GOG Offers Dark Matter Refunds

[Something Amyss]

So, GOG.com is basically taking bad PR for the company that made Dark Matter and turning it into good PR for them. Well, good on them to be perfectly honest.

It's really just good customer service. It's a shame other companies are so bad this looks like a good move.

It's pretty bad when Steam is treating your ending the same way it'd treat a game-halting glitch.

It's also pretty bad when Steam, sellers of The War Z, refuse to sell your game.

Has Steam ever made any pretense to customer support?

Wait wait wait. Steam is still allowin sales of that game after everythin that happened? Shouldn't quality control be all over that?

Or quality control?

I'm a little out of the loop here, was it THAT big a deal? It's an indie that really, really fucked up at the ending, shit happens. It's just that looking from the outside into this situation, it feels like we're having EA withdrawal syndrome and need to moshpit the closest industry flop we can find.

Captcha was "lo and behold"

The game evidently just ends abruptly and instead of an actual conclusion you get a wall of text. People are still burned they pulled that in the NES days. Also, they have admitted it to be an incomplete game, now retconning that to the bait-and-switch of saying it's episodic after the fact.

This ain't EA withdrawal. It may be overboard, but still.

[The sad part is now it's pretty much assured we'll never get the episode that actually provides resolution. It's like watching Two and a Half Men.

Except, evidently, someone actually cares if this is resolved.

Honestly, I'm more than a little torn on them not getting to finish the game. On the one hand, it sucks for people who wanted to see it resolved. On the other, delivering an incomplete game masquerading as a complete one kind of deserves this outcome. It's a shame for the consumer, I guess, but I don't feel bad that they screwed themselves by attempting to deceive the consumer.

 

[Abomination]

I'm becoming convinced that CD Project and GOG are the masters of guerrilla PR.

They're always striking in the most damaging way when other companies make the worst mistakes.

Game has 3 samey endings? The Witcher 2 has 16 incredibly varied endings.

DRM on digital games? GOG offers NO DRM.

Game listed on digital service lies in its advertising? Refunds for everyone who purchased before advertising corrected.

Not certain if they should be praised for their moral choices, praised for how devious it is or distrusted for how devious it is.

 

[Abomination]

It's pretty bad when Steam is treating your ending the same way it'd treat a game-halting glitch.

It's also pretty bad when Steam, sellers of The War Z, refuse to sell your game.

Has Steam ever made any pretense to customer support?

I have managed to obtain at least 3 full refunds from Steam since I've used them. Then again they're beholden to the laws of the nation that purchased the product so take that for what you will.

I haven't had a bad experience with it, I guess? I have 128 titles on the platform too.

 

[barbzilla]

Im conflicted.

While I believe the developers in this case acted immoral, and I'm glad they're being called on it, I also look at other games that, to me, feel kind of similar.

Take the Half Life Episodes, I bought the first two on the belief that they would be part of a trilogy. 5 years later I still haven't gotten an ending to that arc. Can I get a refund there?

Then you have Azuras Wrath, which pulled out the "ending" into a DLC, but AFAIK there was no offer for refund or forcing the developers to clarify anything.

The difference with the Half Life Episodes, is you bought an episode. You did not purchase a full game, but just a single episode of the game. Now if Valve had taken your money for all three episodes, and then never released the third, yeah you'd have a case (unless the dev went under, then there just isn't anyone to get your money back from).

As for Azura's Wrath, I have no idea, as I haven't played it. I imagine it didn't end the game in a wall of text that basically says, sorry we didn't have the cash to finish the game, here is what you would have played.

 

[Icehearted]

It seems like everyday I find new reasons to love GOG.

It seems every day GOG finds a new way to make us love them. How can we help ourselves?

 

[JediMB]

Oh, right, Dark Matter is this game. I've been hearing about it on Twitter and such for the last week or so, but I didn't realize that it's the failed Kickstarter I pledged a few bucks to a while back.

I should still have an alpha of the game somewhere on my laptop, since they handed it out to backers for free. I've been so busy with other things that I'd completely forgotten about it.

Well... way to GOG, GOG. Good show.

 

[UrinalDook]

Ugh, sickening.

I'm beginning to despair of GOG's relentless efforts to become 'Good Guy GOG'. Why they feel the need to expend so much energy on this self-respecting quest to become the last bastion of honest, friendly gaming is quite beyond me. I mean, it's quite clearly a transparent ploy to pander to deluded masses who think cutting age games are 'beneath them'.

Really, when are they going to put some nice, easy overbudgeted triple A games on their cheapo site? Where's the reassuring presence of some nice restrictive DRM? Where's the commitment to updating all these old titles with some quality third party sequels with better graphics and less, easier gameplay? When are we going to GOG pull their finger out and finally supply Planescape: Torment with what it really needs - microtransaction character costumes and a patch for better combat with cover mechanics and regenerating health?

