Blizzard Cleans Up GAME's Mess

[The Wooster]

Blizzard Cleans Up GAME's Mess

Blizzard is giving away "free" copies of Diablo III to Australian gamers who pre-ordered the title at GAME.

When the Australian branch of GAME entered administration yesterday, [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117241-GAME-Australia-Enters-Administration] it appeared that gamers who had pre-ordered Diablo III (or any other game for that matter) from the company were fresh out of luck. Fortunately, Blizzard, recognizing the opportunity to earn some good press, are footing the bill. Provided gamers have kept their pre-order receipt, they can buy the game again and Blizzard will refund the amount they paid to Game Australia.

As community manager, Lylirra, posted on the official Diablo III forums [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5007290816]:

We're aware that some Australian GAME customers have been left out in the cold on what should be the hottest night of the year - the launch of Diablo III. To help with this situation and get these players into the game as soon as possible, we've put the following process in place.
Australian GAME customers with a valid preorder/prepurchase receipt dated before May 15, 2012 can do the following:

1. Purchase the digital version of Diablo III from http://www.diablo3.com now or anytime before May 21, 2012.

2. Download and start playing when the servers go live!

3. Submit your GAME Australia preorder/prepurchase receipt to us before June 30, 2012.

4. Receive a credit from Blizzard, for the amount you paid in advance to GAME Australia for Diablo III. This credit will be applied to the payment method used for the digital purchase.

We'll post further details here on how to submit your GAME Australia receipt to our customer service team as soon as possible. Stay tuned, and we look forward to seeing you in the Burning Hells!

I admit, that cracked my practiced cynicism just a tad, and a tiny tear slid down my reptilian cheek. This is a very cool move on Blizzard's part, and the extra publicity it generates is well-earned.

Permalink

 

[Keslen]

Now if only they'd fix that issue where your single player game crashes if your internet connection dies.

 

[Tony2077]

Now if only they'd fix that issue where your single player game crashes if your internet connection dies.

you want them to fix your crappy connection?

 

[Lost In The Void]

Well that's some well needed PR for them

 

[Funkamander]

Now if only they'd fix that issue where your single player game crashes if your internet connection dies.

I think I've found your problem. You're confusing a single-player game with an online game that can be played on your own.

Do you get mad when Guild Wars 1 boots you off the servers when your connection dies? No? Because it's an online game that you can play on your own if you want?

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

Now if only they'd fix that issue where your single player game crashes if your internet connection dies.

you want them to fix your crappy connection?

He wants them to fix their totalitarian DRM. Blizzard does understand that LANs exist, right? I mean Starcraft II basically single-handedly killed the LAN party, not to mention the ramifications it had on the tournament scene. Diablo 3 is doing the same. Why does Ubisoft get grated for this but Blizzard gets away with it?

 

[Worgen]

I don't think blizz really cares about the boxed sales as much as getting as many people playing it as possible so they can possibly make more money from the auction thing, I get the feeling blizz is already looking at d3 as a free to play game.

 

[Amnestic]

Not really "free" unless the preorder fee was the cost of the full game, no?

Still a pretty good move. They were under no obligation to fulfill GAME Australia's preorders but they still give these guys a discount.

 

[Catalyst6]

Pretty cool of them, but are they really "footing the bill"? It's a digital download and I doubt that the people that got burned by GAME were too keen on going out to buy it again anyways.

But at any rate, Good Guy Bliz.

 

[Keslen]

I think I've found your problem. You're confusing a single-player game with an online game that can be played on your own.

Do you get mad when Guild Wars 1 boots you off the servers when your connection dies? No? Because it's an online game that you can play on your own if you want?

So what exactly qualifies a single player game? Is it one where I'm playing all by myself and not including any other people nor intending to ever do so? 'Cause that's what I'm working off of. If you're using something else, let me know so we can work towards some common ground on the terminology.

Of course I don't get annoyed when an MMO (I played one for about three years) kicks me out on a connection blip - the whole point of those games is to connect me to the other players enjoying them with me. That's not the case when all I'm trying to do is battle against a bunch of computer controlled monsters to kill some time.

 

[Amnestic]

I think I've found your problem. You're confusing a single-player game with an online game that can be played on your own.

Do you get mad when Guild Wars 1 boots you off the servers when your connection dies? No? Because it's an online game that you can play on your own if you want?

