Microsoft Apologizes for XBL Downtime With Undertow 85
The extraordinary problems that Microsoft's Xbox Live experienced over the holidays were followed up with swift promises of a free game to compensate for the frustration many users suffered. The company has followed through, and has announced that Undertow will be the free game sacrificed to mollify gamers. The game will be free to download all this week, starting tomorrow (Wednesday) and running through this Sunday. "Two weeks ago, Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten posted a letter to Live subscribers apologizing for poor performance during the holidays and promising a freebie was on the way. There are currently no plans to offer a substitute game for those who already own Undertow." Just the same, Major Nelson sent along word to 360 Fanboy that they'd 'take care of you' if you found yourself in that situation.
Well that's just dandy. (Score:2, Interesting)
Thanks to them not thinking of time zones internationally (again!), I for one happen to be away from any kind of technology for exactly that period (plus a day) - that's not cool.
I wouldn't have any serious beef except the fact that people PAID MONEY for a service which was not available to them, much like paying for electricity, cable tv, water, gas, cell phone etc.
As someone who has recently purchased a PS3 and 360 quite close to each other, I have to say the concept of me paying for the live service just feels insulting.
*(AUD here)*
569$ for a premium system
99$ -> 119$ for a game (RRP)
89$ for a cheap, plastic headset*1 and 12 months of live
*USD here*
495$ for a premium system
86$ -> 103$ for a game (RRP)
77$ for a cheap, plastic headset*1 and 12 months of live
That last one on the list really strikes home, I mean I'm paying 570$ for an expensive NOISY console and I'm paying another 100$ for a game and now after I've paid for a game, I have to pay to play it online?
As a long time PC gamer and very very regretably I admit one who has pirated PC games in the past, the whole notion of paying for a game means that you CAN play it online to me, you're no longer generating a CD key or cracking an executable, you've bought it and have the right to use all the features as intended.
Yes, yes I know they provide a good service with Live and yes I know infrastructure isn't free but hey Sony's service is free.
Before anyone says it, it is not even HALF as bad as people claim, it may not be as good as live but it's certainly not terrible (see: Wii)
Furthermore, Microsoft net a lot of sales of the Xbox 360 and it's games due to its community, Live is certainly a factor in those sales they have vs the PS3, some people get it just for the community aspect.
Therefore, live isn't just making them money in subscriptions, in itself it's driving (some) of the entire value of the product and sales to the company.
So to drive the long winded point home, these people are making good money selling these systems*2 and should've planned for something to happen over Xmas, I and many others wouldn't complain if it was a free service and those who do complain certainly would likely fall on deaf ears.
Hence a 4 day window to download this game, not cool, feels very 'oh you missed your bonus? sorry' infact the entire Xbox experience so far BESIDES BEING NOISY seems very nickle and dimish.
Hell 5,000,000 people trying to download this game in a 4 day window seems like they are asking for trouble to boot.
Before it's said, no I don't hate the system by any means but I'm incredibly surprised at just how much I use my PS3 vs 360, based on what I read in games forums and the gaming press before buying. I allowed hype and those sources to convince me that my PS3 would be that lemon that sat idle that I impulsively purchased for games in anticipation for future use maybe.
The reality is the 360 hasn't been switched on in 10 days and the PS3 is getting quite a bit of use.
(oh and while I'm ranting, how nice is it that Sony's controllers use a STANDARD usb cable for charging them? just one less nickle and dime)
So, ultimately - this sucks, if you stand by this 'apology' put the bloody game up for a couple of weeks, not 4 days hoping some people miss it (I mean cmon the time window is so short, what other possible reason could they have?)
*1 = yes, that's right there's 2 regions in the world Microsoft chose to randomly 'dick' by simply not including the headset in the full package (Australia and I think Mexico?)
There seems to be no real reason, they simply don't include it! further to this, Australia was one of the best supporters of the Xbox 1 and live system per capita too.
Also all their documentation and web pages need to be tailored to 'oh that's right, we removed it for those guys didn't we?' and they