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Can a company rise above negative publicity ?
zoey121
Member Posts: 926
Mulling over in my head wanted to know your ideas;
if a company continual misses deveolpers time line for fixes, for major revamps, puts fixes off till after an expansion,
can the developers/ company ever regain creditablity back and in your mind does it affect expansion sales and or future sales by company?
if a team/company loses creditablity, can they rise above negative publicity?
Comments
No. Case and point - SWG with SOE.
Because of that disastor, thousands of people are going to skip out on all SOE future products (it also had somewhat to do with EQ/PS demise).
Have you looked at SWG now? 400,000+ active users.
That looks like it rose above the publicity.
Lets talk AC2 now... that's a game that needs tons of help... at one time there was no more then 400 people for ALL the servers combined... we'll see if this game can do a 180 degree turn.
What will he do next?
Partially.
Funcom's Anarchy Online did have very bad launch. After several years and hard work they have regained at least some of their creditability (some players are arguing that they are currently best MMORPG company).
However there is still many players (=customers) who have vowed that they never ever going to buy another game from Funcom. Thus Anarchy Online - or any new game from Funcom: is not going to achieve their full financial potential. (Unless ofcourse Funcom's next game is going to be spectatical review success...)
"I know I said this was my last post, but you my friend are a idiotic moron." -Shadow4482
As the old saying goes, there is no such thing as bad publicity.
Time and again, we have endured delayed releases and bad launches and I'm pretty sure that the majority of players would prefer that a game be delayed than that a rushed release is made, riddled with bugs. However, I think that we have a tendency to blame game development teams for such problemswhen I'm sure that the devs would also far rather wait until a game is ready before releasing it to their customers.
It is not always development teams who decree when a game must be released- it is often distributors, who will not think twice about releasing a sub-par product in order to maximise sales at peak times, e.g. pre-Xmas.
As to teams losing credibility and the loss of credibility being irrevocable, consider Horizons. It had a poor launch, much of the promised content that was to be in at lauch is still not available, there are classes and abilities that are still broken and the entire rationale of the game (a battle between the players and an organised NPC enemy) is currently non-existent as all of the NPC mobs belonging to the 'big enemy' faction have been removed. All of this and yet there are still people playing, albeit on merged servers.
The above example suggests to me that we the players, whilst we are a fickle lot who like to whine, will put up with just about anything that we haven't done before.
Damn, now I'm depressed.
I had alot of fun in AO, but that was because the community is the best of all games, but I wouldn't even play a new Funcom product if they throw it after me.
SoE have a similar reputation with SWG, but they also have so many EQ fanbois so they could make a big room with a NPC in each corner that gave you quests to deliver stuff to the other NPCs, call it a MMORPG and name it EQ2 and several 100s k would say it's the best game ever made and would play it for several years.
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Azzazzimon
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Azzazzimon
Well, if looking at what SOE did with SWG, I do now have a very bad impression of SOE. Sure they CAN convince me again to try their products, but its going to be much more difficult than before. Im going to wait on their games 3-6 months after retail and read a lot more reviews/opinions before I take the plunge again.
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Played: Asheron's Call 1, Dark Age of Camelot, Earth & Beyond, Star Wars Galaxies
Tested: Asheron's Call 1, Asheron's Call 2, Dark Age of Camelot, Eve Online, Lineage 2, Risk Your Life, Saga of Ryzom, World of Warcraft
Uninstalled ASAP: MU Online, Knight Online, Rubies of Eventide, Priston Tales, Star Sonata, DarkSpace
I doubt that for the reason that SWG was a differetn game then Everquest and different from Planetside. From what I understand SWG is still going strong. I won't play again really because I was bored for the most part. And while a Star Wars fan it didn't really feel like Star Wars. Anyway, even if SOE loses a few thousand they make up for it by having a lot more people interested in their next game cause it will be aimed at a different group of people. EQ's demise? Last time I checked and that was this summer, EQ still had a ton of servers unlike games like Asheron's Call 2, Horizons and Shadowbane that closed down servers or merged them. Everquest actually opened I think two new servers last year and have a number of PvP series with tons of normal PvE servers.
As for a company rising above negative publicity, I'd really like to see what happens with Artifact Entertainment and their game Horizons. As much as they try to work their butt off to fix things and turn things around I think way to much damage has been done. To much bad press has been spread from the state of the game to AF's financial situation. Funcom is a case of a game company rebuilding itself after a horrible start and bad press. Same for Wolfpack after Ubisoft bought them, Shadowbane is on a rise.
By demise, I'm speaking about Quality, not quantity.
IMO (and many others may share this), SOE either makes games that are "ok" right off the bat that quickly turns into garbage OR they flesh out a game that's completely crap.
