I don't but I must, Man I actually thought this game was good but it is changing just like when a friend hooks up, man this game is whipped, i pray for this game.
SOE doesn't own PotBS - but they do control some key components. For example - you can't login without SOE doing their job properly. Prior to this title - I had not delt with SOE before - so had no opinion.
But honestly, everything they have touched with PotBS they have made a mess of. Distribution => NA and Europe were a farce both in their apparent inability to get the pre-order box {containing bonus items and game keys} on retail shelves. And the fact that many of the boxes were shipped without the all important keys. An issue that FLS is now having to deal with - costing FLS time and money) The Launcher and Patcher => again FLS had to step in to resolve the issue. EDIT: See here: A whole sub forum dedicated to the above issues Advertising => A very poor effort (have you seen an ad?) Until last week even this page was still promoting Gods and Heros despite the fact that the cancellation of that game was the supposed reason for the delay in the retail release of PotBS in October 2007. And now this:
FAQ: SOE Station store purchase isn't letting me play
Q: I preordered the game through SOE's online store and they were supposed to activate my Preboarding access automatically. This hasn't happened yet and I cannot login to play. What do I do?
A: File a request for help with SOE's support site:
We have talked to the head of CS at SOE and he is making sure his people get the right information to help you. John Scott Tynes (Rev[FLS])
Producer, Pirates of the Burning Sea
Flying Lab Software
So, once again FLS is having to chase up SOE to do the job FLS contracted them to do. Any bets on whether the transition to regular subscriptions on the 22nd will go smoothly? How about the new Station Launcher?? I wonder how long that will lock out FLS's customers? If I didn't know better I would assume that SOE was out to destroy FLS. But I don't think that. I do however think they are simply totally incompetent and will probably lose a comparitive amount of money to FLS due to all their screw ups.
Only thing is, they probably have a bigger financial buffer than FLS, they can probably sustain these losses where FLS might not be able to? Then what happens?
Are you trying to say that noone that bougth the game through station is getting the game?
Originally posted by Orphes Are you trying to say that noone that bougth the game through station is getting the game?
No, and you are smart enough to know that is not what I am saying.
What I am saying is that many things have gone wrong with the release. Some of those things are outside SOE's control.
But, Station Store is 100% within SOE's control and they apparently can't even get that right?
SOE were contracted by FLS to do a job based on their apparent expertise and experiance in these areas; Marketing, billing and providing a launcher / patcher front end.
FLS stated that they wanted to get a physical copy of PotBS on as many retail shelves as possible to promote their product. So, they went looking for a company that could make this happen.
The reasoning for this is correct in that visible products do sell. People do still buy on impulse and getting a product on shelves will bring it to the attention of people who might otherwise not have even known it existed.
(Speaking for myself - I often become aware of "new"games for the first time when I see them on the shelf at EB - then I come home and look them up on the net for more details and reviews.)
...Here’s exactly what SOE brings to this that we want:
1) Strong distribution: We want Pirates of the Burning Sea to be in every retail store that carries games. SOE has that down cold.
....
So, SOE must have told FLS they could do this. That was clearly a mistake. SOE should not have made 'promises' unless they were sure they could deliver and making promises on how a third party will act or what they will do is a definate no-no unless you actually have the leverage to make it so.
Now, I don't know exactly what SOE told FLS - but unless it was along the lines of "we can send the game to the retailers but what happens after that is beyond our control..." then they misrepresented themselves.
And in getting the game to retailers they made a number of very fundimental mistakes.
Selling the "Pre-boarding" Box (containing a Music CD and Game Keys) as a "Pre-ORDER" box was one example.
Everone knows that "PRE-ORDER" boxes are those EMPTY CARDBOARD PROMOTIONAL BOXES that are put on the shelf for DISPLAY ONLY. So, is it any big surprise that the retailers didn't put the PotBS "Pre-order" boxes on the shelves? Especially when they had 'real' retail products to sell that needed that shelf space?
SOE's 'expert' marketing people should have never used the words "pre-order" in association with these boxes.
They should have gone out as "BONUS PACKS" and it should have said in very large print on the front:
BONUS MUSIC CD AND GAME CODES
That way, the boxes would have got on the shelves because retailers would have understood that they were actually 'selling' a retail item.
Then there is the Key Codes themselves... how the hell did so meany boxes go out without the Codes in them?
I have actually worked in a printer and done this sort of work so I know what I am talking about here:
You keep records of the number of 'codes' generated, number of Key Pamphlets printed and the number of 'units' produced and shipped.
If you get to the end of the day and have generated 10000 codes, printed 10000 pamphlets, packed 10000 cases and you still have 2000 pamplets in the unpacked stack (and wastage) then you have screwed up!
