I just want to point out that I think the difficulty here has been blown out of proportion by both sides. However, it IS a matter of severe PR fail.
"We haven't announced yet the addition of Oc. Right now, it's just tech savvy users who are able to add him. "
"The update was released last night with the announcement going up today. In the history notes it mentioned Oculus and how to get him early. "
Can someone please explain to me the rationale behind this strategy? What it boils down to is Stardock released a product before they were ready to announce it, document it, and support it. (Product = DLC activation mechanism)
What happens next should be no surprise: Users are confused about the new product. Some people can figure it out, others can't. They start posting on the forums. "What's the deal? What's with this new product that is not documented or supported? Why was there no formal introduction to it? Why do I have to go to teh skreeching forumz to learn how this product works?" Tensions mount and frustations get higher and higher. It all happens very quickly. It's the internet.
And here's where it really goes off the rails: Stardock, seeming surprised by the amount of outrage over the unannounced, undocumented, unsupported feature they released lashes back at the community and scraps the whole thing.
I just don't understand. Why does a software company release a product without announcing it, documenting it, or supporting it? Even for just one night? What do they gain from this?
The pattern I'm seeing from Stardock is not poor quality product, or even bad business decisions... just questionable PR strategies. The work they've done on Demigod has been fantastic! But they continue to present it in the worst possible light, and then get upset when it gets torn to shreds. The question is simple: Why would a software company release a product before they were ready to announce it, document it, and support it? And worse yet, how could the possibly get frustrated with users who get frustrated by the lack of formal support and documentation for the product?
And even worse yet, why would they shoot the product in the head after one night of misery caused by this lack of support? If you're not going to support the product for a night, it seems absurd to be surprised when people have difficulties with it, and just plain stupid to get frustrated by it and cancel the product entirely. Why pull the plug before it gets off the ground, especially when you didn't wind it up properly in the first place? Why let screechy, whiney fanboys affect future business decisions?
I get that Frogboy and company aren't professionals, they're just fanboys... but it doesn't seem fair to the community for them to try to occupy both sides of the fence. If you're going to behave like fanboys, don't get upset when the community doesn't treat you like professionals. And if you're going to be professionals, don't make amatuer decisions like release a product the night before you're ready to announce it and support it.
The bottom line is, the whole "Stardock is different, we're just a bunch of fanboys" line really irks me, and I think it's the cause of these kinds of problems. I don't pay good money for amateur fanboy productions. I pay good money for professional productions. I get that THIS production was free, but I have paid Stardock good money in the past. And it just kills me to see these kinds of bizzarre, and frankly unprofessional decisions continue to be made. You have a Logo, you have a website, you sell products... you look like an upstanding corporate company. It seems reasonable to expect that you would act like one. I want to be pround of the companies I patronize.
Don't release a product the night before you're ready to announce it, document it, and support it. Because this is the kind of garbage you get when you do. Isn't that something you learn in "Running a Software Company 101?" I'm an amatuer fanboy, and I know that.
(Here comes the ban. But I guess since support for Demigod is over, I don't have much reason to participate here anymore anyway)
As I said twice before in other threads, this is nothing short of a d*** move. Why do I keep using that term? Allow me to use a quote:
We want users to be happy with the game. We are happy with Demigod. We like hanging out with many of the members of the community. But I think it's clear that it would be a huge mistake to try to release future non-free updates for Demigod (i.e. map or demigod modules). Certainly, some people would buy such content. But not enough to where I would feel comfortable justifying our team or asking GPG's team work on it, especially when it would likely generate a great deal of ill-will by people who feel entitled to unlimited free content -- and who are very vocal.
Yes, I've been vocal about my dislike for nickel and diming DLC strategies but I am in full support of an extremely content rich expansion pack. I don't feel entitled to free content and I fully support paying for content that is worth the price, but why are 'expansion packs' so taboo now? Why does it have to be insignificant DLC that makes consumers feel like they're getting ripped off/milked?
Either way, it's clear: a few of us complained and Stardock had a tantrum and now no one will be getting anymore content. Don't worry about getting banned. I've posted in 3 threads, 2 of which have already been locked, my displeasure with this situation noted several times and I'm still here.
If anything, you can make the argument that us long time Stardock customers have grown accustomed to their high level of transperancy and behind-the-scenes looks.
I think it is only natural for customers used to this behavior to get completely blindsided by something like this. It would be like you put your keys and wallet in the same spot for a year, and then your wife puts them inside a box in another room and you FREAK and spend hours looking for it and are late for work, when it was really a simple thing but poor communication.
Its disheartening too, because I bought demigod 3 days ago because I really want stardock to be successful and I'm crossing my fingers that I didn't buy a lemon that is about to get the support pulled ...
Well, despite the current firestorm... Demigod is a GREAT Game, and is really in pretty excellent shape! So you certainly did not buy a lemon. My enthusiasm for this game can not be overstated.
My concern is with the behavior of the publishers and the way they interact with the community, not the product they've published.
You didn't get a lemon. The game is done and finished. It is a great game too. You did buy a game that will not get any major free dlc, and likely no pay dlc. I still keep my fingers crossed for a a standalone expansion or DG2, but realisticly, I won't hold my breath. The game is no lemon, it just had a rough release and never got the steam it needed.
People were out of line.
