What happened?!?

ENAK · 05-06-2008, 07:41 AM

So... What happened? Where is the EA Downloader version? I mean - I understand your servers get overloaded but... I didn't even get the serial number... I work for a pretty big company - if we fail to deliver software on time we usually have to send an email explaining why things get delayed... Here I got nothing... So... can I please have my game now???

Or at least some excuse why I can't have it??? Pretty please... Wake up and type something up!!!

lmimmfn · 05-06-2008, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ENAK

So... What happened? Where is the EA Downloader version? I mean - I understand your servers get overloaded but... I didn't even get the serial number... I work for a pretty big company - if we fail to deliver software on time we usually have to send an email explaining why things get delayed... Here I got nothing... So... can I please have my game now???

Or at least some excuse why I can't have it??? Pretty please... Wake up and type something up!!!

this is all i know about it - News: Pre-loading Mass Effect PC adds "4 hour delay" - ComputerAndVideoGames.com

Stabil · 05-06-2008, 11:44 AM

And more to the point, I got an email stating the download will be availabe form 00:00 CET (Central European Time) on Thursday 5th June. Now it is thursday, 00:00 has come and gone and still no download. Methinks EA meant 00:00 on the 6th June. Once again ineptitude is rewarded.

Merecraft · 05-06-2008, 11:57 AM

So, over 12 hours since the game was supposed to appear in the downloader (according to the email I received yesterday)... and nothing. No game to download, no comment or update from anyone at EA. What utterly rubbish service.

EAUK_Baker011 · 05-06-2008, 12:59 PM

Hi Guys,

Sorry to hear that you have been having some frustrating times with this. To confirm, Mass Effect will be available to download from midnight tonight, or 00:01 Friday 6th of June.

Hope this clears things up.

Merecraft · 05-06-2008, 01:14 PM

" Hope this clears things up."

Hardly!

So, the email you sent out yesterday, which says (quoting) "The game will therefore be released for download at 00.00 (Central European Time) on Thursday 5th June.", was a blatant lie?

We have paid for a pre-release download of the game, which is now being released on the same day as the retail release. Is that not false advertising?

How come some customers from other European countries seem to be able to download their copy now (as evidenced by the growing thread in the official mass effect forums) yet those in the UK cannot?

Time to cancel it seems. May as well go and buy it from the shops first thing tomorrow - it will be cheaper, come with a box and manual, and I'll get to play it sooner than having to sit through a 5 hour download.

ENAK · 05-06-2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EAUK_Baker011

Hi Guys,

Sorry to hear that you have been having some frustrating times with this. To confirm, Mass Effect will be available to download from midnight tonight, or 00:01 Friday 6th of June.

Hope this clears things up.

Having trouble reading the time???? You send emails to customers, tell them that something will be available on day X, 0:00 but what you really mean is X+1? You think that this 0:01 makes the difference?

This is the mail I received:
"The game will therefore be released for download at 00.00 (Central European Time) on Thursday 5th June. At this point it will appear in your EA Download Manager and you can start the download then (it will take around 4 hours depending on your connection speed). This means you should be able to play Mass Effect much sooner."

Please do something about the guy wrote this lovely piece of mail as it is incredibly annoying to me that I have to wait for more than a week now and here you add one more day just like that!!!

Guys... I am a Steam and Stardock distrib. systems subscriber for years now... Never... I mean... NEVER - did they mess up release dates by one day. Only one moment when they messed up was when the original Half Life was released and their activation servers just died. But that was years ago.

Next thing - why was this even delayed with the normal DVD release by one week??? If you can't provide the bandwidth for the download - why even try - just release through Steam - they seem to be... well... competent.

Another interesting tidbit in that email you sent:
"We are committed to providing the best possible customer experience on EA Store and as such we have decided to remove the pre-load option from the download, as it has been discovered that it will actually cause an additional 4 – 5 hour delay on the download time, due to the un-encryption method."

Do you even know how the internet works?!? I mean - preload will take about 20hrs on my 1Mbit link... And judging from the Steam Hardware Survey - these links are pretty common... To get it in less than 4 hours you would need something like a 6Mbit connection... I would gladly take the preload a week earlier+4 hours of decryption over this!

Deia76 · 05-06-2008, 02:36 PM

Hey guys.

I'm kinda disappointed too. I received an email on the 30th of June that the release date changed from 6th June to 5th June. Nice communication there.

Then we receive on 3th June the mail about the preload not being possible and that we can download as of 5th June 00.00 hours. Including an apology and a discount code. Even better communication there.

But then things go wrong. We dont get the download on the 5th of June but on the 6th, with no communication at all!

EA, I really suggest that you send out a communication quickly about your delay of 1 day (intended or by mistake). A lot of people will get back from work soon and the first thing they will do is fire up their EA downloader, just to get disappointed and angry. And then desperatly try to find info about why it is not working!

Or enable the download now ;-)

EAUK_Baker011 · 05-06-2008, 03:00 PM

There was unfortunately a mix up in the date on the email and I can only apologise for this. Like I said, it will be available from midnight tonight.

