Blizzard, You Went Too Far.

[Ryzier]

Blizzard has simply when too far this time....

I'm a gamer from Singapore, and have been playing Blizzard games since the days of WarCraft 2 (Yes, every single one of the games). Obviously, I was overjoyed at the announcement of WoW.

The server regionlisation thing came up. But okay, I'll find some way to get over it, and that was through game cards. Next, they limited CE stock to only large companies like EB Games which refuse to ship to countries outside of the United States; but hey, I managed to get myself a US CE too.

So imagine my surprise when the accounts creation page had this requirement of a US CC even if you did not intend to use a CC for payment. Ostensibly, I was unable to create my account and I'm now a proud owner of a couple of coasters.

Do they even realise how assinine this is? First they told us server regionalisation; but we found ways to get over it. Next they gave pathetic excuses (It's for your own good due customer service and such - tell that to the GM who never even answered me after 4 hours though I was playing at 10 pm local time on the US Beta Server) and outright lies (We've worked with guilds to ensure that they will not be affected by server regionalisation - I'm not a kid and I know when you lie).

So now we're faced with this?! Do they know that there are perhaps Americans affected by this? How? Well I assume not every single American has a credit card. So those poor souls are no different from me, sitting in front of their computers with coasters.

I know this is beating a dead horse, but really, Blizzard, I see other companies do it well, but you, with far more resources available, fail to do a worldwide launch. This is utter betrayal of your fans outside of the US. I'm sorry to say that you've dropped so low that the bottomline is your only concern (It's obvious you sold the WoW rights to regional companies to make money off loyalties).

Apologies to you, dear Blizzard, but I'm sticking with Flagship Studios right now. Bill Roper did something right, and I'm willing to bet that someone who willingly leaves a company he helped set up to do what he believes in will make better games than an empty company with a reputation but without a spirit no longer.

[archpsi]

solution: w8t till monday, when gamecards go into effect....

[Pai Mai]

It's all about money. Vivendi will make more money if they wait a while and mark up the price that the games will sell for overseas. All of the excuses that have been given has just been a bunch of smoke. It has nothing at all to do with latency.

Also, anyone else notice that the US server amount is the exact same amount that they used for the OB?

[ZaxGreia]

I'm with Pai Mai (yay!) - it's Vivendi's problem, not Blizzard. Poor guys can't help it if they get heavy-handed into releasing without unique and important features, no worldwide release, etc. At least they can say, "I told you so." when Vivendi asks why the community is unhappy.

Oh wait, Vivendi doesn't listen to the community...

[myndreach]

Sorry you can't get on right now friend, but just wait for gamecards to come out.

It's not Blizzard at all. They have always been a friendly, good company. The problem is Vivendi, so direct the anger at them, not Blizzard. :)

[Ryzier]

That probably explains why VU Games is in the red for the past few years. (Probably not this year though)

We see the Half Life 2 fiasco. Not to mention that the Half Life 2 CE by VU Games sucked horribly compared to the one by Valve. Not only that, thanks to Securom, those who bought the physical game instead of preloading through Steam need to have the CD in the drive bay while playing whereas the former doesn't. I don't want to talk about the authentication servers either.

[Tetsu]

tip: stop trying to get around rules people set. Accept that you get the game later and stop whining.

[Sikhander]

I simply agree.

On one hand we could argue that Blizzard has been talking about localized servers etcetera for a long time - so we are not even supposed to play the game.

On the other hand - I really saw this as as way of keeping 90%+ of the player population localized but allow enthusiasts to get around the system - as with basically all other games released.

But I bet they will get this one in the face. What about people that do not have a credit card in the US? They cannot play the game. The billing address will not match their home address unless they lie. What about people visiting the US and buying a game in the store? Nowhere, and I reiterate, nowhere on the box does it say that you need to reside in the us and have a credit card to play the game. So I guess things will look brighter in a couple of days with game cards etc. But we will have to wait and see...

[Korlak]

After the European release, Blizzard has announced they will give the option to people to still play on the American servers. Probably not fair to people that live in an Asian country and don't understand most languages there, but I don't think it will take much longer.
They're just another group of people that will have to wait a little longer due to circumstances.

[MrShides]

as a free-willed human being, they dont need to accept anything....

[Omaster]

I may be shooting in the dark here but, are you from the US Tetsu?

[Lattyho]

Sorry if this is a stupid question.
Dont you get a free month? Do you still need a cc for the first month?


[EDIT: Apologies, i just found appropriate thread. ;) ]

[Ryzier]

Precisely.

I was under the impression that Blizzard was doing this to make it as diffcult as possible, but for the really hardcore Blizzard fans-cum-MMORPG players, there will at least be a small loophole for us.

Seems not. Looks like they can't survive not being the devil's advocate.

[Ryzier]

Sorry if this is a stupid question.
Dont you get a free month? Do you still need a cc for the first month?
Need it for account creation my friend.

[sirius266]

I too am a singaporean gamer and I sympathize your cause. I dun get it, why can't blizzard just make a world wide release? By the way is WoW retail coming within this wk or the next for singapore or will it be next year?

[SadaraK]

This may be a really stupid question, but what are game cards? Im in the UK and have no idea what they are...

[Ryzier]

After the European release, Blizzard has announced they will give the option to people to still play on the American servers. Probably not fair to people that live in an Asian country and don't understand most languages there, but I don't think it will take much longer.
They're just another group of people that will have to wait a little longer due to circumstances.
Thanks for your comments Korlak.

As far as I understand, Singapore will not get regionalised servers, so we'll probably have to join existing servers once the game "opens up" to everyone.

A few things to note though.

1. Level discrepancy - Admittedly, I am the sort (And most people I believe share the same notion) who likes to play on a fresh server when everyone's rolling their first character.

2. World events - Blizzard has publicised so called "world quests" that will change the environment of the setting once done. Would I want to join a server that already has, say, the Dark Portal open? Or would I rather participate in the raid that completes that quest? I believe the answer is obvious.

[sirius266]

Hey Ryzier, do you know when WoW retail comes to Singapore? I'm really anxious.

[Ryzier]

Hey Ryzier, do you know when WoW retail comes to Singapore? I'm really anxious.
Try gameshop.com.sg or call Tec-Drome.

[Korlak]

Well, perhaps you could try to go with the European launch then, since the dominating language is still English, with the exception of an occasional German or Frenchy that doesn't speak it.

Also, I think stuff like world events won't happen that soon, as there are still a lot of things that need fixing in the game.

And just so you know, if there was some way possible for Europeans to go on the US servers, I'd do it immediately. Just trying to stop tormenting myself. :lol:

[Ryzier]

Well, perhaps you could try to go with the European launch then, since the dominating language is still English, with the exception of an occasional German or Frenchy that doesn't speak it.

