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Possible Broken Street Date

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Possible Broken Street Date

from Elemental Forums

We are getting reports that the street date for Elemental has been broken. This is one of the downsides of being an indie, we lack sufficient retail clout to get retailers to take our street dates seriously apparently (same thing happened for Demigod).

As a result, we plan to make Elemental available to beta testers TOMORROW (Sunday) as well to pre-order customers ASAP (either tomorrow or first thing Monday).

However, because I have to re-task the IT team to do this, I'm going to have to have us delay the multiplayer server availability until later this week - Tuesday - the original release date - or Wednesday in all likelihood).  It won't affect the single player, campaign, or modding. 

elemental
14,108 views 80 replies
Reply #26 from Elemental Forums Top

Yeah, suing wouldn't be worthwhile for something like this. However, calling up the relevant people and making a stink about it could be beneficial.

Reply #27 from Stardock Forums Top

When we can Download, will our old SN work or will we have to enter a new one?

Just wondering if I should look for an Email first or not.

Thanks 

Lee

 

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #28 from Elemental Forums Top

like Brad said as an indie they have less clout in these matters.. the big boys can levy larger penalties from not allowing pre orders on their next big thing to fines....

Reply #29 from Stardock Forums Top

Ha, thats awesome. I decided to look up Demigod on Amazon and my review of the game is still the main positive review! After 16 months, its still the most helpful positive review. Anyway, at least that game doesn't have an abysmal average review score from the customers. Metacritics is about the same. Too many of the "professional" reviews were overly critical though and based their review on days before the street date. Gamespot, for one, published their review a day before the street date had even been broken. Long before the servers were even set to go live.

I'm really hoping the same doesn't happen to Elemental. And if the online servers aren't operational on the street date, I fear that many of the reviewers will blow that way out of proportion (granted multiplayer is a significant chunk of the games playability). I guess we shall see soon enough.

Reply #30 from Elemental Forums Top

Man its really is just a bitch to get your game to launch without others getting it early and messing things up... Well at least it wasn't as bad as Halo Reach leak lol.

Reply #31 from Elemental Forums Top

frogboy & stardockers, a suggestion that might help with the identification & prevention of early releases could be to ask beta testers to checkout and educate their local game stores, and the reward could be that those that help with this could get the game a day or two earlier OR a upgrade eg from download only to box and download or boxed to collectors/limited edition.

harpo

 

Reply #32 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting harpo99999, reply 33
frogboy & stardockers, a suggestion that might help with the identification & prevention of early releases could be to ask beta testers to checkout and educate their local game stores, and the reward could be that those that help with this could get the game a day or two earlier OR a upgrade eg from download only to box and download or boxed to collectors/limited edition.

harpo

 
End of harpo99999's quote

Stardock Customer Police Squad!!! I'm in!!! I've always wanted to be a crooked pig..LoL.

Reply #34 from Elemental Forums Top

I thought we were getting it Sunday or Monday anyway...how is this different? And I guess this means Beta testers are those who've been in the Beta program for some time (like for years maybe?) whereas we are the preorder folk? Even though I did preorder AND participate in the Beta (starting with Beta 2 I believe).

Reply #36 from Elemental Forums Top

we are getting full release not just gold version..

Reply #37 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Twohawks, reply 30
like Brad said as an indie they have less clout in these matters.. the big boys can levy larger penalties from not allowing pre orders on their next big thing to fines....
End of Twohawks's quote
That doesn't mean they're powerless.

Reply #38 from Elemental Forums Top

my apologies on the breech... hardly seems fair, given the type of team you've got there...

i applaud your efforts to support your community, even in the face of setbacks like this... k1

Reply #39 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting glucero0, reply 36
I thought we were getting it Sunday or Monday anyway...how is this different? And I guess this means Beta testers are those who've been in the Beta program for some time (like for years maybe?) whereas we are the preorder folk? Even though I did preorder AND participate in the Beta (starting with Beta 2 I believe).
End of glucero0's quote

If you played any "Beta Version" at Any Time you are considered a "Beta Tester" and will have access tomorrow with the rest of us Beta Testers :)

Reply #40 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 17
This time we were prepared for that possibility. Hence having an update ready to go and having the MP servers DOWN prior to general availability.
End of Frogboy's quote

 

How about a Sunday afternoon release?  This way you don't have to keep the IT folks up , and it's not like it's football season yet.

 

I'm definitely taking the laptop home tonight now.  IF you do a evening release, about what time would it be?  I have to go in to work at 10pm, and my guess is at home it will take 1 hr to download.  I don't want to DL at work.

Reply #41 from Elemental Forums Top

I had posted that the electronic peple at Walmart didn't show the game coming in on time a week or two ago.  Of course, that may not have actually meant anything...could have just been the local Walmart.

Thank you guys for being so considerate about ensuring your pre-order customers get the game on time.  There is no requirement that you do so, and it shows enormous good faith and responsibility of the kind not often seen these days.  Will we be downloading the Gold version or the Day 0 version?

Reply #42 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting arstal, reply 42

How about a Sunday afternoon release?  This way you don't have to keep the IT folks up , and it's not like it's football season yet.

I'm definitely taking the laptop home tonight now.  IF you do a evening release, about what time would it be?  I have to go in to work at 10pm, and my guess is at home it will take 1 hr to download.  I don't want to DL at work.
End of arstal's quote

I'm betting if they don't get it out until late tomorrow night then there is going to be a large handful of people calling into work "Sick" on Monday morning...LoL.

*cough* Hello work, I've got a bad case of Elementalitis and I may not be in for the next few days.

Reply #43 from Elemental Forums Top

did anyone hear WHO broke the street date?  It would be nice to know what vendors were offenders....

That being said - it's sunday on the east coast (and Michigan).  It's been a long road since Beta1 - I'm really looking forward to seeing the final version later today!!!

Reply #44 from Elemental Forums Top

Well its a good counter to these assholes.

 

Don't ever use walmart they always break street dates.

Reply #45 from Stardock Forums Top

I really do appreciate the hard work you guys do. 

I know I'm your client, but you all at stardock make me feel like you care about more than just squeezing some more $$$ out of me.  I love the prolonged massive betas, the frequent patches and updates, and especially how much your client's input is reflected in said products.

You deserve better than you are treated by the retail rat race.

You guys are the reason I now eschew purchasing physical media.  I'm offically a Stardock fan.

 

Reply #46 from Elemental Forums Top

Out of curiosity, what are the serious consequences of a couple of stores releasing a few games a couple days early?

 

 

Serious question since I don't know the business side.

Reply #47 from Elemental Forums Top

Sham sueing is not an option, if you did thet, no one would carry any of your realses any more.. <sigh>

Reply #48 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting mcdoggy, reply 48
Out of curiosity, what are the serious consequences of a couple of stores releasing a few games a couple days early?

 
Serious question since I don't know the business side.
End of mcdoggy's quote

 

Perhaps, maybe people complaining that the multiplayer mode doesn't work..

Reply #50 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting theprofitclub, reply 50

Quoting mcdoggy, reply 48Out of curiosity, what are the serious consequences of a couple of stores releasing a few games a couple days early?

 
Serious question since I don't know the business side.
 

Perhaps, maybe people complaining that the multiplayer mode doesn't work..
End of theprofitclub's quote

 

This is why folks like us need to write reviews on places like Amazon. First hand reviews go a long way in the end over someone that 'heard from someone'..