Ok so how do you do a preorder early access in a game that is already launched? Is it fair that a paying subscriber that preordered the update isn't allowed to play it until those that preordered before Jan 7th get their 5 days in?

 

This sounds like a way of punishing players for being cautious before buying. Only those who jump on the pay now button get rewarded. How can you restrict players from a new planet that they purchased for the same amount of money? And you can word it however you like " early access" " 5 day head start" , whatever, but its more like this, " If you didnt preorder before Jan 7th you will have to wait 5 days longer to play the content you purchased, but thank you for buying. "

 

I get the whole early access for a launch of a game but i do not get early access for a launch of a game update. And please don't call it an expansion, there is not nearly enough content in this to be called an expansion.

 

Hoping this game takes a turn around, im enjoying it for the most part, I just wish Bioware would stop playing the favorites game with its customers. And yes I buy Cartel coins and yes I am a subscriber, so I more than enough support this game and feel that I along with everyone else who pays to play should get to play the new update when it launches, not have to wait 5 days. Do the right thing Bioware.

Early access and pre-orders aren't uncommon in the gaming world. I do think they should have had a lot more data out before cutting off the date, but eh. If you really want/feel you need the early access it's either:

- No impulse control, must have the next shiny (in case you don't really need details)

- You are in a guild/raid group and need to stay in line with guildies (in which the access is more important than the details)

 

I think it was poor planning to have so few details before early access cutoff, but thinking you get early access again just because you did before is silly.

It's really not that different from the early access we got for pre-ordering the game itself.

This sounds like a way of punishing players for being cautious before buying.

 

Well, yes.

 

Or, not actually punish, but it's certainly not in their financial best interests to encourage caution. You have to trust your product a great deal to let people try it before paying for it, and companies on the order of EA/Activision/Capcom don't trust their products. They don't take risks they don't have to, period. It's why this game apes WoW so closely; WoW is successful. Something totally new and different might not be.

 

In the case of an MMO you don't have the same kind of trade-in incentive, as a company, to get people to buy on day 1, of course; on a sub or microtransaction model, you don't have to worry about not seeing money from rentals or resales of used games. But on the other hand, you have a massive incentive to get as much of the community on board as much as possible as fast as possible, because community is self-perpetuating. If everyone on server is playing Makeb, if your guild is there and your friends are there and the people selling what you want on the GTN are there, you have a lot of incentive as a player to follow. If no one is there, you're going to go and be lonely and hate it and quit. It's why the server merges were such a big deal. Getting people to pre-order Makeb ensures that they'll be there on day 1, that they've already invested and so they feel obligated to get a return on their investment, which provides a large community from the start.

Companies need to plan ahead and making offers like these gives them some idea of the numbers they can expect to see buying the expansion. The reason this is important is so that they can guage the extra number of temporary staff they will need to hire and have trained up to cover billing/CS/technical areas of the game. The early enticement also provides an income to pay for this extra staff.

 

Sure it is a game, but it is still a business which needs to be able to forecast numbers of customers and income receivable just like any other business.

The option to pre-order for early access was there. Those who support the expansion from the beginning get rewarded with early access. It is not a punishment to those who wait.

 

It seems that you are pretty sure you are going to buy it. The opportunity to get the reward was there, but you did not take advantage of it. No worries, you'll catch up in no time. Five days is not long to wait.

Ok so how do you do a preorder early access in a game that is already launched?

 

You block access to people who didn't order before a certain time. I would guess that this happens much the same way that the Digital Deluxe buyers are handled. Your account gets a token attached to it. When the right time comes, anyone with that token is allowed to jump to the new planet. Everyone who doesn't have that token, gets to wait. It's pretty simple, really. It's not so different than the do the access to Section X.

 

Is it fair that a paying subscriber that preordered the update isn't allowed to play it until those that preordered before Jan 7th get their 5 days in?

 

Yes. You were told that was what would happen.

 

This sounds like a way of punishing players for being cautious before buying.

 

No. No, no, no. A thousand times: No.

 

Get this straight: Not getting a free gift is not "punishment". If you pre-ordered the expansion today, the purchase page says that you'll get access when its officially released. That is exactly what you'll get. You are offered something; you get that thing.

 

People who ordered before Jan 7 were promised access to the expansion 5 days before the official release day. They were offered something, they'll get that thing.

 

No one is failing to get what they were promised. No one is getting less than what they expected. No one is being punished. The early pre-orders are getting something free for a show of loyalty (or impulsiveness, or blindness or stupidity or whatever other word you want to use to make yourself feel superior to them). What they get is a reward. If everyone gets it, its not a reward. Are you insisting that retailers should never be allowed to give anyone rewards, ever?

