What if EA offered a 30-day guarantee?

[bdoughty]

Since you guys talk to the developers, etc, etc.

How about you ask them if they would consider this idea. For NCAA 13 have them offer a 30 day money back guarantee. It might be limited to purchases from the EA Store but I have seen special promotions like this happen with the chain stores. I would think this would be something beneficial for both the developers and the consumer (the stockholders and the EA uppity ups not so much). It would be an incentive for the programmers to put out a game that is, how shall we say, "more functional." Those not satisfied can simply return the product and we do not have to listen to them bitch about the same damn thing 30+ times on every forum they have access too.

I know, it would never happen but if all things in the world were fair and just, EA would jump all over this. There was once a time you had to prove your value to your customer.

[Pig Bomb]

EA NCAA posted record sales this year selling us a beta version that was rushed to meet a deadline....why would they change anything???

http://www.ea.com/ncaa-football/blog/record-start

The fact is despite cranking out a virtual beta every year more and more people are buying the game.
The EA "uppity ups" would laugh your suggestion into the garbage can faster than you can say Madden trade-in deal.

[Rudy]

It's on the consumer to rent first if they want to force EA to have a better product at release. Even though they had their best next gen sales so far people will remember the sloppy release for NCAA 13.

[I OU a Beatn]

I'd bitch about issues whether I had the option to return it or not. My gripe is not spending money for a game that doesn't function the way I think it should. My gripe is that they have exclusive access to developing college football games and they're constantly ignoring game breaking issues. If they're going to have the exclusive license, they need to put forth the effort to make the best game they can.

Ignoring glitches year to year is not how to go about that.

[JeffHCross]

As you said, the stockholders and management probably wouldn't go for this (though NCAA's impact on EA's stock price is minimal, if anything at all). I don't personally believe that offering a 30-day back guarantee would change anything as far as the developers are concerned. I understand why people believe that EA intentionally released a "beta" version, but in my eyes that's totally wrong. No company, no matter how "easy" it is to patch a game, would intentionally release bad product.

I believe there are other factors at play that cause games (across all companies and genres) to be varying levels of quality. I, again personally, believe that pride alone would prevent anyone from releasing an intentionally bugged product. Minor problems of very limited impact -- sure (the only perfect _____ is one that is never released), but bugs that significantly affect gameplay? Not intentional, no.

As for "if the world was fair" ... maybe. If video games were the only industry that didn't offer money-back guarantees, sure. But there aren't very many retail industries that go for that, unless they're really trying to get your attention and interest. And even then, it's usually only major ticket items that cost $500 or more (or infomercials, I suppose). If the world was fair, companies could offer something like this without suspecting that some number of consumers would use it as a 29-day rental period, or for trophy whoring. People already do that, and promptly return the game to Gamestop, though they're not rewarded with full retail price returned.

And this wouldn't change the amount of bitching -- not hardly. All that would change is that we have the ability to say "return it" to Joe_McBitch. Which is basically the same as saying "you don't have to buy it", which is what we say now ... and that hasn't changed the amount of complaints.

[Pig Bomb]

I understand why people believe that EA intentionally released a "beta" version, but in my eyes that's totally wrong. No company, no matter how "easy" it is to patch a game, would intentionally release bad product.
.

This is in fact true! You see it right in their "making of" TV show!!

The EA development team have a list of bugs in the game and they decide what they can fix before release and what they can't!!
It's right int he show and they actually mention that more than once!

They do know about issues before the release and yet they release it anyway--- because some stuff they will be able to fix with a patch and other bugs they have just decided to live with [as they are not game killers in their opinion].

Because EA are season, yearly release, and deadline driven they won't do a later release like some shooter game might if they discovered as many glitches as NCAA has. It's a beta when we get it- period.

[JeffHCross]

The EA development team have a list of bugs in the game and they decide what they can fix before release and what they can't!!
It's right int he show and they actually mention that more than once!Read the next paragraph in my reply. There's a difference between what is shown in the ESPN show and what I'm talking about here.


I believe there are other factors at play that cause games (across all companies and genres) to be varying levels of quality. I, again personally, believe that pride alone would prevent anyone from releasing an intentionally bugged product. Minor problems of very limited impact -- sure (the only perfect _____ is one that is never released), but bugs that significantly affect gameplay? Not intentional, no.

On a daily basis I, as a software tester, find problems and have to decide how significant they are. Some of them are significant enough to demand immediate fixes. Others are significant enough to delay planned patches. Others aren't significant at all and are allowed to remain in the product. This is true of any software product. I don't expect EA, or any company, to be any different.


other bugs they have just decided to live with [as they are not game killers in their opinion].Exactly.


It's a beta when we get it- period.It's not. Period. (in my opinion, of course, just as yours is in your own)

[Pig Bomb]

more importantly i think people get pissed off becuase the same bugs are in the game year after year

not only that but NCAA is 10 times more buggy than FIFA or NHL ...the two best games they make.

[JeffHCross]

not only that but NCAA is 10 times more buggy than FIFA or NHL ...the two best games they make.I can't speak for the FIFA series, but one thing that rather shocked me a couple years ago was seeing all the "hardcore" complaints about the NHL series. In my eyes, the NHL game was very well-polished. But if you ventured onto the hardcore community sites, there seemed to be just as many complaints about NHL as there are about Madden, NCAA, or any other EA game.

