General Discussion

What a load on SWG. They still can't get one solid story straight on what happened with the NGE. They say they made mistakes, but it was the biggest gain of new players to a live game?

What a load of BS.

I like alot of the articles here on MMORPG.com, alot of them are good, but when it comes to SWG, you guys are always lacking an serious and hard core critizism.

Your reporters should not be afraid to ask the tough questions about it. They told everyone when the NGE came to be it would take 6 months to get everything in place. It's nearly a year now and it's still no where near complete. They lie right to your face and you smile and take it in stride.

That is a huge mistake on your part.

---

Originally posted by Dracis

What a load on SWG. They still can't get one solid story straight on what happened with the NGE. They say they made mistakes, but it was the biggest gain of new players to a live game?

What a load of BS.

I like alot of the articles here on MMORPG.com, alot of them are good, but when it comes to SWG, you guys are always lacking an serious and hard core critizism.

Your reporters should not be afraid to ask the tough questions about it. They told everyone when the NGE came to be it would take 6 months to get everything in place. It's nearly a year now and it's still no where near complete. They lie right to your face and you smile and take it in stride.

That is a huge mistake on your part.

---

---

Originally posted by Lepidus

---

Originally posted by Dracis

What a load on SWG. They still can't get one solid story straight on what happened with the NGE. They say they made mistakes, but it was the biggest gain of new players to a live game?

What a load of BS.

I like alot of the articles here on MMORPG.com, alot of them are good, but when it comes to SWG, you guys are always lacking an serious and hard core critizism.

Your reporters should not be afraid to ask the tough questions about it. They told everyone when the NGE came to be it would take 6 months to get everything in place. It's nearly a year now and it's still no where near complete. They lie right to your face and you smile and take it in stride.

That is a huge mistake on your part.

---

Actually, we discussed this at some length and he even triple checked the numbers for us. What else can we do? Just proclaim it a lie with no proof? If you do not believe them, that's totally your choice, we're just telling you what they said.

Unfotunately, at this time, there is no way to indepedently varify statements like that with any degree of accuracy. All we can do is report back what they tell us.

---

Yes, but you are enabling the spin. So, with no checks in place they can continue to spin spin spin.

I thought this was a news site..... I thought it was the duty of journalistic site to be a check for governments and companies. Seems mmorpg has gone the way of the useless news we get not (CNN,NBC, FOX).

And after that great article from your staff at the AGC talking about 3ed party media sites.

"trials and through new software purchases"

The trials are free, and they have repackaged the game about 3 times each time offering a one time item or vehicle only available buy buying it.

Why is it so hard to call them on this?

---

Yes, but you are enabling the spin. So, with no checks in place they can continue to spin spin spin.

I thought this was a news site..... I thought it was the duty of journalistic site to be a check for governments and companies. Seems mmorpg has gone the way of the useless news we get not (CNN,NBC, FOX).

And after that great article from your staff at the AGC talking about 3ed party media sites.

"trials and through new software purchases"

The trials are free, and they have repackaged the game about 3 times each time offering a one time item or vehicle only available buy buying it.

Why is it so hard to call them on this?

---

While as a matter of personal opinion I find their statements about SWG to be patently absurd, I dont really see what else the MMORPG.com staffers could have done but ask them.   SOE has shown absolutely no remorse about flat out lying to anyone, be they customer or press, so this should be no great revelation. 

Dana, I would like to ask you though as a person with greater knowledge of the inner workings of these games and those that run them, for a more personal opinion of their remarks.  Strictly as a matter of opinion, do you see them as being honest, manipulating numbers via station pass, flat out lying, being in complete and utter denial and delusion?  

The vast majority of people retrying the game and keeping up with their forums bring back reports in stark contrast to the statements they made, in fact other statements from people within the company contradict these.  Clearly something smells bad here, of course short of hacking into their files their is no way of knowing what it is.....

TIA         

While I do enjoy reading the other games (EQ2 and EQ) I did find the comments concerning SWG to be "fabricated"

I believe that's what they told you and had "documents, etc" to back it up. The quote such as “In late winter through early spring, SWG was one of SOE's biggest gainers in terms of new players to a live game, coming through both the trials and through new software purchases,” said Chris Kramer, Director of Corporate Communications  sounds fishy at best. Maybe late winter through early spring 2003-2004 but not 2005-2006. I personally was there and the servers were completely empty saved for a few sparse groups at various spaceports.

Concerning the comment on the praises on the forums, I do not believe that as well.  Non-offical SWG forums may have had a good response to the NGE and new updates, but the official SWG forum is still occupied by concerned comments and questions.

If the devs were talking about how they no longer lock 3,891 threads an hour and have to call in MODs from EQ2 forums to help police (as they did for 6 months straight after the NGE), then I would have to agree that the forums have gotten better.

Nice info, but the SWG comments was reminiscient of Hitler's Gestapo of a Victorious World War 2 as the Allies were marching over the Rhiene River

Again, I believe this is what SWG DEVs told mmorpg.com and I believe mmorpg.com had listened and heard these replies, but the SWG DEVs was just ...well....blowing spent carbon particles up our digestive orafices.

---

Originally posted by Lepidus

---

Yes, but you are enabling the spin. So, with no checks in place they can continue to spin spin spin.

I thought this was a news site..... I thought it was the duty of journalistic site to be a check for governments and companies. Seems mmorpg has gone the way of the useless news we get not (CNN,NBC, FOX).

And after that great article from your staff at the AGC talking about 3ed party media sites.

"trials and through new software purchases"

The trials are free, and they have repackaged the game about 3 times each time offering a one time item or vehicle only available buy buying it.

Why is it so hard to call them on this?

---

As I said, we didn't just grin and jot it down. The claim struck me as potentially controversial. I spoke to Chris on two occasions after breakfast to ensure that he had not simply misspoke.

Eventually, we have an equal duty to report what they say and we cannot just change what comes out of their mouths.

This was an issue I spoke of a bit at the Third Party panel and a problem with this industry as a whole. Ultimately, the only way for us to truly third party verify his claims is to get an inside source at SOE willing to tell us their subscriber numbers. At a certain stage, this is entertainment journalism and not national security. You cannot expect people to risk their jobs for things like that.

Even then though, short of being escorted into a room with the computer, that person could be lying to us.

Short and simple,with SOEs myriad of offers, station pass and games, it is impossible to glean even from their public financial statements how many people play what. Thus, we can only ask them these questions and report back what they say.

It is up to you the reader to decide whether or not you believe them.

---

Im sure that it was true. As like i said, they said Trials and New software. The trials are free, and they have made three or so versions of the "software" each time with one time deal items (speeder, and now a walker) that you can only get threw buying it.... so yeah... Using those numbers im sure it was an increase to SALES, not subscriptions.. because the majority of those sales are people seeing something they think is new on the shelves...and current player buying the new box set for the in game item worth millions of credits.

But, so your saying that by asking the real questions...like the ones im sure your not in short supply off (read your forums) that you will loose your jobs?

Lets see.... Real questions asked = more people to mmorpg.com because of increased trust in the public eye , that in turn means = You loose your job.

Ok.

So, never asking the questions your readers care about or calling people on in discrepancies and just rehashing what they "Said" = The pubic eye of your readers gets pinkeye and no one trusts your reviews, interviews or ratings, that in turn means = you keep your job.

What does anyone at SOE or any other game maker have to do with your jobs, quite frankly, we pay for your jobs (just like the real news), with out us, noone would want to advertise with you.

your the leading MMO portal anywhere, your advertising is separated from your journalism.. (so you say)

I don’t understand.

Its your site i guess.