 

And please don't call it an expansion, there is not nearly enough content in this to be called an expansion.

 

They can call it what they want.

 

I just wish Bioware would stop playing the favorites game with its customers.

 

Why shouldn't they?

 

Do you rant about airlines, too? Why do first class customers get better food? Why do people who buy their tickets earlier get better seats? Concerts give out the best tickets to the people who buy first. Isn't that totally unfair, too? I mean, if I buy my ticket two months later, I still pay the same price, so I should have the same chance at being in the front row, right? What about clothing stores? I get coupons every month for stores that I've shopped at before. Do you hate that, too? I mean, they're playing favorites. They should give those to everyone! Amazon gives free shipping and faster fulfillment to its Prime customers. That's totally unfair. They should give that to everyone, too.

 

Face it: The only reason you hate this is because you're not getting it.

Early access and pre-orders aren't uncommon in the gaming world. I do think they should have had a lot more data out before cutting off the date, but eh. If you really want/feel you need the early access it's either:

- No impulse control, must have the next shiny (in case you don't really need details)

- You are in a guild/raid group and need to stay in line with guildies (in which the access is more important than the details)

 

I think it was poor planning to have so few details before early access cutoff, but thinking you get early access again just because you did before is silly.

 

Or you know you are going to buy the expansion anyway so getting 5 days early access is a nice bonus for the money you are definitely going to spend.

 

5 levels, new planet, new skills and talent points is enough for me to justify spending a small amount of money. I don't care if there is no definitive news on FPs or OPs. Those will arrive either with the expansion or later on but you will still need to have bought the expansion to experience them on level.

Is it fair that a paying subscriber that preordered the update isn't allowed to play it until those that preordered before Jan 7th get their 5 days in?

 

Life ain't fair kid; get used to it.

 

But in this case, it actually IS fair. BW gave all of us (even those crazy F2P players!!!) the option to pre-order by a certain date and get 5-days of early access. We all had the same shot; some took it, and some didn't. The real question is: why didn't you buy it prior to the deadline if 5-days of early access is clearly so important to you?

 

I just wish Bioware would stop playing the favorites game with its customers.

 

I'm not even sure what this means.....which customers, exactly, is BW "playing the favorites game" with?

Early access and pre-orders aren't uncommon in the gaming world. I do think they should have had a lot more data out before cutting off the date, but eh. If you really want/feel you need the early access it's either:

- No impulse control, must have the next shiny (in case you don't really need details)

- You are in a guild/raid group and need to stay in line with guildies (in which the access is more important than the details)

 

I think it was poor planning to have so few details before early access cutoff, but thinking you get early access again just because you did before is silly.

 

Bolded part that applies to me

 

Sad Im paying someone else for access to my gaming guild

 

I missed the early access cut off and couldnt care less (after debakled they made of early access pre orders at launch I intentionally decided to avoid it completely so I know when I get access. Someone in before me, so be it)

 

But yeah, enough buddies pre ordered it that I did to so I could have access to the areas they will be in for at least a month or 2 (before new shinny wears off).

 

If I could have been sure we all could have still adventured togather with out the DLC,

I wouldnt have purchased it

No way no how

This sounds like a way of punishing players for being cautious before buying.

 

Marketing ploy to gain revenue.

 

Clearly, if the potential seller is being vague, or close mouthed to the perspective buyer while holding his hand out, all sorts of bells and whistles should be going off in the potential buyers head.

 

Marketing techniques help to deaden those bells and whistles by, as is the most basic goal of marketing, not to attempting to sell the the perspective buyer but instill in them a need to buy. That is what we are seeing here, and that is why people are flocking to this like lambs to the slaughter without even knowing what they are purchasing.

 

It amazes me, but it continues to work.

Or you know you are going to buy the expansion anyway so getting 5 days early access is a nice bonus for the money you are definitely going to spend.

 

5 levels, new planet, new skills and talent points is enough for me to justify spending a small amount of money. I don't care if there is no definitive news on FPs or OPs. Those will arrive either with the expansion or later on but you will still need to have bought the expansion to experience them on level.

 

How do you get those five levels? what is the process? Will there be gear for those levels once you get there? What will you do once you get those five levels (a few days after the expansion?) if there is no end game content, no further content at all for the new level?. Will you have passed all current content and now have nothing at all to do, to work for as you previous gear is outdated and no new gear is present? What is the size of this new planet? Huge? what is "huge?". Is it a single zone that will mash all players into it? Will it be broken for a year as Ilum currently is?