So what exactly qualifies a single player game? Is it one where I'm playing all by myself and not including any other people nor intending to ever do so? 'Cause that's what I'm working off of. If you're using something else, let me know so we can work towards some common ground on the terminology.

I've not played Diablo 3 at all, but as I understand it you're constantly connected to the auction house - an online feature. You're never playing all by yourself. Doesn't really matter what you 'intend', you're still technically playing with others by design.

 

[Funkamander]

I think I've found your problem. You're confusing a single-player game with an online game that can be played on your own.

Do you get mad when Guild Wars 1 boots you off the servers when your connection dies? No? Because it's an online game that you can play on your own if you want?

So what exactly qualifies a single player game? Is it one where I'm playing all by myself and not including any other people nor intending to ever do so? 'Cause that's what I'm working off of. If you're using something else, let me know so we can work towards some common ground on the terminology.

Of course I don't get annoyed when an MMO (I played one for about three years) kicks me out on a connection blip - the whole point of those games is to connect me to the other players enjoying them with me. That's not the case when all I'm trying to do is battle against a bunch of computer controlled monsters to kill some time.

Guild Wars 1 is exactly like Diablo in that yo ucan always play it with bots instead of real people.

Diablo 3 is an online game as much as TF2 is.

 

[eventhorizon525]

I've not played Diablo 3 at all, but as I understand it you're constantly connected to the auction house - an online feature. You're never playing all by yourself. Doesn't really matter what you 'intend', you're still technically playing with others by design.

Which is actually what most people complaining about D3 have an issue with; the whole RMAH. Given that the previous installments were very friendly toward the single player option offline, and were quite harsh in blocking any sort of virtual goods/real money exchange, this sudden reversal is unwelcome.

 

[Tony2077]

Now if only they'd fix that issue where your single player game crashes if your internet connection dies.

you want them to fix your crappy connection?

He wants them to fix their totalitarian DRM. Blizzard does understand that LANs exist, right? I mean Starcraft II basically single-handedly killed the LAN party, not to mention the ramifications it had on the tournament scene. Diablo 3 is doing the same. Why does Ubisoft get grated for this but Blizzard gets away with it?

how is being online to play this game so evil

 

[Keslen]

How is being online to play this game so evil?

Being online isn't so evil - I'm sure it offers a lot of usefulness. The unfortunate awkwardness comes when you are kicked out of a world containing absolutely nothing but you and a bunch of computer controlled monsters if your router, ISP or similar should suffer a hiccup.

If you were within a world populated with other players, it'd make sense for the whole game to completely crash in this situation, but if it's nobody but yourself, that feature quickly approaches the realm of asinine. A simple "Service not currently available" error message would suffice if you were attempting to utilize a global service like the Real Money Auction House while you were waiting for the blip to correct itself.

 

[Lunar Templar]

sweet, not even off the first page and the blizz hate is in fully effect.

anyway, good move on they're part, regardless the reason behind it

 

[Tony2077]

How is being online to play this game so evil?

Being online isn't so evil - I'm sure it offers a lot of usefulness. The unfortunate awkwardness comes when you are kicked out of a world containing absolutely nothing but you and a bunch of computer controlled monsters if your router, ISP or similar should suffer a hiccup.

If you were within a world populated with other players, it'd make sense for the whole game to completely crash in this situation, but if it's nobody but yourself, that feature quickly approaches the realm of asinine. A simple "Service not currently available" error message would suffice if you were attempting to utilize a global service like the Real Money Auction House while you were waiting for the blip to correct itself.

well our house is always online since we have internet tv so i don't get blips so i can't really comment on that part but condemning them for it doesn't make sense

 

[John Funk]

I've not played Diablo 3 at all, but as I understand it you're constantly connected to the auction house - an online feature. You're never playing all by yourself. Doesn't really matter what you 'intend', you're still technically playing with others by design.

Which is actually what most people complaining about D3 have an issue with; the whole RMAH. Given that the previous installments were very friendly toward the single player option offline, and were quite harsh in blocking any sort of virtual goods/real money exchange, this sudden reversal is unwelcome.

The RMAH from the beginning has been the thing I have the *least* problems with. D2 had RMT out the yin-yang on shady third party sites, and Blizzard couldn't really do much to stop it.

So, they did the sensible thing and cut out the third party black market directly. It was going to happen anyway, why not make it legitimate?