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Should WE BOYCOTT SOE? [POLL]
truenorthbg
Member Posts: 1,453
SOE has a bad record
- Destroying Everquest with forced-raiding
- Destroying SWG
- Now allowing gold sellers
- Introducing a card game in which you can buy, for real money, cards
- Now selling-out to India
Is now the time to boycott SOE?
My theory: The card game thing and allowing gold sellers was an attempt to raise revenue to avoid selling-off to India. Selling to India can be good. Can be bad. That is not the question.
I should have included Vanguard as a strong title. And I will say this: SWG is simply the most immersive, creative, innovative and overall brilliant MMORPG I have ever played. Believe it or not. So, SOE has more strong titles than EQ 2.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
Comments
I think a boycott will not matter if the data about the rumored purchase are true, being that SOE's primary audience is in Asia. To me, this smells of BS, but stranger things have happened and Sony proper is getting its bottom spanked in many fields they're operating: films, MMOs, and consoles. So, I think Sony is trying to lighten their load of debt by selling off. I wonder if they'll lay off any developers on the Sony Playstation division too.
-- Brede
I'll wait and see what this Indian company does, but I don't think they're focusing on Western MMOs, that article said India and China, so I doubt anything good will come to Europe and the US.
Until I hear about great changes being made with the new I-SOE (Indian SOE), I'm boycotting them. Every game they touch becomes a disaster nowadays. They had EverQuest which was good only because it was new and the only good thing around. EQ2 isn't that great either. It's about time SOE called it quits with MMOs, they should have done so a loooong time ago.
Currently Playing: Tabula Rasa
Gaming History: EQ, EQ2, SWG, EVE, Anarchy Online, CoX, GW, SRO, Rakion, Ryzom, WoW, Rappelz, Shadowbane, 9Dragons, DAoC, Dungeon Runners, DnD Online, Space Cowboy, LotRO, Vanguard, Fury, Hellgate
Wanting to Play: WAR, TCoS, Darkfall, Aion
You know what? PS3 is a shocking failure.
In college, I bought a PS2 just to play Grand Theft Auto in my off-time. Now, the update and online content will be available for XBOX 360 only.
I used to own shares of stock in SOE, sold it for a loss. But I still wonder what happened to this company that was able to produce games like EQ 1 and SWG? EQ 2 is a great game but not for me; I am a traditionalist for solo, group content and world immersion + character customization. [EQ 2 offers those things, but the game has a certain je ne sais quoi that I find to be boring].
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
In regards to SWG, it was one developer that they should have never listened to that altered that ship's course. With EQ, it was blind stupidity mixed with hedonistic greed. They could have been a historical contender for the world audience of players online. Now, it looks like they're toast. At least the Cell Processor is worth it in IBM servers, which IBM is still making a killing off of, compared to Sony, which is choking on its pride. Sometimes, I wonder why the hell do these companies get into this business? Is it because they think its easy money? Jeez, it's like any industry related to entertainment, most of your productions are flops, those that don't flop go big. It's just that simple, I guess they thought people were stupider in the gaming industry. Oh well. I just hope this new company leaves the EU/US titles like EQ2, EQ, and Vanguard well alone. Or at least sell them to people who care about games and making sustainable profits.
-- Brede
Maybe SOE will have some hard-core developers in India to improve Vanguard?
Call me nutty, but I want McQuaid's vision of Vanguard fulfilled and the programming improved. <-- flame me for this!
Selling-off to India might not be the worst thing in the world.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
India has some pro-open source developers, so who knows what will happen. Some are downright bright, but others are as thick as lead bricks.
India has some pro-open source developers, so who knows what will happen. Some are downright bright, but others are as thick as lead bricks.
And this is different from developers in every other country?
-Currently looking forward to FFXIV
-Currently playing EvE and Global Agenda
India has some pro-open source developers, so who knows what will happen. Some are downright bright, but others are as thick as lead bricks.
I have read Thomas Friedman's THE WORLD IS FLAT. It is overrated. The book and his theories. The American accountant is a lot more knowledgeable than, say, an Indian. The American engineer is a lot more sophisticated and knowledgeable than, say, a Chinese engineer. It is just business. It might change.But in terms of computer programming? I am not sure. I think the Indians in terms of technology, somewhat with science (but no with accountancy) are very productive, efficient, and capable.
We shall see.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
India has some pro-open source developers, so who knows what will happen. Some are downright bright, but others are as thick as lead bricks.
I have read Thomas Friedman's THE WORLD IS FLAT. It is overrated. The book and his theories. The American accountant is a lot more knowledgeable than, say, an Indian. The American engineer is a lot more sophisticated and knowledgeable than, say, a Chinese engineer. It is just business. It might change.
But in terms of computer programming? I am not sure. I think the Indians in terms of technology, somewhat with science (but no with accountancy) are very productive, efficient, and capable.
We shall see.
As for accountants being less capable in other countries, and the engineers too, no that's not true in both cases. What they're terrible at is American business culture. We have a particular way of doing things here that they find silly. And there are ways that a business person here speaks that they don't do in their localities. And so on. That's why the use of these fields from people outside of a given locality tend to produce less than acceptable results, it's the clash of cultures, not the lack of expertise, that is the problem.