Also, I think stuff like world events won't happen that soon, as there are still a lot of things that need fixing in the game.

And just so you know, if there was some way possible for Europeans to go on the US servers, I'd do it immediately. Just trying to stop tormenting myself. :lol:
Sadly, I get really bad latency when connecting to the EU servers. So that isn't a choice.

US West servers are still tolerable thanks to years of playing MMORPGs on US servers

[Pai Mai]

After the European release, Blizzard has announced they will give the option to people to still play on the American servers.

Exactly..it's all about sales and nothing to do with servers at all. Once the initial sales die down (three or four months), they will most likely open up all the servers to anyone. But by that time, people would have already bought the game and have no reason to "boycott".

This may be a really stupid question, but what are game cards? Im in the UK and have no idea what they are...
It's like a gift certificate kind of. You basically buy 1-2-6-12 month subscriptions and then use the card where you would put in a CC number (or something like that anyway..I've never had to use one).

[Srawd]

I am in the same boat my friend. I live outside the USA, Jamaica specifically and I am so pissed to hear this. I could have seen it coming, but hope is a b****. So in a hours time I am gonna call my travel agent and book a flight to FL (1hr and 30 min flight)and get me a copy with some gamecards. Spend a week or two with my family and head back home.

[Squarebob Spongepants]

Exactly..it's all about sales and nothing to do with servers at all. Once the initial sales die down (three or four months), they will most likely open up all the servers to anyone. But by that time, people would have already bought the game and have no reason to "boycott".
Not to mention that most people by then will have one or more characters that they've invested some time and effort in. Most of them will not want to just throw that away in order to switch realms. This way, Vivendi can rest assured that the Euro servers will still have a big enough population to be worth the cost.

_______________________________

The game is having lunch.

[Pai Mai]

Not to mention that most people by then will have one or more characters that they've invested some time and effort in. Most of them will not want to just throw that away in order to switch realms. This way, Vivendi can rest assured that the Euro servers will still have a big enough population to be worth the cost.

_______________________________

The game is having lunch.
I think you underestimate the value of internet friendships. :) I agree with what you said, but keep in mind...it doesn't take that long to level up as it is, and if you moved to a new server to be with friends, it's not like you would have to start all over from scratch.

[The SilverDeath]

at least this isn't EA

[Ryzier]

What about EA?

[Squarebob Spongepants]

I think you underestimate the value of internet friendships. :) I agree with what you said, but keep in mind...it doesn't take that long to level up as it is, and if you moved to a new server to be with friends, it's not like you would have to start all over from scratch.
Good point. I didn't think about that. I still think that the number of people who'll migrate won't constitute a majority of the population thou.

_______________________________

The game is having lunch.

[Ara]

Tyren post 11/19/2004 3:02 PM
"It will mirror the normal account process, but instead of putting in a credit card type, you'd put in game card. You also need to have a valid credit card to activate a game card account for security purposes".

Tyren Post 11/19/2004 4:41 PM
"I released some incorrect information. You do not need a credit card to activate a game card account."

The Blizzard post from friday

[Sikhander]

Good point. I didn't think about that. I still think that the number of people who'll migrate won't constitute a majority of the population thou.

On top of this - the few US boxes that actually slip through the export ban would never constitute a large share of the total number of EU accounts (in 6 months time) as well. I do not really see the logic behind what Blizzard (Vivendi) is doing...

[Sikhander]

Tyren post 11/19/2004 3:02 PM
"It will mirror the normal account process, but instead of putting in a credit card type, you'd put in game card. You also need to have a valid credit card to activate a game card account for security purposes".

Tyren Post 11/19/2004 4:41 PM
"I released some incorrect information. You do not need a credit card to activate a game card account."

The Blizzard post from friday

My hope is that the game cards will solve the situation, but since this has gone from bad to worse I have started to become sceptical.

[Srawd]

Tyren post 11/19/2004 3:02 PM
"It will mirror the normal account process, but instead of putting in a credit card type, you'd put in game card. You also need to have a valid credit card to activate a game card account for security purposes".

Tyren Post 11/19/2004 4:41 PM
"I released some incorrect information. You do not need a credit card to activate a game card account."

The Blizzard post from friday
ARA DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN

You had me me s***ting my pants with the first line about needing a valid CC to activate the GC Acct.

Much love for the information. This cleared up a lot of uncertainity about the whole GC acct. registration process. I hope this prooves true on the 30th.

TY

[Squarebob Spongepants]

On top of this - the few US boxes that actually slip through the export ban would never constitute a large share of the total number of EU accounts (in 6 months time) as well. I do not really see the logic behind what Blizzard (Vivendi) is doing...
The thing is that a few months after the Euro release you'll be able to access any realm no matter where you bought the game. The exception would be localized versions (french and german translations).

_______________________________

The game is having lunch.

[Sikhander]

The thing is that a few months after the Euro release you'll be able to access any realm no matter where you bought the game. The exception would be localized versions (french and german translations).

I understand that. But since US versions leaking into the EU will be a small portion of the total number of accounts in the end, I do not really understand the strict enforcement of the localized policy right now. It is not really customer friendly. But as I said in another thread - time to call US relatives and fix this.

[dfordanni]

What blizzard should have done is to not even allow people from other countires to participate in the US closed and open betas (I'm sure they have ways to prevent this since they can rpevent non-Us from playing the retail), doing this will only cause more grief amongst the foreign gaming community and ultimately losing sales by the time the game is launched. But anyway VU has already gotten money from overseas game vendors. Oh well, its jus down to business ethics and whether they care more abt making money or providing a good experience for us. :grrr:

[TheSoulflame]

What blizzard should have done is to not even allow people from other countires to participate in the US closed and open betas (I'm sure they have ways to prevent this since they can rpevent non-Us from playing the retail), doing this will only cause more grief amongst the foreign gaming community and ultimately losing sales by the time the game is launched. But anyway VU has already gotten money from overseas game vendors. Oh well, its jus down to business ethics and whether they care more abt making money or providing a good experience for us. :grrr:


What Blizzard and VU should have done is do a worldwise release. We non-Americans usually get the shaft when it comes to release dates. We don't even have confirmation about our beta yet (it may not even be available in my country, the Netherlands.. whereas some countries have already sold out!) In my opinion, this is purely a question of demand... non-Americans WANT the game too! We are not happy to wait! In fact, more then a few (me included) will try to get the US version and take risks because we don't want to wait! I think if they released it in Europe today with double the American price it would STILL sell out!
Everybody has internet (well almost everyone), we are no longer a split world, at least not in the gamer sense. We can read all the goodness of the game and must wait 2 months more for our own release? For the communities on the internet that exist now (like this WoW community), 2 months is simply not acceptable. The times of waterfall releases should be over (in the game world). Worldwide sprinkler releases (although posing more risk to the company) will have much better community responses.