Records ARE kept for accounting (and machine maintenance!) purposes. Basic math. Basic Quality Control!
And as for advertising - even as I type this there is an 'advert' for Spellborn on this very page. Bounty Bay Online (direct competion for PotBS) advertizes here too. And yet until a few days ago SOE/Platform didn't even have PotBS on their own home page... instead they had Gods and Heros... a game that was canned MONTHS ago.
All FLS need SOE/Platform to do is do their job properly. Yet SOE cannot even seem to get it right with their own sales and services which is 100% under their control. No wonder they are completely unable to convey the correct information to external retailers like Amazon.
And this costs FLS time and money to sort out - time and money they wanted to save to develop the game (which is why they contracted SOE in the first place!)
And worse than that - it will be costing FLS customers.
No company in this business can afford to lose customers or earn a bad reputation through incompetence (either their own or a partners).
Some of you seem to think I am some kind of SOE 'hateboi'? I'm not. I have simply watched FLS contract another company to do a job - and that company seems to be making a total mess of it despite being so called experts. It wouldn't matter who they were.
Originally posted by RickSaada Once more, with feeling! SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit. SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit. SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing. Rick
Well after reading that, sony CLEARLY has its "mitts on this game" and "now it's over". DOOM I SAY! DOOM!!!!
On a serious note, this site should have an entire forum dedicated to SOE bashing. The endless threads all over these forums should be consolidated there.
Once more, with feeling! SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit. SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit. SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing. Rick
As you can see, Sony is the touch of death to a lot of people. However, I'm going to buy this game when it comes out because Sony hasn't totally screwed up everything. I just hope it's everything it's being hyped to be.
Once more, with feeling! SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit. SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit. SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing. Rick
Maybe you should read the thread before you post? The point under discussion has moved on.
SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing.
The point is that SOE controls some critical components.
They are like the Bouncer at the door of the Club. He may not own the Club - but he does control access to it. At the end of the night when the owner notices the takings are down... was it just a slow night or was the Bouncer turning people away?
(Probably a bad analogy - as some-one will no doubt point out :P)
And you forgot one Rick: They also control access to your forums now.
Sure they don't own you. But their ability to do a good job does affect your profits directly.
How many potential customers do you think you have lost simply due to SOE's apparent inability to market your game properly and get it onto retail shelves?
Yes, you could argue that you never lost what you never had...
I understand sony isn't writing the game. they don't have a direct call in quite a few of the games under their brand, it's just that this game is already destined to be a niche game, and now they are getting into bed with a company that kills playerbase through all of it's dealings, including server maintenance, stability, and any other production matters. I guess we'll see, I mean unless someone can see the future, then we have no way of being certain, but I'm going to say that this game is an eve-minus right now.... actually an eve-minus-minus with a side of SOE-sauce. I think that mix will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
I am sorry guys, but enough is enough already with the SOE thing. Ok, the screwed some things up get over it. As far as Eve goes...in my opinion, it was one of the most boring games i ever tried.
for me the game looks weak. just another generic MMO that developers thought "what other timeline or fantasy genre can we exploit or profit off of?" maybe the gameplay is good. i may just try the trial to see if its even worth time playing, but i hardly can predict it being so. to me they truly seem to running out of ideas. being a pirate seems a bit hoky and boring. maybe its just me.
My palette for games has diminished with so many generic MMO's between korean F2P grinders, to generic fantasy MMO's coming out like a mass production line vying for everyones time and money. what you end up with is minimal quality, generic gameplay with little flexibility in what you can and cant do.
I truthfully think the need to rethink from the ground up gameplay mechanics, how a MMO is played and interacted with and move onto perhaps some cyberpunk/scifi MMO which has been tapped into very little. yeah, you got neocron, and FOM which are absolutely horrificly implemented POS's. MXO is nothing more than a faint attemtpt at profiting off a franchise that was a temporary trend nothing more, however the combat system & PVP was wonderfully done, rest of the game is crap missions Are repetitive. I can go on, but this onslaught of generic High fantasy and early 1500-1700 caribbean pirate-based MMO's is becoming tiring.
3.4ghz Phenom II X4 965, 8GB PC12800 DDR3 GSKILL, EVGA 560GTX 2GB OC, 640GB HD SATA II, BFG 1000WATT PSU. MSI NF980-G65 TRI-SLI MOBO.
Once more, with feeling! SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit. SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit. SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing. Rick
......but what about the satanic trojan bloatware virus infected game/movie/music launcher? Huh huh huh? I heard the app takes up a total of 97 gigs on your hard drive and not only disables firewalls but slashes your car tires as well.....