As for software, yes, India has some bright minds in some fields, such as in databases. Oracle bought out a start-up company that was working on some interesting ideas in that field last year, for about this amount of money. Plus, many kids over there can't afford the M$ bullcrap, so they either pirate it or they go F/OSS. F/OSS is growing over there by leaps and bounds since most F/OSS applications can run on PC junk we ship over there (we basically pollute third world and developing nations with our out-dated crap...BRILLIANT!). In the end, since this report is from the India Times, I'm not going to accept it as true, since that paper doesn't have an honest reputation in journalism.
-- Brede
I agree with your analysis, overall. It is very interesting for me to read your comments, actually.
In the USA, a certain way of doing business is done. It is different.
In a decade, five years, perhaps even today it will seem common for technology firms to offshore their entire production to India if not sell the entire company or division.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
Hell, I had a psychologist many years ago who was from Pakistan, and they act *really* differently from what I'm use to in therapy. To keep it short, I had to *listen very carefully to hear him*, as opposed to the traditional conversational style that I was use to when I was seeing another therapist (thankfully, I don't need any therapists or psychologists much anymore...). I can only guess how they act in India, but I can bet it's not a bunch of grinning sharks showing off their power ties.
-- Brede
It is funny you mentioned that your doctor was from Pakistan.
Many people reading this probably have doctors, specialists, dermatologists, etc. from foreign countries because the American Medical Association limits the number of medical students.
Unlike, say, law school in which they keep building more and more campuses and expanding. The AMA is a very powerful institution that has prevented another medical school from building since the 60s, I believe. [So, we have to import doctors from Pakistan and elsewhere; it also drives-up, artificially, the salaries of American doctors and contributes to the high cost of health care].
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
I'd like to boycott dumb topics, but unfortunately I've posted here.
Why is this a dumb topic. Tell us more.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
It was time to Boycott SOE years ago. I strongly believe the company should be Boycotted for their sketchy and fraudulent marketing/advertising, producing bad, subpar, and unfinished online game products, horrible customer service, unethical policies and actions including game corruption, cheating, and favoritism. I fully support any Boycott of SOE.
It is up to us as a gaming community to stand up together and not allow the abuse of SOE to continue in online game industry. Only by standing together can we all make a positive impact.
When I was in high school and playing EQ 1, I had terrible customer service issues.
When I call SOE, I dial the number for Vanguard and the customer service, when I have called, seems to be better there than elsewhere. It might be different because it might have been SOE employees. Some areas will send you to an Indian representative and going to Vanguard sent me to an American.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
http://www.massively.com/2007/12/23/john-smedley-sony-online-is-not-getting-purchased-by-zapak/
I can hardly see the point in trying to dislodge you from your "SOE is evil" bandwagon, but since you ask nicely I'll summarize.
No one forces you to raid in EverQuest. If you feel like you have to be a competing achiever, then realize that that rests on your own goals. EverQuest is enjoyed by many, many people who never raid.
Lucas Arts has more to do with this cosmic failure than SOE, but SOE sure does look like a bunch of raving idiots for what happened to this game.
Every MMOG on this planet has gold sellers, and nearly every single one of them either turns a blind eye to it or does base public relations half measures to combat it. It's a pointless fight, and they know it...but it sounds like a flag-waving patriot to the masses.
I suppose you're going to boycott Blizzard and CCP too for this reason. I can't comprehend the issue here.
No confirmation or facts, but yet this has somehow become a finished deal to people reading this forum? Don't be so naive.
....
The constant "X Company is evil" posts on this forum stifles any form of good discussion about games. Grandstanding partisan faction hacks are the mob rule here, and you've just contributed yet another diatribe to the bunch. Congratulations.
I stopped reading when you said I am on the SOE is evil bandwagon.
I have, at the time of writing, a station pass (30 bucks) plus another account (15 bucks).
SOE is the only publisher of games that I give money to... 45.00 bucks a month.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
You come rushing in to save the day everytime SOE is mentioned in a negative way. You remind me of this ugly dude that is "friends" with this hot chick at work and always seems to show up to hang out when we are alone. Can I say Captain Save-a-ho?
Another guy says: You come rushing to save SOE when something negative is said.
I am doing something right.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
I have been boycotting SOE for a couple years now lol. Screw me once shame on you, screw me twice shame on me.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/7300033012
Do tell.
[As an aside, I have notice a lot of missing reasoning. Real-life is not an A, B, C, or D for all of the above answer. You must explain, support, defend, and argue for your reasoning. Statements in business, government, even in public Universities will require, "I am boycotting SOE because ...."]
We need more reasoning, more explanations, less hide-the-ball around here.
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WoW and fast food = commercial successes.
I neither play WoW nor eat fast food.
Forgot to add to the list: SOE destroying Cosmic Rift, Infantry and Tanarus.
As for boycotting SOE? I have been all my life. I've always been leeching off them. lol =P
-Azure Prower
http://www.youtube.com/AzurePrower