343 may not be able to handle development for a AAA game, but they're good people. They'll make up for this mistake.
Hell, MS gave out free copies of Reach once the update disc stopped working.
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Halo |OT13|
- Thread starter kylej
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Hell, MS gave out free copies of Reach once the update disc stopped working.
I wouldn't have said it was a bigger deal than the £20 extra that people paid for the limited edition resulting in nothing more than a box and some disappointing paperwork so far.
It's really all on microsoft/legal departments hands.
They could compensate map pass users by releasing the other map packs early for them.
If there's some way of checking if you have the pass code, I wonder if there's a way for map pass people to download something exclusive or something.
But the map packs becoming early for pass users seems like the easiest fix, its just a matter if the release dates/embargos are set in stone.
Hydranockz
Member
The 9 hour delay didn't affect me in the slightest. Dropping 90 for the LE only to have it undervalued at every turn most certainly affects me.
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
Huh. Not sure why that's a huge issue. Gets more people playing. Yeah, us LE owners have the value reduced a bit, but it's $10. People get free stuff all the time after others have bought it. Sucks a bit for LE folk, but it's not life and death like some seem to think.
are you serious? You seriously think a little 9 hour delay (most of the hours being way too early in the morning to matter) was bigger than being cheated out of a purchase?
The LE users didn't even get cheated that bad, they still got some exclusive swag, it's everyone who bought the season pass separately that got absolutely fucked on this.
Please don't try to defend this by saying it was only $10.
No, its not the end of the world but its a pretty big deal. It was unintentional, but this is borderline false advertising and scamming. Not anyones fault by intention, but season pass owners were promised a saving, and they ended up paying more than others.
Hydranockz
Member
I shouldn't have spent all that money then. I should have known the maps would be free.
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
It's fine for them to be upset. I just thought I missed something, people were literally losing their shit here.
I'm just glad to have some people to play with that might not have bought the maps. I'd guess MS will do something though. Maybe the map pack after the final one will be free to LE/pass people.
Hydranockz
Member
Yeah, nothing makes me happier than spending more money to end up with exactly the same thing had I not spent the money.
U sick bastard.
1. This was an all round shit occurrence. Hardly defendable IMO. People got shafted by 9 hours for being a loyal customer and essentially charged for something that was free. I'm sure Ram will come in saying "You should have known that you shouldn't have paid upfront" or whatever. Maybe that's the case, but I don't think a season pass has been this screwed up. I knew what I was purchasing, but MS/343 didn't know what they were selling.
2. With all of these headless glitches and super throws and button combos and whatnot, I'm fairly certain this is the buggiest launch since Halo 2. There has to have been some dev hell going on.
2. With all of these headless glitches and super throws and button combos and whatnot, I'm fairly certain this is the buggiest launch since Halo 2. There has to have been some dev hell going on.
I imagine the map pass code is separate from the specialization code so its possible, but then what about LE owners? That was the main draw of the LE. This solution won't work unless they can find a way to include LE owners. Don't say it's fine we still got stuff, that's simply bullshit.
I think the LE map pass is the same as the season map pass. Just that there was a code for the season map pass in the LE.
Slightly Live
Dirty tag dodger
How do you know how many people got the maps free? Give me a percentage or something to justify your outrage here.
If everyone got the maps free, then, you would be right in saying you wasted $10 or whatever the exact price is. But it looks like only a small number of folks got the maps without paying for them and that, in no way, undervalues your purchase.
Look at it this way, with every other Halo map pack release, Bungie/Microsoft gave away a ton of free codes to hundreds or thousands of people. Did a small number of people getting the past maps free undermine the people that paid full price for them in the past? No.
The only difference I can see here is that unlike a lot of folks getting codes in the past for free, this time some folks got it free due to a technical error. The amount of outrage on here and all the mudslinging is entirely unjustified.
If you have any numbers to suggest more than 50%, or more than 25% or even more than 10% got these maps for free due to this glitch, then by all means provide them. Otherwise, I don't understand what the fuss is about.
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
You have a way with words. Basically this is what I was meaning.
Not sure about exactly how many people got the maps, but I know that a bunch of my friends got them for free. People who don't really follow Halo news.
