"The easiest thing you can do is to vote with your dollar. Companies don't listen to what you say, they watch to what you do; the loudest complaint doesn't matter if you go ahead and purchase the game. Tell companies what they can do to earn your money instead of threatening them with losing it."



It just has to be asked: Did Ubisoft ditch Starforce due to people voting with their dollars, or a lot of people raising hell? (and threatening to boycott)

Seriously, I'm not trying to troll here, is this not how that actually went down?

I agree with Vulgarity. It goes the same for releasing finished games. So many games come out buggy these days because people still buy them knowing they are buggy and are willing to wait for a patch.

$$$$ makes the gaming world go round.

I was under the impression that they got rid of Starforce, because they got hit a couple of lawsuits over it.

That's my recollection as well. While voting with your money may ultimately decide a game's success or failure, unfortunately it's a decision that comes after the fact. Once the publisher decides on things like copy protection and a ready-or-not release date, only time will tell if the game flies or dies. Unfortunately, it may be too late to turn things around. The target audience would like to think they can influence these decisions, but I doubt most companies put much weight on that input. It is possible after a time that subsequent patching and removal of objectionable protective schemes can breathe new life into a game, but if a game was developed with inherent issues (i.e., online requirements, limited installs, etc.), it may be impossible.

The arstechnica article is interesting for what it is, the view of one company in the gaming software business. No doubt their opinions are shared by others in the business. Some of it goes to the sandbox...nobody likes to be yelled at or threatened. Still, IMO, a wise company knows how to put their ear to the ground and filter the noise to glean important input that could help sell their product. With many companies cutting back on staff, you'd think that would be more important than ever, but they may not have the time or the inclination to do so.

So, make use of the forums to discuss these things. Try not to go over-the-top, keep it civil, mature, respectful and focused. Who knows, somebody may be listening! Keep in mind that gaming software is entertainment, not a necessity for sustaining life, and if you feel strongly enough about it, vote with your money. I've refused to buy several recent games because the publisher's business model was objectionable to me. I couldn't care less if the publisher succeeds or fails, just as they couldn't care less if I bought or not. The sun still rises in the east.

I don't think it will affect a company in releasing a current game, but it does make a difference in future games and also how another company will do business. It's still a copycat world when something does well.