Deep analysis of the Ashes cricket game

[Chief]

I don't think it'd be asking too much for a personal apology over the delivered result given your degree of involvement in it.

Unquestionably.
If you felt I hadn't personally done that then I apologise that the game we set out to make (and talked about , and promised) never came to fruition. The official apology was very clear on that I thought.

 

[MattW]

The official apology was very clear on that I thought.

It's one thing to hear a press release about it, another to hear directly from the people involved. Corporate apologies written by the PR department, don't really fit that bill.

I read the apology they sent as mostly an attempt to distance their brand from the title - not addressing the huge failings on their part in not doing quality checking prior to release and for those at 505's end involved in the development process for not raising the quality issue soon enough.

Trickstar still having said absolutely nothing is another matter.

I don't know what's going on as regards refunds: people that have claimed them seem to have been refunded? As per the press release, the game was officially cancelled, so those who bought it should get their refund. As far as I understand.

I've not received any contact at all from 505 to the email that my Steam account is registered under, I've not received a refund or anything suggesting that was available - the game is still on my account and can be ran (I'd say 'is playable' but that isn't an accurate description).

A few comments I've seen in the twitter stream for @ ashescricket13 seem to indicate this isn't just me and Ross' emails being picked out for exclusion.

I've not attempted to push the issue by initiating contact - partly because it's a nice memento to be one of the few people in the world with a copy of the game, and that I'd rather be bitter about them not contacting me than to get the $20 back.

 

[BigAntStudios]

Last line of the press release:

?The people who purchased the game will be contacted very shortly with details of a full refund."

This did not happen. I am surprised that you cling to the apology as if it absolves everyone involved. It was a "Yes Minister" apology, nothing more, there was no sincerity.

As far as I know the only ones that have received refunds are those that have had to go back and forth with Steam itself - they have had no support from 505 in their claim.

In terms of intention - there is a fine line between intention and stating something you already have - England did not claim they had already won the return Ashes.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

Last line of the press release:

?The people who purchased the game will be contacted very shortly with details of a full refund."

I completely understand that they said this and therefore should stick by it but how on earth can they know who has purchased the game? And then gather their details and then contact them?

 

[MattW]

All they needed to do was contact Steam, tell them that they are giving a refund to all the people who bought the game and get them to send an email out to those who did buy it explaining the situation.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

Ohhhh so it's Steam's fault. 505 Games gets away scot free again.

 

[BigAntStudios]

I've not attempted to push the issue by initiating contact - partly because it's a nice memento to be one of the few people in the world with a copy of the game, and that I'd rather be bitter about them not contacting me than to get the $20 back.

These are my sentiments as well, that and I don't think I should chase them, they should be apologising to me, directly, and refunding.

There is something to be said for having a legit copy of the worst game ever to be released, a video game "I was there" moment in time.

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I completely understand that they said this and therefore should stick by it but how on earth can they know who has purchased the game? And then gather their details and then contact them?

As a Steam publisher, they know.

Same way when there is an update to a game and the publisher contacts you.

In any case, if they couldn't contact us then they shouldn't have promised to do so.

 

[MattW]

Ohhhh so it's Steam's fault

Well no, 505 can pull the game themselves directly as a publisher - so they could have never been in contact with Steam at all to tell them that they announced a refund.

 

[grkrama]

@Chief hope this encourages you guys
The 5-step Apology Process

1. Say you are sorry.

2. Clearly state what you did wrong.

3. Acknowledge how the receiving party must be feeling.

4. Express your sincere regret.

5. Promise not to repeat the behavior.

6.Refund and compensate for your product.

If you view apologizing as the equivalent of swallowing a bitter pill, consider the benefits. Apart from it being the right thing to do, apologizing increases customer loyalty and retention (if any now). The Nottingham School of Economics studied the effect of an apology on disgruntled customers after they were let down. studies show that malpractice suits, for example, drop when doctors apologize. Even in bankruptcy situations, those who apologize and refund fare better financially. The benefits of apologizing are evident in all spheres of our professional and personal lives.

Further TIPS Dont's for Apologies

1.Eliminate the word "if." We have all heard, and made, these types of apologies: "If I have offended you, I am sorry." We might as well say: "I don't see how I could have offended you, but if you are so sensitive to have been offended, then let me be a big man (or woman) and issue an apology." This is most likely to be received as a second insult even though this is not your intention.

2.Don't delay an apology. Apologies have a "best-before" date: delaying an apology spoils its positive impact. Those who apologize even before a situation is discovered, boost their authenticity in the eyes of others. Transparency is a trustworthiness meter, especially in our low-credibility zeitgeist.

Further resources:
Find out your apology quotient. In Effective Apology: Mending Fences, Building Bridges, and Restoring Trust, author John Kador asks 10 questions that will rate your apology quotient (AQ.) The test and the book will help you develop this critical leadership skill and aid you in crafting apologies that can improve your relationships, both at work and in your personal life.


Hope this helps.

 

[silverthorne]

@Chief, can you open-source the Ashes 2013 game?

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@Chief, can you open-source the Ashes 2013 game?

Although I do not advocate it, it would be nice as a merry band of open-source developers could take the sources, do lots and lots of repairs to it, and then fix all the bugs and you get, maybe, Ashes 2014 or 2015 game.

 

[barmyarmy]

A reminder that Chief doesn't work for 505 or Trickstar and hasn't done so since May last year.

 

[scratch978]

The 5-step Apology Process

1. Say you are sorry.

2. Clearly state what you did wrong.

3. Acknowledge how the receiving party must be feeling.

4. Express your sincere regret.

5. Promise not to repeat the behavior.

6.Refund and compensate for your product.

@Chief,
I would sincerely like to suggest you to start promoting for DBC14, to improve your reputation and to avoid these type of shit remarks on you.

 

[grkrama]

@scratch978 that was just to inform him of what a full apology means, while he has been arguing trickstar has done enough, go through the full threasd before , calling someone's comment shit..otherwise you will be deemed to be full of it

 

[scratch978]

that was just to inform him of what a full apology means, while he has been arguing trickstar has done enough, go through the full threasd before , calling someone's comment shit..otherwise you will be deemed to be full of it

Please try to learn this post by heart :-

A reminder that Chief doesn't work for 505 or Trickstar and hasn't done so since May last year.

 

[grkrama]

Did you even listen to what i said before typing again, reread it, im not going to explain to you.

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and to clarify every party involved has to give a proper apology to the disservice they had done to customers, cricket community , and lying in the forum community.

505,Trickstar , Chief aka 'COG' has been giving out a lot of misleading statements as pointed above by matt , yes he is also answerable for that to this community.


Going by the only analysis/answers we got that is from reverse debugging by a few members here and at unity3d forum.
This whole project seems a scam...and swindle .. i dont think this is a 'game gone wrong'..
If thats not true they have to comeout in open,..... if not people will go by the answers available, why should i sympathize ,when there's no effort to clear things up..

The other thing is These TRickstar people have misused this forum as means for free marketing not to engage community and to take feedback,only to feed trash..