Thanks for your understanding.

Merecraft · 05-06-2008, 03:04 PM

The date was mixed up on two separate emails?

Sent on 30th May:
"The product listed below will now be available on 05 June 2008"

Sent on 3rd June:
"The game will therefore be released for download at 00.00 (Central European Time) on Thursday 5th June."

To make such a huge mistake once might, just about, be excusable. To do it twice... honestly, I'll never ever use the EA store again.

Oh, and seems people in Denmark can download it already...

EAUK_Baker011 · 05-06-2008, 03:15 PM

Different European Territories have different street dates. In the UK the Street date is Friday 6th of June and the Digital Download has to follow this date too.

h4wkrapt0r · 05-06-2008, 03:22 PM

This is beyond reasonable, acceptable or right.

I'm so shocked, I'm utterly lost for words....

Ea has shown itself to be one of the worst companies to-date (to at least me).
Before I go on.

Quote:

Thanks for registering at Electronic Arts UK Community! We are glad you have chosen to be a part of our community and we hope you enjoy your stay.

Please be sure to check the forum rules which can be found here. Also post a quick introduction to the community here.

All the best,
Electronic Arts UK Community

Stick it where the sun dont shine.

If this is all EA has to say then, they have one formal complaint coming their way away with -£300 per year (that money will go to a good cause, like the people who crack/hack EA games).

Quote:

Different European Territories have different street dates. In the UK the Street date is Friday 6th of June and the Digital Download has to follow this date too.

So you you support me when I say the people who wrote the email are a bunch of idiots who some how forgot to mention this?

Merecraft · 05-06-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EAUK_Baker011

Different European Territories have different street dates. In the UK the Street date is Friday 6th of June and the Digital Download has to follow this date too.

There was no mention of that in either email. Both told me that the game would be released on 5th June.

Alex00 · 05-06-2008, 03:29 PM

This is just bloody ridiculous. I see why EA get such a bad rap now, but i thought i would give them the benefit of the doubt. Even if they did actually mean that the download would be available at midnight tonight, did it not cross their minds that everyone who read that e-mail would have automatically thought that they ment last night because of the way they worded it? The 5th 00:00 was 13 hours ago! If this was the case why havent they sent an e-mail explaining themselves?

What kind of customer service is this? just being left in the dark? Its so ironic that they go to great measures to stop people pirating the game but with the european delay and the rest of the crap thats involved in just getting this game, its just causing so many more people to pirate.

You would NEVER get this on steam. How about you take steams example that is one game and one release date for all.........EVERYBODYS HAPPY!!
The only reason why i bought the digital copy was because i thought i would atleast be able to download before the retail release. Otherwise what is the point of having a digital release when its out the same time as retail anyway. People who give you money to pre-oprder in advance should be able to download it and play in advance by a day atleast. Even if it isnt in the stores in that area.

h4wkrapt0r · 05-06-2008, 03:37 PM

EA dont care what you think mate.

[Removed - piracy discussion is againt the Forum T&Cs]

Or

Don't buy new version's, buy second-hand copies.
After EA start losing money EA might start to listen, until then people like baker or some person will keep saying sorry even though they are laughing at you.

EAUK_Baker011 · 05-06-2008, 03:46 PM

I am passing on all your complaints to the EA Store guys. I can assure you I am taking this very seriously and not laughing at all. I am genuinely sorry that you are so frustrated with the service.

Deia76 · 05-06-2008, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EAUK_Baker011

I am passing on all your complaints to the EA Store guys. I can assure you I am taking this very seriously and not laughing at all. I am genuinely sorry that you are so frustrated with the service.

Thanks Baker,

I hope they realize they made a mistake and do the only right thing they can do, release the game now. Giving another discount is not going to help ;-)
And furthermore do an internal investigation how to prevent these things in the future. Looking at the reactions you lost some customers now, if this keeps on happening, you will loose many more.

Steviebaby · 05-06-2008, 10:54 PM

The scale of ineptitude here is quite simply beyond belief. I've had enough. I will not purchase another EA Store title again. I use Steam and not only do I like the way it automatically patches games and that it provides you with unlimited re-downloads, but they also happen to be competent at providing a download service. EA haven't got a clue what they're doing here. They don't even know how to read a calendar to get a date correct (twice!). The lack of communication just adds insult to injury. I had to scour forums like this to understand what is going on. Why wasn't I emailed to tell me what I paid for hadn't been delivered? I'll answer my own question: because of shockingly poor customer service. Goodbye EA Store.

demb · 06-06-2008, 12:14 AM

It's now 00:18 on the 6th, Where is my download?

Steviebaby · 06-06-2008, 12:16 AM

i'm still waiting as well - what an absolute farce

Braidedheadman · 06-06-2008, 12:52 AM

Good god, why are any of you surprised by any of what has happened with this game? From the ghoulish DRM to this, what part of EA's track record didn't you all get? I would LoL, but I feel genuinely sorry for you.

[Edited by Phenom.]

Steviebaby · 06-06-2008, 12:55 AM