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When a game company treats its customers badly.

Started by Darrin Kelley, January 10, 2017, 06:43:50 PM

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Charon's Little Helper

Quote from: Spinachcat;952523Kickstarter has been a mixed blessing. I've been lucky overall, but I've seen many people treat it as a pre-order vs. a risky gamble and that's where the trouble starts.

I consider Kickstarter a really great Vegas slot machine. I will throw money at it for fun, but only money I'm good with losing.

I just only use Kickstarter when the product is 95% done already (and demonstratively so) and/or when they already have a successful track record.  (The more successful their record, the lower from 95% I'm willing to risk.)

Really - at this point I think there are a lot of people like me who won't back without it being pretty obvious it's gonna be done relatively soon.  (I still think that Star Citizen is probably going to be cool someday - but it's been about 4 years now. >.<)

Simlasa

Quote from: Darrin Kelley;952482Companies by law are not allowed to steal from or make misleading or misrepresentative statements to their customers.

Once they start doing that. They become criminals. Not legitimate businesses.
That's why Chaosium had to FINALLY come out with Cthulhu Pulp... they were afraid their asses were going to get hauled into court! (not to mention some of the ACTUAL fraud that might have been going on elsewhere...).

Nexus

Quote from: Simlasa;952620That's why Chaosium had to FINALLY come out with Cthulhu Pulp... they were afraid their asses were going to get hauled into court! (not to mention some of the ACTUAL fraud that might have been going on elsewhere...).

Please, go on?
Remember when Illinois Nazis where a joke in the Blue Brothers movie?

Democracy, meh? (538)

 "The salient fact of American politics is that there are fifty to seventy million voters each of whom will volunteer to live, with his family, in a cardboard box under an overpass, and cook sparrows on an old curtain rod, if someone would only guarantee that the black, gay, Hispanic, liberal, whatever, in the next box over doesn't even have a curtain rod, or a sparrow to put on it."

Tristram Evans

Quote from: jeff37923;952573If you live in the United States and believe that you have a strong case and are willing to spend the hundred dollars or so filing fee, you can have the case done in Small Claims Court where you and a representative of the company that wronged you may be heard and the decision made by a judge. You may win or you may lose, but at least you will then have closure.

Yes, and please pass on a transcription of the event. Preferably with pictures of the people's faces as you explain your "case."

Simlasa

Quote from: Nexus;952624Please, go on?
About Cthulhu Pulp? Promised for years as a coming attraction? Long enough that it became a joke.

Bedrockbrendan

Quote from: Darrin Kelley;952327Purchase of the prior close to $400 worth of products were based upon statements by said company that the product line would be completed.

This seems a bit frivolous to me. I am no lawyer but I really don't think this quite rises to the level of fraud. I mean there is never any assurance that a line is going to be completed. I've started novels that were supposed to be ongoing series that never finished. I am sure some people went to go see the Golden Compass in the theater expecting a sequel. There are still a few people angry that the Never Ending Story had an ending.

I certainly understand the complaint. I felt a bit annoyed when WoTC released 3.5 after I had invested in all the 3E books for example. I think this sort of thing can be annoying. But to claim you are the victim of a crime seems hysterical. It might be a boneheaded move on the part of the company. That's about it.

Darrin Kelley

Quote from: Simlasa;952632About Cthulhu Pulp? Promised for years as a coming attraction? Long enough that it became a joke.

Pulp Cthulhu. Actually, it had been so long I had forgotten about that one.

If they had gotten sued for it. Well it certainly would have put some serious fear into other RPG publishers. And possibly convinced them to get their acts together.

The problem is: That the misbehavior by these companies has been going on for so long that. They have come to believe they are entitled to misbehave.

That's where the entitlement in this whole issue comes from. From the companies.
 

Nexus

Quote from: Simlasa;952632About Cthulhu Pulp? Promised for years as a coming attraction? Long enough that it became a joke.

