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Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! (/thread-1590.html)

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RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - OneShot - 02-12-2008

RayMarden Wrote:
jens Wrote:Because this problem has nothing to do with us, only with the download/sales/what ever system gamers gate is using. Thats why Smile

Jens / Thomas,

I am sorry, but you *are* at fault for letting such a terrible company as GamersGate represent your title.

First off, there is nearly no mention mention of any option to purchase it from the Frictional Games store. If you look at http://www.penumbrablackplague.com/site/buy.php, the giant "Buy" button specifically lists GamersGate. Even when looking at the text link below the "Buy" button, only GamersGate is listed (whereas the other two options have a link to the Frictional Games store.)

Second, there is a small blurb in the bottom-right of the page about purchasing both games from the Frictonal Games store, but when you click on the link, it only lists Overture for purchase.

Third, what have you done in the meantime? Even with knowing all the issues (at this point, essentially credit card fraud) that we are experiencing, why is your website still mentioning, listing, and directing to the terrible GamersGate company? It did not occur to any of you to at least put up a notice, some type of warning, an interim page, or simply remove the GamersGate option until that company got its crap together?

Look, I loved the first game and I would like for all of you to succeed, but it is small, stupid crap like this that really makes me think Frictional Games is not serious about what it is doing.

Thus far, it appears your only response is to do wait and do nothing. Whereas you could have opted to use a different digital download service, could have tested all this before allowing GamersGate to go public, could have specified going live while GamersGate was open, could have posted numerous warnings, and could have yanked any mention of GamersGate, etc.

Penumbra already has a bit of a background for being buggy and none of this is helping.

According to Jen and Thomas, it's our fault for complaining and they can't "do anything about it." My post is probably going to get deleted.


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - jens - 02-12-2008

First off, no more Gamer's Gate issues on our Forum, please. We have seen the problems some are having and are truly sorry for this, but there is nothing we can do about it.

Keep spamming the same issue over and over will only result in us having to delete all the posts, we don't want that as we try to keep the forum as open as possible.

Now for Gamer's Gate, it is not a choice of ours, we do not control what sites can or can't sell Penumbra: Black Plague for Windows. But even so, I have personally never had a problem with Gamer's Gate when I have used it to buy three games in the past. So I think the service is good and works as intended.

It is of course a big problem when you pay for something and it does not work. I can only say that yes it sucks ever time you are one of those that end up with a faulty problem, but you have to try and give the company some time to make it right. It is problematic when you sell a product 24/7 and does not have tech support 24/7, but for many shops this is the case and as soon as they start working I am sure they will do their best to correct the problems and get everyone playing the game.


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - jens - 02-12-2008

Please, stop it already. Have not said it is your fault at all. I have said we can't do anything about it so spamming our forum with this issue is not helping anyone.


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - UncleJeet - 02-12-2008

Gamers tend to get...emotional when things like this happen. And things like this happen all the time. With almost every major game release, there's some site or brick-and-mortar store that promised the game on a certain date but didn't deliver for one reason or another. A small segment of the affected customers rightfully get upset, but then they go a little overboard and start ranting on the internet.

Let's be serious, folks. This is a technical problem that GamersGate is experiencing, and that's it. They recently revamped their entire site, and it's obviously caused some pretty serious unforeseen difficulties. Should they put up a notice before people order? Yes, they should. Should they suspend new orders until the problem is resolved? Certainly. However, are they doing this deliberately? Of course not.

Crying foul is one thing, but going off the deep end and making accusations of credit card fraud is just silly. I'm waiting for the first class action cry - there's always at least one.

Just calm down, folks. If you've ever worked on any complicated system, be it a game or a commercial web site, these things happen. They're working on it, and will have things back to normal as soon as they can. I've ordered from GamersGate before (once, actually - for Penumbra Overture) and had a very smooth, very nice experience. What's going on now is apparently systemic - it's affecting everyone and every game. They are not defrauding anyone - no more than the power company is defrauding you when a transformer blows and your power is out for a short while.

I know it stinks - you want to play the game. So do I! But it's hardly Frictional's fault - I honestly don't know what color the grass is on the world where this could be in any way their responsibility. They've made a game you're dying to play - and you will play it. If GamersGate hasn't resolved the issues by tomorrow, cancel your order and buy it from another store. Either way, you'll be playing soon enough and, when you finally get to, you'll probably feel embarrassed and maybe just a little bit silly for all of the Internet Rage you've unleashed on the very people who made the game you want so badly.

