Cata Release Time

[Kelekona]

Just curious, anyone else think its kind of messed up how Blizzard is releasing Cataclysm? I mean, the past 2 expansions have been released at midnight for every time zone. Now, all of a sudden, East coast has to wait 3 hours after buying their game, Central 2hrs, etc. All to ensure "fairness" to the people that live on the west coast. How is it "fair" to go from the west coast having to wait 3hours from when the east coast received their games, to the exact opposite?
In my opinion, they should have released Cataclysm at midnight on the East Coast, 11pm for Central, and so on. This way, no one is screwed out of play time so that one time zone stops complaining about having to wait. I understand the want to input fairness to the West coast, but not by screwing everyone east of them. All that does is shift the issue across the country. GG blizz.

This is not a "troll" thread, or my attempt to piss off anyone. I'm clearly attempting to gather other points of view. The current people I attempt to ask this question just so happen to live on the west coast, so of course their answer is going to be biased towards the fact that this change doesn't matter, just like i would have been when BC and wrath where released, because the release times didn't affect me.

[Piemasta9000]

First!

[Ltsmash]

so you have to wait 3 extra hours.

[Togarox]

Before, people on the east coast got 3 hours of playing time before anyone on the west coast. Now, everyone starts at the exact same time (that is where the fairness comes into play). Your way is basically the same but harder to organize.

Edit: if you plan on going for a server 1st or you plan on playing at that time of night, what is another 3 hours anyways? Take a nap so you will be well rested when servers come up.

[CR77]

The game goes on sale at midnight where ever you are, the servers dont come up till midnight pacific time. Its not really fair for those that go for world and server firsts to allow others playtime ahead just cause they live in a different part of the world.

[Syronicus]

First!

Welcome to MMO-champ. I don't think a ban is the best way you want to start off with. Read the forum rules.

[berenzen]

It's so the world/realm first player/class to reach 85/525 prof etc. etc. are all equalized.
If you don't understand, lemme give you an example,
person 1 and person 2 are exactly the same- they have the same set of gear, level at the exact same rates etc.- but person 1 lives in Newfoundland, Canada, and person 2 lives on the west coast, this means person 1 is 4.5 hours ahead of person 2, meaning that person 1 will reach level 85 first before person 2, therefore gaining the achievement, while p2 gets nothing. In order to prevent this inequality, they set server open at 12:00 PST.

[Kelekona]

The west coast used to have to wait 3 hours from when expansions where first sold in the US, now east coast has to wait 3 hours from when the buy it to play...how did anything get resolved by switching who has to wait? What about the people on the east coast that get their game at midnight, and have to work the next day, want to log on and see some stuff before going to sleep? Saying "oh well, just wait the 3hours, its no big deal" used to be the thing to tell people on the west coast, and now is what some of you are saying the people on the east coast to go by. I'm not saying that equality is not needed, I'm saying the way its being done doesn't constitute as equal--it's shifting the unbalance to the other side of the country.

[bigjenk]

Why should you be special? Maybe then i proxy that im in russia playing on american servers and play 8 hours before you. qq more west coast company not our fault you live on the coast that is run down and old.

[Kelekona]

I don't think I'm going to get banned for bringing up a legitimate debate topic that clearly affects 1/2 the country in a negative way.

[bigjenk]

I don't think I'm going to get banned for bringing up a legitimate debate topic that clearly affects 1/2 the country in a negative way.

Apparently you have trouble reading the quoted text and realizing it wasn't yours in reference to a ban.

[capslocked]

I understand the advantage of being 3 hours ahead, but in a way I think blizzard should start it up by time zone. I've mountain time so I'm one of the last, but if it'll mean less lag when I do get on I approve

[Baz]

First!

You registered just to post this?

[Kelekona]

So why not set it to where the game is released at midnight on the east coast, and 11 in central, leading to 9 on the west coast...it creates equality and doesn't cause people that are getting the game at midnight to have to wait until 3 am to even play it.

---------- Post added 2010-11-28 at 07:13 PM ----------

And saying "that would be difficult" doesn't mean it wouldn't be the best way. They make billions of dollars a year, i think Blizzard could have created a better way to be fair to the people on the west coast other then making everyone else have to wait. Thats what this is about. Not that implementing some kind of fairness is an issue--a poor solution was decided on.

[Togarox]

So why not set it to where the game is released at midnight on the east coast, and 11 in central, leading to 9 on the west coast...it creates equality and doesn't cause people that are getting the game at midnight to have to wait until 3 am to even play it.

It achieves the same goal but is harder to do.

[Kelekona]

It may be harder to do, and yes it does achieve the same goal, but it would make it to where the east coast going west get to play at the same time they used to, and the west coast gets to play at the same time as everyone else. It's more difficult but more logical.

[Koto_and_Juri]

So why not set it to where the game is released at midnight on the east coast, and 11 in central, leading to 9 on the west coast...it creates equality and doesn't cause people that are getting the game at midnight to have to wait until 3 am to even play it.

---------- Post added 2010-11-28 at 07:13 PM ----------

And saying "that would be difficult" doesn't mean it wouldn't be the best way. They make billions of dollars a year, i think Blizzard could have created a better way to be fair to the people on the west coast other then making everyone else have to wait. Thats what this is about. Not that implementing some kind of fairness is an issue--a poor solution was decided on.

Because Blizzard is based in the Pacific Time Zone, and they chose for their time zone to be the one they launch on. Simple as that.

The purpose behind the midnight release is for those that are attending to be able to go at the start of the new day, after they have worked the previous. Anyone who has to work late in the west coast is already penalized enough. Up here in Seattle, it's a 2 hour commute to where I live on a day that isn't snowing/raining. If I have to work til 8 or 9, I won't get ingame for a little over 2 hours after that. A midnight release allows me to play and still have a chance at anything I would like to do without penalizing me for having a life.

[Squirreludecker]

So why not set it to where the game is released at midnight on the east coast, and 11 in central, leading to 9 on the west coast...it creates equality and doesn't cause people that are getting the game at midnight to have to wait until 3 am to even play it.

because retail stores hype up their Midnight Releases. noone wants to go to a 10pm or 11pm or 9pm release. whats special about that?

[LeviathanZero]

Only three hours?
The place I pre-ordered from in Australia has just said they're not allowed to sell the game until 7pm (which, incidentally, is when the servers come up as Cata enabled in our timezone)

[Kelekona]

So people that live farther east should be penalized for living in a different time zone, and because retail stores want a "special" release. I'm sorry, but again, a change should implement fairness to everyone, and thats not at all what has happened. This is not a pvp situation where some things screw others. This is an easy solution, that 100% makes it fair for every time zone in the country.