/rant off

[Ryzier]

I'm not sure if it's the right time to say this, but I have to get it out of my system.

Seems like Blizzard's vaunted server regionalisation is coming back to give them a slap in the face.

The Open Beta queues are back in retail (Despite being promised otherwise) and legions of Blizzard fanboys are defending Blizzard. Of course, there are the sensible ones who say that we should wait for a week (I agree, WoW has a relatively rough launch so far) before playing - obviously, they didn't play Open Beta and see the problems which could've been fixed.

If only the servers weren't restricted and available to all worldwide. They could simply implement a server cap. People from different timezones will gradually fill the servers and the servers won't be peaked as badly as they are now.

I forgot what this Mythic employee's name was, but he sure was right when he commented that WoW's servers will have peaks and troughs due to the server policy.

Good luck to Blizzard and thanks for not listening to your Beta Testers again. Hopefully, this issue, along with the payment options will be solved before the "casual gamers" (Most likely the ones who're doing the complaining) give up on WoW and leave. And we all know who Blizzard's target audience is (Or was).

[sirius266]

/signed

But sadly I dun think this issue about registering accoutns with credit card info will be resolved soon.[My opinion] Considering the fact that blizzard is going too release WoW for the rest of Asia in a few days time, and they gonna see the same problems with servers liek they did for the US ones.

[krebbe]

Does Blizzard and/or Vivendi read these forums? If they do i think they will proboably think twice before they do somethink like this again... If you think about it, its ALMOST like racism, to let some play and some wait =)

[Squarebob Spongepants]

Blizzard employees visit these forums on a regular basis. OMO let slip that much but he won't tell us who they are... if they're at all registered here. I guess they'd have to be if they want to keep checking the posts here but I have noticed from time to time that there are still guests here. I thought you had to be registered and logged on to peruse these threads. Maybe the Blizzard folk have been given some kind of special clearance? I'm sure OMO won't tell. Apparently Blizzard sent some rogues to sap him last time the issue was brought up, althou the gnomes tried to take credit for it.

_______________________________

I need a new signature.

[Beerswiller]

You can all quit *****ing about not being able to get on to the US servers. At least you will get localised servers eventually. In Australia, sure we can play now, but latency will ALWAYS be 300+, typically 500-600. Between 5-11pm PST, make that 1100. My indicator is always red, and rarely yellow. There will NEVER be an Aussie server, and must have been something like 20,000 units made available here. I have no idea what the realm caps are, but surely there is enough people playing in Australia/NZ to justify one PvE and one PvP server. Look what happened to Blackrock when it became the 'unofficial Aussie server'. (For those not in the know, it's rooted).

[fffortune]

As bad as having to wait is, I think this beta-kit deal alot of stores offer is even worse. I can wait, but my friends can't. So unless I want to exclude myself from my little circle of friends, I'll have to order it as well. Surely this beta must end with a wipe, so meh, I'm really getting my WoW experience chopped up in bits 'n pieces. :(

[Squarebob Spongepants]

Some people speculate that Europeans will be allowed to keep their Beta chars, as compensation for having to wait longer for retail. I think that's just wishful thinking but if they should wipe the CB chars before the EFB starts, then it may actually happen.

_______________________________

Going for 1000+ posts before the end of the day.

[Bottled Water]

That probably explains why VU Games is in the red for the past few years. (Probably not this year though)

We see the Half Life 2 fiasco. Not to mention that the Half Life 2 CE by VU Games sucked horribly compared to the one by Valve. Not only that, thanks to Securom, those who bought the physical game instead of preloading through Steam need to have the CD in the drive bay while playing whereas the former doesn't. I don't want to talk about the authentication servers either.

ugh man you have no idea how much that pisses me off. DVD required to play CS even though once i turn on the game i can take out the DVD.. valve sucks honestly... any problem with steam is them eh not VU. and well i have 2 pcs 1 with a bought CE version(complete waste of money) and one with silver package.. my silver half life 2 doesnt work.. crashes on level loads and valve keeps saying its me when the console gives no indicnation thats its me.. i hate valve and game newell. so so very much

[The SilverDeath]

What about EA?

EA=bad company

[bbr]

EA=bad company

EA might be bad, but Blizzard, Vivendi, and goodness knows who else.
all companies have their bad sides. because all of them need to make money.. this irritates people.

EA is no worse than Vivendi, or Blizzard.

At least EA has the Developers from UO, to read the Public Stratics forums. and respond to Bugs, feedback and suggestions.. its a WHOLE LOAD better than Blizzard's forums... where every so n then you get a nibble of information. but not much more than that....

[Ryzier]

You can all quit *****ing about not being able to get on to the US servers. At least you will get localised servers eventually. In Australia, sure we can play now, but latency will ALWAYS be 300+, typically 500-600. Between 5-11pm PST, make that 1100. My indicator is always red, and rarely yellow. There will NEVER be an Aussie server, and must have been something like 20,000 units made available here. I have no idea what the realm caps are, but surely there is enough people playing in Australia/NZ to justify one PvE and one PvP server. Look what happened to Blackrock when it became the 'unofficial Aussie server'. (For those not in the know, it's rooted).
Er...As far as I know, Singapore, while in Asia, will not get localised servers either.

I don't think there will be English Asian servers too. So we'll probably go US West anyway. Haha.

[Beerswiller]

EA might be bad, but Blizzard, Vivendi, and goodness knows who else.
all companies have their bad sides. because all of them need to make money.. this irritates people.

EA is no worse than Vivendi, or Blizzard.

At least EA has the Developers from UO, to read the Public Stratics forums. and respond to Bugs, feedback and suggestions.. its a WHOLE LOAD better than Blizzard's forums... where every so n then you get a nibble of information. but not much more than that....
EA is extra bad. Read the article about them in the NY Times. They have no experienced leads, and rely on fresh-out-of-college grads with no idea of fair pay/conditions to keep pumping out code for way too little money. They threaten them with offshore outsourcing, and have a bunch of overpaid managers breathing fire at them all day.

Or something like that.

EA's NHL is still one of the coolest games on PS2 tho.

[Beerswiller]

Er...As far as I know, Singapore, while in Asia, will not get localised servers either.

I don't think there will be English Asian servers too. So we'll probably go US West anyway.
I was directing most of that rant at the Europeans... How hard can it be to run a remote server anyway? I't not like it needs to be localised if it's all in english... Bah!

