This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things...

[The AmeriCanadian Gamer]

Earlier today youtube personality Totalbiscuit released a giveaway video where he stated that he was planning to giveaway ~$4,000.00 in Nvidia graphics cards (6 GTX 770's to be exact).

He then went on to say that the contest was only for US/Canada. And on his twitter he mentioned that the cost of shipping was more than the card was worth. ( https://twitter.com/Totalbiscuit/status/344077494565089280 )

You can guess how people reacted to this...

He ended up cancelling the giveaway and is now returning the cards to Nvidia.

Are you serious internet? Did this really just happen? I don't know how entitled people can really be, but if this is any inclination to the depths of it I fear for humanity more than ever.

Do people understand the cost of international shipping (especially something so expensive)? Do they understand there are international laws regarding these sort of things? He probably had two options 1) No giveaway, or 2) US/Can giveaway, and he took the second option, only to have it thrown back in his face.

Despite what you may think of Totalbiscuit this really does suck and only helps reincforce my #1 rule of life: People Suck.

What do you think of this situation? Is this another case of entitled bs? Or is there something I'm missing?

EDIT: I realize now after going back and reading this that I did vent a bit, I tried not to but it still came through.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I suspect there's more to this, I don't see why anyone would care about a US/Can giveaway.

 

[ninjaRiv]

It's all over the world. People in America get super pissy because they can't watch Doctor Who at the same time as us. Fuck people.

But TB is calling people "entitled fucks" rather than explaining things carefully. And he apparently didn't mention it in the original video? He should take some of the blame.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Couldn't he just buy a few cards in Europe and have them shipped directly from there?

I don't see why it's an issue, or is the GPU in question only available in America?

 

[9thRequiem]

Couldn't he just buy a few cards in Europe and have them shipped directly from there?

I don't see why it's an issue, or is the GPU in question only available in America?

With giveaways, it's often never a case of going into a store, buying the cards and sending them out. The cost will have been subsidized by Nvidia, who will do so because it gets them great publicity. Any region restriction is probably going to have been imposed by them.

 

[Smertnik]

Well, people are stupid and entitled, nothing you can do about it. Rather surprised TB actually cancelled the contest just because of a whiny vocal minority.

But TB is calling people "entitled fucks" rather than explaining things carefully. And he apparently didn't mention it in the original video? He should take some of the blame.

Why? TB isn't obligated to do anything, he's the one giving away stuff for free.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Couldn't he just buy a few cards in Europe and have them shipped directly from there?

I don't see why it's an issue, or is the GPU in question only available in America?

With giveaways, it's often never a case of going into a store, buying the cards and sending them out. The cost will have been subsidized by Nvidia, who will do so because it gets them great publicity. Any region restriction is probably going to have been imposed by them.

Surely it's not outside the realms of possibility for TB to request that a few be set aside in Europe for winners there?

I don't really like the guy, so I have no interest in the competition.

It just seems like something that could be easily remedied with a bit of communication.

 

[ninjaRiv]

But TB is calling people "entitled fucks" rather than explaining things carefully. And he apparently didn't mention it in the original video? He should take some of the blame.

Why? TB isn't obligated to do anything, he's the one giving away stuff for free.

He's obligated to explain competition rules. I don't mean he should take a big chunk of the blame, just a little. Tiny bit.

 

[Smertnik]

He's obligated to explain competition rules. I don't mean he should take a big chunk of the blame, just a little. Tiny bit.

But blame for what? The contest hasn't even started yet. It's not like after the whole thing someone sent the answers in and got a reply "Nope, sorry, US only". Even if TB didn't mention the restriction in the video I'm sure he would have afterwards. Nobody got inconvenienced so far, there've been just a lot of people whining about not being able to get stuff for free.

 

[ninjaRiv]

He's obligated to explain competition rules. I don't mean he should take a big chunk of the blame, just a little. Tiny bit.

But blame for what? The contest hasn't even started yet. It's not like after the whole thing someone sent the answers in and got a reply "Nope, sorry, US only". Even if TB didn't mention the restriction in the video I'm sure he would have afterwards. Nobody got inconvenienced so far, there've been just a lot of people whining about not being able to get stuff for free.

