So 1.0 owners have to start paying the monthly fee immediately?

[Keku]

Forgive me, but you don't get it. The free trial period was of 2.0, not of 1.0.

The free period they gave was with 1.0. You're not making any sense, and it doesn't make any sense to give a "free trial" of an old failed game.

We got absolutely no free trial with 2.0, and we aren't getting any.

Which based on the dates would be months of early access because release is stated as Jan - post (sometime after Jan) and reinstated free period is before at oct-nov. So that should be your real complaint which is also unrealistic, which you also stated because people would be upset for such a head start.

I am not trying to defend SE, I am just pointing out the flaws in your interpretation.

I also think as I have stated many times it would be good marketing for them to give a period for those who quit long before a chance to come back and play but I am guessing they think they will come play beta 4 if they have interest, though as I said I don't class this as a free trial period either.

[Duuude007]

Yep, but when you make a promise to your customers that promise doesn't just disappear because the dates on the document become outdated.

There are going to be a whole lot of people pissed when they learn that the promised free trial isn't going to happen.

...except when it isn't a promise, it is a wild-eyed misinterpretation based on a document that was not only clearly labled as "subject to change", not merely a subjective estimate of some vague dates, but had also been revised several times from the version you are referencing.

[Abriael]

Which based on the dates would be months of early access because release is stated as Jan - post (sometime after Jan) and reinstated free period is before at oct-nov. So that should be your real complaint which is also unrealistic, which you also stated because people would be upset for such a head start.

A free trial isn't a headstart. They're very different concepts.

...except when it isn't a promise, it is a wild-eyed misinterpretation based on a document that was not only clearly labled as "subject to change", not merely a subjective estimate of some vague dates, but had also been revised several times from the version you are referencing.

You can't misinterpret "Free trial". It literally only means one thing.

None of those "revisions" stated that there would be no free trial.

[Drewbie]

This guy way too go buddy way to go if the game is good and players like it they will come regardless if its not then they won't look at swtor had a great launch and then fell of quickly so long as SE puts good quality content for us to do out there like they said they will the game will do good plus they are more then welcome to try phase 4 for 2 weeks is that not good enough or what? Why do They need 2-4 months? Plus if u really read it does say limited smart guy which to me means wtf knows how long limited is one day a week 1 hour a day for 2-4 months u are being unfair to SE they busted there behinds to come this far and look at u raining on there good times u want your friends to play u offer to pay for there 4 months okay

[Keku]

A free trial isn't a headstart. They're very different concepts.



You can't misinterpret "Free trial". It literally only means one thing.


None of those "revisions" stated that there would be no free trial.

Except when you state it's clearly for 2.0 and they have it slated BEFORE their slated release date on the same document.

So if it's for 2.0 it has to be "early access" only because they game isn't slated to be released until well after the stated free period starts.

If it was for 1.0 sure it may make no sense to you but they stated that since the game was so bad they extended the free period and said they would give another after billing had started, which could be said to be that, but I understand why you would feel it makes no sense but "why give a free trial for a failed game" why also did they charge for it the last 10 months it was running before shutdown?

[Abriael]

This guy way too go buddy way to go if the game is good and players like it they will come regardless if its not then they won't look at swtor had a great launch and then fell of quickly so long as SE puts good quality content for us to do out there like they said they will the game will do good plus they are more then welcome to try phase 4 for 2 weeks is that not good enough or what? Why do They need 2-4 months? Plus if u really read it does say limited smart guy which to me means wtf knows how long limited is one day a week 1 hour a day for 2-4 months u are being unfair to SE they busted there behinds to come this far and look at u raining on there good times u want your friends to play u offer to pay for there 4 months okay

God this post made my eyes bleed.

"Limited" just means that it won't be free to play forever. Making comparisons with other games doesn't hold water, as other games didn't have one of the worst failures of the history of the genre as a predecessor.

A Realm Reborn, as good as it can be, has to regain a lot of trust from a lot of disgruntled people, which doesn't apply to other games. It needs all the help it can get.

Except when you state it's clearly for 2.0 and they have it slated BEFORE their slated release date on the same document.