Was there actually a threat of legal action over it?
Remember when Illinois Nazis where a joke in the Blue Brothers movie?

Democracy, meh? (538)

 "The salient fact of American politics is that there are fifty to seventy million voters each of whom will volunteer to live, with his family, in a cardboard box under an overpass, and cook sparrows on an old curtain rod, if someone would only guarantee that the black, gay, Hispanic, liberal, whatever, in the next box over doesn't even have a curtain rod, or a sparrow to put on it."

Christopher Brady

Quote from: Tristram Evans;952490lol, no it isn't. No court is ever going to hear about this insane drivel.

You made a statement of fact on a legal matter, which is not up to us to decide about.  And again, that's not up to us to decide if his statements would hold up in a court of law.  In fact, there's been a case against as video game critic that is pretty much the same thing, AND they WERE heard in court.  Of course, they lost, because their case had no merit, but a court DID listen to it.

Again, it's not up to us to decide whether or not Mr. Kelley has a case, it's up to a judge.

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;952557Or a multi volume fantasy novel series that leaves its readers hanging for decades...

Still bitter about Robert Jordan?  Or are you talking Jim Butcher or George Martin?
"And now, my friends, a Dragon\'s toast!  To life\'s little blessings:  wars, plagues and all forms of evil.  Their presence keeps us alert --- and their absence makes us grateful." -T.A. Barron[/SIZE]

Darrin Kelley

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;952639I certainly understand the complaint. I felt a bit annoyed when WoTC released 3.5 after I had invested in all the 3E books for example. I think this sort of thing can be annoying. But to claim you are the victim of a crime seems hysterical. It might be a boneheaded move on the part of the company. That's about it.

Brendan. I can appreciate your point of view.

But you are not trying to beat me over the head with it. You are not insisting I change my view to match yours. You are not engaging in the tactics others in this thread have.

And I'm very greatful for that.
 

Tristram Evans

Quote from: Christopher Brady;952643You made a statement of fact on a legal matter, which is not up to us to decide about.

Declaring it a "legal matter" is a preposterous assertion.

And thats not just my decision, it's...
[video=youtube;tA4qkCw2v3s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA4qkCw2v3s[/youtube]

Simlasa

#206
Quote from: Nexus;952642Was there actually a threat of legal action over it?
Not that I know of... I was just raising it as one of the MANY examples of gaming products that were advertised as 'coming soon'... that didn't.

Quote from: Darrin Kelley;952640If they had gotten sued for it. Well it certainly would have put some serious fear into other RPG publishers. And possibly convinced them to get their acts together.
No... it would have made the people suing over it look like idiots.

Darrin Kelley

Quote from: Simlasa;952652No... it would have made the people suing over it look like idiots.

There are plenty of cases where real idiots have sued big companies for things that seemed a lot more ludicrous.

The case of someone dropping hot coffee they bought from McDonalds in their own lap? They sued McDonalds and won.

Yes. That person may look like an idiot to the rest of us. But the cold hard cash took away any reason for them to care about what anyone else would think.
 

Ras Algethi

Quote from: Darrin Kelley;952640Pulp Cthulhu. Actually, it had been so long I had forgotten about that one.

If they had gotten sued for it. Well it certainly would have put some serious fear into other RPG publishers. And possibly convinced them to get their acts together.

The problem is: That the misbehavior by these companies has been going on for so long that. They have come to believe they are entitled to misbehave.

That's where the entitlement in this whole issue comes from. From the companies.

You actually think you can sue a company to offer a product? You don't have a right to a product or service you've never actually paid for....

Ras Algethi

Quote from: Darrin Kelley;952656There are plenty of cases where real idiots have sued big companies for things that seemed a lot more ludicrous.

The case of someone dropping hot coffee they bought from McDonalds in their own lap? They sued McDonalds and won.

Yes. That person may look like an idiot to the rest of us. But the cold hard cash took away any reason for them to care about what anyone else would think.

If you're so confident, why are you talking to us and not a lawyer?