SWG was an awful game to begin with and even now after a year of the game, the Devs still lie and make broken promises.
Planetside's quality went down the tubes when they thought a patch worthy expansion could be sold for $30.
EQ's quality went down the tubes when SOE took the "greed" approach and made crappy/buggy expansions for $30 each every 6 months and called them "content additions" when in reality, it was nothing but the same old SOE trash.
I don't know if a team can rise above bad publicity, once it has been dragged repeatedly through the mud.
Take SOE, for example. Everquest had terrible customer support when I played it years ago - and I still hear people complain about it now. But it's a fun game, and made millions for the company. I thought SWG sucked, and their customer support sucked too.
What that has done, for me, is now made me very aware that if I purchase another SOE game, (EQ2, for example) I know it will be a headache to fix any problems, but the game will be a multimillion venture. Like an epic movie with special effects, but not much plot.
Funcom debacle of AO really tarnished their image that I won't play AO now that it is "fixed." Screw that, you release a product that terrible and expected me to pay?? Well, I did pay 1 month after my free 30 days, so I guess I am a sucker. But I won't be a sucker twice!
I played CoH, and had no issues with Neosoft. Even unsubscribing to CoH was painless. I know their MMORPGS are shallow pulp for the masses, but I'd play another game of theirs.
And we also have Mythic. I played DAOC after EQ and after AO. I really had zero problems with the company Mythic. Always got responses (email) to my issues with in 24 hours. Ingame help really was lacking though. Game was pretty fun, although I had to play a 2 chars to 20 before the higher end portion of game was written. I have heard of some people having problems with CS, but I think some people would have problems unwrapping a slice of cheese, and find someone else to blame.
All in all, I think once a company has been proven to be negligent, the masses pretty much remember. Just a rumor of mud isn't really enough, has to be more of a mudslide.
I disagree with that.
I had a pretty bad experience with SWG, however, I've pre-ordered EQ2 and looking forward to playing it.
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
And if you're extremely disappointed with that outcome, I guarentee you'll share the same opinion about the situation with me.
A company will always be able to rise out of bad publicity, because fanboys maintain hope and gamers have short memories.
EDIT: Not to say the same thing about a game, though. But a company, yes.
Well, the buzz about SWG was that SOE did not have as much say as they should have in the game. Lucas Ent. wanted things done a certain way, and there is only so much they could do with the specs given to them. Granted, I thought the game was pretty terrible as well, and is why I am not playing it anymore, however, there are some facts that lie behind the dev doors.
As for EQ, when it was mainly Vernat behind it, there were some aspects that I found better than what it is today. On the other side of that coin, if SoE had not helped back them, they may not be where they are today.
I dont know much about Planetside, as I beta tested it for one day and found it was not for me. However, I played EQ for 4 years or so, and that has to say something about a video game. To be honest, EQ got old, and you are right about the expansions, but to this day, I hope to find a game that will give me that same anticipation to play it as EQ once did.
I think that with SWG SOE tarnished their reputation enough that a large portion of people who would have bought EQII the day it came out will now wait a month or two to hear the truth about it before they rush out and buy it.
Personally, I will never play a SOE game again. The way they handle everything that they do makes it clear that they are not in it for gamers, even in the slightest. They see gamers as simply a resource to garnish cash from, nothing more. They don't even care all that much about their game. They simply see it as a project through which to gain revenue.
And they will do whatever they need to do to make that money, no matter how lacking in morals their actions are. As someone stated in another thread, SOE would staple a puppy to a baby if they could make some cash doing it.
So, essentially what I'm saying is, the company that immediately comes to mind when you bring this up is SOE, and no, I will never play a game made by them again. It would be a useless investment in pointlessness.
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Looking forward (cautiously) to: Age of Conan, Dark Solstice, Armada Online.
Will soon try: Guild Wars
Overall: Amazed and bewhildered at the current sad state of the artform of gaming.
See the company reputation as FACTION in EQ!
It is easier to lose then to win, but unless you really screw many aspects your faction is rarely bad enought to get you KoS.
Exemple: Should EQ2 have a non-raiding server and promise they will put ASAP all the raid loot in a unique grouping(or soloing but they dont like soloing, so no daydreaming here hehe) system to that server...I would go like a drone buy EQ2 and play it! Imagine that having a non-raiding server is like walking around with illusion: fairie! Others companies (like WoW) start at current SoE faction standing when they follow in their line opened by their predecessors!
Is SoE faction screwed? Yes, they make SWG and OoW and GoD...are they doomed forever? As long as they dont care to work enought to acquire illusion:fairie, pretty much! Go earn it!
Then you might be able to work your faction back up without involving MUST stuff that I hate with a passion! 