Originally posted by Annekynn On a serious note, this site should have an entire forum dedicated to SOE bashing. The endless threads all over these forums should be consolidated there.
IMO anyone posting in any game forum just to bash a game because SOE happens to be involved in it in some way, no matter how small, should be forum banned. It's gotten beyond ridiculous at this point. SOE is a major game *publisher* now. A LOT of titles are going to wind up working with them because of that. Frankly I'm sick of the constant hateboy posts every time SOE makes a deal to publish some small developer's game for them.
EA just bought Bioware.... but I don't see near the level of vitriol towards them. And facts are facts, EA's track record with MMO's is far far worse than any other developer out there.
"A ship-of-war is the best ambassador." - Oliver Cromwell
IMO anyone posting in any game forum just to bash a game because SOE happens to be involved in it in some way, no matter how small, should be forum banned. It's gotten beyond ridiculous at this point. SOE is a major game *publisher* now. A LOT of titles are going to wind up working with them because of that. Frankly I'm sick of the constant hateboy posts every time SOE makes a deal to publish some small developer's game for them. ...
I re-read the entire thread to see if you were including me with the "hateboy" comment?
Are you?
I don't post out of "hate" for any business. SOE is a business - in this case their performance has been very poor. Have you looked at the links I have provided? Do you disagree?
Originally posted by Taram EA just bought Bioware.... but I don't see near the level of vitriol towards them. And facts are facts, EA's track record with MMO's is far far worse than any other developer out there.
I wouldn't expect to see it here in this forum. But if they completely screwed up every aspect of their job I would expect to see it.
But, having said that, you often don't see it at all regardless.
Why?
Because gamers seem content to swallow any old crap - and worse - they are actually prepared to PAY for it.
It's sad - and IMHO it is part of the reason we keep getting fed crap.
Simple business sense says you minimise your expense and maximise your profit. So, if you can sell a half finished product and charge full price and get away with it - why wouldn't you?
Even better - how about you get the customer to PAY for fixes?
And Customer Service and Support? pfft! You have their money...why bother with this?
Only in the computer games industry does this standard of business seem to be acceptable? I suspect it continues because so many of the end users are young and simply don't know any better - and the fact that the money actually comes from parents who are unaware of exactly what they have purchased and how poor the products actually are.
Originally posted by Taram IMO anyone posting in any game forum just to bash a game because SOE happens to be involved in it in some way, no matter how small, should be forum banned. It's gotten beyond ridiculous at this point. SOE is a major game *publisher* now. A LOT of titles are going to wind up working with them because of that. Frankly I'm sick of the constant hateboy posts every time SOE makes a deal to publish some small developer's game for them. ...
I re-read the entire thread to see if you were including me with the "hateboy" comment?
Are you?
I don't post out of "hate" for any business. SOE is a business - in this case their performance has been very poor. Have you looked at the links I have provided? Do you disagree?
Originally posted by Taram EA just bought Bioware.... but I don't see near the level of vitriol towards them. And facts are facts, EA's track record with MMO's is far far worse than any other developer out there.
I wouldn't expect to see it here in this forum. But if they completely screwed up every aspect of their job I would expect to see it. But, having said that, you often don't see it at all regardless. Why?
Because gamers seem content to swallow any old crap - and worse - they are actually prepared to PAY for it.
It's sad - and IMHO it is part of the reason we keep getting fed crap. Simple business sense says you minimise your expense and maximise your profit. So, if you can sell a half finished product and charge full price and get away with it - why wouldn't you?
Even better - how about you get the customer to PAY for fixes? And Customer Service and Support? pfft! You have their money...why bother with this?
Only in the computer games industry does this standard of business seem to be acceptable? I suspect it continues because so many of the end users are young and simply don't know any better - and the fact that the money actually comes from parents who are unaware of exactly what they have purchased and how poor the products actually are.
When you post about stuff that's been covered... and covered and covered and covered and covered in dozens of other posts? Yeah I include you in it. I don't even own the game (don't feel it's worth purchasing tbqfh) but even I am sick of people dragging a dead horse around, propping it up and beating it again and again as if somehow that's going to make a difference.
The discussion has been had, ad nauseum. Here, on the official PotBS forums and many other places. Let the horse rest in peace already.
"A ship-of-war is the best ambassador." - Oliver Cromwell
When you post about stuff that's been covered... and covered and covered and covered and covered in dozens of other posts? Yeah I include you in it. ...
So your criterior for being a hateboy is posting on a subject that has been posted on before?
It hasn't all been discussed before actually - and if you think this is bad - wait until the 22nd when the game switches to retail and players have to enter a NEW key to keep playing - and there is no 'grace period'.
