Mythic co-founder Mark Jacobs has laid the blame for the Warhammer Online open beta registration debacle squarely at the feet of GOA, the company handling the European side of the upcoming MMOG.
“GOA messed up, they apologized and they are working hard to do better,” Jacobs wrote in his blog. “This is a good start but not an excuse for them. Neither their CEO nor I am defending what happened yesterday. It was an ugly day.”
The “ugly day” refers to problems experienced by European Warhammer Online servers, operated by GOA, which were unable to handle new user registrations when the open beta period began. A workaround was eventually put into place, but only for players who either already had a beta center account, or who had managed to create an account prior to the registration server issues and had received an email confirming the creation of the account.
“I think that the players have every right to be angry, disappointed and frustrated,” Jacobs continued. “I agree with them 100 percent but what I do not agree with is the level of threats and abuse that followed. I know why some players feel that way but my not agreeing with their reactions does not mean that I’m excusing GOA, clear?”
Jacobs has also apparently taken GOA to task over comments made by Iain “IanC” Compton, the English Community Manager for Warhammer Online Europe, who responded to user fury over the registration problems with a forum post that said, “If having delayed access to a beta test really drives you to such depths of anger and fury then – and there is no polite way to put this – there is something wrong with you.” While he later edited his remarks to clarify that he was referring specifically to “death threats, racial slurs and other deeply unpleasant posts,” Jacobs said he felt the comments were completely inappropriate under the circumstances.
“I have read IanC’s post on the situation and I have just communicated to GOA my thoughts on it,” he said. “I’ll simply say this, I do not agree with what he said, I do not support what he said and his comments were, in my opinion, way out of line.”
Meanwhile, GOA continues to work on the problem, although the company appears to be downplaying expectations for a quick fix. “These issues will of course be completely fixed for the launch,” a GOA rep said, adding that work on getting people validated and into the open beta is continuing. “We are currently handling the various issues we have and are hoping that they will be resolved ASAP,” he said. The official Warhammer Online website indicates that nearly 900,000 players have applied to join the open beta thus far.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is set to launch worldwide on September 18.
Source: VG247
Published: Sep 9, 2008 03:35 pm