Microsoft screws up Halo 4 DLC release, pretends it was intentional
- Thread starter FyreWulff
- Start date
yankeehater
Member
So I bought Halo 4 at launch and played it the first day, I got a code for the specializations from MS, and I downloaded the crimson maps the day they came out, and yet I got charged for them. If I contact MS will they refund me the points?
AdmiralSnackbar
Member
They sent me an email, the only problem is that they don't tell you what the code was for. The tagline for the email was something like "here's your free reward" without actually telling you what it is, and even after you enter the code and download it it still isn't clear what the code or the email are for without prior knowledge of the promotion.
There was three methods of delivery for the codes:
1. Emails to your primary Xbox Live account email
2. When people starting reporting they weren't getting codes, the started sending emails to the secondary contact email associated with your Xbox Live account
3. When people still didn't get codes after that, they sent them through Xbox Live messages.
And you're right, it's not a US only thing, it's limited to these countries:
United States, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, and India.
Interrobang
Member
This. Who still buys these things?
Nope. You just get to play those maps after the 18th.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
Wait, is it free for a limited time, or do you get temporary, limited access to it for free?
But I live in Microsoft Land! Not the same state, but country yes.
Is there any way to contact them about this?
Oh I did notice I have 3 Xbox Live messages on Xbox.com
I couldn't open them. Says I need to be on Xbox to read. I'm not near my Xbox until a couple of days.
Limited access for free, then it will cost to continue playing on those maps. From HaloWaypoint:
Many of you participated in our 14 Day - Buy and Play program, a special offer that granted early access to six Specializations. As part of that program, we are providing complimentary access to the Crimson Map Pack for a limited time (through Tuesday, December 18 at 9am UTC/GMT). At that time, the complimentary limited access to the Crimson Map Pack will close, and 14 Day - Buy and Play program participants will no longer be able to access the content for online play (please note anybody who has already purchased the Crimson Map Pack or owns the Halo 4 Map Pass or Limited Edition will not be impacted and will continue to have access to the content after the complimentary access period ends).
Currently as it stands it's free for a limited time, but Microsoft is pressing this PR out through their support reps and now 343i saying that it's the latter when they have no proven means of actually enforcing that.
People who are planning to buy all the DLC, I would assume.
I swore them off after the Gears 3 debacle but trusted Halo because its the one series from western developers that I trust to always deliver. Not anymore. This fucking game has disappointed me in basically everything except the graphics. It's so bad it now extends outside playing the game itself.
Interrobang
Member
Goodacre0081
Member
so, for those of us who plan on getting all the dlc are giving up on a discount to try and prove a point? this shit has been planned out weeks in advance. they'll be releasing the DLC piece meal or in a bundle. what will change if we buy them individually?
I don't see how people buying content resulted in Microsoft fucking up. nobody should be blaming LE/warPass buyers for anything.
Crazyorloco
Member
Wow. So another shit storm waiting to happen.
Now I'm one of the ones who got the map pass. I would love to be compensated for the lie and being ripped off, but I do feel if Microsoft made a mistake and their crimson map pack shows NO evidence of it being a trial then the customers that got it For FREE SHOULD KEEP IT. "14 Day, Buy and Play" promotion came out a day after everyone was getting for free. This is just another headache waiting to happen.
Let's see if they can cut those that didn't pay off without errors. I bet some how map pass/LE owners will be prohibited from using the maps.
dehydratedbabies
Member
I'm eligible but I never received a message through either email address or my Xbox Live account. I've PMed Frank, messaged 343 community manager Jessica Shea on Twitter, and posted in the appropriate threads on Xbox.com and Halo Waypoint. No response, no code.
CaptainCally24
Neo Member
Halo 4 was the #1 played game on live for a week til Black Ops 2 came out, then it dropped to #2
Nobody's blaming them. It's just probably smarter to wait and see whether:
1) you actually like the game enough to justify buying all the content
2) all the content packs are actually worth purchasing
3) something unforeseen (like this) happens that would actually make it a better deal to buy piecemeal
There have been multiple examples of season pass purchasers getting the shaft.
giancarlo123x
Banned
I was pretty close to just buying this a couple nights ago since I had leftover MS points from one of those old free points promos here on gaf, glad I read this thread. Went through my email and found my code and got my free maps.
Goodacre0081
Member
those are fine examples but people realistically can only wait until the first DLC drops. after that you might be missing out on playing with friends. most people don't wait until the last piece of content to make a decision and if your shelling out for a season pass you obviously like the game enough.
nobody seen this coming and it's shitty news for everyone except the people who got free maps. MS fucked up and people will remember this for next time.
there have also been season passes that have gone off without any problems. it's just the shitshows like this that get all the attention.