Yes, I see what you're doing here, GOG. You pretentious dicks, I know your game. This sort of selfless, reasonable behaviour has no place in modern gaming. You should really just shape up and start modelling your business practices on a nice, successful company. Like EA.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

I think Steam comes out ahead on this one. GOG offers refunds; Steam straight-up stops selling the game until someone agrees to actually finish it, calling out the lack of an ending for the game-breaking bug it rightfully deserves to be called.

Ugh, sickening.

I'm beginning to despair of GOG's relentless efforts to become 'Good Guy GOG'. Why they feel the need to expend so much energy on this self-respecting quest to become the last bastion of honest, friendly gaming is quite beyond me. I mean, it's quite clearly a transparent ploy to pander to deluded masses who think cutting age games are 'beneath them'.

Really, when are they going to put some nice, easy overbudgeted triple A games on their cheapo site? Where's the reassuring presence of some nice restrictive DRM? Where's the commitment to updating all these old titles with some quality third party sequels with better graphics and less, easier gameplay? When are we going to GOG pull their finger out and finally supply Planescape: Torment with what it really needs - microtransaction character costumes and a patch for better combat with cover mechanics and regenerating health?

Yes, I see what you're doing here, GOG. You pretentious dicks, I know your game. This sort of selfless, reasonable behaviour has no place in modern gaming. You should really just shape up and start modelling your business practices on a nice, successful company. Like EA.

I would have called this a cheap, tryhard attempt at satire if someone hadn't unironically expressed this very sentiment just a few posts up.

 

[anonymity88]

Ugh, sickening.

I'm beginning to despair of GOG's relentless efforts to become 'Good Guy GOG'. Why they feel the need to expend so much energy on this self-respecting quest to become the last bastion of honest, friendly gaming is quite beyond me. I mean, it's quite clearly a transparent ploy to pander to deluded masses who think cutting age games are 'beneath them'.

Really, when are they going to put some nice, easy overbudgeted triple A games on their cheapo site? Where's the reassuring presence of some nice restrictive DRM? Where's the commitment to updating all these old titles with some quality third party sequels with better graphics and less, easier gameplay? When are we going to GOG pull their finger out and finally supply Planescape: Torment with what it really needs - microtransaction character costumes and a patch for better combat with cover mechanics and regenerating health?

Yes, I see what you're doing here, GOG. You pretentious dicks, I know your game. This sort of selfless, reasonable behaviour has no place in modern gaming. You should really just shape up and start modelling your business practices on a nice, successful company. Like EA.

It took me far too long to realise that this was sarcasm. Embarrassingly long.

 

[GoaThief]

I think Valve's actions are much more preferable to GOG's, actually suspending sales of a broken/unfinished product unlike GOG and also giving no questions asked refunds of said title, very much unlike GOG.

Here's the question then, why is it that the article hasn't covered Steam refunds of Dark Matter (PR piece?) and here in the forum Steam/Valve has been derided whilst GOG are even still selling this unfinished game at full price and placed sanctions on refunds for those who purchased with nothing but unbridled praise from everyone here? How easy is it to miss a small disclaimer on a full page of text after all...

You should really just shape up and start modelling your business practices on a nice, successful company. Like EA.

Posted yesterday;

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.831673-My-experience-with-EA-customer-service

 

[wulf3n]

The difference with the Half Life Episodes, is you bought an episode. You did not purchase a full game, but just a single episode of the game. Now if Valve had taken your money for all three episodes, and then never released the third, yeah you'd have a case (unless the dev went under, then there just isn't anyone to get your money back from).

As for Azura's Wrath, I have no idea, as I haven't played it. I imagine it didn't end the game in a wall of text that basically says, sorry we didn't have the cash to finish the game, here is what you would have played.

While I accept that there's a big difference between the Half Life Episodes and Dark Matter, the idea is that the consumer is being sold a product in incorrect information.

With Half Life 2: Episode Two [http://store.steampowered.com/app/420/?snr=1_7_15__13] it is advertised as part of a trilogy. Interestingly Episode 1 does not :/

Then there's the age old debate of what constitutes a "full game". If the developers aren't lying when they said

We would like to stress that the game is exactly as described on Steam (including that it contains 14 levels)

Then they have technically delivered what they advertised.

I remembered another game that did this, Rage.

Spoiler

Ending Video: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDKhlRCxNQg]Press a button and a cutscene plays showing your fellow vault dwellers getting woken up. The major conflict between the player and the antagonist was never explored.

It's apparent they ran out of money and had to cut the whole ending. And while people complained... a lot, there wasn't the backlash on the level Dark Matter has seen.

 

[Something Amyss]

Then again they're beholden to the laws of the nation that purchased the product so take that for what you will.

Were they for heavily contested games?

 

[Micalas]

I think Valve's actions are much more preferable to GOG's, actually suspending sales of a broken/unfinished product unlike GOG and also giving no questions asked refunds of said title, very much unlike GOG.

