retired_putpo

The patch will be released when it is ready, it's as simple as that. Every day we're working on this game and as someone previously said, every fix in theory could cause another bug somewhere else. We have to test this game as thoroughly as we can to get it up to standard. Remember we play the game at home too, we want what you want - a perfect game.

And we do read the forums, we do take note of threads like this, but don't always have time to comment as we're too busy working a lot of the time.

I don't have the authority to speak for the whole of SI, but I can state as far as myself and the people I've spoken to, we want FM to be as good as possible and we work with true passion for this game to try and do that.

jstp

I think you should read quite a lot more forum posts before making a statement like that </BLOCKQUOTE>

Kriss, I'll be the first one to say that I have been critical of SI over the last few days about the delay in releasing the beta patch to non-FM purchasers. Part of that was borne out of the frustration that, after years of buying FM from overseas, I bought WWSM this year to support SI/SEGA's efforts to expand the brand in NA, only to find that I'd have to wait for the beta patch. To be fair, SI/SEGA have said that future patches will be released simultaneously, and that the beta patch was an exception to the rule, but given the time it seems to be taking to build the different installers, I'm holding my breath on this one.

Really, though, my main complaint regarded communication, or lack thereof. Granted, they said "likely early next week." Likely, as in maybe later. All I asked was that if there was some reason for further delay, someone from SI ought to have said something earlier than late Wednesday.

I hope whatever installer issues they had have been worked out, so that when the time comes for the 8.0.1 patch proper to be released, that bridge doesn't have to be crossed again. But I don't think it's unreasonable for SI/SEGA to say, "OK, we tentatively believe that the 8.0.1 patch will be ready the week of XXX, and if it gets to the middle of that week and it's obvious it won't be ready, we'll give you an update."

Again, I know that, for me (and I'm guessing for a lot of other WWSM/DD/Futbol purchasers), it wasn't the delay that was as troubling as the lack of communication. At a time when SI/SEGA is actively encouraging past users to embrace region-specific models rather than buy & ship FM, they really can ill-afford to leave those users feeling disenfranchised.

retired_10lbsless

I don't think you could be more honest, other than in that post.

retired_B_RAN

Cheers for that, mate. It's just too bad that Sega forces you to release this game before it's ready and before your hard work has reached completion. It gives you all a bad name and makes testers and developers look like villains. The real villains are the cancerous lot at Sega.

And if someone like Matt claims that it's not Sega, then it's no matter to me. Whoever was responsible for NOT delaying this game is guilty of leading us all down this path and making you lads look bad. I was stunned when I saw the release date of mid-October. I was anticipating December. And it turns out that December might have been a far better choice.

It's uncanny how we started seeing "commercial considerations" and bad decisions about releases and patches once Sega bought SI. That's quite a coincidence, isn't it?

trainmyself2

It's simple. If SI want consumers to test the game they should release a beta version and let consumers test it for 3-4 months. Once all the bugs are realised they can patch the game up and sell it in stores.

There is absolutely no excuse to start selling an unfinished product - people are paying up to £25 for this product, what about those who don't know about patches, buy the game, think it's crap and consider themselves to have wasted their money?

Yes, SI is a business. But just because you have staff to pay is no excuse for selling a shoddy, unfinished product. Either delay the game by six months or one year and manage your resources or don't bother releasing it at all, the one thing you don't do is rip off consumers.

This situation was bound to happen, people are now getting wise to SI's tactics. I have voted with my wallet by refusing to purchase this game despite my love of the series, how many other thousands have and how many more will after this patch debacle, turn their back on this franchise for good?

retired_samanthateo

For naturepig.

When I said that everyone posting that the game 'is crap' is a moron, I meant just that.

If that is all they have to say, then why bother.

Look at some of the threads. In many cases it is 'I spent £25 on a crap game'. Nothing constructive to say.

Nothing about why they don't like it.

No posts about bugs they have found.

I bought the game for £25 and found that it did not work as I expected, I too am frustrated. I admit that I am not happy with the game as it is. But I have confidence that my £25 has not been wasted. I may have to wait a couple of weeks, but I know that my £25 has been well spent for one simple reason. SI have always and are promising now to give us a game that is going to be better than last year. Once patched I will spend months playing this game.

I appreciate the fact that people are annoyed that the game is not working spot on.

For those people that have bought FM before. You know it will get fixed. You know every FM has been patched and made better. You also know that when it is running 100% it is hell of a lot better than any rival game.

retired_lapepe

I think it's the best game on the market NOW. I've had no issues with it since the betapatch. Before that only the clueless scout and coach reports.

I am 100% sure that SI are doing everything in their power to make this game as perfect as it can be, and I trust that they will achieve this. They always have, and they will now also.

I don't know of any other gaming company that does so much service to its customers post-release. Many release the games, and that's that. On to the next one. Just about every game on the market has bug or balance issues. But unlike the most of the pack, SI are trying to fix it.

I think we should appreciate that a bit more instead of tearing their head off as the first option.

retired_nsample

quote:
Originally posted by Kriss:
Let me add that I've yet to see a significant problem that wasn't picked up by testers, as Paul C has explained by the time we get the game in a form which enables us to pick up these things it's alreadt too late to fix them before release.

Kriss- I have no problem at all accepting that this is true and that the teaters will find most of the game bugs before release.

One follow on question then:

If this is so, why do the Testing team in the Bugs Forum continually ask for save games to be sent to them for every bug that is identified in the Bugs forum? If we take what you say, they should already have save games from the beta testers and should have been working for weeks on the fixes?

I know from reading the Bugs Forum that contiual requests for save games for glaringly obvious faults does cause some criticism from posters, so is it just a defence mechanism to defect flak while they are sorting out an answer?

retired_haynesleighe

The saved games make the logging and therefore resolution of issues quicker and easier.

retired_rymar

FrazT - I have little to do with the actual testing of the game - I do see the amount of hours that go in from the SEGA test team. AFAIK, it's grown every year, as has the experience of the team testing it. They also improve their tools and techniques for testing something like FM with each year that we work on it. The guys do a professional job and take pride in it - as I've repeatedly stated, the two things I hate on this forum are the car comparison posts, and the blame the testers threads - neither of them have any basis in fact...

Zappa - I don't understand your comments, or you don't understand mine. How can a game that's matchless in scope be the same as "pretty much every game out there". The fact is - FM is not at all like "pretty much every game out there"....? It's not like testing a platformer or a shooter...

Greg - you'd have to ask SI if we've ruined it all. Needless to say I don't agree with you, and don't think you're posting in a particularly constructive manner either, which is a shame for this thread. If you feel like you do, though, I would suggest you email your concerns to Miles - I think it'd be educational for you to know exactly how much of SI's business is controlled by them, and how much is controlled by us.