Heck, if anything, we should be showing our support for Frictional right now. They're having to field questions and try and smooth things over for something that is both entirely out of their control and completely not their responsibility. They've already done the near-impossible: they've made not one, but two independent games that go well outside the "safe and boring" zones of the major publishers. They're polished, well executed, and extremely engaging experiences. And people are buying them - and getting really frustrated when they can't.

Let's thank our lucky stars that we have independent developers like Frictional out there, taking the risks and making the strides that the major game studios aren't willing to do. How about we thank them for that, rather than rake them over the coals for a technical glitch that one online store is experiencing?

Thanks, guys!


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - OneShot - 02-12-2008

UncleJeet Wrote:Gamers tend to get...emotional when things like this happen. And things like this happen all the time. With almost every major game release, there's some site or brick-and-mortar store that promised the game on a certain date but didn't deliver for one reason or another. A small segment of the affected customers rightfully get upset, but then they go a little overboard and start ranting on the internet.

Let's be serious, folks. This is a technical problem that GamersGate is experiencing, and that's it. They recently revamped their entire site, and it's obviously caused some pretty serious unforeseen difficulties. Should they put up a notice before people order? Yes, they should. Should they suspend new orders until the problem is resolved? Certainly. However, are they doing this deliberately? Of course not.

Crying foul is one thing, but going off the deep end and making accusations of credit card fraud is just silly. I'm waiting for the first class action cry - there's always at least one.

Just calm down, folks. If you've ever worked on any complicated system, be it a game or a commercial web site, these things happen. They're working on it, and will have things back to normal as soon as they can. I've ordered from GamersGate before (once, actually - for Penumbra Overture) and had a very smooth, very nice experience. What's going on now is apparently systemic - it's affecting everyone and every game. They are not defrauding anyone - no more than the power company is defrauding you when a transformer blows and your power is out for a short while.

I know it stinks - you want to play the game. So do I! But it's hardly Frictional's fault - I honestly don't know what color the grass is on the world where this could be in any way their responsibility. They've made a game you're dying to play - and you will play it. If GamersGate hasn't resolved the issues by tomorrow, cancel your order and buy it from another store. Either way, you'll be playing soon enough and, when you finally get to, you'll probably feel embarrassed and maybe just a little bit silly for all of the Internet Rage you've unleashed on the very people who made the game you want so badly.

Heck, if anything, we should be showing our support for Frictional right now. They're having to field questions and try and smooth things over for something that is both entirely out of their control and completely not their responsibility. They've already done the near-impossible: they've made not one, but two independent games that go well outside the "safe and boring" zones of the major publishers. They're polished, well executed, and extremely engaging experiences. And people are buying them - and getting really frustrated when they can't.

Let's thank our lucky stars that we have independent developers like Frictional out there, taking the risks and making the strides that the major game studios aren't willing to do. How about we thank them for that, rather than rake them over the coals for a technical glitch that one online store is experiencing?

Thanks, guys!

Please tell me how to get a refund from Gamersgate...


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - UncleJeet - 02-12-2008

I have no idea, although I'm sure there is some mechanism in place for such things. It's what I plan on doing tomorrow, if the game becomes available elsewhere and the problems at GamersGate still have not been resolved. There's no point in getting terribly upset about things right now, though. Just wait and see if things are fine tomorrow - it may be a simple fix that they'll see first thing tomorrow when they arrive to work. If not, and you decide to buy the game from another store, I'm sure you can contact them for a refund or perhaps a credit towards another game. I don't know what their policy is, but I'm sure, like all businesses, they have one.


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - UncleJeet - 02-12-2008

Pssst....you might want to try installing it again, right quick. I just did, on a whim, and it's installing just fine. Problem solved! Now everybody be happy again, ok?


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - Kedjane - 02-12-2008

I'm getting mine on Friday. Box.


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - UncleJeet - 02-12-2008

Congratulations on a job well done, Frictional! I've just made it through what I can only best describe as the "nightmare" bit, and everything is just perfect so far. Overture was a true gem with a few (very minor) rough spots, but any issues that may have existed with Overture seem to have not only been resolved, but greatly improved with Black Plague.

Now, if only I can convince myself to stop playing and get some sleep....


RE: Penumbra: Black Plague Released! - Lockheed - 02-12-2008

Jens said no more GG posts but, I think it will be ok for me to just say...

They fixed it, they sent a note with an apology, they offered a discount for future purchases to those affected, and I can now play it on the day for which it was originally announced. I think that's pretty reasonable and am happy with that.

Now, how do I call in sick to work?! Tongue