And I think the problem hasn't been fixed yet.
Slightly Live
Dirty tag dodger
See with Halo 3 and Reach, the majority of people I know never paid for any of the map packs. This is anecdotal evidence though, keep it in mind. Without any real hard numbers there's not much a position to rally around.
What is the problem exactly? People are getting the maps for free? Obviously not everyone is getting them, so it only applies to a specific group of people - is it the specialisation code people? Or is there some other criteria? Is it known for a fact how the glitch is accessed? Is it just luck or not?
I agree that MS/343 should have closed the loophole by now, but then again, we're speaking from the point of view of the average player. We've no idea what the situation is like behind the scenes and what is currently being done.
Hydranockz
Member
I was under the impression anyone with a specialisation code could get them for free. Who got the Spec codes? Well MS sent an abundance of those out over XBL to everyone in the US and Austrailia who played before the 20th. Then there are the many people who gave their codes away. The population was highest before the 20th.
Are you suggesting I have no justified reason to feel bad about this? I can understand the mishap just fine and yeah, I feel sorry for 343 and whoever else is worse off.
Surely I can recognise an unfortunate situation and still feel bad about it, right?
squidhands
Member
This is exactly what going to a strip club feels like.
Just to play devil's advocate, if the technical error was tied to the Specialization Priority Alpha codes like it seems to be judging from a few cases posted here, then potentially a number approaching ~3 million US players would have been able to get the thing for free provided they were connected to Live, received and used a code, and attempted to get it after the glitch presented itself. The number is surely nowhere near that high, to be fair, and of course we don't know for certain if there's actually a correlation between the spec codes and the maps.
Yeah but most of my friends who aren't involved in the halo community paid for their maps in the past. Or didn't pay at all because they didn't care enough about the game to spend money on DLC.
These same people got the maps for free. I had 2 friends send me texts that the maps were free. One of them hasn't played Halo since CoD came out. It's all anecdotal but I think it shows this "exploit" isn't just known by people who follow Halo online.
The Lamonster
Member
Yeah, this is definitely the most I've ever regretted buying a limited/collector's edition of a game.
I mean, it's nice to not have to depend on receiving an email to be able to play the endgame...but still
They are different. They have specialization unlock and map pass on the same code. They had to add the helmets to it last minute while the stand alone map pass already had them. Definitely different.
Hmm... You might be able to check for both of them. Should be able to.
I don't know how this shit actually works but if xbox can detect you have some sort of thing downloaded that gives you access to a free download... should still work.
The lesson to be learned from this is that map pack codes and in-game upgrades of this stature shouldn't be used to entice people to buy limited editions. Want to give Ezio a special gun in single-player for LE owners? Cool. Want Shepard to get an exclusive armor in single-player? Cool. Map packs and perks? Eh...
Focus on figurines (not the ugly Legendary edition things) or really nice art prints or something that feels more tangible for the money the consumer spends. You avoid this issue and make everyone happier in the long run I think.
Focus on figurines (not the ugly Legendary edition things) or really nice art prints or something that feels more tangible for the money the consumer spends. You avoid this issue and make everyone happier in the long run I think.
Oh I'm sure they can, but right now it's looking like the specialization codes that went out were possibly the same ones the LE has.
Non LE people who got the specialization code and free maps should check and see if they now also have the Strider and Scanner helmets.
BlueScrote
Member
Given all the outsourcing there has to have been some rough months during the H4 development. I wonder if the hand-off from Bungie to building 343 wasn't as pleasant as the PR has made it seem.
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
I'd have taken a Chief Halo 4 helmet for the LE. Even though people make fun of the "cat helmet" it's still one of the coolest LE things I own. Not too big on statues anymore.
Now this guy has a way with words.
The Lamonster
Member
I've been saying this as well. I also like the traditional elements like making-of DVD, soundtrack, ART BOOK, etc.
Hopefully the next one will be better.
User 73706
Banned
I can kind of understand why 343's been in development hell. The original creative director didn't do dick for almost four and a quarter years beyond spitballing forerunner concepts and then they had to push whatever assets they had into a game over the course of only 9 or so months. If that entire team had actually used those five years in full, I can imagine we would have gotten a completely different game.
