How is everyone okay with this?

[Spodumene]

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...greement-(EULA)

There's a poll I threw together yesterday... Pitifully small sample size, but the trends are emerging (and about what you'd expect). Over 2/3 of responders have never read the entire thing and less than 7% keep up-to-date with it. And this is on a gaming forum where people are more educated about the game and arguably more likely to care about this type of thing.

I suspect most people don't bother reading it because if they disagreed for any reason they wouldn't get to play the game(s). So if you're going to end up agreeing to ensure you can play does it really matter what it says? If you took the time to read it you'd still be playing - you'd just know what size the grains of sand are in the butt lube.

[potaco]

No one else did either, and this is perfectly normal.

Therefore anything blizzard did shoudl be viewed through that lens - of hardly anyone reading the contract.

So..

What did blizzard say in the ad? Oh ye beta goes live and you'll be stright in. misleading. And in fact the contract is irrelevent, only the ad and morhaimes speech matters.

While I won't say that "no one" else did, I will agree with this general sentiment. Blizzard knows people won't read the contract. Blizzard knows that most people either 1) wouldn't be able to understand the legalese, or 2) would find it unreasonable and surely not worth the cost of paying a lawyer to read over an offer involving such a low (relative) amount of money.

Things like the FAQ exist for this reason. Blizzard didn't have to put together an FAQ or respond to any questions on the forum regarding the clarification of the offer's terms, but they know that simply stating, "Read the terms of the contract if you have any questions" is an unreasonable expectation. There is implied transparency/good-will there.

[Swizzle]

No one else did either, and this is perfectly normal.

Therefore anything blizzard did shoudl be viewed through that lens - of hardly anyone reading the contract.

So..

What did blizzard say in the ad? Oh ye beta goes live and you'll be stright in. misleading. And in fact the contract is irrelevent, only the ad and morhaimes speech matters.

No...they said people would get into the beta when it went live and that access to the beta will be open when it is launched. Both criteria have been met. Stop trying to make generalizations personal.

Also, since I read it, your first ultimatum is false.

[potaco]

but what you say doesn't matter, it is what the contract says. If the contract said that then yes I would demand the $100 right there. But this is not the case with the annual pass, no where in the contract did it say that you would get beta access right away. And what the blizzard rep/advertisement says has no bearing in this at all.

Sure, the contract dictates the required terms. I'm not arguing that.

What I'm arguing is that it is easy to imply, without lying, something in addition to what the contract states in order to mislead people. Again, it's not a "legal" issue; it's an emotional/psychological one.

[Abandon]

Not sure what you're getting at with this?

Apparently Injun thinks that the only people who ever read a contract before signing it are fanboys you are totally excited about everything Blizzard do, even about contracts.

Well given how rare reading legal stuff is, the fact that you are doing it either makes you a fanboi who just loves blizzard that much even legal stuff is dead exciiting for you

Either that or he thinks you are a statistical anomaly.

[Ieatsouls]

Man I really Hope I can get into the Guild Wars 2 beta!!! That's what we are talking about right?

[Nelfie]

Hypotethically "When you die, you will get a proper burial"

Imagine it infront of you, the minute you die someone will shove you down a whole and fill it with dirt, it doesn't work like that.

Altough we don't know when you die. But when you die, some time will pass until the appropriate managements are done and you can finally go to your rest.

Compare that to the beta invite, and you will also get there when the preparations are done.

[Abandon]

It's good to know that the time of personal responsibility is over and that regardless of what I agree too, it is always someone else's fault if the contract I signed and didn't read is different than the expectation I made up in my head.

[btlyger]

So many people do not understand the english language it is so very surprising. Please listen to the announcement again and realize how idiotic you are for expecting to be in beta day 1.

Also, logic.

[Abandon]

Did you even read and / or understand any of those studies you are refering at? Yeah, the irony....

Hey!

Panda bear!

We don't take kindly to reading and understanding things 'round here!

[Deleted]

It's good to know that the time of personal responsibility is over and that regardless of what I agree too, it is always someone else's fault if the contract I signed and didn't read is different than the expectation I made up in my head.

Bollocks to personal responsibility. This was handled badly by Blizzard and is a PR nightmare.

[potaco]

Hypotethically "When you die, you will get a proper burial"

Imagine it infront of you, the minute you die someone will shove you down a whole and fill it with dirt, it doesn't work like that.

