Absurd Marketing Situation | Forums

[Compassghost]

Well this has to be one of the more hilarious outcomes of Ubisoft's awkward (to put it politely) branding and marketing: Ubisoft Fans from Ubisoft games trolling Fans of other Ubisoft games to 'give it up' and play the other game, of the same name, or.. wait...



I have played GR:O Compassghost, and it's an ok game, but I think GR:FS is more, at least in spirit, along the lines of the kind of game I like. But Ubisoft seems demerited to make knowing that, and actually buying their games as challenging and as much work as possible -- which is such a cardinal business 'no-no'...

Come on, what's not to love about turning a Recon into a burrito?! D:

[ecma4]

3 weeks to release, still no media and outstanding questions. No indication that Ubisoft is taking this release serious.

[hoak]

Less then three weeks till the game goes to the stampers, and more importantly nearly a month since the game went on sale for pre-order and prospective PC Customers are still stuck with only one PC screenshot, an abbreviated quarter page feature list (that only lists two PC centric 'features' -- Uplay and DirectX 11) and a few obtuse posts by concerned Ubisoft Community Managers burned in a forum where most people that will buy the game will never find them...

Now Ubisoft has announced conflicting information from various sources internal and external the game will not run on Windows XP; which was originally announced as a supported OS... Even retailers and e-stores have conflicting information, and have even changed the OS specifications (some several times) after the game has gone on sale for pre-order (see this thread)...

With no single point source of information for the PC game, just a few scattered posts, a quarter page 'release statement', and one screen shot actually from the PC -- a lot of prospective and paying Customers are going to have their expectations rather shaken, or worse, feel mislead by media that doesn't represent the way the PC game looks (because it isn't from the PC), and be very incensed if/when the game doesn't run on their systems when and where it was advertised it would...

A brief synopsis of what is known, where some features and limitations are likely to quite reasonably cause considerable upset that isn't good for anyone if discovered after the fact includes:

· the PC game is functionally identical to the console version
· one time registration DRM
· game may not run on Windows XP
· no mod support or mod tools
· no server browser
· no SADS/dedicated server
· no LAN support
· no Demo or Beta
· the 'Standard Edition' will lack two COOP maps
· there's only one PC screenshot officially acknowledged as from the PC

Presented tersely like this, this obviously comes across rather negatively, but like the shock and ire that may come when people realize the game looks nothing like the screenshots because those posted here, on web, and at e-stores are not from the PC -- all of this could be easily ameliorated with a well composed news post that reconciles previous conflicting information, offers some screenshots or video actually from the PC game, that focuses on the positive features of the game.

Marketing that only focuses on targeted, canned 'features & benefits' that ignores the larger context of questions, issues and even marketing mistakes like those being made now with OS requirements is not good marketing -- it's misleading and always has considerable and costly backsplash...

[Stephan591]

Hello Friends !!!!! I would love to hear from everyone what the have seen. What are the most absurd multifamily marketing ideas you have ever heard of. Several marketers tried this years ago with little success. But that is ok because as a industry, we've got to continuously reach out and try new things as they come along.

[ecma4]

Can we get an update on the status of PC information/media? Is Ubisoft simply not planning to promote the PC release at all?

[Nexolate]

Can we get an update on the status of PC information/media? Is Ubisoft simply not planning to promote the PC release at all?

+1

It's been a while now, the console versions have released and the PC version is out in 3 weeks.
Please Ubi, we'd like to have some idea what we've bought and what the changes you've made have done to the visuals.

Regards,
Nexo

[hoak]

If these were nit-picking 'pet wish' points and it was months from the game even being on sale, it would be one thing for Ubisoft to ignore them -- but there are critical questions that have a decisive effect on whether paying Customers will even be able to play the game they've pre-ordered and paid for, like: is Windows XP supported or not?

Or people with various vision issues that are bothered by excessive post-processing in games like bur and DOF effects that might be better served by buying the console game -- but are waiting on the PC game because it may be more configurable and accommodating in this regard.

Ubisoft's disregard for prospective paying Customers is fine as Ubisoft's folly and ineptitude comes at their own expense in lost sales and negative image... But the abrogation of trust by altering the game's system requirement after it has gone on sale where Customers have already pre-ordered it -- and not following up and reconciling the conflicting information less then two weeks out from release is unethical...

