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[NEWS] PWE takes big credibility hit over Forsaken World corruption scandal
Cantorage
Member Posts: 186
The game Forsaken World by Perfect World Entertainment has today taken a big popularity hit, after a scandalous unmasking of corruption in their Closed Beta selection process.
A guild by the name of "Legends" have through befriending a producer and/or paid this employee of PWE off, got their entire guild into the first phase of closed beta testing.
Meanwhile, forums are livid with power posting and immediate locking of appeals from many other big guilds like Ragequit and Bloodpact who didn't even get their guild leaders in. This is no doubt going to hurt PWE's perception in the public's eye, and one can only wonder how they will begin to repair the damages.
The lessened trust towards PWE's team is forcing some guilds to think: "What if we get banned for killing this guild down the road? What is the extent of PWE's corruption?"
Sources:
FWHaven
Comments
Wow, entitlement rage QQ
This isn't corruption -- no one is obliged to get into the closed beta, and often, groups like the Syndicate get treated differently because the developers know their input is more valuable. Even if they only feel the input is more valuable because of a personal relationship with the guild leadership, that's their choice. I imagine it's easier to give feedback on a beta if all you need to do is go to lunch with your buddy.
Too bad the community is in an uproar because of course that will affect the game, but calling it "corruption" and worrying about getting banned for attacking those members is just absurd, over the top hyperbole. If I was part of one of those guilds complaining, I wouldn't be anymore.
Playing: Eve, LoL
Played: EQ, SWG, EQII, MxO,DDO CoX, WoW, & LoTRO
Awaiting: GW2, Rift, Earthrise, TOR
Ah yes, that would certainly be the case if said guild had an equal opportunity to other guilds to attain a special guild invite for quality beta testing. This guild in particular however, have no history of beta testing. Coincidentally, PWE have been approached by other guilds with more experience in the field wishing to gain a guild invite. PWE have in these cases rejected them claiming they need to maintain "impartiality".
So you can certainly see the conundrum this has created.
Well, sadly being lashed out against by a gm or such because they are friendly with a guild/clan you killed or w/e isn't exactly unheard of though. It has happened in a few MMO's. So if others see a clan/guild receiving preferential treatment then yes, the community will be concerned and rightly so. Age of Conan had a few problems with misconduct by their GM staff, several free to plays have had issues with this type of thing as well.
I know nothing about the situation, I don't even know what Perfect World is. But yeah, even UO had it's share of favortism at times.
But again, when GM's or others working for the game in some way start showing favortism especially to a specific clan or guild it generally will cause concern in the community and it's been proven to be warranted in the past, so I wouldn't be so surprised or outraged if I were you. Well unless your new to MMO's that is.
Heh. I think if a group of players wants to be in closed beta that bad, they are likely going to do a better job testing the game for them. More power to them.
Also, I highly doubt anyone has taken a "hit". And I don't consider this scandalous. They can get beta testers however they want in my opinion.
Can't see the big deal, only reason the people not chosen are whining isn't because they have a huge alturistic desire to help beta test, they perceive the chosen guild as obtaining an advantage over them in the upcoming new game, and that is entirely the wrong way to look at the reasons behind participating in closed beta testing.
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Also, the fear that the favoritism may continue in the actual release product, which is a valid concern. F2P MMO titles have been shown to be vulnerable to this in the past.
Edited in the new official statement from the PWE administrator Crabclaw in the OP. Reactions are growing by the second over there.
Some guild members linked me to this thread so I thought I'd clarify on a few points here...
The main issue is that when asked, the GMs said that everybody would have equal chance getting into closed beta phase 1. It was going to be a random draw, when approached about getting access they were told they couldn't do such a thing.
Later down the line some people got wind of this and even took it to the GMs, who brushed it off saying it must be the guild leader lying.
Now we're here, and possibly 1/3 of the CB1 participants are from a certain guild because the guild leader has "The hook up" with the public relations manager for the game. I for one completely understand giving a couple of friends of the staff members access to the closed beta, but a whole guild? And as the public relation manager that reflects so poorly on their ethics as a company.
The main concern now is this obvious favouritism, is it going to spread and manifest itself in other ways? Will this guild be given advanced access to new cash shop items? What happens when members from their guild think XYZ guild are PKing them too much? Will their influence on PWE staff sway the decision process in who should be banned and who should not?
Their game, they can invite who they want by lying to the community about it to save face isn't acceptable.
It's their beta. Your complaint is valid in a release. It is THEIR beta. It IS acceptable.
If this game goes live and they exhibit "favoritism," then you'll have a point. This is about TESTING a game. Your want to PLAY the game and your lack of care for TESTING the game just shows that it's good they got people that actually want to TEST the game.
Just because people have reacted badly to it in other games, doesn't mean it isn't unjustifiable behavior to act entitled to something you are not and stomp your feet and cry.