You create the Avatar of Ultimate DOOM that need a raid of 24 to kill it and give the best item in the game?
Your faction with casuals get worser.
Your faction with Hardcore raiding freaks improve.
Your action have DISPLEASED greatly the self centered chantress Anofalye!(hehe remember killing the fish in Qeynos and Rodcet Nife faction hit?).
- "Some peoples think I am a geek because, they say, that I think I save the world. They are wrong, I dont think I save the world, I did save the world!''
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Those of you who remember the EQ1 days of yore with fondness will not be able to resist. You are powerless to resist. Your hatred for SOE will die with your willpower as EverQuest 2: Age of Destiny hits the store shelves and you willingly shell out the $50 for the priveledge to play SOE's latest incarnation of evil...
Do not fool yourselves!
I'm all up for playing. Why you ask? Because I could give a rat's arse who owns or makes the game. If the game appeals to me, I buy it, and *gasp* play it.
What games are appealing to me? All of them, so I'll buy them all. Just not all at once.
"But evil SOE makes EQ2!!"
Evil who? I just don't care. I never need customer support anyways, I get thing working on my own. Servers are down? Yay, I'll go spend time with friends and/or do other work thats needed around the house. It just doesn't matter to me.
The only company that has to do with comps that I do hate is microsoft, just because their noses are in everything. I hear next year Bill Gates is pushing a line of undies called Gaters.
Wow... I'm drifting...I'll be done now.
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These are just my opinions, please direct your opinions of my opinions to your mama, not me and the other reads.
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I would have to say EA has the crown of corporate pile of shit for video games.
I'm at the point i will refuse to purchase any more games published by them.
I played EQ over the years, people always complaining, you can't make every single person happy. Never had to contact CS for anything, in game CS expected slow since they are extremely busy. I just played, i didn't bother or worry about what they were doing next for their game, its their game, i was having fun playing it.
Now, with that said, note that all those 3 games are developed by SoE, yet they are completely different in the way they treat their customer. Why? because each game has it's own developers and in game support people, the only part of customer support all three games share is probably only billing.------------------------------------
Always run with scissors. The quicker you go, the quicker you'll get to your destination and the quicker you'll finish using the scissors, therefore significantly reducing your chances of injuring yourself
Actually, try 60 people raid on a good day... that's what EQ required. Yep, it was annoying and depressing when my guild broke (everyone quit to play Horizons, pre release
) but that's the way EQ was planned, you need a huge amount of people to advance to higher zones and that's something not everyone can do, but it's still fun when you're there, and leaves some great memories when you walk away from that.
Now, the 24 people is what EQ2 is supposed to cater, much smaller raids with a bigger focus on tactics than numbers and is supposed to be adaptive (will they succeed in doing that, we will see). But 24 people to me is casual player, that's 4 groups, it may seem much but in reality on EQ (and I predict in EQ2 aswell) there are just so many people on at any time and I see no reason why a guild won't be able to get 24 people online at the same time, or hell, cooperate with another guild. I remember at a time when the friends list in EQ was only 30 names long I had an A4 page full of names of people that didn't fit on that list... but then again, I just might be an over socializer
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Always run with scissors. The quicker you go, the quicker you'll get to your destination and the quicker you'll finish using the scissors, therefore significantly reducing your chances of injuring yourself
This question can't really be answered until the MMORPG market matures. Right now most of the games are being run on flawed idealogies, which causes almost all the developers to become bitter dealing with the customers since they are frusterated their plans aren't working and resort to trying to emulate brutal dictatorships towards their players.
Whats going to happen is competent companies are going to start to arise that are going to have decent games as well, that are going to know exactly the nature of people and how to handle them from the getgo. Once this competition exists companies with poor policies towards customers etc won't be able to compete. But then they may just try to adapt, however it might not be possible for those with particuarly bad reputations.
Right now most of them basically just try and censor anything that shows they have made mistakes, their bad attitudes, and complete incompetence.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PROBABILITY(YOUR STATEMENTS BEING MOTIVATED BY FEAR(I>U)) > .5
I agree. Also, developers aren't going to be able to make profits on just selling the boxed set alone. As more and more MMOGs are released, fewer of them are actually bought for the sake of their being a MMOG. The developers are going to depend more and more on the 3-6 month commitment from players after the sale to turn a profit. But that is only to our benefit.
EDIT: I am glad to see mediocre games like Horizons, E&B, and others fail. Developers are learning they can't rely on tons of marketing to be successful anymore. The failure of these games reinforces the fact that we demand something and we will get it because we play the trump card everytime... our dollar.
[offtopic]
any credability that funcom manages to foster, always gets killed when they put out expansions, why cant they learn we dont like pointless grinding (AI anyone)
[/offtopic]