Originally posted by Taram
.... I don't even own the game (don't feel it's worth purchasing tbqfh) but even I am sick of people dragging a dead horse around, propping it up and beating it again and again as if somehow that's going to make a difference. The discussion has been had, ad nauseum. Here, on the official PotBS forums and many other places. Let the horse rest in peace already.
The issue is not me - or any of the other posters here posting on this subject... it's you.
You're bored.
You're bored with this forum. So why do you come here? You're not obliged to read posts here if they bore you you know?
One thing i didn't like about the towns is that they are small and they still have to instance every building when you enter them. Also i was hoping i could walk out of town into the wilderness or something like that. Maybe even travel from town to town on the islands.
MMORPG's should feel like your living in a new world to explore, not trapped.
Agreed, bad titles or out-dated games tend to be drawn to SOE. "birds of a feather" and all. I dislike the game, I dislike SOE's business model, so the 2 together is just too much.
Well we appreciate your 'blog' of a post here, is there actually any point to your post at all? If this is all you're really going to say atleast next time just shorten your post to " Me no like game, SOE sucks!".
Oh god. I just had to laugh at the title of this post. Like SOE cares that a few players will skip their game. MEANWHILE, they are making money. Billions? No. Plenty? Yes.
Go log into SWG . While a few kids talk bout "boycotting" SoE plenty of players are logging in. Happens to all their games.
And it's so cute how so many of these players think they know exactly what will happen to a game. What they should post is "what I WISH would happen " to the game.
It reminds me of those kids in high school that would get picked on everyday. I, meanwhile, would be sitting there drawing. The bully would pick on the kid, the bully would leave. The kid that got picked on would come to me (cuz everyone else heard the bell) and go "I swear I wish that bully would just die!" I would just shrug. Also kinda reminds me of that character in Office Space that ends up burning down the building. Yes, that's it. All these SoE hater players remind me of THAT guy! hehe
Blah..I'm drunk.
Beau
Listen to the Spouse Aggro podcast at spouseaggro.com. Twitter: spouseaggro
Once more, with feeling! SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit. SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit. SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing. Rick
Sorry Rick but as a tester and now a paying customer you are selling short the level of their involvement in the terms of their ability to tarnish the experience for the player. Yes, we believe they do not own you or tell you how to make the game - but they control enough important things that when the 'F' up like they always do the player suffers for it. Pre order box mess, ongoing download/patcher issues, pre order key fiasco handled so incredibly confusingly as to make it hard to believe adults actually where responsible for the system, the cut off for the pre-boarding/live because they are too incompetent to make a couple days grace period work, and my personal favorite the coming requirement to use the new Station Launcher just to play this not a SoE game.
SoE does not own FLS, this is obvious - but they are a big enough part of PotBS to ruin the overall experience for players when they handle things in their traditionally incompetent manner - anyone with eyes these last couple months can clearly see that.
A bad waiter can ruin an excellent meal prepared flawlessly by an expert chef - the sooner FLS realizes this instead of pretending SoE doesn't have a LEGITIMATELY earned poor reputation for ONGOING shortcomings the better off the game will be.
Once more, with feeling! SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit. SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit. SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing. Rick
SoE does not own FLS, this is obvious - but they are a big enough part of PotBS to ruin the overall experience for players when they handle things in their traditionally incompetent manner - anyone with eyes these last couple months can clearly see that.
SOE has its haters but as Rick says they do not control development or the servers.
We can all come on here & moan about Sony but don't let it ruin your overall potbs experience.
If you can login & play forget SOE cause they do not have any ingame effect.
Get over it & play the game to judge POTbs for what it is.
Once more, with feeling! SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit. SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit. SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing. Rick
Sorry Rick but as a tester and now a paying customer you are selling short the level of their involvement in the terms of their ability to tarnish the experience for the player. Yes, we believe they do not own you or tell you how to make the game - but they control enough important things that when the 'F' up like they always do the player suffers for it. Pre order box mess, ongoing download/patcher issues, pre order key fiasco handled so incredibly confusingly as to make it hard to believe adults actually where responsible for the system, the cut off for the pre-boarding/live because they are too incompetent to make a couple days grace period work, and my personal favorite the coming requirement to use the new Station Launcher just to play this not a SoE game.
SoE does not own FLS, this is obvious - but they are a big enough part of PotBS to ruin the overall experience for players when they handle things in their traditionally incompetent manner - anyone with eyes these last couple months can clearly see that.
A bad waiter can ruin an excellent meal prepared flawlessly by an expert chef - the sooner FLS realizes this instead of pretending SoE doesn't have a LEGITIMATELY earned poor reputation for ONGOING shortcomings the better off the game will be.
