The mess that is SOE

Johnhost · November 2007

I can only boggle at the utter mess this company makes every launch. The demand is clearly high, players foaming at the mouth with anticipation. People lining up worldwide to purchase the shiny new expansion. But yet again SOE is asleep at the switch.

I know there was a fire in San Diego...too bad it wasn't under their marketing and distribution teams. At least this time around they offer their customer a digital download with the same items as the retail boxes.

But why should anyone outside the USA want to purchase a retail copy of Rise of Kunark? That must have been what SOE was thinking when they planned this launch. Biggest game retailers in the UK...never heard of Everquest. Ever-who? Don't you mean World of Warcraft or Lord of the bloody rings?

Someone at SOE must be the biggest tightwad for advertising revenue ever seen. No real advertising as even gone into this game, and YET despite their desperate attempts to keep players away WE still try and buy their product. And THEN they make it impossible to get ahold of? Who the F*** is running SOE now? Michael Isner? Is the goal to put the game in the SOE Vault so the frenzy of demand is so great we are buying our copies from Singapore with shipping rates double the price of the game to obtain the damn thing?

Don't expect to be able to actually BUY or DOWNLOAD this game on launch day. Don't expect it to be running stable. Don't expect it to be any better then the last 3 expansions. It's the same of stuff, different day with SOE.

I swear they must be the red-headed step child of the video game market.

mxmissile · November 2007

/e gets ready for a wave a copout fanboi excuses.

openedge1 · November 2007

The worst part is...the game is so good...yet, their incompetent means of distribution and charges (anyone read the thread where they charge more for Australia, due to some weird exchange rate they are following)..

It makes no sense.

Now, they may have an excellent expansion here, but with less than adequate channels to purchase the game, and the meager advertising (like I wish I could delete all of the Lord of the crap ads that I must continue to see) and treating the overseas market like...outcasts...

Well, it deserves to die slowly...

But, I will play, but I knew better than to go get my download today...I can be patient, and just wait it out

Good luck to those who are trying...I admire your resilience

Cheers!

Wrender · November 2007

My god man you really need to see a doctor about your anxiety issues if seems to me. I have already downloaded my copy thismorning while the servers weredown. Got so exicted think imay have broken myspacebar. they didn't even charge me since I bought Vanguard 5 months ago and it sucked so bad SOE gave me free acess to allfuture expansions to EQ2 Woot. Try some valium is my suggestion....

fozzie22 · November 2007

Given all launch days are cock ups by ALL MMO companys this has gone no worse,no better than had to be expected.

What has been a right balls up is the distribution to shops of the game someone SOE/suppliers dropped a massive clanger on that point

Jeff44 · November 2007

Can't reply to the overseas distribution issues, they may well be valid and if so, those players deserve our sympathy. With the weak US dollar, I cannot understand why Aussies would pay more?

In the US, however, I purchased my copy of the game at 2:13pm at Best Buy, got home from work @7. Showered, ate dinner, installed a fresh copy of the game (all 9 gig of it), patched and was playing by 9:30.

Hang in there guys. It's worth it.

VSRayven · November 2007

I'm from the UK and ordered my box edition from Play.Com. I phoned them today & they have reassured me my copy will arrive on Friday. On their website it says the release date is the 16th November don't know why though.

I've downloaded ROK on my main account so i will just use the box edition to start a new account so i can 2 box in game.

Makurosu · November 2007

After playing WoW for a couple of years, it's not that big a shock to see this sort of thing not being pulled off well. (Though, Blizzard did a surprisingly good job with TBC release. I fully expected to not be able to play for at least a day or so as happens on some of the major patches).

It is somewhat annoying how difficult it can be to find the expansions locally, though. Circuit City seemed to be about the only store in my area that actually had a copy of EoF when it was released. I might just grab RoK from D2D tonight.

DrFod · November 2007

Originally posted by Johnhost
Someone at SOE must be the biggest tightwad for advertising revenue ever seen. No real advertising as even gone into this game, and YET despite their desperate attempts to keep players away WE still try and buy their product. And THEN they make it impossible to get ahold of? Who the F*** is running SOE now? Michael Isner? Is the goal to put the game in the SOE Vault so the frenzy of demand is so great we are buying our copies from Singapore with shipping rates double the price of the game to obtain the damn thing?

I would despair if I was a dev at SOE, seeing your team produce the finest PvE MMO out there and then watch as the marketing department does absolutely squat to promote it or even get a few boxes on the shelves.

I deluded myself into thinking that SOE would push the boat out on this one, take out some magazine and online ads, do what WoW did and sell trial versions in stores for next to nothing etc. I bet that they've done another limited run of retail boxes, and by early next year availability will be none-existent and people who might have an interest in the game will go elsewhere.

truenorthbg · November 2007

Hence, why I have not purchased RoK yet.

I will never purchase anything Digital Download; I had two problems with it in the past (from direct2download or whatever) and will not do that to myself again. I never shop at Best Buy (several and varied problems in the past) so I am waiting for my local gamestop to get it in.

[btw, my local gamestop actually calls me when a game I want is in and they hold it for me.]

From what I have seen briefly in BETA, RoK is amazing. I loved it. I am tight-lipped about it because I was not able to really experience much of it due to my insane schedule (grad, prof. program). Nevertheless, trust me, I am ecstatic to eventually buy RoK. I will give it a few more days.

fozzie22 · November 2007

Originally posted by DrFod

Originally posted by Johnhost
Someone at SOE must be the biggest tightwad for advertising revenue ever seen. No real advertising as even gone into this game, and YET despite their desperate attempts to keep players away WE still try and buy their product. And THEN they make it impossible to get ahold of? Who the F*** is running SOE now? Michael Isner? Is the goal to put the game in the SOE Vault so the frenzy of demand is so great we are buying our copies from Singapore with shipping rates double the price of the game to obtain the damn thing?

I would despair if I was a dev at SOE, seeing your team produce the finest PvE MMO out there and then watch as the marketing department does absolutely squat to promote it or even get a few boxes on the shelves.

I deluded myself into thinking that SOE would push the boat out on this one, take out some magazine and online ads, do what WoW did and sell trial versions in stores for next to nothing etc. I bet that they've done another limited run of retail boxes, and by early next year availability will be none-existent and people who might have an interest in the game will go elsewhere.

Got to agree with this the game is great no doubt about that SOE execs should play it for an hour or so and realise this and see that they've got a great product and give it the advertising budget it deserves