[krebbe]

I think theese actions from Blizzard/Vivendi will undermine the good reputation Blizzard has strived to build up. US and the other "first-release" countries maybe don't complain(except for lag) BUT the complains and newlyfound hate against Blizzard/Vivendi from Europe and the rest of the world will eventually reach the States(US is NOT the whole world). Sales will drop and eventually kill the whole Vivendi concern =)

ps. maybe not that drastic but i think i have a little point there somewhere. Its just sad to see a fine company dissapoint and **** their fans...

[Ryzier]

I was directing most of that rant at the Europeans... How hard can it be to run a remote server anyway? I't not like it needs to be localised if it's all in english... Bah!
Precisely. They should just let us in on the NA servers then.

See my response to this moronic thread. Should Blizzard BAN foreign IP address's? (http://vnboards.ign.com/WoW_General_Board/b19789/79298906/p2)

BAN foreign IP Addresses?

LOL!

Do you know that if Blizzard just set a server cap and REMOVED server regionalisation, you won't get queues since people from different time zones log in at different times? We won't have 3000 people coming on at 10 pm then having the server empty at 6 am in the morning since the population will be spread out.

This peaking of servers won't even be an issue. You people assuming that foreigners are causing lag are downright ignorant and I'd go so far as to say moronic!

Please stop humiliating yourselves in the public.

[Rubinke]

1. Level discrepancy - Admittedly, I am the sort (And most people I believe share the same notion) who likes to play on a fresh server when everyone's rolling their first character.

2. World events - Blizzard has publicised so called "world quests" that will change the environment of the setting once done. Would I want to join a server that already has, say, the Dark Portal open? Or would I rather participate in the raid that completes that quest? I believe the answer is obvious.

Exactly dude. I would want to play on the US servers rather than play asian localized servers mainly because I don't speak much of the language here. I mostly speak english and it's kinda hard to talk to some asians who don't talk understandable english. But if I'm going to play on the US servers when the local versions come out, then I'll be levels behind and late on most world events. It's just sad about the localized servers.

Why not let the players make the choice and not let them make the choice for us. If people really wanted to play on other servers there's no stopping them from experiencing the lag.... it's their choice.

[[]Sweeper]

Sweet Jebus on a moped...

I'm European , more specifically Danish, and I, like the most of you, will have to wait. But hey, i'm patient. I've played all of US Open Beta, and can honestly say, that if the only thing to complain about is that the "Lag from Open Beta is back", well hey, then you got it easy. I played for 12-14 hours each day of open beta, and experienced bad lag twice, each lasting for about an hour. No biggie.

Yes, i AM addicted to WoW, should probably head for detox allready, but hey, until the game comes out here i Denmark i'll just keep up to date with reading EVERY piece of info i can find on the game.

(Thank God for pre-order on friday :lol: )

[SidGupta]

Ok until and unless im completely off-base, where does it say you need a US ONLY credit card?

I thought that all you need is a VISA/MASTERCARD/AMERICAN EXPRESS credit card.

So to the person who started this thread, if you have a credit card from either of the companies above, and an american CE WoW, i don't see why you couldn't play?

Now if you don't have a credit card, period, then you sir, have fancy coasters.

Why i'm confident of the above:

The game got simultaneously released in NZ and Australia. They didn't get a 'seperate' Pacific/Oz server. They will be playing on the US East servers. Last i checked Aus/NZ are OUTSIDE the US of A. Guess what? As long as you own a VISA/MASTERCARD/AMERICAN EXPRESS, there is NO reason, you will NOT be able play WoW from Aus/NZ.

Now THAT would be fairly daft on Blizzard's part to ship the game there and NOT accept 'australian' VISA/MASTERCARD/AMEXs.

My tip: Ask a friend/colleague/parents/family for their CC number, and no reason you cannot play WoW from Singapore, with your US CE.

[parlanor]

ya sucks for you euros. i cant play tell monday when gamecards comeout since paypal not working. but you guys have to wait for like month or two months. glad im not missing anything everyone is either getting disconnect or waiting in line to join a server hehe.

[Morphina]

Good luck, and blessings

[Sikhander]

Ok until and unless im completely off-base, where does it say you need a US ONLY credit card?

I thought that all you need is a VISA/MASTERCARD/AMERICAN EXPRESS credit card.

So to the person who started this thread, if you have a credit card from either of the companies above, and an american CE WoW, i don't see why you couldn't play?


I does not say that anywhere, however the Blizzard account creation process includes checking the billing adress of the CC (to what extent I do not know), and so far European CC cards are not accepted (therefore I called my relatives in TX). Now I hear that some people seem to be able to use European CCs, if the contact adress (not billing adress) is Australian, but I do not know this for sure.

[SpiritWalker]

I like how you act all surprised and disappointed. Blizzard has made it pretty clear, upfront and well, that you need a US cc and addres for a US copy of WoW. You duped yourself my friend.

[SidGupta]

Ok where is this official quote stating that you need a US address and a US credit card to play with a US copy of Wow??

As far as i know, anyone in NZ/Aus would NOT be having a US address or a US credit card and sure as hell they WILL be using the same North American WoW release ...

Now WoW isnt officially 'released in SIngapore or say India', but im fairly sure, unless you quote blizzard and prove me otherwise, why anyone around the world can't play on the North American servers, with a North American release of WoW, as long as they have 1 of the 4 accepted Credit Cards or 'Game Cards'.

Can a moderator get us an official word on this?

[Squarebob Spongepants]

There was a whole FAQ about the localized servers on the official forums but it's gone now. Spiritwalker brought up a valid point. No offense but this issue was made public weeks ago and anyone who has been following the development of the game should've known about it.

_______________________________

Going for 1000+ posts before the end of the day.

[Ryzier]

It's okay. I managed to create an account anyway. Hehe. Can't stop the determined.

Spiritwalker, while I agree with you that it wasn't localised anyway, I still decided to go ahead since I didn't know that account creation requires a US CC or a Gamecard, neither of which are available to me.

And Sid, thanks for posting the most inane message I've ever seen. Before you start being hostile and condescending, kindly surf around and check webpages or at least follow the game development on the official forums before commenting. No point looking like an ignorant fool.

Regretably, the numerous threads on server regionlisation and billing method on the forums are gone with the end of the Beta, I cannot provide you with an "Official" comment on the issue.

Oh yes, I DO have a credit card. Two in fact. Thanks for your concern.

[psychicpuff]

It's okay. I managed to create an account anyway. Hehe. Can't stop the determined.

Hey, I live in Singapore too. I'm going to get it tomorrow and this thread makes me incredibly worried. So how did you manage to create an account?

