Dear FarSight: re: delay on table packs

[Sinistar]

Hello Gentleman ,

Thank you for taking time off your busy schedules to read my thoughts on the current state of your fine product. As others here have echoed , you have a worthwhile endeavor with this game going on. I count myself one of your biggest supporters , I contributed to the ST TNG Kickstarter , and have bought all DLCs on the Sony platforms and will buy it again once PC is released . Love, love ,love, the game .In your recent decision ,I feel, It makes no sense to delay ANY new content for the benefit of another console platform's owners not feeling left out . I'm assuming from what I read you made a error regarding a format for Sony store change? That the patch/DLC was re-submitted with the new format on Vita? (if this is in error, please correct me) , Vita owners and PS3 owners are two seperate groups although sometimes we have both. Your decision was to deprive I'd estimate 70% of your loyal fans on Sony consoles , for 30 % of your consumers on Sony consoles who really gained nothing , it's still a delay just more people have to be disappointed. This makes no sense financially and it's generally a very poor choice for the outlook of your reputation . I'm defending you , but it's getting really discouraging , when a poorly thought out decision is made to postpone a new table pack for the benefit of a few consumers , who still have to wait , but instead of us , who own both a Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita , being able to enjoy half of the purchase on PS3 , i have to wait for for a non-determined time for both versions. With no benefit except they both come out at the same time! In the future please think more considerately how these decisions affect consumer loyalty and have long term ramifications for how professional your fine group and endeavors look to the people who are signing your paychecks . Thank you for your time.

I did not use the main thread as I want this letter to stick out for FarSight to read/respond.

 

[pinbot-76]

I gotta be honest... as much as I am a TPA fan I expected much more in terms of quality & quantity at this point. Thank gawd for Borderlands 2! And here's to hoping TPA steps up their game. I'm loving the fact that pinball is getting more exposure but the console platform has suffered from devs being spread too thin.

 

[smbhax]

They said they delayed the PS3 version when the Vita version was delayed because of "cross-platform entitlements"--which I take to mean that it would screw up their whole distribution method of making both PS3 and Vita versions available for download with a single purchase if they only had one available and not the other. Unless they want to drop that deal, the two versions are pretty much joined at the hip as far as release dates go, it sounds like.

 

[Gorgar]

I remember that when dlc pack #1 was released for the vita 2 weeks before the ps3 version, a lot of ps3 users were complaining that they paid for it, thinking it was the ps3 version. It balanced itself out once the ps3 version was released, but it still annoyed many fans. And if there is any fans of the game that aren't on here or the facebook page, that would confuse the heck out of them. While I am a ps3 owner and not a vita owner, I still believe that farsight made the right decision to avoid confusion. While I really wish I could play dlc pack #5 right now, but it isn't the end of the world. We will get it eventually. Besides, maybe European ps3 owners will stop *****ing if we let them get ahead with the dlc for awhile.

 

[neglectoid]

i wouldn't of minded getting just 50 % of the product now, and the other half later if i knew that was case.

 

[DrainoBraino]

I don't care about delays. I don't care about the cost....JUST GET THE GLITCHES FIXED! FIX THE FLIPPER PHYSICS! if pro pinball can do flippers right 15 years ago, why can't FS get it better? I'm not asking for perfect reality, just something that doesn't feel like I'm Hacksaw Jim Duggan slowly poking a 2X4 at a giant bubble.

I know some here are sick of hearing complaints, but come on, this is getting old. The average player is gonna ditch this game in a second if a pinball freak like me isn't even on board with it.

Here's my dilemma: I have downloaded the first two DLC packs for PS3, and the game seems to have gotten worse with glitches and lighting so I didn't download any more. Now I hear that the new pack will pretty much break your game with glitches that make shots not even register. So.....what am I supposed to do? It's very tempting to go ahead and download the new tables cuz I WANT TO PLAY THEM, but I don't want a broken game.

 

[mark21667]

I remember that when dlc pack #1 was released for the vita 2 weeks before the ps3 version, a lot of ps3 users were complaining that they paid for it, thinking it was the ps3 version. It balanced itself out once the ps3 version was released, but it still annoyed many fans. And if there is any fans of the game that aren't on here or the facebook page, that would confuse the heck out of them. While I am a ps3 owner and not a vita owner, I still believe that farsight made the right decision to avoid confusion. While I really wish I could play dlc pack #5 right now, but it isn't the end of the world. We will get it eventually. Besides, maybe European ps3 owners will stop *****ing if we let them get ahead with the dlc for awhile.

What? Pack #3 was only released last week. US PSN will likely get the next pack before EU even gets pack #4.

