These adds were very clear. You have until Sept 1st to purchase one of these special offers. There was no mention on quantifties or that the offer might be rescinded at any time other than the Sept 1st date.
I'm pretty sure that on their original advert on their website they did mention (or at least imply) they had limited numbers available. They failed to include that in the numerous emails they sent out or follow it up properly later. I think it was more a communications issue than a deliberate attempt to deceive people. Someone obviously knew but failed to tell the billing people who seemed as surprised as the rest of us when it was suddenly cut off.
Cryptic really do need to work on their communications...
I was actually going to give this game a try and actually thought of doing a lifetime subscription but seeing that they haven't even announce whether it's going to be a P2P or F2P other then it is a game involving MT, I feel very uncomfortable about even purchasing it just to try it out. One thought in my mind was if I bought the lifetime subscription and it turns out they will turn the game to a F2P game with MT in a few months after launch I would be very unhappy unless they give the lifetime subscription holders their money back using cryptic bucks or whatever thingy they will call it. I guess I'll just be patient and see how things goes within 6-12months. I really like how everything looks and all especially pvp but making a possible bad investment isn't my kind of thing.
Or as I've been saying, the possibility that Atari, in the midst of it's lawsuit from Turbine over poor advertising and contractual agreements, is being really careful about how they break their agreements in their other projects so they don't get more than one potentially company-destroying lawsuit at a time.
exactly. They feared another lawsuit. They actually stealth-edited the post to say quantities when it originally said Sept 1.
Want Proof? Well google cache has your back. Undisputable proof.
"We're very excited to announce two special subscription packages available for purchase for a limited-time! Both of these offers are only going to be around until September 1st, so sign up while you still can. Below are the details for both the lifetime and 6-month subscription packages.
Both of these offers are only going to be around until supplies last,
It could also have been a marketing trick though. A basic principle of marketing is the theory of limited freedom. If you tell someone they cant have something, they tend to want it more. So they can make up a reason to stir up people (& get free press at the same time) then allow people to buy it but "only for the next couple days hurry!". As if it's such a great deal that people have to act fast since they're stealing from the company. I'm sorry this game is not that good. After the first few months, Most of these people (who dont have strong denial mechanisms anyway) are going to realize they just dropped a chunk of change on a clunker.
I don't think it was a marketing trick. WHY? Because the easier way to do this would have been to announce that they were reaching their max number of allowable subscriptions and MAY have to end the offer early. This way they would have been able to get the same number of people subscribing, without the S--T Storm that followed.
Again more then likely, it was the Turbine lawsuit that caused the re-opening of the subs, as it didn't happen untill AFTER the lawsuit was started. In addition, there may have been alot of people notifying the retailers they were canceling due to the BAIT-AND-SWITCH tactic that was employed. Perhaps a combination of both. But more likely the lawsuit, as they did ninja edit the original post.
P.S.> For those that don't know what a BAIT-AND-SWITCH is. Store say we have a product that normally cost $100.00 and advertises it for $10.00 TODAY ONLY. They only have one but, when peopel come in to get they say we sold that out. However, you can buy a similar product for $110.00. Use one item to bring you in under LIMITED TIME and then hit you with, oh we only had a LIMITED QUANITY of those, but you can pay more for the same thing.
I was actually going to give this game a try and actually thought of doing a lifetime subscription but seeing that they haven't even announce whether it's going to be a P2P or F2P other then it is a game involving MT, I feel very uncomfortable about even purchasing it just to try it out. One thought in my mind was if I bought the lifetime subscription and it turns out they will turn the game to a F2P game with MT in a few months after launch I would be very unhappy unless they give the lifetime subscription holders their money back using cryptic bucks or whatever thingy they will call it. I guess I'll just be patient and see how things goes within 6-12months. I really like how everything looks and all especially pvp but making a possible bad investment isn't my kind of thing.
LOL, you have no idea what you are talking about... Stick to Runescape or Maple Story then...