[Starverse]

I am another poor Singaporean gamer waitiing to join my www.phoenixavatars.com Guildmates in playing this game. Do they realize they are breaking off our guilds like that? Many guilds are multi-national. I feel extremely upset.

[Starverse]

Ryzier how to you get to play on the US servers? My clan has chosen a server on Central time and i wish to join them there.

[johnny99]

Oh well, its jus down to business ethics and whether they care more abt making money or providing a good experience for us. :grrr:

LOL.....i may be late to post on this but....... you already know the answer to that question. and i think everyone else does too... :rant: [*cough*makin money*cough*]

2/3 of the time it starts out about good experience for the gamers....then becomes more about the money than anything else..... sad world isnt it??? lol Dont even make me list examples.... could take very long.... :lol: :rant:

[SidGupta]

Hi, i didnt mean to be inflammatory to anyone here. If thats what it sounded like, sorry.

I myself am in India, and thus this thread is of a great worry. My copy of WoW in enroute to me from a friend in Melbourne.

I know this ONE thing for a fact:

- There is NO requirement of a 'US' VISA/Mastercard/Amex. As long its one of them, you WILL be able to get it to work
- What you need a US/Canadian/Aus/NZ billing address. Which obviously you cannot have if youre in Singapore (or Delhi like me). But for account activation and to cash in the first free month, all you need to input is ANY valid australian pin-code (3052 for eg.) and a valid address and you'll be through. People in the UK/Holland etc. have confirmed to this 'work around'
- This though, now im assuming, is only temporary. Come the 2nd month when you actually need to be 'billed', your account WILL be deactivated since your billing address is NOT your actual one. They might even ban the cd-key permanently, who knows.

- The easiest and safest thing to do is to use any friend or relative's CC and billing address from any of the above countries
- Or use the above loophole and then wait for the PayPal payments to begin. I dont think it'll be an issue WHERE the paypal payment is coming from, since its CC based and since obviously the game copy you'll be using is a NAmerican release.

The above is my understanding. Please refute if i'm wrong, since then i'd have coasters too.

[Beerswiller]

For all those worried about not having a NA/AU/NZ address and have a friend sending them a copy of the game, how about you ask them to send you a few gamecards too? Use their local address too if you are that stressed. Last time I checked, GCs were available off the 'net for A$35 for a 2 month card.

[Ryzier]

Hi, i didnt mean to be inflammatory to anyone here. If thats what it sounded like, sorry.

I myself am in India, and thus this thread is of a great worry. My copy of WoW in enroute to me from a friend in Melbourne.

I know this ONE thing for a fact:

- There is NO requirement of a 'US' VISA/Mastercard/Amex. As long its one of them, you WILL be able to get it to work
- What you need a US/Canadian/Aus/NZ billing address. Which obviously you cannot have if youre in Singapore (or Delhi like me). But for account activation and to cash in the first free month, all you need to input is ANY valid australian pin-code (3052 for eg.) and a valid address and you'll be through. People in the UK/Holland etc. have confirmed to this 'work around'
- This though, now im assuming, is only temporary. Come the 2nd month when you actually need to be 'billed', your account WILL be deactivated since your billing address is NOT your actual one. They might even ban the cd-key permanently, who knows.

- The easiest and safest thing to do is to use any friend or relative's CC and billing address from any of the above countries
- Or use the above loophole and then wait for the PayPal payments to begin. I dont think it'll be an issue WHERE the paypal payment is coming from, since its CC based and since obviously the game copy you'll be using is a NAmerican release.

The above is my understanding. Please refute if i'm wrong, since then i'd have coasters too.
You see Sid, the problem is that all Credit Cards have a billing address, and as far as Blizzard is concerned, that address has to be American/Australian/New Zealand too. That's the whole issue.

And Beers, thanks for the GameCard tip, yes I'm trying to procure some of them.

[Squarebob Spongepants]

The problem with gamecards is that they haven't been released yet and that they won't be out in stores until the 29th. That's the last I heard on the matter. Not sure if there's been any change yet.

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[Outlaw50]

u got some whicked english to be from singapore

[Squarebob Spongepants]

I don't know who you were referring to but I believe that English is the language people speak in Singapore.

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[Coburn]

I have an american credit card. I live in Japan. My friend is buying me WoW from a store he knows that has WoW. The ultimate question is can I play it? If I have an american credit card and the game will I be able to log on to the servers? Or do I have to wait for the asian ones to come out (p.s. I seriously don't want to be playing with koreans, they are too "gosu" at any mmorpg that they do, I swear they probably whack korean students on the hand if they are no good at computer games).

[Squarebob Spongepants]

You shouldn't have any problem playing the game from Japan, as long as that credit card of yours has an american street address attached to it (if you know what I mean).

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[Coburn]

The credit card belongs to my dad yea and I don't reall know how it all works. Because other people now live in our house in Irvine.. I don't think they would want to see some bill from blizzard.

[Starverse]

English is our first language in Singapore. All our government agencies use english. Most singaporeans can speak english other than the older generation i would presume.

[Squarebob Spongepants]

Shouldn't the address have been updated at the credit card company? If they have his current address then you should be good to go. The bill shouldn't end up at the wrong house. But what do I know? I've always used a debit card myself :scratch:

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[Usul]

me, personally, i´m not affected by all this, cuz im not gonna buy nor play the game.
But my simpaty is to all those complaining here, this is no way to treat blizz gamers community

[Ryzier]

u got some whicked english to be from singapore

:lol: Thanks.

[necro_9]

I havnt read the whole thread but i just wanted to add my voice. I too am in the same position as the poster. paying nearly $100 dolalrs for a game and getting home after a 70 minute install to find out i cant play the game.....not happy :cheesy:

[Hawkins]

I am from Hong Kong, we are experiencing the same here. People here never go to the China as you might suggest, because we are not using the same character set in our computers and we are not speaking the same dialect and not with the same cultural background at all. That said, a US server is the way we go.

Moreover, I think why Blizzy is trying to block those outside NA, AUS and NZ is because they are going to assign a local publisher for its release outside NA, and that publisher will have to invest a large amount to pay Blizzy and to share the profit with Blizzy. So if Blizzy allows others to access the US servers, your regionalized publisher will yell out for losing its potential customers. That's why it's emphasized that only after the Euroupe launch you'll be able to access the US servers freely.

[Hawkins]

You see Sid, the problem is that all Credit Cards have a billing address, and as far as Blizzard is concerned, that address has to be American/Australian/New Zealand too. That's the whole issue.

And Beers, thanks for the GameCard tip, yes I'm trying to procure some of them.

