Mar vel
Caldari
Deep Core Mining Inc.
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Posted - 2008.11.27 09:05:00 -
[1]
If I understand the problem with the new Client, it's that CCP released *new* client that requires premium hardware and the latest rendering software to run properly?
The net/net of this new content upgrade forces those with inadequate host systems to upgrade if they want to keep playing. 2 Months ago I had working clients and happy paying to play. Since upgrading I have not been able to play one minute in weeks. Seems like there's a lot of us out there....
Is not the Gold Standard to keep backward compatibility with your existing player base? Is that not supposed to be hardware agnostic? In other words, you don't force people to upgrade just because you are able to. What's the *real* benefit in a new rendering engine? Is it really a quantum leap if a significant percentage of your customers can't use it? For example, I liked the old one just fine, and I was willing to pay ~$50/mo for the service - but obviously I'm not willing to do that for vaporware, or for an upgrade that has no real value and that requires me to upgrade vast amounts of my system to even possibly use it (no guarantees there either).
Let's use the same analogy with another service provider: cell phones. They require robust networks, they require OS's, they require working with a myriad of vendors who have software on the client systems. Shall I change the BIOS or the OS and make them all incompatible with the current network? Not if I want to keep my job. Not if i don't want to lose thousands of customers, tons of money and...my product's reputation.
Seems like you could take a hint from that scenario.
Are you folks going to release a dumb version for those of us who don't want to be forced to upgrade their hardware and software? How about retaining backward compatibility with the prvious major content release for starters. I'll keep paying...everyone wins.
From my viewpoint, the baseline standard that needed to be met was support for your current user base as of the last content revision. Seems like a no-brainer, unless you folks are developing software for yourselves, which wouldn't surprise me one bit...
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