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Originally Posted by jbone
You know, generally when a game comes out, people are excited to play it. The game has been advertised, and folks are excited to check it out and play it. Most people say to themselves "gee, that game sounds exciting, I think I'll buy it." There are very few people who are like "Gee, that game sounds great, I think I'll really enjoy it. I know! I'll wait months to buy it until they have released a final patch."
I have heard other people say this sort of comment as well, and it makes no sense to me. Either there is a fundamental lack of understanding about the process that a consumer goes about to buy a game. Either that, or you have a fundamental lack of understanding about human nature in general.
And anyways, you just don't seem to get it. As a consumer, if a game is released and advertised, one should assume that on whole, it is working correctly. It's not my job to purvey message boards for when final patches have come out; it's my job to read an email that the game has been released, and then pay $35 and play and enjoy the game.
If I need a hammer and walk into a hardware store to buy one, they aren't like "yes, we have a great hammer right here. However, the head of it and the handle aren't attached yet. We're selling this hammer for $35, though, and I hope that you can wait a couple of months for your project so that we can finish manufacturing the hammer."
Whether the final hammer is good or not (and it could wind up being the best hammer in the world), this is no way to do business.
And as far as whether I keep buying their games is my prerogative. It's my money, I can do what I want with it, when I want with it. And am I loyal? Yes. But that loyalty, plus the fact that I have spent the money for this game and have experienced this game, give me a right to speak up about this game, and the practices of SI in general. I don't tell you how to spend your money or your time, please don't tell me how to spend mine. It's none of your business.
The truth is, that I am the customer. When I receive an email advertising a game as a product, with new features, etc, and then go buy the game, I expect it to work properly. This isn't just a complaint, this is a right. If you have ever heard of the concept of "Consumer Rights", this is what they are talking about.
And quite frankly, those who attempt to defend SI on this (by apparently telling me to patient, or telling me to not buy the game, etc.) do so by attacking my buying habits and not defend the ethics of SI itself. These people are not going to improve the game for the future, so that SI stops this ridiculous practice. They are just helping SI perpetuate the cycle - as if SI is faultless for releasing a highly bugged game and it's simply MY fault for buying it and playing it.
Anyways, I'm sure that you consider yourselves very mature and patient and righteous for putting up with all the bugs of SI Games, and acting like I am some sort of lesser, impatient stooge. We'll see if you still feel the same way after ootp2008 is released with all sorts of bugs in it as well - or if by that time you are a little more sick of it - and you will have no one to blame but yourselves. Or perhaps you will just go on complaining about all the incessant posts by the "whiners" (i.e., those who actually expect quality and professionalism), and go on to congratulate yourselves for how mature you consider yourselves for waiting months after a release for a half-finished product to be fixed.
Let me give you hint - if you spoke up about it yourselves, instead of skirt the issue by attacking my buying and playing habits, SI might actually do something about it. And quite frankly, I think that is about the most constructive thing that has been said in this thread so far.
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