Basically it works like this,

<Without an NA credit card>
- NA postal code, ip is verified
If you enter an NA address and postal code, the postal code is detected together with your IP, that is, you'll be rejected if you entering a US postal code but using a non-US ip (ie, you are accessing from Singapore)

- Aussie (or NZ) postal code, no ip verification
If you enter an Aussie address with an aussie postal code, the postal code is detected without detecting your ip. That is, wherever you are from you'll be accepted by entering an Aussie postal code (no ip detection)

- non-NA postal code other than AU and NZ will be rejected
If you enter any postal code other than the above-said, your account creation will be rejected.

<With an NA credit card>
- You will be accepted only if you enter an NA postal code, no ip verification.

[Starverse]

Hmmm meaning can i use my old Melbourne address if i remember to create an account. I'm back in Singapore but used to live in Victoria Melbourne.

[Ryzier]

Basically it works like this,

<Without an NA credit card>
- NA postal code, ip is verified
If you enter an NA address and postal code, the postal code is detected together with your IP, that is, you'll be rejected if you entering a US postal code but using a non-US ip (ie, you are accessing from Singapore)

- Aussie (or NZ) postal code, no ip verification
If you enter an Aussie address with an aussie postal code, the postal code is detected without detecting your ip. That is, wherever you are from you'll be accepted by entering an Aussie postal code (no ip detection)

- non-NA postal code other than AU and NZ will be rejected
If you enter any postal code other than the above-said, your account creation will be rejected.

<With an NA credit card>
- You will be accepted only if you enter an NA postal code, no ip verification.
Wow. Really useful! Thanks.

[SidGupta]

"- Aussie (or NZ) postal code, no ip verification
If you enter an Aussie address with an aussie postal code, the postal code is detected without detecting your ip. That is, wherever you are from you'll be accepted by entering an Aussie postal code (no ip detection)"

EXACTLY what i said earlier.

So to recap:

- Im using a NA release WoW, sent to me in Delhi from Melbourne
- Im using my credit card, issued here in India (a VISA)
- I input a valid Melbourne Address (my old address actually)

I said so earlier, im asking again, the above WILL work, right?

[Galron Kincaid]

tip: stop trying to get around rules people set. Accept that you get the game later and stop whining.


Exactly...

[SadaraK]

Exactly...

I totally agree, the bloody rules are there for a reason, one of the reasons the servers are having lag is because of the players from other countries butting into american servers who can't wait a couple of weeks for their own, much quicker servers to go up.

And for all those whining about not being able to log on after buying the game legitimately, two things:

1. At least you have the game.

2. Blizzard is extending the free trial period for those who have suffered.

[Stygian Abyss]

I totally agree, the bloody rules are there for a reason, one of the reasons the servers are having lag is because of the players from other countries butting into american servers who can't wait a couple of weeks for their own, much quicker servers to go up.

Don't be foolish. The reason why there are log in problems has NOTHING to do with people logging in from other countries, it's Blizzard's (or vivendi's) own fault for not anticipating the number of NORTH AMERICAN players who wanted to play.

They ALSO underestimated the number of players who want to play on PvP servers.

This isn't the first time Blizzard under-estimated demand. Diablo 2 had the exact same problems at launch. Heck, it was probably MUCH worse than what you guys are going through now.

[Squarebob Spongepants]

The initial NA/AU/NZ release of WoW was 250 000 copies. They sold 200 000 of those on the first day alone. They were sold out on day 2. Just how many of those 250 000 people do you think were non-NA/AU/NZ?

Furthermore, Blizzard tripled the amount of database servers to decrease loot lag. They doubled the amount of game servers. There are now 88 servers in the US. They admitted that they seriously underestimated the demand.

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[necro_9]

at least we have the game?!?!?!?

We may as well not have,weve spent close to $100 just to have some pretty disk covers and a nifty little manual

[SadaraK]

at least we have the game?!?!?!?

We may as well not have,weve spent close to $100 just to have some pretty disk covers and a nifty little manual

You are getting the time you can't play back.

Don't be foolish. The reason why there are log in problems has NOTHING to do with people logging in from other countries, it's Blizzard's (or vivendi's) own fault for not anticipating the number of NORTH AMERICAN players who wanted to play.

They ALSO underestimated the number of players who want to play on PvP servers.

This isn't the first time Blizzard under-estimated demand. Diablo 2 had the exact same problems at launch. Heck, it was probably MUCH worse than what you guys are going through now.

And just how exactly could they ever have anticipated the amount of people that were going to participate?

The open beta? Loads of people just play those because they are free.

It's a fact that numbers of players lessen from beta's to retail so Blizzard couldn't have guessed there would be so much interest so quickley, you think they anticipated 250,000 copies sold in two days and decided to shoot themselves in the foot by not making more before hand?

When you have this much of an investment you aere on the side of caution. It was better to have too few servers than too many. And you have no right to complain since any real inconvieniance is being reimbursed. Not only that but its been, what, 2 whole days since launch and they are being panned, have some bloody patience.

There only cock-up was being human. Dont be foolish, they aren't clairfoyant.

[Squarebob Spongepants]

Still, one can't help but wonder what the European release will be like. Not to mention the Korean release. We all know how much they love Blizzard games over there.

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[Ryzier]

You are getting the time you can't play back.



And just how exactly could they ever have anticipated the amount of people that were going to participate?

The open beta? Loads of people just play those because they are free.

It's a fact that numbers of players lessen from beta's to retail so Blizzard couldn't have guessed there would be so much interest so quickley, you think they anticipated 250,000 copies sold in two days and decided to shoot themselves in the foot by not making more before hand?

When you have this much of an investment you aere on the side of caution. It was better to have too few servers than too many. And you have no right to complain since any real inconvieniance is being reimbursed. Not only that but its been, what, 2 whole days since launch and they are being panned, have some bloody patience.

There only cock-up was being human. Dont be foolish, they aren't clairfoyant.
Seriously speaking, I don't think all the major game stalls selling pre-orders would have kept the numbers hidden from Blizzard till after the game has been delivered.

At the very least, Blizzard should have a rough gauge of the numbers since companies like EB and GameStop have to order through VU, the publisher.

Despite this, I expected such server issues, Open Beta was a good enough example that it will happen. However, expecting these issues doesn't in any way mean that I condone them or am willing to overlook them. Conversely, I expect MMORPG launches to improve as the genre matures, not wallowing in the disastrous launches of the past that caused many users much agony and frustration.

[SadaraK]

Seriously speaking, I don't think all the major game stalls selling pre-orders would have kept the numbers hidden from Blizzard till after the game has been delivered.

At the very least, Blizzard should have a rough gauge of the numbers since companies like EB and GameStop have to order through VU, the publisher.

