I have a crazy idea that might improve PC gaming

[flexy]

You shouldn't complain if you're one of those countless folks "pre-ordering" games only based on hype. And you shouldn't complain if you received a game, found it awful but didn't bother with a refund.

 

[flexy]

Now THAT is a great idea!

Remember how back many eons ago almost any greater title had a demo? They were usually on CDs with computer/gaming magazines.

 

[werepossum]

You guys are pretending that I said membership was mandatory. Its not. You choose to be a part of the gamer's union or you don't. If you choose to join, you understand the purpose of the union and what your responsibilities are as a member. This is a gamer's union, so we can choose to boycott anything we want, including video cards as someone mentioned. I see this working out perfectly.
If you don't like the idea of the union and aren't willing to abide by its limitations after a vote, then you don't join and you continue to be an individual rather than being an integral part of the new and powerful gamer's union.

Also, as your president, I will choose what is considered to be fashionable and what is not. If you don't have SLI, you must forfeit a predetermined number of "swag points". "Swag points" are accumulated for liking the same things that the well cultured gamers like, such as SLI and BF4. You can get discounts on games with "swag points" and other benefits are offered.

Ok, that last paragraph was just me messing around because its Friday and I find myself funny, but the rest of it is true and legit. This will work out great.

You could actually do that without any sort of consensus, just get like-minded individuals to join. A few thousand gamers buying a game on the same day and returning it the next would certainly get some attention from developers and publishers, although the effect might be to pressure Valve not to accept returns.

Your marketing strategy could use a little work. Unless of course "SCREW YOU ALL!" is going to be your company motto.

If so I hate to disappoint you because I think that was trademarked by the EA Games team that did Battlefield 2142.

+1

Remember how back many eons ago almost any greater title had a demo? They were usually on CDs with computer/gaming magazines.

I remember those fondly, but honestly, there is so much available feedback today that I don't see the point of the demo.

 

[sweenish]

So, the terrible idea is optional and that makes it better?

You'd have no strength of numbers because no one would join because the idea is not good.

 

[Whitestar127]

Heheh, I think you should change the thread title and keep only "crazy" and "idea".

 

[biostud]

The problem is that you buy games on day one of release. Just wait a week or two to see if there are annoying bugs or if it is a crappy console port.

 

[CPA]

lol, you guys are funny. Poofyhairguy has some good points though. I still think it would work and I still think its a great idea. Its natural for people to trash an idea because that's what people do, but I think it would actually work.
For instance, if SLI is broken in a game, then we will force 5 million refunds until they fix that damn thing. Fix my game or you bitches are done. That's the message we need to convey.

But, I don't use SLI.


Plus, I hate unions.

 

[CPA]

The problem is that you buy games on day one of release. Just wait a week or two to see if there are annoying bugs or if it is a crappy console port.

I get what you're saying here, but if everyone did that, then you would never get any reports on annoying bugs or being a crappy port. Someone has to be the guinea pig.

 

[CPA]

Some of us already do that. We call ourselves "cheap old bastards" and we hold meetings every Saturday at Costco. Mostly we nod at each other as we push our wives' carts, but I'm still counting that as a social event.

And we hold onto our 780Ti's until the generation after the next gets released. Then we pick up the generation after the 780's at a discounted price. Plus, the 780Ti is awesome.

 

[CPA]

You guys are pretending that I said membership was mandatory. Its not. You choose to be a part of the gamer's union or you don't. If you choose to join, you understand the purpose of the union and what your responsibilities are as a member. This is a gamer's union, so we can choose to boycott anything we want, including video cards as someone mentioned. I see this working out perfectly.
If you don't like the idea of the union and aren't willing to abide by its limitations after a vote, then you don't join and you continue to be an individual rather than being an integral part of the new and powerful gamer's union.

Also, as your president, I will choose what is considered to be fashionable and what is not. If you don't have SLI, you must forfeit a predetermined number of "swag points". "Swag points" are accumulated for liking the same things that the well cultured gamers like, such as SLI and BF4. You can get discounts on games with "swag points" and other benefits are offered.