Here's the question then, why is it that the article hasn't covered Steam refunds of Dark Matter (PR piece?) and here in the forum Steam/Valve has been derided whilst GOG are even still selling this unfinished game at full price and placed sanctions on refunds for those who purchased with nothing but unbridled praise from everyone here? How easy is it to miss a small disclaimer on a full page of text after all...

Yeah, that's a pretty important piece of missing information.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.831673-My-experience-with-EA-customer-service

Good Guy EA?

 

[antidonkey]

So once again Gog.com proves they kick ass. It makes want to buy more games from them.....and I probably will if I can ever get caught up. Which is at least a year away. Sigh.....at least I snagged 5 games from them over the summer. None of which I've played yet.

 

[Callate]

Good for GOG. Is there any evidence at all that someone is actually giving them the funding to create a "second half"?

(Now that would possibly be the most ignore-worthy Kickstarter since Postal 2...)

 

[Abomination]

Then again they're beholden to the laws of the nation that purchased the product so take that for what you will.

Were they for heavily contested games?

Every game had a significant and objective failing with it, yes. Similar to what happened with Dark Matter - false advertising.

I haven't attempted to get my money back for a title I know is working fine and I just didn't enjoy because that's caveat emptor in my opinion.

Essentially if I feel I could take the case to the small claims tribunal in New Zealand I have attempted to get a refund. Every time I have done so Valve has given me a refund within 3 days of me asking for it. Overall, I have had no issues with Steam.

 

[barbzilla]

The difference with the Half Life Episodes, is you bought an episode. You did not purchase a full game, but just a single episode of the game. Now if Valve had taken your money for all three episodes, and then never released the third, yeah you'd have a case (unless the dev went under, then there just isn't anyone to get your money back from).

As for Azura's Wrath, I have no idea, as I haven't played it. I imagine it didn't end the game in a wall of text that basically says, sorry we didn't have the cash to finish the game, here is what you would have played.

While I accept that there's a big difference between the Half Life Episodes and Dark Matter, the idea is that the consumer is being sold a product in incorrect information.

With Half Life 2: Episode Two [http://store.steampowered.com/app/420/?snr=1_7_15__13] it is advertised as part of a trilogy. Interestingly Episode 1 does not :/

Then there's the age old debate of what constitutes a "full game". If the developers aren't lying when they said

We would like to stress that the game is exactly as described on Steam (including that it contains 14 levels)

Then they have technically delivered what they advertised.

I remembered another game that did this, Rage.

Spoiler

Ending Video: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDKhlRCxNQg]Press a button and a cutscene plays showing your fellow vault dwellers getting woken up. The major conflict between the player and the antagonist was never explored.

It's apparent they ran out of money and had to cut the whole ending. And while people complained... a lot, there wasn't the backlash on the level Dark Matter has seen.

Once again, not very familiar with the game you mentioned. I played Rage at a buddies house for about 20 minutes to see if I would want it, and decided it wasn't for me. So, outside of that context, not super familiar with the ending or anything else about the game really. But, they still managed to produce a complete game that didn't send people into an instant rage (pun not intended), so that would be the difference. Whatever the ending content was of Dark Matter, it was sufficiently bad enough to cause an outrage.

I would compare this more to what Mass Effect 3 did, and that did cause enough outrage to cause some backlash and alternate effects. So that may be a much more comparable game. Now Mass Effect wasn't pulled, but they didn't advertize it in such a way as to overtly be contrary to the description of the game (nor was it sold on Steam, or it got pulled from steam due to Origin Exclusive, so we still don't have a direct comparison, but it is much closer than games that had bad endings that were apparently not so bad as to cause outrage, or an unfinished episodic game that released as such.

 

[wulf3n]

Once again, not very familiar with the game you mentioned. I played Rage at a buddies house for about 20 minutes to see if I would want it, and decided it wasn't for me. So, outside of that context, not super familiar with the ending or anything else about the game really. But, they still managed to produce a complete game that didn't send people into an instant rage (pun not intended), so that would be the difference. Whatever the ending content was of Dark Matter, it was sufficiently bad enough to cause an outrage.

I would compare this more to what Mass Effect 3 did, and that did cause enough outrage to cause some backlash and alternate effects. So that may be a much more comparable game. Now Mass Effect wasn't pulled, but they didn't advertize it in such a way as to overtly be contrary to the description of the game (nor was it sold on Steam, or it got pulled from steam due to Origin Exclusive, so we still don't have a direct comparison, but it is much closer than games that had bad endings that were apparently not so bad as to cause outrage, or an unfinished episodic game that released as such.

I think you misunderstood what I was saying about rage. It's not that it was a bad ending, it's that it wasn't the ending...

Ok that's not very clear either.

So in Dark Matter a entering a random door after the 14 promised levels from the developer triggers a wall of text. The problem, I guess, is that there's no build up to indicate the "End" of the game, it just sort of stops. This is exactly what Rage does. There's no build up, just a few wave encounters with enemies fought 1000's times before, then you push a button and a cut scene plays.

The only real difference between what Dark Matter and Rage did was Rage at least had a cutscene.