

    Own, Mine, Defend, Attack, 24/7

  • XruxXrux Member UncommonPosts: 134

    I am a marketing guy .. a long time...

    In all those years i have seen, heard a lot in the area of prices giveaway...

    Example; long time ago i was new at a company and part of my intro week was visit a big fair, bourse , show about telecommunicatione , pc hardware and such.... As my company was a big distributor and important partner of SONY , we also visit their great stand... They had a game where visitors could push a button and on a big beam screans you needed to match 3 fotos and you got that price....Well my eyes always look around and i see this man behind the door.... We were with 3 people , me , an assistant and teh big shot marketing manager... The assitent and manager argued playfully who pushed teh button first ...so they went to butoon ..no you first  no you etc...and both putting their hands to the button.... The man behind teh door was communicating with a guy hooked on a pcv...nervously he waved like yes and no to him... inthe same rythem as the assiten and manager went to the button..... nervously one of teh Sony standrepresentattive cam between us and orchestrated the push on teh button now.... me first , then teh assiten and finaly my manager..... before he pushed i saw teh man behind teh door nodding hard to teh pc guy.... i didnot win, the sssisten manager didnot win...my marketing manager won 2nd price !!!! its was a great new sony machine ...donot know what it was anymore...bu my new boss was enchanted.....Sony enchanted and smiled for weeks about it.....

    Also look at price winners, for example local shop contest etc.... Its always pretty people that win , and majority women... gives better press pictures,,,,

    Now i have been here a long time...even my first account here i cannot remember... this is my second account made... I am not participating in every contest, as many hardware stuff or some games i was cb tester or are not interesting . I also visit this site everyday.....its my startpage...lol .. I know i won one beta place and not sure of a secodn one.... I donot think this site is manipulating prices and yes its coincidence .... maybe the random generator is off or something dunno.... but seriusly if i want to give prices to a person i rather let him make a new acc name  then on teh same name...

    the point of goldfarmers moneymakers.....yes i agree , i donot like that... Sites as these should make a stand against it, and be more community MMO orientated ...but i understadn money is money..also.... there are just a few real principle people out their and in most businesses you wonot find them....

     

    Have no fear, Xru is here.

  • 4uron4uron Member Posts: 55

    Why you say that I'm not active here? I'm visiting this site many times a day. I'm just not too active in the forums. And I still have not received this ZBoard I won in April.

  • RainStarRainStar Member Posts: 638

    Originally posted by MarL


    I've won a few contests here. Mostly beta stuff. Its weird that he won 2 contests, but its also weird you found it out.
     
    For the people saying anything about this forum.....you need to realize this is not a gaming forum site. This is a gaming site with a forum.
    I personally would ban everyone with more than 1000 posts..lol (Since they couldnt have enough time to play any mmos.)
     
    As for the gold seller ads....until the games take action against gold sellers its a non issue to me.

    Several game companies are taking action against gold sellers but it's difficult when they don't get backup from communities.

  • MarLMarL Member UncommonPosts: 606

    Link me to a lawsuit or something filed by a game company....cause ive never heard of anything other than banning.

    Blizzard is sueing someone for harrassment spam tatics of selling. Blizzard has no problems sending there lawyers after hack sites and such so why not ige?

    (I still won't care about gold selling , doesn't effect me at all)

     

    And see hes active grats on your win there 4uron ( isn't it weird he saw this post too!)

    Own, Mine, Defend, Attack, 24/7

  • ridd1ckridd1ck Member Posts: 38

    Originally posted by 4uron


    Why you say that I'm not active here? I'm visiting this site many times a day. I'm just not too active in the forums. And I still have not received this ZBoard I won in April.
    I don't think anyone will shed a tear for you

     

    But seriously congradulation on your multiple wins, I'm sure most of us including me greatly envy your luck. As for the goldseller ads... I guess I can say I don't mind them either. Of course I'd rather see an ad for an up-comming game but if the website only has goldseller ads, then why not just ignore them.

  • TsollessTsolless Member Posts: 448

    Lucky or Bad Management... Good for him. Honestly? if MMORPG.com used me as some sort of marketing tool and I won that stuff, I wouldn't be complaining. I doubt any of you guys would be either.

  • xPaladinxPaladin Member UncommonPosts: 741

    Most contests usually have a qualifier on previous participation. Basically if you win, there is a grace period before you qualify to win another contest, ranging from a couple of weeks to half a year, or longer. I don't think MMORPG is an exception here. I think MMORPG's rules specify a 3 month grace period.

    If so, chances are the SQL algorithms that the site uses are simply poor. They probably don't double check their results to previous wins and date times. They might not even log the data, for all I know.

