ditto (Gaming)

by CruelLEGACEY , Toronto, Monday, February 26, 2018, 09:52 (2252 days ago) @ stabbim

I can’t remember what the 14 day but and play thing was about, and google isn’t turning up results.

I'm having trouble remembering what the specific piece of content was, but the gist of it was that some map pack or other form of DLC got accidentally released for free, and it was pretty obvious to everyone that it had been a total mistake. Now, it turned out that it was pretty easy for them to identify those folks who had gotten it for free and revoke their license, thereby disabling access until they ACTUALLY bought it. So, they could have just said "yeah, that wasn't supposed to happen, hope you enjoyed the accidental preview but we have to take it back now, please buy if you found the content enjoyable!" But they didn't. Instead, they made up a story about how it was an intentional free preview, and they even invented the name "14 day buy and play" to describe the supposed trial program. And when I say made up, that wasn't just the internet being vindictive. It was PLAINLY obvious to anyone who was watching at the time that it had all been an accident and the trial program story was invented later. It was incredibly surreal and laugh-inducing to see the spin come into play.

Now, in all fairness, I don't know how much of the spin was 343's idea, or whether someone higher up at MS made them do it, or what. The way I remember it is that when the incident initially started, folks at 343 were candid about it, and the "14 day buy and play" thing came along hours or days later, which gives me the feeling that some individual higher up caught wind of it and forced the underlings to reverse course. Of course, we all knew the score by then so the cover story just ended up making a shitshow out of something that had previously been viewed as an innocent (and temporarily beneficial) mistake.

Ah yes, I vaguely remember that. And I do agree with your assessment. That strikes me as more of a publisher decision than a Dev one. Not that it looks any less silly in either case.