Doug Heffernan
Member
This is why I don't buy season passes or limited editions.
The Lamonster
Member
haha well said dude
CreateNowSleepLater
Member
This. If its on the hard drive there is no way to go back and not let people use it. More damage control. So suddenly they have a way to control what people have on their 360's?
I've bought two season passes so far this year:
Borderlands 2, which has been a pretty good deal so far, and Halo 4. Now, I'm not mad that they've screwed up, but now that they're spinning it into a "promotion", they should at least throw a bone to the WGP/LE buyers and give us some armor codes or something.
(Although if we're talking like, pie in the sky here, write Crimson off as "Free" and then do a 4th map pack)
Borderlands 2, which has been a pretty good deal so far, and Halo 4. Now, I'm not mad that they've screwed up, but now that they're spinning it into a "promotion", they should at least throw a bone to the WGP/LE buyers and give us some armor codes or something.
(Although if we're talking like, pie in the sky here, write Crimson off as "Free" and then do a 4th map pack)
Jack Scofield
Member
How are they going to differentiate between people who got the maps for free and those who bought the season pass and downloaded the maps for free?
I wonder just how much Microsoft can screw this up next week.
I wonder just how much Microsoft can screw this up next week.
They said that the maps will not be available to play for those people online, not that they're suddenly deleted from your Hard Drive. If they have a way of identifying those who used the specialization codes, then they may have a way of preventing those people from accessing the Crimson Map pack for online play.
In a week maybe we'll find out they can't. At the moment they've only said that it it is temporary access to these maps that expires 12/18. Next week will likely be rage filled with either LE/Map Pack owners who feel cheated if they do get to keep the map pack, which if that's how it turns out is certainly something to be angry about, or it will lock the trial users out, who will be angry if they assumed it was a free map pack.
Jack Scofield
Member
Especially when they don't even know what that content entails. It's scary how willing people are to just hand over their money with the nebulous promise of "more maps." Wouldn't you, you know, actually want to see the content you're paying for before forking over $25?
I can't believe people actually buy this shit.
GraveHorizon
poop meter feature creep
I don't have the maps, and didn't get a code. If I want to play the maps, should I buy a pass, or get each map pack individually? I'm confused about what's the better deal, and don't want to get ripped off.
If you believe that no matter what that you will want all of the map packs, the pass is $5 than buying them separately.
jediyoshi
Member
Do people who buy the season pass or redeem LE codes have their content redeemed as specialization priority alpha?
Penguins&PolarBears
Member
I agree it is not worth $60 more, but then I'll have to buy the map packs myself.
Unfortunately I don't see anyway for someone to gift you a season pass so the only way I can get or give the map packs as a gift is by asking for the Limited Edition.
Really wish they would lower the price of the LE to something more reasonable. ($60-$80)
Interrobang
Member
I was wondering this myself. The content is on my harddrive. How can they lock it? Unless they can do it by gamertag or something, this sounds like a bunch of bollocks.
CreateNowSleepLater
Member
Maybe you are right but how exactly would they even do this? You would need to change the game code. As far as I know it does a check to see if those maps are installed not if you bought them. For example, ever get a new console and forget to download your dlc? It still gives you an error because although you have the license for that content it is not physically there. If they start fucking around with this I promise you they will fuck it up for legit users. $100 says on the 18th it becomes a Christmas present.
I would rather they be working on the fucking game and 343i has disappeared again.
http://support.xbox.com/en-us/xbox-live/marketplace-and-purchasing/download-content
Microsoft has always had to ability to restrict people from using installed digital purchases. Marketplace content has two licenses associated with it: 1 is linked to the console that it's first downloaded on, the other to the gamertag that purchased it. Any gamertag can be used to play the content on the original console, but content installed to a 2nd console can only be accessed by the licensed gamertag unless you transfer the license from the 1st console to the 2nd. That said, I don't know how difficult it would be for them to revoke the license for a single piece of content. How does downloading the Crimson map pack work? Do you get the standard download dialog with price as free? Does it show up under your purchase history?
Reluctant-Hero
Member
So... wait... do I have the following correct?
If you received the 14 day pay-and-play reward code to unlock all specializations, you now have access to the Crimson Map Pack until 12/18. After 12/18 you'll have to fully purchase either the Map Pack or Season Pass in order to continue playing the new maps.
Right?