 

[Sinistar]

Sadly , with no updates or new information , I fear we are looking at a month (3 weeks to confirm, bug test / schedule patch for store ) then a week after to releasing it . Unless FarSight has that new content already approved and only had to make a minor change (such as submitting new pictures of graphics for the PSN store) , all speculation of course, but I wonder at Sony advising them to delay a release, so close to the premier of the new PSN Store design (perhaps just to have more content available that day )

 

[J2fold]

What? I am not getting charged for vita and PS3 am I? Every time I buy a table pack it says the Vita is included, which I could care less because I do not own a Vita. It is the same price without the Vita download is it not? If it is not then I have been getting ripped off.

 

[Jeff Strong]

What? I am not getting charged for vita and PS3 am I? Every time I buy a table pack it says the Vita is included, which I could care less because I do not own a Vita. It is the same price without the Vita download is it not? If it is not then I have been getting ripped off.

You buy one, you get both. So no, you haven't been getting ripped off.

 

[Sinistar]

What? I am not getting charged for vita and PS3 am I? Every time I buy a table pack it says the Vita is included, which I could care less because I do not own a Vita. It is the same price without the Vita download is it not? If it is not then I have been getting ripped off.

J2fold update your profile to include PS3 as a device . and don't worry about being ripped off for $5 , because if you ever buy a Vita it's still waiting to be downloaded for free.

 

[Ruz-El]

The lack of more information coming from Farsight as far as the numerous problems with the PS3 are concerned is troubling and disrespectful to those of us who have purchased and supported the product.

 

[smbhax]

Uh I dunno about that, PS3's actually pretty well off compared to say the Xbox 360 (not getting updates because of how Microsoft wants to charge Farsight for them) and various mobile platforms where I've seen users say recent updates have added crippling slowdown.

In any case, no game maker wants to be "disrespectful" to its customers. Farsight is a small company and they've bitten off waaaaay more than they can chew trying to support all these platforms with monthly releases. It's really pretty insane. I'm pretty sure the reason they don't spend more time posting on the internet is because everyone there is busting their ass just trying to keep up with getting these releases out. I for one don't mind them prioritizing development over PR (and PR takes more time than some people on the internet seem to think).

 

[Gorgar]

What? Pack #3 was only released last week. US PSN will likely get the next pack before EU even gets pack #4.

Well, the delay was for North American Ps3 owners. Europe already had fixed dates for the next two packs (October Oct 24 and Oct 31), and I haven't heard anything about the Europe psn store being changed, so why would they be delayed if both North America and Europe have different approval processes?

Ironically, it looks like U.S. PS3 owners will have to set up fake European accounts to get the new tables early.

 

[Sinistar]

Well, the delay was for North American Ps3 owners. Europe already had fixed dates for the next two packs (October Oct 24 and Oct 31), and I haven't heard anything about the Europe psn store being changed, so why would they be delayed if both North America and Europe have different approval processes?

Ironically, it looks like U.S. PS3 owners will have to set up fake European accounts to get the new tables early.

That's a joke right? because we already learned the NA PSN and EU PSN DLC s are non compatible

 

[brakel]

That's a joke right? because we already learned the NA PSN and EU PSN DLC s are non compatible

We'd have to but the eu game on top of the eu dlc.

 

[DarthVonDoom]

Can someone explain to me why exactly are european DLC not compatible with NA TPA. It's only 1 and 0's. Their 1and 0's have a french accent that our 1and 0's can't understand?

I've downloaded european DLC for other games in the past and it worked just fine.

 

[mark21667]

Well, the delay was for North American Ps3 owners. Europe already had fixed dates for the next two packs (October Oct 24 and Oct 31), and I haven't heard anything about the Europe psn store being changed, so why would they be delayed if both North America and Europe have different approval processes?

Ironically, it looks like U.S. PS3 owners will have to set up fake European accounts to get the new tables early.

Do you have a link for these 'fixed' dates (it's Farsight after all) and what packs they will be? Pack #4 first and pack 5 and 6 in the second?

Btw, I'm in the UK but have the US version. Forced to get the PS3 version due to the 360 mess.

Edit. Just noticed pack 4 is on the EU PSN.

 

[ScotchYeti]

Can someone explain to me why exactly are european DLC not compatible with NA TPA. It's only 1 and 0's. Their 1and 0's have a french accent that our 1and 0's can't understand?

I've downloaded european DLC for other games in the past and it worked just fine.

The Game IDs are different so the main program won't be able to find the DLC.

 

[the ajp]

Well, the delay was for North American Ps3 owners. Europe already had fixed dates for the next two packs (October Oct 24 and Oct 31), and I haven't heard anything about the Europe psn store being changed, so why would they be delayed if both North America and Europe have different approval processes?

Ironically, it looks like U.S. PS3 owners will have to set up fake European accounts to get the new tables early.

yeah i noticed that too .. i wasn't saying anything in case they notice and change there minds