Bioware Goes To Hell.

[Roland]

I don't see that difference as being that key.  As you said, they both represent the company wether they say they do or not.  Of course as I said in another reply, I don't think Derek's comments were really that rude.  Some of them I thought were clearly meant as sarcasm.  He could have said the same things and been more polite about it, yes.  He even probably should have, but he is a person.  As I said the only real response that you can have that will have any effect is to get the money to stop going to the company if you truly have an issue with it.

Most companies don't really care about their customers.  They care just enough to continue making profit.  The only company that I have really actively boycotted because the rude and horrible treatment of customers, and in this case employees and contractors, is Wal-Mart.  They are a very very unscrupulus company the things they perpetrate are shocking at times.  It isn't just one employee tired of pointless bitching and being a bit less polite than he should.

But I think both of our points have been made.  I just don't see the behavior as all that rude, but I am very tolerant and not all that sensative.

You don't see it as being all that key. I see it as being key, because it's a distinction I chose to make. That is not to say I'm letting Geoff off the hook. I'm not. I merely differentiate the two because one is directly involved with the games, while one is not. That's the only difference, but it's enough to cause me to close my wallet to one, while keeping it open (or the possibility, anyway) to the other. I don't feel that Geoff should be allowed to be as abrasive as he is, but I've never bothered to take issue with it directly because, frankly, it's not worth my time. What makes this different is the very fact that a game developer is choosing to step on his customers. Old news? Maybe. Doesn't mean I have to like it or tolerate it.

You say he could have, and should have been more polite. So we agree. Then why are we sitting here debating? The fact that "he's a person" has NO relevance to allowing him to be a jerk. I admit, his comments are not as harsh as GF, and in all truthfulness they aren't THAT bad. Nonetheless, a line has to be drawn somewhere, and frankly, his attitude strikes me as one I would not like. I can see him making comments much worse than this, if he's in the mood for it, and frankly, I don't want to be shelling my money out to this guy if that's the kind of treatment I can expect. What if someone raised a LEGITIMATE complaint and he reacted the same way? Would you still be defending him?

I haven't really actively boycotted a company before, either, because like you, I am very tolerant. However, disrespect is NOT something I tolerate, ever. Money talks and bull#$%& walks, as they say. Things like this make it just that much easier to avoid getting games from Bioware. Does that mean I'll never buy another game from them? No. I'm not a fanatic, and they haven't burned me enough to make me do that. But, as I said originally, it WILL make me evaluate the choice of buying vs. not buying much more than I normally would.

As for companies I actively avoid, CompUSA and Best Buy are at the top of my list. Why? Horrible business practices and even worse customer service. Do I NEVER shop at either of these places? No. I do on a rare occasion shop at CompUSA, if I have to. I haven't bought anything from Best Buy in years, though, and don't intend to. And I will actively seek out other stores before going to CompUSA. Certain fast food places around here I avoid like the plague, due to poor customer service and/or poor quality of food. Same deal. Do I boycott the whole company? No, just the individual locations. Hence why I haven't fully boycotted Blizzard. They've given me plenty of reasons to be disgruntled, but admittedly not enough to flat-out boycott them. I did in fact buy Warcraft III, despite how I told myself I wouldn't. I decided, on a whim, to buy it, with the assertion that if I did not like it, I WOULD return it (which I NEVER do). Fact is, I gave it a chance, and let my grievances slip away for the time being so they wouldn't cloud my view of that game in particular. And you know what? I really enjoyed the game. And, besides, Bliz South does not equal Bliz North. As such, I decided to keep the game, and have been happy with that choice ever since. Now, the next Bliz North game, as well as WoW and SC:G all will have to win me over. It won't be a "it's a new Bliz game so I have to buy it" sort of deal anymore. They'll be under alot more scrutiny than I normally give them. Why? Lots of reasons, none of them needing explanation. Point is, I take things on a case by case basis, unless given damn good reason to do otherwise. Just like Black Isle dropped the ball on Black & White; because of that, I will be VERY skeptical of their upcoming B&W2, along with any other games by them, until they prove that they won't repeat the mistakes of their past. Same with Blizzard. Same, now, with Bioware (NWN is a dropped ball in itself in alot of ways, which thankfully Bioware has taken some pains to rectify; this latest bit only hurts that effort, however).

Are we coming to an understanding finally? ;)