How is giving us our FREE new demigod the moment it was done a dick move? I was stoked to Occ and my TB fix as soon as possible, and glad they didn't wait until they had things all set... of course after seeing what dramatic nillies everyone acted like, maybe they should have made a little announcement and told people to simmah down and there'd be an easier way of doing things the next day, but so what.
^Again, that's the fanboy approach... not the polished professional approach. But if you're going to be a fanboy, there's no grounds for getting upset when you and your product are not treated with professional respect on the forums.
That's not the d*** move. The d*** move was the response Stardock employees gave after this entire situation. 'Oh, you don't like our system that we didn't tell you about and you don't like how we're attempting to deploy nickel and diming DLC strategies? FINE! NO CONTENT FOR YOU'.
That right there is the d*** move.
I started a post earlier to say the same thing with nicer words but didn't bother after the first sentence and just played the game instead.
I agree though, if they wanted to track how many people would use their DLC system for a free Occulus then the system should have been announced and explained both here in the forums, in the game directly and possibly even by an email to registered users well in advance of release. Not a day after.
All that being said, I think someone just released it too early or didn't expect anyone to find the unlocking link in the patch notes and after the damage was done it was done. Still, bonehead move releasing it at all before announcing it as that just creates the oppertunity for this sort of thing to happen. Lesson learned I hope. That's what life is all about, new people constantly learning the same old lessons.
As far as DLC goes, I strongly, strongly urge you guys to just plain give demigod away for free and charge for maps/new dgs. Seriously, this game is really good but it suffers from bad press from release. The only way to really salvage it is dramatically increase the player base (which would be easy if it were free) and make up the return on dlc. Hell, I'd pay $5 for new dg's/maps as often as every few weeks if it meant I could actually play the game with some friends and it didn't take 30 minutes to form a subpar game most of the time. As it stands everyone I know won't buy this game because they heard it had a bad launch, no one plays it and Heroes of Newearth is free...
Stardock is all about unconventional publishing techniques isn't it? Might as well give it a try...
from what ive heard so far, i sense a loss of motivation and dedication for the game.
I just think its funny when i compare the way Guild wars devs manage their game and how the devs here manage demigod.Guild Wars has been free to play from day 1, and since day 1 there have been ample amounts of new content FREE of CHARGE. There is a store though for those who are willing to pay a bit of cash for unique/limited content but those who dont wish to pay, arent forgotten or disadvantaged in any way coz they receive their fair share of content over time also.
Now because theyve done a great job at doing this the existing player base will buy expansions and even the sequal to this game.
Its just odd when ive paid $60 for Guild wars which provides a WHOLE WORLD containing explorable areas, outposts and tons of creature designs, vast range of skills, a seemingly unlimited assortment of items and crafting materials, guilds, so many pvp modes and pve options. The possibilties seem limitless!!
and then $60 for demigod which provides a small portion in comparison to guild wars. Of course they are completely different games but forgive those that arent willing to pay for additional content when demigod doesnt compare to others in terms of content/features. We live in a world of comparisons and thats why theres strong competition. But we'll only support those that we find a worth it.
its just my perspective of things. But ive said it many times before "i love playing demigod!"
Wait I downloaded the damn game and it said 14 day trial... do I actually have to buy the game for the f2p part?
Guys, you have to put this in perspective. DG has been a hot potato for SD from day 1. And largely because it's not SD's title, but GPG's.
They did sink money in the title when they didn't have to (at least formally, the first time SD doesn't support a title will be a disaster for them). But they did sink money into DG and that is huge.
Where SD failed by itself (and this is just my opinion) was trying to defend a flawed title. My impression was that there were a lot of complains from the community and a lot of suggestion for improvements. Most were greeted with a "umm, no, we like it the way it is, we can play/enjoy the game already". While justified from a cost pov, this didn't sit well with many players.
So, in light of all this, was anyone expecting more free content after the two new demigods? Cause I surely wasn't.
PS: There still one thing that will come out of this: Elemental must succeed now (and I care more for Elemental than I ever did for DG - I'm a SP guy).
Also, skills Demigod's 40 vs Guild Wars' 1100+
I like Guild Wars.
I'm just sorta annoyed ever single post that was posted that wasn't praising SD/GPG seems to have been deleted >>
I even make constructive comments and they get nuked :sigh: Well, maybe I'll just pretend the forums were overloaded and something happened...
I just dont understand what the hell was so hard about activating Oc. I mean really? Who the fuck doesnt read patch notes? At least just glance over them. They were like 5 lines!
Don't stress yourselves.
Tech savy? WTF?! Since when is reading tech savy? I wouldnt have a job if that were the case.
By tech savvy they mean people who have modded their brains into computers and have connected to the Stardock mainframe so that they know to right click -> view history when there was no possible indication that that was what they needed to do.
Well damn, how did my non-cybran brain figure out this complex math equation of love?
I didn't even know "View History" existed. . .
/signed
PS:
after patching other games, a ReadMe-file with patch notes popped up
THX for the free content!
Anyone who closes a post with a line such as this clearly demonstrates his desire to inflame the community. Don't hope for a ban, just leave.
it really is disappointing...i mean, you see games like diablo 2 still getting *huge* patches 10 years after being released, and then there's this. i figured this was going to be one of those games like diablo, at least until the release of oculus.
i, for one, am grateful for any updates the game gets, for better or for worse. if it's for worse, you can always fix it or revert the game to a previous update. it's amazing how far this game has come from its shaky beginnings, and it's too bad there won't be anything more in the way of major free content.
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