Despite this, I expected such server issues, Open Beta was a good enough example that it will happen. However, expecting these issues doesn't in any way mean that I condone them or am willing to overlook them. Conversely, I expect MMORPG launches to improve as the genre matures, not wallowing in the disastrous launches of the past that caused many users much agony and frustration.

I suspect the main stumbeling block is usually the companys adament refusal to be optomistic about its popularity. Blizzard will have seen rought pre-orders and seen the beta, but still decided on a more frugal approach. Servers and people to maintain them are big money so its better to be wrong and get more servers than wrong and have spare ones.

The only way this could have been prevented was if Blizzard gambled on HUGE popularity. It's the kind of gamble that can cost a company millions in the long run so I think they probably came to a compromise:

More than the minimum but less than the max load (which, in buisness terms can only make sense).

In real terms it will probably take about a week to fix the server issues to a point where everyone has access at a playable rate and that isn't much. In the mean time people can access on a regular, if sporadic, basis and even get any time they have not been able to access back in way of an apology. Under the circumstances of a brand new MMORPG I dont think you can say much fairer than that.

[kristianaspinall]

The open beta? Loads of people just play those because they are free.

It's a fact that numbers of players lessen from beta's to retail so Blizzard couldn't have guessed there would be so much interest so quickley, you think they anticipated 250,000 copies sold in two days and decided to shoot themselves in the foot by not making more before hand?


Just to point out, that's really incorrect. The number of players for WoW was always going to be higher than the number of open beta players, for several reasons :

i) The Open Beta signup was online for 24 hours. Your asuming everyone who wanted to play checked the site every single day to sign up, which is obviously incorrect. Most gamers don't check the forums and web site every day, and certainly Blizzard has always had a large demographic of players outside the hard core gamer profile - thats one of their huge success's. I know many people who simply missed the annoucenement and sign up period.

ii) Many players aren't actually capable of downloading 2 gig - I know several people who didn't sign up because they can't occupy their compuer for 6 hours on end just downloading the Beta.

iii) Lots of people honestly don't bother with Beta's - they prefer to play a finished product as new, without any pre-knowledge or info.


I think Blizzards mistake wasn't underestimating the number of players, it was underestimating the effect their ridiculous regional servers has had on the game. EQ has twice as many players has WoW, and yet copes with half that number of servers. Regional time zones, combined with the 24 hour in game clock, means that WoW servers suffer a huge peak and trough effect with their players thats *much* higher than any other MMORPG out there.

That, plus the leaking of some of the server names beforehand has really hit them hard...

[Ryzier]

At the end of the day, if they just decided to do it like all MMORPGs with the exception of those like AC2, we will have a more balanced server load throughout the day and probably no issues like this.

[SidGupta]

People who think that the servers are lagging because of the 'godforsaken' untouchable Non-NORTH AMERICANS, logging on 'YOUR' north american servers, simply HAVE to be the most uneducated, uninformed, assumptious idiots.

250,000 people playing from within NA, how many do you think are playing from outside NA (except Aus/NZ)?

- 5
- 10
- 50
- 100?

You my friend are a real fool if you think so. Also, i think there is an entire thread on the same issue, based on another ignorant whine of another lag frustrated tool.

Understand this, no one is doing anything illegal, these Non-NAs using the above workaround, are paying for the game AND paying for their time on the WoW servers.

* vent mode off *

Anyhow, Ryzier, considering were in the same boat (only my copy of WoW is still in transit), i wanted to know, if the above workaround has enabled you to play WoW yet?

Please confirm, thanks a lot

[Stygian Abyss]

There only cock-up was being human. Dont be foolish, they aren't clairfoyant.


My original comment on it being Blizzard's (or IMO, vivendi) fault might be harsh, but your comment about all the lag was caused due to all non-americans was just as foolish. My point was that it's caused by the unexpected demand, and not by people from other countries. Blaming it on Blizz is harsh and I should have probably re-phrased it, but I was annoyed by you pointing the finger at all non-americans.

I suspect the main stumbeling block is usually the companys adament refusal to be optomistic about its popularity. Blizzard will have seen rought pre-orders and seen the beta, but still decided on a more frugal approach. Servers and people to maintain them are big money so its better to be wrong and get more servers than wrong and have spare ones.

Not necessarily Blizzard, I believe. Vivendi might be the one who isn't optimistic.

[Ryzier]

People who think that the servers are lagging because of the 'godforsaken' untouchable Non-NORTH AMERICANS, logging on 'YOUR' north american servers, simply HAVE to be the most uneducated, uninformed, assumptious idiots.

250,000 people playing from within NA, how many do you think are playing from outside NA (except Aus/NZ)?

- 5
- 10
- 50
- 100?

You my friend are a real fool if you think so. Also, i think there is an entire thread on the same issue, based on another ignorant whine of another lag frustrated tool.

Understand this, no one is doing anything illegal, these Non-NAs using the above workaround, are paying for the game AND paying for their time on the WoW servers.

* vent mode off *

Anyhow, Ryzier, considering were in the same boat (only my copy of WoW is still in transit), i wanted to know, if the above workaround has enabled you to play WoW yet?

Please confirm, thanks a lot
Yeah it did.

[SadaraK]

My original comment on it being Blizzard's (or IMO, vivendi) fault might be harsh, but your comment about all the lag was caused due to all non-americans was just as foolish. My point was that it's caused by the unexpected demand, and not by people from other countries. Blaming it on Blizz is harsh and I should have probably re-phrased it, but I was annoyed by you pointing the finger at all non-americans.



Not necessarily Blizzard, I believe. Vivendi might be the one who isn't optimistic.

My mistake, I (like many people) don't see the publisher infront of the developer, which is stupid considering I have been talking to them the last few days...

My point about the people outside the US/AU causing lag was a bit overstateded, I intended it as more of a point about how people should be more patient instead of invading servers that weren't meant for them. Although I do think there might be more doing it than you think I don't think its causing much of the lag, which is why I said its 'one' of the reasons.

[fffortune]

Those copies non Americans have imported would've probably been bought and used by Americans anyway, resulting in the same amount of server load.

[Xinhuan]

I can safely say, no less than 500 people from Singapore ordered WoW. The retailer shops over here are going crazy because the suppliers keep jacking up the price. Just 2 days ago, the CE box price went up by $20.

[psychicpuff]

I can safely say, no less than 500 people from Singapore ordered WoW. The retailer shops over here are going crazy because the suppliers keep jacking up the price. Just 2 days ago, the CE box price went up by $20.

Yeah, I'm pretty stressed out that www.gameshop.com.sg has screwed things up for me.

It initially had release date of 26 Nov

On 25 Nov they changed the release date to 27

And NOW it is 1st December.