 

Five new levels, new planet, new skills and talent points is like saying the care we are trying to sell you have four tires, uses gas, has a radio. Not much to go on.

Marketing ploy to gain revenue.

 

Clearly, if the potential seller is being vague, or close mouthed to the perspective buyer while holding his hand out, all sorts of bells and whistles should be going off in the potential buyers head.

 

Marketing techniques help to deaden those bells and whistles by, as is the most basic goal of marketing, not to attempting to sell the the perspective buyer but instill in them a need to buy. That is what we are seeing here, and that is why people are flocking to this like lambs to the slaughter without even knowing what they are purchasing.

 

It amazes me, but it continues to work.

 

 

You seem rather paranoid there. I take it this is your first experience with pre-orders and video games?

 

Early access reduces the chaos of launch days. We've been given a reasonable amount of information, which is enough to make a ten dollar purchase for many people. And no, preorders are not a marketing scheme to steal money from people.

If I could have been sure we all could have still adventured togather with out the DLC,

 

You can never be sure of what is coming in the future.

If you play the game and hope to progress you should already own it, esp as a subscriber. Seriously go sell lemonaide with your little sister for 2 hours and ask her for $10.

I just wish Bioware would stop playing the favorites game with its customers.

 

But they aren't playing favorites. They made the same offer to EVERYONE, regardless of your customer status. Knowing what they were offering, you made the decision to not take advantage of the offer.

 

If you really want/feel you need the early access it's either:

 

Or you enjoy the game and are confident that the expansion will be worth the whole $10 it costs a subscriber.

You seem rather paranoid there. I take it this is your first experience with pre-orders and video games?

 

Early access reduces the chaos of launch days. We've been given a reasonable amount of information, which is enough to make a ten dollar purchase for many people. And no, preorders are not a marketing scheme to steal money from people.

 

First, do not insult me. I've not insulted you, and I probably have more experience gaming then you have on this earth so lets not act pompous and adolescent. Address the issues, not my psychological well being. Green?

 

In that experience of almost 20 years I have never witnessed any release, any per-order, any content update where there was a request for payment with little to no information released as to the content.

 

I've also run a successful bushiness for about 30 years and have never once had any credible sub-contractor, supplier, or anyone request payment for anything without full disclosure. Its just not done and for obvious reasons. In fact, the only time I've seen vagueness of this sort was when there was some shady dealings about to transpire. That does not make one paranoid (as your off the cuff insult may has implied), it's simply good business sense so either every bank, business, insurance company in the world are filled with paranoid executives or you are way off base with your assumptions and insults.

Early access and pre-orders aren't uncommon in the gaming world. I do think they should have had a lot more data out before cutting off the date, but eh. If you really want/feel you need the early access it's either:

- No impulse control, must have the next shiny (in case you don't really need details)

- You are in a guild/raid group and need to stay in line with guildies (in which the access is more important than the details)

 

I think it was poor planning to have so few details before early access cutoff, but thinking you get early access again just because you did before is silly.

 

You forgot that $10 is a pittance and worth the risk. Getting 5 exta days at new content for less than the price of viewing a movie in the theatre. I don't see why people are taking the tact of "I will not plunk down $10 until I know what's in the expansion". Again $10 is nothing.

You seem rather paranoid there. I take it this is your first experience with pre-orders and video games?

 

Early access reduces the chaos of launch days. We've been given a reasonable amount of information, which is enough to make a ten dollar purchase for many people. And no, preorders are not a marketing scheme to steal money from people.

 

^QFT.

 

/agree.

 

You forgot that $10 is a pittance and worth the risk. Getting 5 exta days at new content for less than the price of viewing a movie in the theatre. I don't see why people are taking the tact of "I will not plunk down $10 until I know what's in the expansion". Again $10 is nothing.

 

Great example.

 

This is why it works. It is a fool-proof marketing scheme, and guaranteed to work because of the mentality we see here. It is "only 10 dollars". True enough, but it represents a windfall, depending on player numbers, in the area of 10 million dollars with no risk of loss, no responsibility to provide adequate content, just, "early access". There is no chance of repercussions or litigation because they've delivered what they've marketed-early access. Further, the cost, as you've stated, is so low to each individual as to make it not worth the cost or effort to pursue should they fail to provide an adequate product.

 

Even in those cases where one may exceed rational thought and pursue, the refund of 10 dollars to settle out is an absolute minimum. There are only "watch-dog" entities to be concerned with, and in this particular industry it is highly unlikely.