A free trial is open to everyone. A headstart is a bonus only some have access to. If it's a free trial there's no room for complaints.

If it was for 1.0 sure it may make no sense to you but they stated that since the game was so bad they extended the free period and said they would give another after billing had started, which could be said to be that, but I understand why you would feel it makes no sense but "why give a free trial for a failed game" why also did they charge for it the last 10 months it was running before shutdown?

The document clearly states that the free trial would come after 2.0's client is distributed.

What they did with 1.0 wasn't a free trial. It was letting players play for free because the game wasn't up to par.

[Keku]

God this post made my eyes bleed.

"Limited" just means that it won't be free to play forever. Making comparisons with other games doesn't hold water, as other games didn't have one of the worst failures of the history of the genre as a predecessor. A Realm Reborn, as good as it can be, has to regain a lot of trust from a lot of disgruntled people, which doesn't apply to other games. It needs all the help it can get.




A free trial is open to everyone. A headstart is a bonus only some have access to. If it's a free trial there's no room for complaints.



The document clearly states that the free trial would come after 2.0's client is distributed.

"Begin distribution of version 2.0 software for PC" means they start sending it out to stores, not selling.

"Version 2.0 client (PC and PlayStation®3 system) goes on sale" means exactly... goes on sale.

free trial is not for people who never owned the game and never has been for any game that's a demo or open beta (only because they are treated as such)

"Reinstate limited free trial period for PC version" - would sound like putting back on the trial the game came with

which reading you may guess you would have your 30 days AFTER the release sure I won't argue that too much and I think it would be a good idea, but where you are getting this 3 months is in your head considering it's long before the release.

[Abriael]

"Begin distribution of version 2.0 software for PC" means they start sending it out to stores, not selling.

"Version 2.0 client (PC and PlayStation®3 system) goes on sale" means exactly... goes on sale.

free trial is not for people who never owned the game and never has been for any game that's a demo or open beta (only because they are treated as such)

"Reinstate limited free trial period for PC version" - would sound like putting back on the trial the game came with

which reading you may guess you would have your 30 days AFTER the release sure I won't argue that too much and I think it would be a good idea, but where you are getting this 3 months is in your head considering it's long before the release.

Sorry, but you're making some large semantic somersaults to try and make it fit. It simply doesn't float.

Distribution obviously means to players, as they also say they're also "distributing" the PS3 beta just the line below that, or you think they're going to send a beta to stores?

They promised a rather long free trial, and they aren't giving it. That's pretty much all there's to it. Whether you think it's fair for them to do so or not, that's your choice.

The problem isn't just that it isn't very fair, it's also that it's not a very effective business decision, and this game really needs all the help it can get.

[Drewbie]

Here u go buddy "limited" Restricted in size, amount, or extent; few, small, or short: "a limited number of places are available" sense your mister technical could mean exactly what I said plus your the only guy even looking at that old ass road map "come on man" no one but You remembered it but you if u wanna help them stop complaining and go out and post everywhere what a great game it is not I am going to show u SE and it does say they can change dates as they please so...... If you are trying to help then help stop trying to make them look bad ..... Let me guess they are doing it on there own

[Fatestorm]

Abriael's completely right. I have not been 'officially following' all the dev posts religiously, I read them when I see posts and try to get the sense from gaming websites. But it was always my impression, without being able to quote like an academic research paper, that SE would give all players a NEW 30 day trial at the launch of ARR. Not the suspension of pay after the failed launch of 1.0; not the suspension of pay near the end of 1.0 as they got ready to cease billing for the current iteration of the game, a NEW TRIAL of the new game on release. Abriael posted the documentation for that expectation--they said they would.

We could debate best business practices all day long, and what will be better for the game's launch and community. To me, it's undoubtedly the case that a free trial will bring back lots of old players who might not otherwise play. But the main thing is it's always a bad practice to say one thing and then do another--WITHOUT some sort of explicit attention to it and why you chose to do that. If you don't call it out, it makes it look like you're just breaking a promise, and clearly people will notice.