JudgeDredd
Posts: 8573
Joined: 11/14/2003 From: Scotland Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: noguaranteeofsanity They haven't just repackaged the games and sold them as is, they have included an update with many bug fixes and 3.10 is an update for ANW, which will also be available for those who already own ANW. Its the future development that will only be available for those who purchase the ultimate edition. So Matrix are in fact, doing exactly what you are asking or expect. I'm not entirely convinced they are doing exactly what I am suggesting. You've said "many"...I think - and I apologise for anyone who doesn't agree with me - that a company has an obligation to provide bug free software before providing an updated game and re-charging for it. In other words, if Matrix (and any other company) have a bug free program after years of development, and they put more development in with more features and then re-charge for it - I'm dandy. If, on the other hand, Matrix (and any other company) have sold their software and it has bugs in it, and they fix those bugs - they should not be charging for that update. I couldn't care less if they've "disguised it" with additional content...that's just to ease the pain of re-paying. That's a smoke screen to tell the user "you can have your fixes for the bugs in the game - but because we've included additional content, you'll have to pay". I'm saying they have an obligation to fix the bugs free of charge - then they can coninue development and expand the product and charge for it...but the software should be bug free before moving onto another paid version. quote:
ORIGINAL: noguaranteeofsanity As to people paying for support through upgrades, it happens all the time, no software is maintained and updated indefinitely, the best example being windows, with Microsoft ending support for older versions such as Windows 98 already and Xp in the near future, which means you have to upgrade to a newer version, in order to get continuing support, updates and patches. While it is also quite common nowadays for software packages to be maintained through subscriptions or annual support fees, which are charged on top of the purchase price, including some games which charge monthly fees to play. That's alright then. Being as we're used to being screwed over, another once shouldn't make any difference. I'm not saying that Matrix should be providing Windows 7 32bit and 64bit support and updates. I'm not saying that Matrix should be providing support and free updates and free additional functinality for new technology changes. What I am saying is there is an obligation to remedy any remaining game bugs before repackaging the software and charging for it. That way the people who have the games have a working game...if they then want a new version because there's an additional feature they would like, then they pay. If they want the new version because they've upgraded to Windows 7 - fine. There's a MASSIVE difference between wanting continued support for a working product (that equals needing to pay now and again) and wanting a working product with working features as you would expect in a detailed naval simulation. Battlefront done it with Combat Mission Afrika Corps and their other older titles I think for versions to run on newer systems - charging $5 for a patch to get those games to work. People didn't like that. If the game(s) were stable and funtional and bug free prior to that patch, and the patch was purely to update the game to work on a new OS - fine. Charge away. Paradox did it with Semper Fi - WRONG. Semper Fi was released with additional features, but with bug fixes to the base game - some thing that they should've fixed free of charge - they had an obligation to give people a working base game before charging again. Look....if Matrix or anyone else on here who is playing the new version could say that any and all bugs that remained in ANW and HCE were squashed prior to releasing this version - then I have no axe to grind. But if there were existing bugs in the original two products and a charge is being made to fix those with a cover story of extra development and functionality being added, then that practice is unnacceptable. No company should be developing new functionality for a product until their bugs are fixed...unfortunately all that I learned about Software Engineering and the ethics of software development have NEVER appeared in the real world...just because it happens though, doesn't make it right OR acceptable. I'm finished in here now so argue the whys and wherefors between yourselves. I just wanted to make a point that there's a distinction to be made (which seemed to have been lost since I finished my Software Engineering course) between supporting a working bug free product with paid for updates, and paying for updates that fix bugs.
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Alba gu' brath
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