I think what AgtSmith is trying to say is..........
"I really hate SOE, they have ruined numerous games in the past. When I saw PoTBS on the SOE launcher I went into a mindless frenzy. I could not believe this game had not been ruined. Will someone please be soothsayer with me?"
7-8 months ago FLS signed SOE... and the SOE haters came out of the woodwork...
"Sony suxxor!!!11!!111!!!" they cried. "They killed SWG!!!111!1! They killed Vangard!111!!!!11! And what about MXO??222?!!111!!!" they said.
Their 'arguements' were irrational and without foundation. They used half truths and twisted facts. They seemed to regard their very posts as 'proof' of the 'facts' ... since their post was a fact and that therefor proved it...???
The FLS Developers and SOE supporters(?) calmly weathered the storm and provided logical arguements to counter the hysteria.
6 months on and now it is the SOE "haters" * who are calmly providing logical arguements - and backing them up with what is becomming well known fact...
...and the SOE supporters(?) are countering with rubbish...
* Include me as an SOE hater if that makes you happy - but rather than just responding with "You hate SOE!!!!111!!!!!1! OMGZ!!!11!!!1!111!" how about actually countering my arguements? Can you?
Is there anyone here who seriously thinks FLS is completely satisfied with SOE's performance so far?
Originally posted by DJXeon
Originally posted by AgtSmith
Originally posted by RickSaada
Once more, with feeling! SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit. SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit. SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing. Rick
SoE does not own FLS, this is obvious - but they are a big enough part of PotBS to ruin the overall experience for players when they handle things in their traditionally incompetent manner - anyone with eyes these last couple months can clearly see that.
SOE has its haters but as Rick says they do not control development or the servers.
We can all come on here & moan about Sony but don't let it ruin your overall potbs experience.
If you can login & play forget SOE cause they do not have any ingame effect.
Get over it & play the game to judge POTbs for what it is.
"If you can login & play"
That's the issue isn't it? IF.
Have a look at FLS's own forums - there are players who can't. Why?
They cannot purchase the game because they cannot find it at any retail location?
Have a look at FLS's own forums - there are players who can't. Why?
They cannot purchase the game because they cannot find it at any retail location? Their 'Keys' were not provided? Their 'keys' are wrong? They are having trouble with the downloads? They are having trouble with the launcher? They are having trouble with the patcher? They cannot even log into the FLS forums?
Why?
Please provide an example of 1 mmorpg that does not have people posting about having trouble with either buying the game, patching the game, loading into the game, or playing the game.
Comments
You guys really need to learn not to feed the trolls. Just ignore them, they eventually get bored and go away.
"A ship-of-war is the best ambassador." - Oliver Cromwell
I don't but I must, Man I actually thought this game was good but it is changing just like when a friend hooks up, man this game is whipped, i pray for this game.
Are you trying to say that noone that bougth the game through station is getting the game?
I'm so broke. I can't even pay attention.
"You have the right not to be killed"
No, and you are smart enough to know that is not what I am saying.
What I am saying is that many things have gone wrong with the release. Some of those things are outside SOE's control.
But, Station Store is 100% within SOE's control and they apparently can't even get that right?
SOE were contracted by FLS to do a job based on their apparent expertise and experiance in these areas; Marketing, billing and providing a launcher / patcher front end.
FLS stated that they wanted to get a physical copy of PotBS on as many retail shelves as possible to promote their product. So, they went looking for a company that could make this happen.
The reasoning for this is correct in that visible products do sell. People do still buy on impulse and getting a product on shelves will bring it to the attention of people who might otherwise not have even known it existed.
(Speaking for myself - I often become aware of "new"games for the first time when I see them on the shelf at EB - then I come home and look them up on the net for more details and reviews.)
FLS's own release on this http://www.burningsea.com/page/news/article&article_id=10349 says:
...Here’s exactly what SOE brings to this that we want:
1) Strong distribution: We want Pirates of the Burning Sea to be in every retail store that carries games. SOE has that down cold.
....
So, SOE must have told FLS they could do this. That was clearly a mistake. SOE should not have made 'promises' unless they were sure they could deliver and making promises on how a third party will act or what they will do is a definate no-no unless you actually have the leverage to make it so.
Now, I don't know exactly what SOE told FLS - but unless it was along the lines of "we can send the game to the retailers but what happens after that is beyond our control..." then they misrepresented themselves.
And in getting the game to retailers they made a number of very fundimental mistakes.
Selling the "Pre-boarding" Box (containing a Music CD and Game Keys) as a "Pre-ORDER" box was one example.
Everone knows that "PRE-ORDER" boxes are those EMPTY CARDBOARD PROMOTIONAL BOXES that are put on the shelf for DISPLAY ONLY. So, is it any big surprise that the retailers didn't put the PotBS "Pre-order" boxes on the shelves? Especially when they had 'real' retail products to sell that needed that shelf space?
SOE's 'expert' marketing people should have never used the words "pre-order" in association with these boxes.
They should have gone out as "BONUS PACKS" and it should have said in very large print on the front:
BONUS MUSIC CD AND GAME CODES
That way, the boxes would have got on the shelves because retailers would have understood that they were actually 'selling' a retail item.
Then there is the Key Codes themselves... how the hell did so meany boxes go out without the Codes in them?
I have actually worked in a printer and done this sort of work so I know what I am talking about here:
You keep records of the number of 'codes' generated, number of Key Pamphlets printed and the number of 'units' produced and shipped.
If you get to the end of the day and have generated 10000 codes, printed 10000 pamphlets, packed 10000 cases and you still have 2000 pamplets in the unpacked stack (and wastage) then you have screwed up!
Records ARE kept for accounting (and machine maintenance!) purposes. Basic math. Basic Quality Control!
http://www.burningsea.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676
And as for advertising - even as I type this there is an 'advert' for Spellborn on this very page. Bounty Bay Online (direct competion for PotBS) advertizes here too. And yet until a few days ago SOE/Platform didn't even have PotBS on their own home page... instead they had Gods and Heros... a game that was canned MONTHS ago.
All FLS need SOE/Platform to do is do their job properly. Yet SOE cannot even seem to get it right with their own sales and services which is 100% under their control. No wonder they are completely unable to convey the correct information to external retailers like Amazon.
http://www.burningsea.com/forums/showthread.php?t=678
http://www.burningsea.com/forums/showthread.php?t=715
And this costs FLS time and money to sort out - time and money they wanted to save to develop the game (which is why they contracted SOE in the first place!)
And worse than that - it will be costing FLS customers.
No company in this business can afford to lose customers or earn a bad reputation through incompetence (either their own or a partners).
Some of you seem to think I am some kind of SOE 'hateboi'? I'm not. I have simply watched FLS contract another company to do a job - and that company seems to be making a total mess of it despite being so called experts. It wouldn't matter who they were.
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
No, and you are smart enough to know that is not what I am saying.
Yes, thank you.
Some of you seem to think I am some kind of SOE 'hateboi'? I'm not.
I didn't mean to make it look like that.
I'm so broke. I can't even pay attention.
"You have the right not to be killed"
Once more, with feeling!
SOE doesn't own us, not even a little bit.
SOE isn't running our game servers, not even a little bit.
SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing.
Rick
Rick Saada - FLS Dev & EPFBM
I think anyone who gets confused after that should walk the plank, YAARRRRR!
No annoying animated GIF here!
Well after reading that, sony CLEARLY has its "mitts on this game" and "now it's over". DOOM I SAY! DOOM!!!!
On a serious note, this site should have an entire forum dedicated to SOE bashing. The endless threads all over these forums should be consolidated there.
As you can see, Sony is the touch of death to a lot of people. However, I'm going to buy this game when it comes out because Sony hasn't totally screwed up everything. I just hope it's everything it's being hyped to be.
SOE is handling distribution (which does include download servers), billing, and marketing.
The point is that SOE controls some critical components.
They are like the Bouncer at the door of the Club. He may not own the Club - but he does control access to it. At the end of the night when the owner notices the takings are down... was it just a slow night or was the Bouncer turning people away?
(Probably a bad analogy - as some-one will no doubt point out :P)
And you forgot one Rick: They also control access to your forums now.
Sure they don't own you. But their ability to do a good job does affect your profits directly.
How many potential customers do you think you have lost simply due to SOE's apparent inability to market your game properly and get it onto retail shelves?
Yes, you could argue that you never lost what you never had...
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
for me the game looks weak. just another generic MMO that developers thought "what other timeline or fantasy genre can we exploit or profit off of?" maybe the gameplay is good. i may just try the trial to see if its even worth time playing, but i hardly can predict it being so. to me they truly seem to running out of ideas. being a pirate seems a bit hoky and boring. maybe its just me.
My palette for games has diminished with so many generic MMO's between korean F2P grinders, to generic fantasy MMO's coming out like a mass production line vying for everyones time and money. what you end up with is minimal quality, generic gameplay with little flexibility in what you can and cant do.
I truthfully think the need to rethink from the ground up gameplay mechanics, how a MMO is played and interacted with and move onto perhaps some cyberpunk/scifi MMO which has been tapped into very little. yeah, you got neocron, and FOM which are absolutely horrificly implemented POS's. MXO is nothing more than a faint attemtpt at profiting off a franchise that was a temporary trend nothing more, however the combat system & PVP was wonderfully done, rest of the game is crap missions Are repetitive. I can go on, but this onslaught of generic High fantasy and early 1500-1700 caribbean pirate-based MMO's is becoming tiring.
3.4ghz Phenom II X4 965, 8GB PC12800 DDR3 GSKILL, EVGA 560GTX 2GB OC, 640GB HD SATA II, BFG 1000WATT PSU. MSI NF980-G65 TRI-SLI MOBO.
......but what about the satanic trojan bloatware virus infected game/movie/music launcher? Huh huh huh? I heard the app takes up a total of 97 gigs on your hard drive and not only disables firewalls but slashes your car tires as well.....
Real cool FLS.........
/sarcasm off
~Hairysun~
http://www.straightdope.com/
IMO anyone posting in any game forum just to bash a game because SOE happens to be involved in it in some way, no matter how small, should be forum banned. It's gotten beyond ridiculous at this point. SOE is a major game *publisher* now. A LOT of titles are going to wind up working with them because of that. Frankly I'm sick of the constant hateboy posts every time SOE makes a deal to publish some small developer's game for them.
EA just bought Bioware.... but I don't see near the level of vitriol towards them. And facts are facts, EA's track record with MMO's is far far worse than any other developer out there.
"A ship-of-war is the best ambassador." - Oliver Cromwell
I re-read the entire thread to see if you were including me with the "hateboy" comment?
Are you?
I don't post out of "hate" for any business. SOE is a business - in this case their performance has been very poor. Have you looked at the links I have provided? Do you disagree?
I wouldn't expect to see it here in this forum. But if they completely screwed up every aspect of their job I would expect to see it.
But, having said that, you often don't see it at all regardless.
Why?
Because gamers seem content to swallow any old crap - and worse - they are actually prepared to PAY for it.
It's sad - and IMHO it is part of the reason we keep getting fed crap.
Simple business sense says you minimise your expense and maximise your profit. So, if you can sell a half finished product and charge full price and get away with it - why wouldn't you?
Even better - how about you get the customer to PAY for fixes?
And Customer Service and Support? pfft! You have their money...why bother with this?
Only in the computer games industry does this standard of business seem to be acceptable? I suspect it continues because so many of the end users are young and simply don't know any better - and the fact that the money actually comes from parents who are unaware of exactly what they have purchased and how poor the products actually are.
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
When you post about stuff that's been covered... and covered and covered and covered and covered in dozens of other posts? Yeah I include you in it. I don't even own the game (don't feel it's worth purchasing tbqfh) but even I am sick of people dragging a dead horse around, propping it up and beating it again and again as if somehow that's going to make a difference.
The discussion has been had, ad nauseum. Here, on the official PotBS forums and many other places. Let the horse rest in peace already.
"A ship-of-war is the best ambassador." - Oliver Cromwell
So your criterior for being a hateboy is posting on a subject that has been posted on before?
It hasn't all been discussed before actually - and if you think this is bad - wait until the 22nd when the game switches to retail and players have to enter a NEW key to keep playing - and there is no 'grace period'.
The issue is not me - or any of the other posters here posting on this subject... it's you.
You're bored.
You're bored with this forum. So why do you come here? You're not obliged to read posts here if they bore you you know?
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
One thing i didn't like about the towns is that they are small and they still have to instance every building when you enter them. Also i was hoping i could walk out of town into the wilderness or something like that. Maybe even travel from town to town on the islands.
MMORPG's should feel like your living in a new world to explore, not trapped.
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Me no like game, SOE sucks!|
SHOHADAKU
Oh god. I just had to laugh at the title of this post. Like SOE cares that a few players will skip their game. MEANWHILE, they are making money. Billions? No. Plenty? Yes.
Go log into SWG . While a few kids talk bout "boycotting" SoE plenty of players are logging in. Happens to all their games.
And it's so cute how so many of these players think they know exactly what will happen to a game. What they should post is "what I WISH would happen " to the game.
It reminds me of those kids in high school that would get picked on everyday. I, meanwhile, would be sitting there drawing. The bully would pick on the kid, the bully would leave. The kid that got picked on would come to me (cuz everyone else heard the bell) and go "I swear I wish that bully would just die!" I would just shrug. Also kinda reminds me of that character in Office Space that ends up burning down the building. Yes, that's it. All these SoE hater players remind me of THAT guy! hehe
Blah..I'm drunk.