You're right, blame is a strong word. Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised or he should have reacted less like a dick.

He hosted a competition, it's his job to point out every rule and restriction. That's professionalism.

 

[9thRequiem]

Couldn't he just buy a few cards in Europe and have them shipped directly from there?

I don't see why it's an issue, or is the GPU in question only available in America?

With giveaways, it's often never a case of going into a store, buying the cards and sending them out. The cost will have been subsidized by Nvidia, who will do so because it gets them great publicity. Any region restriction is probably going to have been imposed by them.

Surely it's not outside the realms of possibility for TB to request that a few be set aside in Europe for winners there?

I don't really like the guy, so I have no interest in the competition.

It just seems like something that could be easily remedied with a bit of communication.

Communication? On the Internet? That would get in the way of all the rage!

Pure speculation, but I'd wager that there's different people in Nvidia for different regions, and giveaways don't tend to be particularly overlapping. It's actually extremely common for any Internet giveaway to be region specific, whether it's due to departments, tax-related shenanigans, shipping, localization or any other odd reasons. Given that TB is British, I'm sure the restrictions on this aren't because of his focus.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/entitlement


Seriously


What kind of special toll fees are there for computer parts?

 

[Muspelheim]

Oh, for goodness' sake. I can understand feeling slightly miffed about being excluded from a nice give-away for being in the wrong place, but honestly. Mailing something across a titanic ocean isn't cheap, and that's that. I know if I tried to get a give-away going, I'd barely afford getting it out of the city.

It's how continents work, be happy that the internet has shrunk the world to the degree it already has, instead.

 

[Legion]

I don't watch his videos, and after reading his reply a while back to criticism, I can't say I particularly like him as a person.

But yes, this is people with a false sense of entitlement. So he didn't immediately mention that it was the US/Canada only. So what? It's not like the competition entry requirements asked people to create a game, write an essay or anything else that actually inconvenienced anybody, so acting as though they have been put out is the epitome of having a false sense of entitlement.

Sure, he could have and probably should have explained it better, and that was a mistake on his part, but that doesn't excuse peoples attitudes.

 

[Simple Bluff]

According to him, it was due to the fact that posting the GPUs outside of America or Canada would've cost him near a thousand bucks, due to insurance and other fees. I like to think that's an exaggeration but I honestly wouldn't know, and I don't see why he'd lie about it. And whatever your opinion of the man, he doesn't bullshit.

 

[Tanakh]

Despite what you may think of Totalbiscuit this really does suck and only helps reincforce my #1 rule of life: People Suck.

Do you realize that the immediate corollary of this is that you suck?

OT: Feel a bit offended, live in Mexico and we have almost the same trade agreements with the US and similar shipping fees compared to Canada.

 

[Comocat]

I used to play LotRO and they had giveaways all the time- but only for US players. Every time a promotion came up a small yet vocal minority would complain about how Turbine hated Lichtenstein (for example). International gambling is tricky- for example in Canada in a lot of sweepstakes there has to be a skill component. So if you "win" a gamble, they ask you to perform a knowledge check in order to make the contest legal (usually easy like does .999 = 1). This is also the case in a couple US states, so that's why you see "offer valid in the US except where local laws blah blah." My guess is TB was made aware of legal issues regarding his giveaway, but found it easier to blame it on rabid commenters and cancel the whole thing.

 

[Orks da best]

Considering my sympathy towards gamers is at an all time low, I feel nothing for those crybabies, and everything for Totalbiscuit.

Gamers these days act so spoiled, It's a wonder why don't more developers go the way of George Lucas. That or ignore most gaming press that can be commented on.

 

[devotedsniper]

To be fair if your audience is world wide then you should make it a world wide competition/give away (or at least like the big areas e.g. EU, US, etc.), and considering the cards came from NVIDIA (I doubt he brought them himself), I'm sure one of their EU branches could have posted to the other half of the world (shipping is pretty cheap between EU countries).

Doesn't make the whiny b***h's right though, it's not like they had any entitlement to the cards anyway.