Comments on: The Never-Ending Pay2Play Beta Phase http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/06/12/the-never-ending-pay2play-beta-phase/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:01:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Aaron http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/06/12/the-never-ending-pay2play-beta-phase/comment-page-1/#comment-3251 Aaron Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:07 +0000 http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/06/12/the-never-ending-pay2play-beta-phase/#comment-3251 Developers should have a list at release of game features they can alter and game features that can't be touched (clean up the bugs, but no balancing or such). Massive online games will never be finished products to the degree of smaller games. But consumers should be able to count on any game being basically the same from one month to the next. MMO developers have given themselves a pass by claiming MMOs are services and not products. That's garbage. MMOs are products with services attached to them. When I buy an MMO, I'm interested in the static lines of code included on the discs and the servers that support that program. Sure, I'm paying for server maintenance, but the object of my purchasing decision is a program that could be polished and otherwise left alone. Developers should have a list at release of game features they can alter and game features that can’t be touched (clean up the bugs, but no balancing or such). Massive online games will never be finished products to the degree of smaller games. But consumers should be able to count on any game being basically the same from one month to the next.

MMO developers have given themselves a pass by claiming MMOs are services and not products. That’s garbage. MMOs are products with services attached to them. When I buy an MMO, I’m interested in the static lines of code included on the discs and the servers that support that program. Sure, I’m paying for server maintenance, but the object of my purchasing decision is a program that could be polished and otherwise left alone.

]]> By: Openedge1 http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/06/12/the-never-ending-pay2play-beta-phase/comment-page-1/#comment-3245 Openedge1 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:31:04 +0000 http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/06/12/the-never-ending-pay2play-beta-phase/#comment-3245 I really, really wonder what game this may be referring to? (LOL) I assume it is brand new, and is on a bi-weekly patch schedule until major issues are ironed out? There is no doubt that every MMO now has been "Oh look a patch", and we as subscribers go on our merry way. Patching is so normal for MMO's, that my wife who is not a whiz or guru of any sort, never blinks when she turns to me and says..."Hey, our game has a patch"... It has become synonymous with MMO's...and for people to expect this to change (the many complaints of this "New" MMO is why it needed to be patched so much, and should not have been...please get real people)...it will not happen as code gets more involved, more detailed... I think as long as the game in question is able to be played..(I still think of starting WoW over a year after release, and coming in when a new patch introduced a serious bug with servers coming down every day for hours on end for about a month or so..)...then my purchase is worthwhile. I really, really wonder what game this may be referring to?
(LOL)

I assume it is brand new, and is on a bi-weekly patch schedule until major issues are ironed out?

There is no doubt that every MMO now has been “Oh look a patch”, and we as subscribers go on our merry way.
Patching is so normal for MMO’s, that my wife who is not a whiz or guru of any sort, never blinks when she turns to me and says…”Hey, our game has a patch”…

It has become synonymous with MMO’s…and for people to expect this to change (the many complaints of this “New” MMO is why it needed to be patched so much, and should not have been…please get real people)…it will not happen as code gets more involved, more detailed…

I think as long as the game in question is able to be played..(I still think of starting WoW over a year after release, and coming in when a new patch introduced a serious bug with servers coming down every day for hours on end for about a month or so..)…then my purchase is worthwhile.

]]> By: Qix http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/06/12/the-never-ending-pay2play-beta-phase/comment-page-1/#comment-3226 Qix Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:59:30 +0000 http://www.mmocrunch.com/2008/06/12/the-never-ending-pay2play-beta-phase/#comment-3226 Just like an operating system (windows especially , but not alone) the software is just too big for it to come out perfect. Even with a more than normal amount of time spent before release. I argue with the point about MMO's starting the patching idea though. More accurately, it would be the internet that made patching a normal thing. Before that it was not reasonable to get a patch out to people. While i cant think of any off the top of my head, it was not a new thing to be getting patches when I was playing UO, and that was pretty close to the start of large scale MMO's. Just like an operating system (windows especially , but not alone) the software is just too big for it to come out perfect. Even with a more than normal amount of time spent before release.

I argue with the point about MMO’s starting the patching idea though. More accurately, it would be the internet that made patching a normal thing. Before that it was not reasonable to get a patch out to people. While i cant think of any off the top of my head, it was not a new thing to be getting patches when I was playing UO, and that was pretty close to the start of large scale MMO’s.

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