I'm not surprised. I'm not new to the ridiculous behavior in MMO communities.
I just wish these people would actually analyze themselves, and how childish they are being. Not much hope for it though.
Playing: Eve, LoL
Played: EQ, SWG, EQII, MxO,DDO CoX, WoW, & LoTRO
Awaiting: GW2, Rift, Earthrise, TOR
As previously stated, the guild in question has no serious beta testing history to their name. They are not selected for quality beta testing reasons.
To all intents and purposes, the selection for this game has been much akin to pulling names out of a hat, and this guild is the only exception.
Good for them.
I'll bet a lot of people that were picked out of a hat have zero serious beta experience. And just because they have no OFFICIAL beta experience, it doesn't mean that many of them haven't beta tested.
I thought they purchased cash shop items that gave them a better chance of getting into the beta or something like that. Are you sure it isn't that instead of corruption? Oh wait...
<end of thread>
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
You say that as though their decision was made for the better of the community. You also assume I want to get in (I have access from a guildie giving me their account) because I want to play the game.
Myself and an officer of my guild created the most used English Forsaken world tool so far, we both wanted access so we could get the official translations and numbers done but neither of us were given access.
Other members in our alliance have released the most information about Forsaken world to the community (with exception perhaps of Cinderboy) and still did not get access to the closed beta.
There is also people with considerable closed beta testing, up to and including various NDA games as well as people who have worked (as in their actual jobs) as quality assurance testers. They did not get picked.
Don't try and make this seem like it was for the good of the game. At least argue that they're allowed to show favouritism, not that they did it to improve the game since the guild in question has no note worthy closed beta testing experience within it.
I'm not saying it's for the good of the game. I will say that you personally getting into the game will likely have no effect on whether the game is good or bad. I'll also say that many other people being excluded will likely have nothing to do with whether or not the game is good or bad.
I AM arguing that they're allowed to show favoritism. It is THEIR game. They can favor anyone they want to. It's a beta and they are trying to develop a great game for many to enjoy. If they chose to pick a guild and have them test it, that is completely ok. If they wanted you or someone else to test it, they would have chosen you like they chose them. Instead they chose them and picked the rest from a hat.
I love the argument: It's their game. Well then devs can make some players 3 times stronger in pvp and let them wipe everyone else. Afterall they can do whatever they want.
QQing sucks but I can't believe people are actually ok with favouritism. So I gues you all would be ok if ANet said that in 2 months they will have a beta of GW2 and everyone have a chance to participate. After that they would only take their friends just becouse and rest of the community have to wait. Wow that's sad..
It's a BETA. The game is not live. If they want to make some people 3 times stronger in BETA, it is ok. Especially in closed beta.
And yes, it's ok if GW2 only invites whoever it wants to be in their beta.
Well they lost me and I.P Banned me from the forums ( dunno if from in game ) 3 others from vent are also now not bothered,but Rift planes of Telara is out Q1 in 2011...so im happy with that
No it's not if they said earier that everyone have a chance to participate and get in. It screams bad publick relations all over it. It's not that hard to understand.
Corruption isn't really the appropriate word in this case, I agree. However, favoritism in a MMO isn't really good, as it may alter the game experience of some in favor of others. This has been seen in MMORPGs before...
In Shadowbane, a guild was made of GM and developers. They were accused of using flaws to help them dominate their server, such as spawning their guards in NPC towns killing the other players, using strategies to induce client-side lags to help them in their sieges, and so on.
I've seen players accusing a certain corporation in Eve of favoritism where they would 'find' some free spaceships or something like that. Didn't read much about it or I really don't know if it's for real.
In Age of Conan, players accused one major guild on Cimmeria/US of being favoured by the GMs with swift removal of unwanted forum topics or when some players magically received some high quality end game gear without raiding...
In WoW, some players accused Blizzard of allowing some guilds to mass-transfer to another server for free. Well, this doesn't really have any impact on the gameplay though.
Tons of people were able to get in that were not a part of that guild. How do you know they didn't increase the total number accepted in once they added the guild? Perhaps it was perfectly fair according to what they claimed.
This just amounts to a bunch of people complaining because they didn't get what they thought they were entitled to. The fact is, they are entitled to NOTHING. This is beta. They have not payed money. There is no contract. Yet people feel like they are owed something.
I don't want to continue to have to stress that there is a huge difference between a live game and a game in beta.
You do understand that what you are saying has to do with live games and not beta games, right?
I said im happy with Rift coming out in first 1-3 months in 2011...it looks amazing :')
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4y4S2YFrIo&feature=related
( and in almost all magazine articles its tipped to be an excellent game )
Some people are afraid of their own shadow.
It's a thin layer.
Should it be real, you really think the devs are going to unfriend such guild on live? That guild also gets to learn the game before everybody else; giving them an outsdanding advantage over their competition... Don't you think?