Beau
Listen to the Spouse Aggro podcast at spouseaggro.com. Twitter: spouseaggro
Sorry Rick but as a tester and now a paying customer you are selling short the level of their involvement in the terms of their ability to tarnish the experience for the player. Yes, we believe they do not own you or tell you how to make the game - but they control enough important things that when the 'F' up like they always do the player suffers for it. Pre order box mess, ongoing download/patcher issues, pre order key fiasco handled so incredibly confusingly as to make it hard to believe adults actually where responsible for the system, the cut off for the pre-boarding/live because they are too incompetent to make a couple days grace period work, and my personal favorite the coming requirement to use the new Station Launcher just to play this not a SoE game.
SoE does not own FLS, this is obvious - but they are a big enough part of PotBS to ruin the overall experience for players when they handle things in their traditionally incompetent manner - anyone with eyes these last couple months can clearly see that.
A bad waiter can ruin an excellent meal prepared flawlessly by an expert chef - the sooner FLS realizes this instead of pretending SoE doesn't have a LEGITIMATELY earned poor reputation for ONGOING shortcomings the better off the game will be.
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SoE does not own FLS, this is obvious - but they are a big enough part of PotBS to ruin the overall experience for players when they handle things in their traditionally incompetent manner - anyone with eyes these last couple months can clearly see that.
SOE has its haters but as Rick says they do not control development or the servers.
We can all come on here & moan about Sony but don't let it ruin your overall potbs experience.
If you can login & play forget SOE cause they do not have any ingame effect.
Get over it & play the game to judge POTbs for what it is.
Sorry Rick but as a tester and now a paying customer you are selling short the level of their involvement in the terms of their ability to tarnish the experience for the player. Yes, we believe they do not own you or tell you how to make the game - but they control enough important things that when the 'F' up like they always do the player suffers for it. Pre order box mess, ongoing download/patcher issues, pre order key fiasco handled so incredibly confusingly as to make it hard to believe adults actually where responsible for the system, the cut off for the pre-boarding/live because they are too incompetent to make a couple days grace period work, and my personal favorite the coming requirement to use the new Station Launcher just to play this not a SoE game.
SoE does not own FLS, this is obvious - but they are a big enough part of PotBS to ruin the overall experience for players when they handle things in their traditionally incompetent manner - anyone with eyes these last couple months can clearly see that.
A bad waiter can ruin an excellent meal prepared flawlessly by an expert chef - the sooner FLS realizes this instead of pretending SoE doesn't have a LEGITIMATELY earned poor reputation for ONGOING shortcomings the better off the game will be.
I think what AgtSmith is trying to say is..........
"I really hate SOE, they have ruined numerous games in the past. When I saw PoTBS on the SOE launcher I went into a mindless frenzy.
I could not believe this game had not been ruined. Will someone please be soothsayer with me?"
Isn't it kind of funny?
7-8 months ago FLS signed SOE... and the SOE haters came out of the woodwork...
"Sony suxxor!!!11!!111!!!" they cried. "They killed SWG!!!111!1! They killed Vangard!111!!!!11! And what about MXO??222?!!111!!!" they said.
Their 'arguements' were irrational and without foundation. They used half truths and twisted facts. They seemed to regard their very posts as 'proof' of the 'facts' ... since their post was a fact and that therefor proved it...???
The FLS Developers and SOE supporters(?) calmly weathered the storm and provided logical arguements to counter the hysteria.
6 months on and now it is the SOE "haters" * who are calmly providing logical arguements - and backing them up with what is becomming well known fact...
...and the SOE supporters(?) are countering with rubbish...
* Include me as an SOE hater if that makes you happy - but rather than just responding with "You hate SOE!!!!111!!!!!1! OMGZ!!!11!!!1!111!" how about actually countering my arguements? Can you?
Is there anyone here who seriously thinks FLS is completely satisfied with SOE's performance so far?
SoE does not own FLS, this is obvious - but they are a big enough part of PotBS to ruin the overall experience for players when they handle things in their traditionally incompetent manner - anyone with eyes these last couple months can clearly see that.
SOE has its haters but as Rick says they do not control development or the servers.
We can all come on here & moan about Sony but don't let it ruin your overall potbs experience.
If you can login & play forget SOE cause they do not have any ingame effect.
Get over it & play the game to judge POTbs for what it is.
"If you can login & play"
That's the issue isn't it? IF.
Have a look at FLS's own forums - there are players who can't. Why?
They cannot purchase the game because they cannot find it at any retail location?
Their 'Keys' were not provided?
Their 'keys' are wrong?
They are having trouble with the downloads?
They are having trouble with the launcher?
They are having trouble with the patcher?
They cannot even log into the FLS forums?
Why?
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
Please provide an example of 1 mmorpg that does not have people posting about having trouble with either buying the game, patching the game, loading into the game, or playing the game.