I've got better things to do than boycott and hate video game companies.  However personally I don't really see myself purchasing another funcom game unless it is proven to be a good piece of software and of course having my interest, which none of their upcoming titles do.

Funcom? What is it?

Now serious.. pretty sure no funcom game under that brand will ever ever enter this house again. Not even when dogs grow wings.

I have to agree with others that I didn't realize you were running a boycot.

The problem I have with that is one needs to assume that this group of people got together to get investment money, spend years to develop a game and spend that money bringing it to market with the sole purpose to cheat you out of a few dollars/pounds/euros of money. People don't start out to with the idea of making a poor product and in fact the more grandiose the idea the bigger the chance of spectacular failure. AoC didn't meet the gamers expectations on many levels and as a result is considered a failure. But, it was a brave attempt and while they made many mistakes and are still trying to fix those mistakes to take this all personally as some sort of plot to make your life miserable is just a bit much. As others have said move on with your life and try something else.

I treat every game seperately since every developer will have a few winners and a larger number of losers. To consider a game on anything other than its merits is just silly. Yes, you can figure that the odds are going to be higher that certain studios and developers are less likely to do a good job but better they keep trying to make games than to go out and do something like run a real business like a bank because then who knows how much damage they might do.

Originally posted by paulscott

There was a boycott?   Of a video game?  Gee that sounds pretty couterproductive, I mean all you're doing is putting the name of the game more places.

I agree, they get non-paid advertising and there will always be some people who will buy the game out of the train-wreck philosophy(I want to see how bad it was).

Originally posted by Rayx0r

damn, I think I missed the memo on this.  Am I too late to boycott?  Oh wait, guess I am.  I'll stop boycotting them also

I didn't get the memo either.  Who dropped the ball on this!?  I'm calling Bill Lumbergh.

Change your avatar if you want, but they'll always be Fail-Com to me.

Ken

Originally posted by Axehilt

nariusseldon: "Spending so much effort on a failed game is just silly. Play something else."

They took the guy's 50 bucks and gave him a game which was merely average.   Let him have his unbridled outrage in peace.

I bet Rosa Parks is in heaven, looking down right now at his righteous cause with great favour.

 The game had a bad launch, but is much improved since then... Didn´t know people were "boycotting" it.

Originally posted by Teiman

 Me, like others, feel robbed by Age of Conan. Lied repeteadly with false promises of patchs, miracle patchs, content, on a linear game with a abrupt end on nothingness.  

As a result some people started to use a custom avatar with the name of Funcom replaced by Failcom.

But, time have pased,  .... Age of Conan is #78 or something like that in popularity has a game. Some people got fired, first a head, and recently some normal people  :-( 

I even have started to recomend again it, with huge caveats about it, what to expect, and what not to expect. 

So... we sould stop this boycott, and start using again normal avatars? 

The Failcom symbol is a very visible reflection of the reputation that Funcom has garnered for itself through the release of not one but in atleast small part two mmo releases.  Failcom is not emblazoned upon some builboard along an LA freeway, or in JFK airport I've never seen it's use beyond this site and I don't think anyones decision to use this symbol or not is going to influence the state of Funcom nor this game.  Funcom needs to change it's track record.  Some may not make a connection between a companies failure to deliver what is expected but some do and most would say that the smart ones will tend to.  If you ran a business and was in need of a company to fullfil a contract with you would you not go with a company that has a reputation for delivering the goods as promised?  Well that's how most consumers think and why shouldn't they?

  When Funcom delivers an atleast playable product from the start and delivers without question features they advertise as a selling point to the games they produce and finally entertain it's audience to their expectations they will be able to move past the negativity they have garnered from some in the mmo community.

  I don't go out of my way to "boycott" Funcom anymore than not trusting to do business with them I won't be giving any product they put out including the secret world any of my gaming dollars but at the same time I take no offense with anyone who chooses to, I used to play pre CU SWG so I know what it's like to like a game no matter it's shortcomings.  But when it comes to a message board and if I happen to read something that get's my curiosity enough to comment on I will do so and what I say may not always be in the most positive light and unfortunately for Funcom things that deal with ethics are going to usually be it and again this is something totally up to a company and not those whom feel burned by them.

1) Some of you give yourselves way too much credit. That inane "Failcom" campaign did exactly f#*k all to anyone or anything outside this "community". No one outside mmorgpg.com (and most people in it) cared about it when it started and noone cares about it now. Get over yourselves...

2) AO had a rough start, granted, but that was 8 years ago now... the game recovered fine, and is highly regarded by many to this day. The fact that the core game is free to play does not in any way reflect the quality of the game at all.

3) FunCom isn't a bad company, get over it already... If you want to demonize a gaming company try someone like SOE or EA, you know, ones that truly deserves it.

Originally posted by SnarlingWolf

5 guys does not a boycott make.

 

I personally wouldn't play a Funcom game because I think they don't have a clue of how to make a good game, I wouldn't call that a boycott, just good decision skills.

 

For instance I think Blizzard tends to make good games (although I don't care for WoW) so I will buy Starcraft 2 and the new Diablo without much thought because I am sure I will have fun with them.

 

So I do base a lot of my game buys off of company name, but I don't set out to make a boycott or a forum image to shout my opinions as loud as can be. Don't like something then don't pay for it, simple.