Poker Face
Member
Yup. 343 please call it the Collectors Edition next time. Amazon was re-stocked a good 3-4 times on the "limited" edition.
I'd love a cool concept art book, maybe a decent sized print of master chief, some cool lore stuff (like halsey's journal), the soundtrack, and a making of DVD. No virtual shit pls.
The Real Napsta
Member
Who wasted all that time and how do you know this?
This.
Big fans of the series will still get the LE. Halo 3 LE gave you a bunch of awesome stuff without making anything in-game exclusive.
Reach gave you an armor effect. It's shaky ground but not that big a deal.
LE users getting access to specializations early is like buying an advantage to the game. Glad they gave those out anyway.
BlueScrote
Member
I'd love to get a behind the scenes write-up on how the franchise hand-off and the development of H4 went. Not the sugar coated BS, but what actually happened.
The Lamonster
Member
Yep. It was fun to hear about Halo 2 development. And it really says something about Bungie when you look at how amazing that game was, barring the abrupt ending.
Also Halo 2 was the best Halo soundtrack and score ever. I said it. I actually really liked the Steve Vai stuff, the Incubus songs and even that Hoobastank song that was about Xbox Live (seriously, it was called "Connected").
Poker Face
Member
They still haven't unlocked any specializations yet, so if you don't have a code, you're kinda fucked.
They should have just unlocked 1 or 2 every week after launch. Sigh
They should have just unlocked 1 or 2 every week after launch. Sigh
This is the stuff I want out of LE's anyway, not multiplayer stuff.
Isn't this what we've been saying since they announced what was in the LE?
The Lamonster
Member
I actually thought the flaming helmet in Reach was a perfect LE component. A couple years after release, it was pretty rare to see them.
neoism
Member
about 7 a map pack lol not worth it.... 343 are not a great developer I hope they get their but its not anytime soon, The clearly don't play a title the right way in QA....I can definitely tell the best thing about Halo and that was Bungie, you can refute Reach all you want it was a million times more well put together, and the most important factor and that's the game is fun, really wish I could feel the way some of you do while playing, I did the first 5 days or so, but then I seen the game for what it is..beta. 3 or 4 games in and I'm done... O well really wish 343 would put out that reach update, but they going to be busy fixing their game til 5.
Pretty much. I regret buying the LE, both because of how disappointed I was in the game, and because the physical materials included with it rises only slightly above glorified Cracker Jack prize status. Meanwhile the game content and DLC was sliced and diced in a way that made no one happy, even if it were implemented correctly. I fear the lessons 343/MS will take from this are ones of execution rather than strategy, though.
Deputy Moonman
Member
Here's an important lesson for everyone to learn and live by: Life's not fair and then you die.
I ain't even mad. There are far more important things to get pissed off about. Things happen. In the end, we're all still alive. We all have a life and friends and have more money than most people in the world.
Check it http://www.globalrichlist.com/
I ain't even mad. There are far more important things to get pissed off about. Things happen. In the end, we're all still alive. We all have a life and friends and have more money than most people in the world.
Check it http://www.globalrichlist.com/
The Lamonster
Member
hahaha that is awesome. Best LE description I've seen yet. I've been hating on those lore materials since I first tore open that shrink wrap. Aside from actual physical goods, I'd much rather have a nice story intro in a game manual than those random fake documents. I loved Frankie's story stuff in the Halo 2 and 3 manuals.
ElzarTheBam
Member
Halo 3 recap resolved.
Warning: The stupidity on display here is not for everyone, the weakest of the three recaps, but I laughed at some parts.
Warning: The stupidity on display here is not for everyone, the weakest of the three recaps, but I laughed at some parts.
Hydranockz
Member
This sums things up for me. So sad really.
Devin Olsen
Member
For not doing dick for that long they managed to pump out a vastly more polished game then 343i did. So I am not sure why out of all of this you think Bungie is to blame.
MS/343's greed really and truly cost them a lot here, it's apparently the main reason behind the DLC fuck up. It is what caused the whole issue with the spec ops codes, and it has caused countless other problems.
It is very clear that for 343 it is $$$ first and then Gameplay/fans second. With Bungie it was never the case, at least it never came off that way.
Halo 4: It's better than being dead
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