Incompetence or Mailce? Should EA marketing staff get FIRED?

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Author Topic:   Incompetence or Mailce? Should EA marketing staff get FIRED?

MoSe posted 02-18-99 03:55 AM ET
Loud criticism has been widely expressed since long all around these forums about the marketing strategy EA devised.
Anglophone customers don't understand why should they wait to get the game, till it gets translated into the localized versions.
I was going to buy the US version anyway, it could have been shipped a month ago, but I had no choice but to accept the situation and wait.
Having read that the european release date could have been around 16-18th of Feb, I checked yesterday in three different prominent gamestores here in Milan, Italy.
I reported them the alleged EA distribution strat: two never heard about it, one said that such a marketing policy did not apply for Italy (!???).
After all the fuss of the last months, we're back at this point:
today is the US release date
5 shipping days are needed to get the game in Italy
(IF it was ready long before, couldn't have it been shipped in advance?)
that means, we get the US version (luckily for me)
as for the localized Italian version, italians will have to wait the usual month or two.
Now, I know that delay is intrinsical in sw production. If EA had come out telling they'd released the US version in January, and we'd got it by March, I would have shrugged and considered it same old story.
But THIS!
I only see two possibilities:
1. EA marketing staff overtly and knowingly LIED to us customers with that crap about *globlah simultassneous releasse*.
2. EA marketing staff uselessly tried to complicate an old, well-tested, straightforward and working release schedule strategy. Had they succeedeed, we'd hailed them. Now that they met their complete professional FAILURE, which fate should expect them? If I were in charge, I'd get'em out of job in a jiff.
Those gentlemen thought they could easily make fools of their customers.
I am determined to punish EA,
How can I do it as a customer?
Normally, with a generic product, you'd buy it (or a similar one) elsewhere.
In this case:
of course I want THIS product (SMAC)
EA is the only legal distributor
I want to prize Firaxis, not damage them
I don't like to copy the game, or get warez
What can I do?
Furious
MariOne
timbrom posted 02-18-99 07:54 AM ET
If you were in UK, where we seem to be having problems as well, then I would suggest writing to PC ZONE, our best games mag' (email at [email protected]). They will lay into EA for you big time, using their Watchdog feature. Give it a try.
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Author	Topic: Incompetence or Mailce? Should EA marketing staff get FIRED?
MoSe	posted 02-18-99 03:55 AM ET Loud criticism has been widely expressed since long all around these forums about the marketing strategy EA devised. Anglophone customers don't understand why should they wait to get the game, till it gets translated into the localized versions. I was going to buy the US version anyway, it could have been shipped a month ago, but I had no choice but to accept the situation and wait. Having read that the european release date could have been around 16-18th of Feb, I checked yesterday in three different prominent gamestores here in Milan, Italy. I reported them the alleged EA distribution strat: two never heard about it, one said that such a marketing policy did not apply for Italy (!???). After all the fuss of the last months, we're back at this point: today is the US release date 5 shipping days are needed to get the game in Italy (IF it was ready long before, couldn't have it been shipped in advance?) that means, we get the US version (luckily for me) as for the localized Italian version, italians will have to wait the usual month or two. Now, I know that delay is intrinsical in sw production. If EA had come out telling they'd released the US version in January, and we'd got it by March, I would have shrugged and considered it same old story. But THIS! I only see two possibilities: 1. EA marketing staff overtly and knowingly LIED to us customers with that crap about globlah simultassneous releasse. 2. EA marketing staff uselessly tried to complicate an old, well-tested, straightforward and working release schedule strategy. Had they succeedeed, we'd hailed them. Now that they met their complete professional FAILURE, which fate should expect them? If I were in charge, I'd get'em out of job in a jiff. Those gentlemen thought they could easily make fools of their customers. I am determined to punish EA, How can I do it as a customer? Normally, with a generic product, you'd buy it (or a similar one) elsewhere. In this case: of course I want THIS product (SMAC) EA is the only legal distributor I want to prize Firaxis, not damage them I don't like to copy the game, or get warez What can I do? Furious MariOne
timbrom	posted 02-18-99 07:54 AM ET If you were in UK, where we seem to be having problems as well, then I would suggest writing to PC ZONE, our best games mag' (email at [email protected]). They will lay into EA for you big time, using their Watchdog feature. Give it a try.