And this is what I thin kis going on far more than some percieved boycott, again it isn't my place to tell someone they can't use a tag showing their disaproval for a product they had an experience with any more than I would someone with a tag of something they were a fan of again if you have an experience with a game and then a company on a forum you are going to share your opinions on that I'd hope on both good and bad topics.  I've seen many posts by people with a Failcom tag heaping praise on a product they like not related to Funcom or AOC.

  And remember that as some have stated earlier here this is not about saying "oh this company released this game and it just isn't fun" this is about the track record and a possible pattern.  And it's life at some point and time we as gamers are going to have to realize that there are going to be upstanding producers (Blizzard,Turbine) and bad ones (SOE,FC) and there are many factors that make this so for many different people I don't like the art style SOE uses which I attribute to the engine they use I'm not blown away by the graphics of any game they make and often I don't agree with the philosophies they follow as far as business practices nor direction of content.  With that being the case I'll often find myself on the opposing side of many debates regarding them or their products.  Blizzard has awesome production values and usually put out their games without too many major problems and artistically I am not turned off by them as I am with SOE but I still don't play any of their games WOW included but given their standards I have nothing to debate about what they do again they do it different than I like no big deal.

  If you are a burger fan you would probably eat at any burger joint now if you eat a whopper it may not be to your taste, if you go to Wendy's and get served a spoiled big classic twice you are going to tell people about it and stick to Mc Donald's. 

Originally posted by Aercus

Just wait until the day you try products like Gilette, Axe, Coca Cola Zero etc.. Your boycot list is going to be *huge* :)

What's wrong with Gilette and Coke Zero? Gillete does the job, and I love Coke Zero. lol

I want to thank the OP for this post. I had forgotten about the game The Secret World, just went and registered for it.  Thanks.

There is a gamer in this formation that does not belong! Identify it!

Originally posted by elderotter

Originally posted by paulscott

There was a boycott?   Of a video game?  Gee that sounds pretty couterproductive, I mean all you're doing is putting the name of the game more places.

 

I agree, they get non-paid advertising and there will always be some people who will buy the game out of the train-wreck philosophy(I want to see how bad it was).

You'll ofcourse get others that want a second opionion or two, then realize that it doesn't sound too bad.

 I'm just about to star the AoC trial. How weird that I'd find this thread  right before launching...

Didnt know there was a boycott. Does Funcom know?

Yes, Funcom knows,  this group actually went to one of the game conventions and showed them the Failcom shirt first hand,

wouldnt be suprised if they gave them one.

perhaps keep the avatars, something tells me when Secret World comes around the corner,  another large group of people will be dissapointed for whatever promises funcom dish out without following through with them.

.......and they are easier to spot.

I wonder what the $OE crowd would do if they ran into the guys responsible for NGE at a convention...

Originally posted by brostyn

Originally posted by Aercus

Just wait until the day you try products like Gilette, Axe, Coca Cola Zero etc.. Your boycot list is going to be *huge* :)

 

What's wrong with Gilette and Coke Zero? Gillete does the job, and I love Coke Zero. lol

Gilette does the job, but is it the best thing you'll ever get? It sure isn't for me, and I do not take Gilette ads, or any other ad, seriously. They promise WAY more than they deliver. Whenver I spray myself with Axe my girlfriend evacuates the bathroom as it is akin to be maced. No other women seem to be creeping out of the woodwork either, so I guess it fails to deliver. I drank Coke Zero last night while cleaning my apartment. Still took me like 30 mins and not the advertised 15 seconds.

I've been in 4 launches, AO, WoW (US), AoC, FE and I know what to expect. I would say they have become progressively better, and if you were in the WoW launch and think AoC's was bad then time has really healed your wounds. I played it for 2 months after release, and even though I had plenty of time to play it was impossible due to a number of issues with the game, and when I actually got to play I did not enjoy the game. I guess good ol' Blizzard ripped me off and I should start a boycott, but I won't, as I have a slightly thicker skin and a few years experience as a consumer.

If you really hop on ad and hype buses, know that they are short, and you probably belong on it :)

Originally posted by Caleveira

I wonder what the $OE crowd would do if they ran into the guys responsible for NGE at a convention...

I wonder what would happen if the Failcom guys met up with the $OE guys? Would they have a fail off to see who the biggest losers are?

"The company I hate is worse than the one you hate!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Nuh-huh!"

Originally posted by maimeekrai

Originally posted by Caleveira

I wonder what the $OE crowd would do if they ran into the guys responsible for NGE at a convention...

 

I wonder what would happen if the Failcom guys met up with the $OE guys? Would they have a fail off to see who the biggest losers are?

"The company I hate is worse than the one you hate!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Nuh-huh!"

 

 

I lol'd

Aercus: "Whenver I spray myself with Axe my girlfriend evacuates the bathroom as it is akin to be maced."

Axe is like Mace.  Most amusing!

 the mmorpg.com forums are like group therapy.  

people come here to cry 

and not much else.

AoC is not a bad game, but nothing like what it was hyped to be. I understand the anger and frustration, I was there at launch. But I was surprised by the adoption of Failcom icons. Guys you are more than a failed launch, you are a MMO player, your identity should not be defined by this issue.

At least change to an Averagecom icon now. :D