Guess what I meant to say is that if they were more clear on things like their pricing structure, I would have purchased the game. I'm just scared of getting screwed if I were to buy a lifetime sub since all I hear is bad things about the main guys that are running the game. Well hopefully that clears things up, sorry I can't make sense of what I post. I'll just move onto Aion instead
Comments
I'm pretty sure that on their original advert on their website they did mention (or at least imply) they had limited numbers available. They failed to include that in the numerous emails they sent out or follow it up properly later. I think it was more a communications issue than a deliberate attempt to deceive people. Someone obviously knew but failed to tell the billing people who seemed as surprised as the rest of us when it was suddenly cut off.
Cryptic really do need to work on their communications...
I was actually going to give this game a try and actually thought of doing a lifetime subscription but seeing that they haven't even announce whether it's going to be a P2P or F2P other then it is a game involving MT, I feel very uncomfortable about even purchasing it just to try it out. One thought in my mind was if I bought the lifetime subscription and it turns out they will turn the game to a F2P game with MT in a few months after launch I would be very unhappy unless they give the lifetime subscription holders their money back using cryptic bucks or whatever thingy they will call it. I guess I'll just be patient and see how things goes within 6-12months. I really like how everything looks and all especially pvp but making a possible bad investment isn't my kind of thing.
Or as I've been saying, the possibility that Atari, in the midst of it's lawsuit from Turbine over poor advertising and contractual agreements, is being really careful about how they break their agreements in their other projects so they don't get more than one potentially company-destroying lawsuit at a time.
exactly. They feared another lawsuit. They actually stealth-edited the post to say quantities when it originally said Sept 1.
Want Proof? Well google cache has your back. Undisputable proof.
What the thread originally said before they canceled the program
"We're very excited to announce two special subscription packages available for purchase for a limited-time! Both of these offers are only going to be around until September 1st, so sign up while you still can. Below are the details for both the lifetime and 6-month subscription packages.
What it said after they stealth edited it
Both of these offers are only going to be around until supplies last,
It could also have been a marketing trick though. A basic principle of marketing is the theory of limited freedom. If you tell someone they cant have something, they tend to want it more. So they can make up a reason to stir up people (& get free press at the same time) then allow people to buy it but "only for the next couple days hurry!". As if it's such a great deal that people have to act fast since they're stealing from the company. I'm sorry this game is not that good. After the first few months, Most of these people (who dont have strong denial mechanisms anyway) are going to realize they just dropped a chunk of change on a clunker.
I don't think it was a marketing trick. WHY? Because the easier way to do this would have been to announce that they were reaching their max number of allowable subscriptions and MAY have to end the offer early. This way they would have been able to get the same number of people subscribing, without the S--T Storm that followed.
Again more then likely, it was the Turbine lawsuit that caused the re-opening of the subs, as it didn't happen untill AFTER the lawsuit was started. In addition, there may have been alot of people notifying the retailers they were canceling due to the BAIT-AND-SWITCH tactic that was employed. Perhaps a combination of both. But more likely the lawsuit, as they did ninja edit the original post.
P.S.> For those that don't know what a BAIT-AND-SWITCH is. Store say we have a product that normally cost $100.00 and advertises it for $10.00 TODAY ONLY. They only have one but, when peopel come in to get they say we sold that out. However, you can buy a similar product for $110.00. Use one item to bring you in under LIMITED TIME and then hit you with, oh we only had a LIMITED QUANITY of those, but you can pay more for the same thing.
LOL, you have no idea what you are talking about... Stick to Runescape or Maple Story then...
Guess what I meant to say is that if they were more clear on things like their pricing structure, I would have purchased the game. I'm just scared of getting screwed if I were to buy a lifetime sub since all I hear is bad things about the main guys that are running the game. Well hopefully that clears things up, sorry I can't make sense of what I post. I'll just move onto Aion instead