I've often wondered if we (the collective NCAA fanbase) just notice the problems more because of our love of the sport and time spent playing the game. Maybe, maybe not.

[/soapbox, stream of consciousness]

[Pig Bomb]

i still feel it's a beta because they release the game with known bugs because they have to meet a self imposed deadline, rather than fix the game...as a result the game is 100 times more buggy then other games i play that have normal development cycles

[bdoughty]

I can speak on behalf of FIFA as it can be pretty darn buggy. Last years 360 version had a bunch of patches. I had a file in Fifa directory that said patch 6. Of course FIFA is their bread and butter and Peter Moore will always put the priority there. That said they did release a buggy game to retail.


I can't speak for the FIFA series, but one thing that rather shocked me a couple years ago was seeing all the "hardcore" complaints about the NHL series. In my eyes, the NHL game was very well-polished. But if you ventured onto the hardcore community sites, there seemed to be just as many complaints about NHL as there are about Madden, NCAA, or any other EA game.

You hit the nail in the head. I absolutely love the past few NHL games and outside last year not being able to save a custom camera, I could not see any problems. Of course I am not a hardcore hockey guy and I have seen all the complaints from them.

[JeffHCross]

i still feel it's a beta because they release the game with known bugs because they have to meet a self imposed deadline, rather than fix the game...I agree with the latter (having to release because of a deadline), though, as I said, the only "perfect" software is one that is never released. As for the former, it being a "beta" ... maybe I'm just being overly specific because I'm apply the "beta" term of software development. I agree there are bugs, but I think the quality is still above what I would term "beta". Among other things, betas are generally susceptible to having crashes. I don't think NCAA has that problem, overall (not to say there aren't some rare circumstances that could cause a crash).

[steelerfan]

I see this as having 3 solutions for the wary buyer.

1. Rent.
2. Use the option you now have to download full versions of EA titles for a few days to decide if you want it.
3. Buy the game around the date that the actual season starts. Most times any crippling bugs are gone by then.

I think which option one chooses should directly correlate to how much convincing they need that the game is worth their money.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

[CLW]

This idea is DOA (dead on arrival). EA has no competition thus their only fear is if the consumers stop buying their product. You can download and play the demo. You can rent the game before buying. You as a consumer have the power to decide for yourself it ONLY requires some discipline.

[JBHuskers]

If any video game company had a 30-day money back guarantee, they'd go out of business :D

[OptionMasta]

If any video game company had a 30-day money back guarantee, they'd go out of business :D

And it would be especially unrealistic in this case because many people already buy NCAA (not on this site obviously) in anticipation of Madden and then dump it off as a trade in when Madden comes out.

[bdoughty]

Dream killers

[JBHuskers]

Dream killers

More like truth tellers :D or reality checkers

[jaymo76]

Would we know/care if we didn't have access to forums such as this fine site? Would I love and have fond memories of 06 as my fave NCAA game ever if I came to sites like this back then? Often issues only become issues when we are made aware they are issues... sometimes ignorance is bliss.

[Pig Bomb]

Would we know/care if we didn't have access to forums such as this fine site? Would I love and have fond memories of 06 as my fave NCAA game ever if I came to sites like this back then? Often issues only become issues when we are made aware they are issues... sometimes ignorance is bliss.

that's exactly why NCAA put up record sales this year [despite the online fan community not being very happy with the game in recent years]....the average player doesn't have a clue about all the stuff the hardcore community finds and bitches about...i expect them to sell even more next year despite this being the buggiest version ever - overall it's still an awesome game - especially to average kids

[ram29jackson]

you offer money back guarantees for household appliances etc. Not for DVDs or CDs or games

[JeffHCross]

.

[bdoughty]

You guys laughed at me but...

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-12-ea-offers-pc-tiger-woods-12-refunds

EA has offered refunds to customers who feel mislead by the full-priced PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters.

By sharing the same name as the console versions, customers believed the PC game would also share their quality. But that doesn't appear to have been the case.

Fans (via Reddit) have slammed the PC game's graphics and lack of features. They've also complained about existing premium PC service Tiger Woods Online being installed as the sole multiplayer mode (you're given three months free).

Members of the EA Forum, those not silenced by moderators, suggest chatting to EA support via the livechat web page. Numerous people claim to have been granted refunds this way.

[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, but that's a different situation than what was debated in this thread.

[bdoughty]

I realize that but I guess the point is that both games share similar issues. Heck in many cases refunds are being offered based on "assumptions" that the PC game would be the same as the console version. That's quite the stretch to get a refund. In theory we were all mislead when purchasing NCAA 12 that certain features, listed right on the box would be functional.

Not saying I would have taken advantage of a refund, I enjoy the game and do not use certain features, including online. I would even say the majority would not waste the time to get a refund. The offering of a refund is simply an attempt to keep customers happy and such. To slow the ever growing roar about the issues with the game. Not that a refund would shut some people up. It is just the EA tends to forget the importance of making and keeping customers happy. As I stare at my copy of NCAA Basketball 10. :mad: