Earlier today we were tipped off by a user to the uproar currently taking place on the Champions Online official forums. The boards are ablaze with discontent from users who were blindsided by the news that the lifetime subscription option is no longer available. After all, Cryptic did state the offer would be good until September 1st, but it is only August 25th, so what's the deal?

We hit up Cryptic Studios for a comment on the situation and this is what they had to say:

We'd like to take a moment and hopefully clear up any confusion regarding our discounted Champions Online lifetime and six-month subscription offers...

First, we do sincerely apologize for the rather abrupt end to the promotional offers. It was never our intention to spring that news on our fans or anyone else. In short, we had an allotment of special subscription packages to sell over a fixed time (ending September 1). When we began approaching the offer cap before the date cap, we had to message. Frankly, we never suspected our special offers to be so popular.

While we did mention that supplies were limited in an announcement post, we definitely should have emphasized our limits more explicitly in all our messaging. Again, we just never expected supply to be any kind of an issue. The community response to our offers has been... amazing.

It’s hard for all of us here at Cryptic to see outcry in our communities. We work day and night to create the best gaming experiences we can and any missteps – big or small – on the long, winding, and sometimes treacherous path of development are always regrettable.

We do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and we do sincerely hope you understand and come play Champions Online with us this September.

The Champions Online special offers site can be found here.

Is this PR blunder affecting your purchase decision on Champions Online? Were you able to snag a lifetime subscription before they sold out? Let us know in the comments!

Gotta feel sorry for the people who will get "Roper"ized.

PS. See Hellgate London.

 Once again, the stuff happens, and THEN Cryptic explains what the heck happened.

And it could be so easily avoided if they added that classic * with the "or while stocks last" on their advertisements for 6-month and lifetime subs. Ok, not so easily because the idea of limiting subs is kind of ridiculous, but as we all know Mythic has to pump a bonus with CO and STO, it wouldn't make sense for them to offer too many of these - only enough to form a core long-time player base that are those that risk so much money on a lifetime sub.

Anywyay, it would save them from a few legal actions on false advertisement because of what I mentioned above.

 good for this game

i can't wait it to stomp wow 

Wow, I think they should have just continued till Sept 1. They should have been up front and say Life and Six month deal was a limited supply.

I can see why some are upset. I think they have every right to be.

 I managed to get one for me and for my brother, and while some will call me a dumbass and say I'll get "Roped", and some agree with me, I personally can't see myself  regretting this. If nothing else, I gave support and funding to a company that at least Tries to pull off something different from the elves and orcs stuff - and on the plus side, I've really had fun in their game so far.

About the "sold out" issue however, I agree that Cryptic could've handled it A Lot better, and I personally think the only think they should do (but probably won't) is open up and sell the Lifetime sub until sept. 1st.

At the same time though, I can understand that they set an amount and didn't expect it to sell so well... However, they should've been prepared for the "if" they sell that many really fast AND have published more information about just how limited the offer was - not only in time but in purchase as well.

Albeit I doubt this will affect many peoples choice of playing the game or not, it's still a blunder, and they should try to make amends in some way (like opening it up again) because the MMO market is a harsh business. Also, I think it'd give them good PR and Rep if they did this - and it might even make up for the immense patcher errors at the start of Open Beta.

Just my two cent.

I was going to buy one of them lifetime subscriptions, honest I was, so I feel robbed! I think they should have to give everyone STO beta invites and free nachos for this obviously malicious act of skulduggery!

I'm going to lead a boycott of CO until my unreasonable demands are met!

Who's with me?

could someone please explain how you "run out" of what seems to be a virtual item?

maybe it is too many people to let into closed beta for STO?

if this is the case would it kill someone to just tell it like it is?

why do any of you care if they have run out or not? if you had no plans of buying one, then you have no need to even comment and if you havent bought one by now, you certainly were not within the next 7 days.

I bought one of the 6 month deals and I'm not bummed that I did.  I did get Flagshipped with HGL though with a lifetime sub.  I don't believe that will be the case with CO.  This is not Flagship, this is Cryptic and I had a great time with their first game City of Heros (CoX).

From what I was able to play around with in the open beta I'd say it was a pretty solid game and I didn't even need any RMT to play it.  Not that they offered RMT during beta but I hope you get the point.

Point:  As someone else said in another thread the reason they were probably limited is - Access to STO closed beta.

Horseshit. Personally, I don't trust a word of it.  I won't ever trust Jack or Roper's fat ass.

I think they weren't selling as well as they thought, and (I know for a fact that the pre-orders are low, by a friend that is a regional mgr for Gamestop. It's about 20:1 Aion over CO) since pre-orders are low, they decided to cut their losses. If too many people bought the lifetime subs, and the monthly retention isn't high enough, they've backed themselves into a corner where they can't afford to continue to support the game from a lack a revenue.

I'm sure today saw a nice spike to this offer, but the only fucking sell-out for CO is Cryptic's two-faced Jack Emmert.

http://www.mmogamer.com/02/25/2008/future-of-mmos-roundtable-at-gdc08-recap

First quote -

Cryptic Studio’s Jack Emmert: Microtransactions are the biggest bunch of nonsense. I like paying one fee and not worrying about it – like my cellphone. The world’s biggest MMO isn’t item based, even though the black market item GDP is bigger than Russia … microtransactions make me want to die.

ahh Bureaucratic Shinanigans what would life be without them...