    I work with databases professionally so I know that randomized functions are prone to some bizarre behavior, including the seemingly impossible scenario in which a user id appears twice for two random selections. It's actually somewhat difficult to get true randomization with simple code.

    -- xpaladin

    [MMOz]
    AC1/2, AO, DAoC, EQ1/2, SoR, SWG, UO, WAR, WoW

  • NikooNikoo Member Posts: 17

    Hahaha.... Haha... That was a good couple of laughs on the posts here....

     

    He wont 2 contests in 3 months... that's not much mate.... Seriously... I'm not gonna argue about this since it should trigger your common sense. Sheesh....

     

  • Vandal783Vandal783 Member Posts: 57

    I dont think its anything to be mad about, its random and he got lucky is all. I come to this site for the forums...no I dont post alot but I read them everyday. Anything other than the forums and the news is just a bonus. Now if your mad because you only come to this site to win stuff well then..you got the wrong idea imho.

  • defenestratedefenestrate Member CommonPosts: 578

    Yeah to win 2 grand prizes with 606k members to a website is pretty strange. Thats pretty lucky, we can speculate all we want but all it will do is probably make the people who think the op is silly, think it more and the people who think its a conspiracy, will probably think it more.

    Here I'll start:

    The staff at mmorpg.com have alternative member accounts that give them a 1000x better chance at winning contests than other people.

    Next!

  • RoinRoin Member RarePosts: 3,444

    It's just luck get over it.  Saying "I am not jealous" just proves how jealous you are.  How much someone post here is a non-issue when it comes to who wins.  The only thing that counts is how often you login, and from what he said.  He logins regularly.  I wish people would stop with these MMORPG.com conspiracy theories, and just move on with their lives.

    In War - Victory.
    In Peace - Vigilance.
    In Death - Sacrifice.

  • TsollessTsolless Member Posts: 448

    Originally posted by defenestrate


    Yeah to win 2 grand prizes with 606k members to a website is pretty strange. Thats pretty lucky, we can speculate all we want but all it will do is probably make the people who think the op is silly, think it more and the people who think its a conspiracy, will probably think it more.
    Here I'll start:
    The staff at mmorpg.com have alternative member accounts that give them a 1000x better chance at winning contests than other people.
    Next!

    OMG! They're using it to money launder!!!

  • WisebutCruelWisebutCruel Member Posts: 1,089

    Originally posted by xPaladin


    Most contests usually have a qualifier on previous participation. Basically if you win, there is a grace period before you qualify to win another contest, ranging from a couple of weeks to half a year, or longer. I don't think MMORPG is an exception here. I think MMORPG's rules specify a 3 month grace period.
    If so, chances are the SQL algorithms that the site uses are simply poor. They probably don't double check their results to previous wins and date times. They might not even log the data, for all I know.
    I work with databases professionally so I know that randomized functions are prone to some bizarre behavior, including the seemingly impossible scenario in which a user id appears twice for two random selections. It's actually somewhat difficult to get true randomization with simple code.
    I seem to remember Ceasarsghost winning three contest in a row here, so there is no buffer, or if there is, it doesn't apply equally.

     

  • GruntyGrunty Member EpicPosts: 8,657

    Originally posted by defenestrate


    Yeah to win 2 grand prizes with 606k members to a website is pretty strange. Thats pretty lucky, we can speculate all we want but all it will do is probably make the people who think the op is silly, think it more and the people who think its a conspiracy, will probably think it more.
    Here I'll start:
    The staff at mmorpg.com have alternative member accounts that give them a 1000x better chance at winning contests than other people.
    Next!
    The staff aren't allowed to enter contests.

     

    "I used to think the worst thing in life was to be all alone.  It's not.  The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone."  Robin Williams
  • PhoenixsPhoenixs Member Posts: 2,646

    I like the contests. I have won 5 times since I joined the site Never the really big stuff though I demand that the system is changed so that I can win those too!

  • CymdaiCymdai Member UncommonPosts: 1,043

    Actually no... we can't enter the contests.

    How unfortunate

    Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...

  • RiSqU3RiSqU3 Member Posts: 67

    the other thing is...to increase ur chances of winning you only need ot login a maximum of 5 times in a month...thats if you read their rules, so everybody can get a maximum of 5 names in there...lets say 30000 people signed up...of those 30000, 20000 came in once everyday...

     

     

    out of those 30000 people there should be 20000 x5 + 10000 = 110000   now lets see 5/110000 chance...and that chance is exactly

    4.5454545454545454545454545454545e-5... and to win 2 in 3 months...its like one in a billion.

    image

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