[ecma4]

We are now a mere two weeks away from the PC launch, and still nothing has been released. The last post Ubi_Antoine, GRFS's Community Manager, made on these forums was posted almost two months ago. In that post he stated:

New screenshots? Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long.

We haven't seen anything since then. Other forum moderators have stated many times that new information was coming "soon," most likely because this is what they themselves have been told, but we haven't received anything.

Information varies from retailer to retailer, for example the claim of Windows XP support. Just a few days ago Ubisoft made an announcement apologizing for similar confusion surrounding the games co-op features. In that announcement they state that "We will vigilantly work to avoid this problem in the future." ​but they are repeating the exact same mistake and (known to us) taking no action to correct it.

The biggest issue in all of this, for me as a paying customer, is that as a result of not advertising the PC version in anyway, there will be less sales and less users playing the game's online mode. That means a game that won't last as long, and Ubi won't support for as long. They still have not committed the Arctic Strike DLC for the PC platform. We are often told that our enquirers are being past along, but nothing ever seems to come of it.

We would appreciate a little more communication from Ubisoft. You're asking customers to purchase your game, but are unwilling to meet them half way with information about the platform's release. You've announced, to much eagerness from fans, new features and enhancements to the PC version, but you have not outlined what these are. What does Extended party functionality mean?

I can't help but feel ignored and like a second-class citizen, because that's how Ubi's actions to date have treated me. We've been strung a long since the game was announced. I love this game franchise more than any other, please allow me continue to love it.

[antoineflemming]

We are now a mere two weeks away from the PC launch, and still nothing has been released. The last post Ubi_Antoine, GRFS's Community Manager, made on these forums was posted almost two months ago. In that post he stated:



We haven't seen anything since then. Other forum moderators have stated many times that new information was coming "soon," most likely because this is what they themselves have been told, but we haven't received anything.

Information varies from retailer to retailer, for example the claim of Windows XP support. Just a few days ago Ubisoft made an announcement apologizing for similar confusion surrounding the games co-op features. In that announcement they state that "We will vigilantly work to avoid this problem in the future." ​but they are repeating the exact same mistake and (known to us) taking no action to correct it.

The biggest issue in all of this, for me as a paying customer, is that as a result of not advertising the PC version in anyway, there will be less sales and less users playing the game's online mode. That means a game that won't last as long, and Ubi won't support for as long. They still have not committed the Arctic Strike DLC for the PC platform. We are often told that our enquirers are being past along, but nothing ever seems to come of it.

We would appreciate a little more communication from Ubisoft. You're asking customers to purchase your game, but are unwilling to meet them half way with information about the platform's release. You've announced, to much eagerness from fans, new features and enhancements to the PC version, but you have not outlined what these are. What does Extended party functionality mean?

I can't help but feel ignored and like a second-class citizen, because that's how Ubi's actions to date have treated me. We've been strung a long since the game was announced. I love this game franchise more than any other, please allow me continue to love it.

Their "mistake", according to them, was basically that they didn't inform their community that they were being deceptive by saying that they offered local splitscreen coop when they didn't. Their statement "We will vigilantly work to avoid this problem in the future." is merely saying that they will make sure to inform ppl of their true intentions.

As far as the lack of information concerning PC is concerned, this is reflective of their view of the PC fanbase. If they truly cared about their PC customers, they would release information. Lack of PC information this close to PC release suggests an assumption on Ubisoft/Red Storm's part that PC fans will most definitely buy the game anyway, so what's the point. And, besides, what's the point of giving you information anyway? They want you to buy their game, and they don't want complaints about it before you buy it. So they will wait either for E3 or for after release to give information about it. They want your money first. And, then, once they have your money, they don't really care what you do. Because, it's not like they're going to listen to your feedback. It's not like you will have any say in what the game is like. So to them, it does them no good to release info about a version of their game they care little about, and a customer base that they could care less about. I hope Ubisoft/Red Storm proves all this wrong, but I doubt it. Oh, and mods/devs, the only proper response in this thread is a post with actual, substantial information. None of this "You will get info soon" crap. There's a point when your fans get tired of lies and other bull****.

[hoak]

I wonder if this isn't just a case of job fear, paranoia and 'CYA' reaching epic proportions where everyone is afraid to say anything that might be cause of anything that can be turned into an issue...

As global economies tank, and unemployment soars; and is even literally 'scheduled' to hit relatively healthy economies hard in the next year -- I suppose some of this is understandable; not to be confused with excusable however...