Ok, that last paragraph was just me messing around because its Friday and I find myself funny, but the rest of it is true and legit. This will work out great.

Swag points you say? Ok, I'm starting to see some merit in your idea. I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter, please.

 

[biostud]

I get what you're saying here, but if everyone did that, then you would never get any reports on annoying bugs or being a crappy port. Someone has to be the guinea pig.

That is why we have review sites.

 

[CPA]

That is why we have review sites.

lol. Which ones? And by that I mean which ones do you trust were not bought off by the gaming companies. Look at Batman: Arkham Knight. Even with the notorious PC issues, the game being pulled from Steam for 3 months and the continued bugs, there is only one negative publication review on Metacritic for the PC version. Sure, several comment on the issues, BUT still give the game a mixed grade. The grade should be negative across the board.

In any case, there will always be guinea pigs, and sometimes I'm one of them. I'm okay with that.

 

[Denithor]

Is your cousin Vinny going to break kneecaps at the game studios if they don't refund fast enough?

 

[sweenish]

lol. Which ones? And by that I mean which ones do you trust were not bought off by the gaming companies. Look at Batman: Arkham Knight. Even with the notorious PC issues, the game being pulled from Steam for 3 months and the continued bugs, there is only one negative publication review on Metacritic for the PC version. Sure, several comment on the issues, BUT still give the game a mixed grade. The grade should be negative across the board.

In any case, there will always be guinea pigs, and sometimes I'm one of them. I'm okay with that.

rockpapershotgun.com

I imagine they don't show up on metacritic, because no numbers.

 

[Rebel_L]

It won't ever happen, but I think it should and I would participate. Digital distribution services should be used to host a sort of gamer's "union". As a gamer and consumer, you sign up to be a member of the gamer's union. The union will have many members if its to be effective.
When a game is released, it will either be well received and people will be happy with their purchase, or gamers will, yet again, feel cheated and ripped off for being asked to pay $60 for a crappy console port because developers consider PC gaming an after thought and just want our money.
As a member of the union, you will use a simple survey app or window to vote on the game you just bought. If it gets enough negative votes, then a mandatory mass refund process will take place, the games will be uninstalled for everyone in the union and everyone will get their money back. If it gets enough positive votes, we all keep the game. For people who haven't yet bought the game, as a member of the union they will not be able to buy the game if it was voted out. They will go to buy it and will be notified that the game was voted out and they will be provided with reasons and details for the game's rejection by the gamer's union.
This will give gamers real power and we will speak for the first time with one voice and with one giant wallet. Such a system will work to encourage developers to get a game done right and put in effort, or else a large section of their customer base won't be buying it, or with our collective power, will have the leverage to demand refunds, or, once a game is voted out shortly after release, the union members who haven't yet bought the game won't be able to buy it until the game is fixed or otherwise voted back in.

I think there is some merit to your idea, although for me it should be based on a technical scale, not content per say; ie reporting bugs not "I don't like the game play" as that is just too subjective. If the reported bugs(needs to be some sort of verification as well) for instance reaches a certain threshold a warning comes up for new buyers, if it reaches an even higher threshold, then refunds go and sales stop until the company address things. Maybe with even a few categories of bugs, maybe too many non critical bugs only halts new sales, where as critical bugs triggers a recall or something like. Perhaps even as a incentive to get companies to work on things, if a game is refund triggered, it comes with a waiting period of X time before it goes into effect to give the company some time to fix things to avoid the recall.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

We already have this system, it's called the free market.

The problem is that gamers and people in general aren't well educated when it comes to the economy, and free market mechanics, otherwise we'd see the number of pre orders drop and the number of skeptical buyers go up, but they never do, gamers keep making the same mistakes over and over. Education is the problem.

 

[ewdotson]

Can I join a message board "union" to vote this idea into oblivion?