What's more, the Collector's Edition magically vanished from the web site. I preordered it on an account for 4 copies (my friends were relying on me to order) and somehow the next day i checked my preorder, it was reduced to only 1 copy!

Regardless, I'm going out today in the vain hope that other retailers are going to carry it.

[JustAnotherQuestion]

I just dropped by SimLim. Asked most of the shopkeepers, only 2 shops are going to bring in WoW, I asked Tec-drone and even they didnt want to bring it in. Anyway the shopkeepers said they are getting new stocks 2 weeks later. If anyone knows which shop is selling CE, can let me know. Last I asked, gameshop.com.sg isnt bringing in CE anymore.

[Squarebob Spongepants]

Maybe they simply can't bring in more copies of the CE, atleast not at this time. It's supposed to be limited edition after all.

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[Xinhuan]

Maybe they simply can't bring in more copies of the CE, atleast not at this time. It's supposed to be limited edition after all.
Yup, that's correct. CE stocks are in short supply and most retailers are not even going to meet all their preorders. It is expected that the price of the WoW CE box will go over the price of the EQ2 CE box in a few days (the shopkeepers at Funan told me).

Sadly, ordering it online plus shipping would then become cheaper if the price is going to rise any further.

[Korlak]

I don't even care that much about the price, as long as I get a chance to buy it. And no I wouldn't buy it for €200 or something on Ebay.

[Hawkins]

"- Aussie (or NZ) postal code, no ip verification
If you enter an Aussie address with an aussie postal code, the postal code is detected without detecting your ip. That is, wherever you are from you'll be accepted by entering an Aussie postal code (no ip detection)"

EXACTLY what i said earlier.

So to recap:

- Im using a NA release WoW, sent to me in Delhi from Melbourne
- Im using my credit card, issued here in India (a VISA)
- I input a valid Melbourne Address (my old address actually)

I said so earlier, im asking again, the above WILL work, right?

Sorry that I've been on vacation in the past days.

I think there should not be any problem in creating your wow account. The only concern is that after your 1st free month ends, whether your bank (and/or Blizzy) will demand for an address verification before your credit card being billed is still an uncertainty.

[Hawkins]

I totally agree, the bloody rules are there for a reason, one of the reasons the servers are having lag is because of the players from other countries butting into american servers who can't wait a couple of weeks for their own, much quicker servers to go up.

And for all those whining about not being able to log on after buying the game legitimately, two things:

1. At least you have the game.

2. Blizzard is extending the free trial period for those who have suffered.

Forget it, the bloody rules are set for nothing but how costs, risks and profits are shared. Server lags and crashes are because this is the first MMORPG of Blizzard with a self-developed engine, and it's quite normal that server stability and performance will not be perfectly tuned in the first week of release. It's a server problem instead of a connection problem, while all today's MMOGs have special codes to deal with slow and unstable connections, that's not the point.

[Thels]

Actually, people from countries outside NA DECREASE server load!

See, there were only an X amount of copies, and if those didn't go to people outside NA, then they would've been bought by NA'ers, so they're not increasing the number of players. In addition, their playing time is probably not during peak hours, since they live in different timezones, spreading server use, and thus decreasing server load at any specific moment.

As for Tetsu, Galron Kincaid and Sadarek> Telling other people to accept that the game comes in later is easy to say if you're already able to play the game yourself.

[Ryzier]

I'm surprised at the longevity of my thread. =)

[Scorch_Hellfire]

wow... this all just... makes me wish that vivendi had sold blizzard like they said they were going to... maybe then they would have been under a corporation that actually cares about its customers... :grrr:

[Gandydancer]

I read all these posts and I am amazed by all the back and forth crap I read.

1) I agree that there should be a worldwide relaese

2) Any CC should work. This crap with US or address in US is just that crap.

3) Anybody who tries to circumvent rules and gets hosed got what they deserved. Rules are rules and are set by the company...live with it.

4) Blizzard has had their heads up their *** for years. They have repeatedly screwed their customers in the past but we keep coming back for more.

5) This whole gamecard fiasco is so stupid it is funny.

6) Servers should be open. If they get overlogged then Blizzard should add new servers.

7) Blizzard knew all this crap was going to hit the fan months ago but has done very little to fix it. They know that gamers will put up with it all and will come back for more. They wanted to get the game to stores in the US before Christmas so rushed things and cut corners. They figured that they could fix them later and to heck with all of us.

All that being said I hope it does get fixed and I hope that we all will have agood time playing the game. Complaining on forums does nothing. The real power is with the almighty dollor. If we all returned our product and demanded a refund that would hit them where they live.

[bbr]

Blizzard is big.
blizzard makes good games.
blizzard earns a LOT of money doing this..

but.....

Blizzard needs to spend more time interacting and listening to its customers.

what, in my opinion, is so damn good about Ultima ( yea dont mind me )
is that there is a forum where you can post ideas, ask questions, rant, complain, comment, anything.. and the Game masters, Developers, and several other officials will post, reply and comment upon those posts.
There are a lot of bugs in UO. as there are in any game, as there are and will be in WoW. a number of exploits. and dupes. most of which are and have been fixed. or are being worked on.


its Awesome !!
Blizzard should do that as well.

Even if just a little.... blizzard doesnt talk to its players NEARLY enough to keep them all happy.... just "pay us and get back in the game"
that doesnt keep your customers happy nearly long enough to outlive UO :P

especially at this time, early in the life of WoW.. they need to act very fast upon any exploit and punish those responsible.

[Lupin]

I'm a Singaporean too, and I think WoW is a fun game. I certainly had a blast playing it during the open beta, which of course I wasn't supposed to participate in because I am an evil demon gamer from a faraway country that does not speak English. But... and this is a big but... I'm not buying the game now, and if my self control holds out I never will. I'm a fan of Blizzard games- been around since Starcraft- but I think the way they are treating the rest of the world is clear. They- or Vivendi, I don't really care which- don't want our money. I'm sick of all these excuses, all these LIES that the ill-informed, fanboys, and racists lap up, and I'm not even going to list them all because I'm sure everyone knows what they are. Basically I'm just not going to get the game. It won't make a difference, but it's all I can do.

What's funny is that nobody seems to know where Singaporeans are going to be shucked come the release of WoW here. If they really cared about our connection speeds, they'd let us into US West, because that's where the backbone of all our connections are. Oh well.

[Fallen Star]

I think if Blizzard started to comment on every post, there would get to be way too many posting. Wouldn't you rather them spend the time making the game better?

And when you think about it, they do reply to any thread that gets a lot of attention.

[krebbe]

And when you think about it, they do reply to any thread that gets a lot of attention.

yeah right so 28,414 views isnt enough?
http://en.wow-europe.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general-en&t=18152&p=1#post18152