Altough we don't know when you die. But when you die, some time will pass until the appropriate managements are done and you can finally go to your rest.

Compare that to the beta invite, and you will also get there when the preparations are done.

I'll repeat my argument to the contrary:

The phrase "when [x] goes live" is commonly used to refer to the event occurring as [x] first becomes available, not the entire time period for which [x] is available.

Today, it would be inaccurate to say that "the beta is going live." You could say, "the beta is live" or "the beta went live last Thursday" or "the beta has gone live", but all imply that the actual act of going live has already occurred in the past.

[Bullet25]

Sure, the contract dictates the required terms. I'm not arguing that.

What I'm arguing is that it is easy to imply, without lying, something in addition to what the contract states in order to mislead people. Again, it's not a "legal" issue; it's an emotional/psychological one.

This is my point exactly, If you would have read the contract which was only 4 paragraphs long and did not need a legal degree to understand then you would have said AT THAT TIME. "HEY wait you said that we would get it when it goes live and the contract doesn't state that. What gives blizz?" and they would have said to you "The contract is what matters here." then you could have made an educated choose whether to do it or not.

[Nelfie]

Man I really Hope I can get into the Guild Wars 2 beta!!! That's what we are talking about right?

Your attempt to be sarcastic fails, as you are in the inappropriate sub-forum to event remotely think that's the subject.

[Deleted]

Seriously how can this not be clear, blizzard intentionally promised everyone to get into beta instantly (which they can do, they have the server power) to get people to sign the contract. Now they are raking in the profits and are like lol screw them, we're rich!1!

[Nelfie]

I'll repeat my argument to the contrary:

The phrase "when [x] goes live" is commonly used to refer to the event occurring as [x] first becomes available, not the entire time period for which [x] is available.

Today, it would be inaccurate to say that "the beta is going live." You could say, "the beta is live" or "the beta went live last Thursday" or "the beta has gone live", but all imply that the actual act of going live has already occurred in the past.

I'm pretty sure i read somewhere that Blizzard have the full rights to change anything anytime they feel fit. The only thing you actually is paying for is a 12-month subscription without the possibility to cancel it. The rest is just bonuses.

[calahil]

This is what the blog post announcing it stated.

Access to the Next WoW Expansion Beta Test – Get a guaranteed spot in the beta test for the next World of Warcraft expansion (at a time to be announced in the future).
source

How does that deceive you? Because you interpreted guarenteed spot into first access is your own misunderstanding. Let me repeat they never promised you expedited access. They promised you a guaranteed spot which means you will get in instead of the usual lottery setup where you end up more then likely not getting in. Please close this thread because QQ threads with no source other then the persons head are not productive.

[Nelfie]

Seriously how can this not be clear, blizzard intentionally promised everyone to get into beta instantly (which they can do, they have the server power) to get people to sign the contract. Now they are raking in the profits and are like lol screw them, we're rich!1!

Wow, that must be the must idiotic i read past hour.

[ringthree]

Bollocks to personal responsibility. This was handled badly by Blizzard and is a PR nightmare.

The fact that some people are upset about something does not make a "PR nightmare".

If that was the definition of a "PR nightmare" then almost every single thread on the official forums would have to be included in the definition.

Also, usually in a "PR nightmare" there is universally an understanding of a problem. That is obviously not the case here.

[shawnwilliam]

1.) Blizzard has never guaranteed beta to anybody so why is it hard to assume they would have made it work for everyone at once? Also... you are extremely rude.
2.) wow... again... extremely rude...
3.) you call people stupid you dont even know who have every right as a consumer to be upset regardless if anything can be done or not. Also... your rude.
4.) ^

Im not happy about the situation but im not acting like a child about it. I would expect the same from you.. grow up.

LOL! I am no more rude than the people attempting to call out Blizzard on something thats completely stupid. I mean seriously, if you don;t know how beta works by now, thats kind of absurd. Also, I would say 99% of people use beta to just play around on it and get a heads up of new content or to "try it out", not actually beta test it (giving feedback on the beta forums and in game on issues that arise). I am not an angry person. I just tell the truth that all the people who have beta tested for Blizzard know about waves, they knew not everyone would get in at one time, they knew all along how the annual pass worked. It is, and always has been, very obvious as to how they would do it. Like I said my only gripe is no details about the dates for when the waves push out.