If you received the 14 day pay-and-play reward code to unlock all specializations, you now have access to the Crimson Map Pack until 12/18. After 12/18 you'll have to fully purchase either the Map Pack or Season Pass in order to continue playing the new maps.
Right?
Does downloading the new map pack give you a trial of XBL Gold, too? Because my subscription ran out last night, I downloaded the map pack (after I found my specialization code) and then boom....I can play Live again.
Now I'm afraid to turn off my Xbox now. lol
EDIT: Meh...I only got to play 2 games with it before I was locked out of matchmaking. Oh well!
Now I'm afraid to turn off my Xbox now. lol
EDIT: Meh...I only got to play 2 games with it before I was locked out of matchmaking. Oh well!
FamousLastX
Member
As of now, that's correct. We'll see how it really works out and if Microsoft/343 don't manage to screw anything up with this process.
Damn, I was willing to bet $5 it'll work against a guy earlier, but no way am I taking $100 dive. Not sure how it'll work, but I must be more cynical that some of you because when it comes to giving out free DLC or locking people out after a week to sell it to you, I'm always going to believe a company is going to find a way to make the latter happen.
Bungie had much better communication with folks. I hope 343i is taking the time to launch the File Browser. On Xbox.com they said it'd be this month and I'm dying to see what the Forgehub folks have been working on.
AHappyPanda
Member
Did you buy the LE? If you entered the code you got with the LE (inside the case) and get to Level 50, you should be able to access all Specializations.
Palette Swap
Member
Which is in itself pretty terrible if you aren't in one of these countries. Way to make euro people feel like second class players.
Something Wicked
Member
Well, the Crimson Map Pack looks awful anyway. Some of you guys could look at it like you're not paying for this crappy map pack, but just paying $2.50 more for each of the next two potentially not-crappy map packs.
The Crimson Kid
what are you waiting for
This is a mess.
Here's what needs to happen: if people that got the maps freely can still play the maps after this arbitrary Dec. 18 date passes, I expect a credit of 800 points to anyone who purchased the map pack or the season pass within the week.
If they choose to not own up to what is a huge mistake, entirely on their part, just because they got some extra cash from it, then they officially cease being a trustworthy business in my eyes.
Trustworthy businesses admit when they are clearly in the wrong and make it up to the customer in an attempt to regain that trust.
If they continue to lie and ignore the scope of this problem, then this is potentially a much bigger deal than some people losing five or ten bucks. It shows than instead of owning up to their mistakes, Microsoft is willing to lie and screw over their customer base at any point just to make a few more bucks in the short term. If an error entirely of their fault happens to make them money, they will choose to deceptively make things up instead of coming clean to their customers as any decent business would.
Let's just put it this way: If Microsoft chooses to act in such a blatantly untrustworthy manner that is beyond anything they have done so far this gen, then it will be much more difficult for me to choose to invest my trust and my money with them for a whole new console generation.
Here's what needs to happen: if people that got the maps freely can still play the maps after this arbitrary Dec. 18 date passes, I expect a credit of 800 points to anyone who purchased the map pack or the season pass within the week.
If they choose to not own up to what is a huge mistake, entirely on their part, just because they got some extra cash from it, then they officially cease being a trustworthy business in my eyes.
Trustworthy businesses admit when they are clearly in the wrong and make it up to the customer in an attempt to regain that trust.
If they continue to lie and ignore the scope of this problem, then this is potentially a much bigger deal than some people losing five or ten bucks. It shows than instead of owning up to their mistakes, Microsoft is willing to lie and screw over their customer base at any point just to make a few more bucks in the short term. If an error entirely of their fault happens to make them money, they will choose to deceptively make things up instead of coming clean to their customers as any decent business would.
Let's just put it this way: If Microsoft chooses to act in such a blatantly untrustworthy manner that is beyond anything they have done so far this gen, then it will be much more difficult for me to choose to invest my trust and my money with them for a whole new console generation.
The Crimson Map Pack still shows up as purchasable even after you install it. http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/P...Map-Pack/d4a3c585-a5ef-458b-891a-28601b9b2372
Normally, the store would list it as "Already purchased" if you own it. The pack people are getting for free is likely a separate SKU meant for season pass holders.
Normally, the store would list it as "Already purchased" if you own it. The pack people are getting for free is likely a separate SKU meant for season pass holders.
Monumental
Banned
Wow, get a fucking grip man.
jediyoshi
Member
What's even going on here anymore
The only difference between this and if everything went according to plan is that people who didn't pay for it had access for a few days to something they still don't own, and if they announced that as the plan originally, no one would have batted an eye.