Fail.

Originally posted by gatheris

could someone please explain how you "run out" of what seems to be a virtual item?

maybe it is too many people to let into closed beta for STO?

if this is the case would it kill someone to just tell it like it is?

 

   Surely can! Cryptic fears that Champions Online isn't headed in the direction in regards to sales that the company first anticipated.  Marketing people over at Cryptic say, "hey, we've got an idea! Let's offer up a lifetime subscription to boost sales. It seemed to have worked for LOTRO." However, the bean counters over at Cryptic start to notice that the lifetime sub offer has had a much greater interest/turnout than expected and suddenly realize that they are losing money on said offer. Cryptic then proceeds to figuratively slam on the brakes (rather in this case, slam the car into a brick wall) on their promo!

Morale of the story:

MMO companies grow shadier and shadier as time moves on, i.e. Funcom!

Originally posted by MrcdesOwnr

Originally posted by gatheris

could someone please explain how you "run out" of what seems to be a virtual item?

maybe it is too many people to let into closed beta for STO?

if this is the case would it kill someone to just tell it like it is?

 

   Surely can! Cryptic fears that Champions Online isn't headed in the direction in regards to sales that the company first anticipated.  Marketing people over at Cryptic say, "hey, we've got an idea! Let's offer up a lifetime subscription to boost sales. It seemed to have worked for LOTRO." However, the bean counters over at Cryptic start to notice that the lifetime sub offer has had a much greater interest/turnout than expected and suddenly realize that they are losing money on said offer. Cryptic then proceeds to figuratively slam on the brakes (rather in this case, slam the car into a brick wall) on their promo!

Morale of the story:

MMO companies grow shadier and shadier as time moves on, i.e. Funcom!

Oh, I forgot to mention...

 And there doesn't seem to be an end in sight to these shady practices as support for these companies and their Jack Emmerts continue, thanks in large part to the dumbing down of America!

It's been a frustrating couple of days even though I've enjoyed playing Champions Online open beta.

First frustration:

I purchased the game through Direct2Drive.  After playing through the beta and saving my costumes in anticipation of having early access, one of the other guys in our soon-to-be super group points out that Direct2Drive doesnt have access to the early-start.  What compounds the frustration is that with Direct2Drtve you pay the full retail price ahead of time so really no options to cancel pre-order.

Pay full retail price and no early start.  Compare this to other guild member who were able to walk into a store, plunk down $5 for  a pre-order of a boxed copy they'll pay for later, and have the option to walk away with minimal loss.  At the very least they can pop onto a site and buy from a company that does have early access and just not pick up their retail copy.

Second Frustration:

I went online this morning to take advantage of the special offer but, after having gotten as far as the screen to enter your CC info for the 6 month sub... the site goes down for "maintenance" for what seemed like 3 hours or so.  When I come back on the site it has a notice that they are down to 1000 lifetime and 500 6 month subs.  Click the link and they're sold out.  A few button presses away from Star Trek Online closed beta access which was a driving reason why so many people I know  went for the 6 month sub.

I'd have bought one earlier but I wanted to wait and try the game first in open beta.  Something I paid full retail price to make sure I would have access to.  I guess I should have done the blind-faith thing and bought it sight-unseen like so many others must have.

Lessons learned I guess.

Seems like a solid game, but I will not be playing. I just can not get into superheros idea.

But for those who do like superheros, your only disappointment would maybe be the limited set of skills you get. Of course, this is only the beginning. I could easily see them adding many more in just a few months time. Hell, even new powersets. So, good luck to every who got the lifetime subscriptions because it will be well worth it if the game stays around.

Originally posted by xtravert

It's been a frustrating couple of days even though I've enjoyed playing Champions Online open beta.

First frustration:

I purchased the game through Direct2Drive.  After playing through the beta and saving my costumes in anticipation of having early access, one of the other guys in our soon-to-be super group points out that Direct2Drive doesnt have access to the early-start.  What compounds the frustration is that with Direct2Drtve you pay the full retail price ahead of time so really no options to cancel pre-order.

Pay full retail price and no early start.  Compare this to other guild member who were able to walk into a store, plunk down $5 for  a pre-order of a boxed copy they'll pay for later, and have the option to walk away with minimal loss.  At the very least they can pop onto a site and buy from a company that does have early access and just not pick up their retail copy.

Second Frustration:

I went online this morning to take advantage of the special offer but, after having gotten as far as the screen to enter your CC info for the 6 month sub... the site goes down for "maintenance" for what seemed like 3 hours or so.  When I come back on the site it has a notice that they are down to 1000 lifetime and 500 6 month subs.  Click the link and they're sold out.  A few button presses away from Star Trek Online closed beta access which was a driving reason why so many people I know  went for the 6 month sub.

I'd have bought one earlier but I wanted to wait and try the game first in open beta.  Something I paid full retail price to make sure I would have access to.  I guess I should have done the blind-faith thing and bought it sight-unseen like so many others must have.

Lessons learned I guess.

 

Only time will tell which lesson will be learned here. But sorry to hear that.

Anyone want to trade for my Hellgate lifetime?

Originally posted by GreenChaos

Anyone want to trade for my Hellgate lifetime?

i'll trade you my hellgate lifetime for your hellgate lifetime