 

That is just one example of the mechanics involved in this type of transaction. It is a win for them all the way across the board regardless of what content they produce. Keep in mind that I'm not arguing the affordability of the offer. I am also not arguing that it is a scam. I'm simply putting forth the contention that this is a text-book example of how such scams function and is being employed by a parent company that has an established reputation, not for illegal, but less then completely honorable transactions.

Edited January 25, 2013 by Blackardin

Great example.

 

This is why it works. It is a fool-proof marketing scheme, and guaranteed to work because of the mentality we see here. It is "only 10 dollars". True enough, but it represents a windfall, depending on player numbers, in the area of 10 million dollars with no risk of loss, no responsibility to provide adequate content, just, "early access". There is no chance of repercussions or litigation because they've delivered what they've marketed-early access. Further, the cost, as you've stated, is so low to each individual as to make it not worth the cost or effort to pursue should they fail to provide an adequate product.

 

Even in those cases where one may exceed rational thought and pursue, the refund of 10 dollars to settle out is an absolute minimum. There are only "watch-dog" entities to be concerned with, and in this particular industry it is highly unlikely.

 

That is just one example of the mechanics involved in this type of transaction. It is a win for them all the way across the board regardless of what content they put out. Keep in mind that I'm not arguing the affordability of the offer. I am also not arguing that it is a scam. I'm simply putting putting forth the contention that this is a text-book example of how such scams function.

 

Yeah .. er no ... not in this case. While what you have detailed is legit for describing cons and scams it is bit "Tin Foil Hat" with regards to "virtual media". If you think about it the WHOLE THING is a scam (no matter what game you play) because you are spending your money on "nothing tangible".

 

$10 is nothing. People "waste" $10 everyday on "luxuries", "loto tickets" and "starbucks coffee".

Ok so how do you do a preorder early access in a game that is already launched?

Guy! You're preordering an upcoming digital expansion, so far, that expansion has NOT been released...

 

Bioware/Origin is self-publishing the digital download. They have the liberty to award whatever preorder bonus they see fit. It's no different than gamestop preorder bonuses which come packaged with extra content discs, plastic toys, or other manufactured swag. This is a digital download, thus bypassing the whole manufacturing, shipping process and release date logistics; the goal with going digital is not to make customers wait for a physical product to show up in their hands. So if time is the question, what better preorder bonus than playing the game before its intended release date.??

 

Note about the PTS:

 

 

----

Looking back at your post, what you actually have a problem with is...

.. the video game industry's habit of coming up with preorder bonuses for unreleased products.

I think the best way to go about resolving this problem of yours, is, fire up some angry emails/letters, point your 21 inch hate guns at every major vg publisher and corporate retail store, bombard them with all your preorder complaints and ask the industry to cease all future preorder bonuses. Here's a list of all the major publishers and retailers:

 

Edited February 28, 2013 by Falensawino

Sounds like someone (op) didn't preorder it in time and is now sad that it's now worth $10.

I'm hoping when the game does launch they will still allow those that purchased the expansion after the early access offer to at least be able to gain xp and level to 55, just not have access to the new content. In pvp a 5 day head start can be a big deal. I personally started playing the game again mid jan so I was out of luck with the early access deal but hey thats life and I hope i'll at least be able to still work towards cap even if all i can do i pvp and do dailies etc... but we'll have to wait see. No sense in getting upset about it, I'm sure they will be fair about it. Edited February 28, 2013 by majiinx

Ok so how do you do a preorder early access in a game that is already launched? Is it fair that a paying subscriber that preordered the update isn't allowed to play it until those that preordered before Jan 7th get their 5 days in?

 

This sounds like a way of punishing players for being cautious before buying. Only those who jump on the pay now button get rewarded. How can you restrict players from a new planet that they purchased for the same amount of money? And you can word it however you like " early access" " 5 day head start" , whatever, but its more like this, " If you didnt preorder before Jan 7th you will have to wait 5 days longer to play the content you purchased, but thank you for buying. "

 

I get the whole early access for a launch of a game but i do not get early access for a launch of a game update. And please don't call it an expansion, there is not nearly enough content in this to be called an expansion.

 

Hoping this game takes a turn around, im enjoying it for the most part, I just wish Bioware would stop playing the favorites game with its customers. And yes I buy Cartel coins and yes I am a subscriber, so I more than enough support this game and feel that I along with everyone else who pays to play should get to play the new update when it launches, not have to wait 5 days. Do the right thing Bioware.

 

I'm presuming there will be some kind of Cartel Coin charge to allow F2P players to progress beyond 50 into the 51-55 range, and to visit Makeb.

 

If this is true, then all they need to do is assign all of us who have pre-ordered that access before anyone else can obtain it. Seems like it would work to me.