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AICN GAMES: Merrick Whines And Bitches About His CALL OF DUTY 4 Beta Misadventure!!
Merrick again...
Okay, so, I have to vent a little here.
I apologize in advance if you think this the wrong forum in which to bring up such madness on AICN, or if it's immature for me to get bent out of shape about something that's so trivial in the macro sense. But, we do have a Games section...this is games related...and it pertains to a big event which went down on the gaming landscape this week.
When all is said and done, I'm simply wondering if anyone else out there is having the same problems. And, above all, I'm curious as to whether anyone out there has figured out a way to resolve the conundrum I'm about to describe.
I'm going to streamline a lot here...the minutiae of the full story would take hours to type and I'm not in the mood for it (and, most likely, you wouldn't want to read it anyway).
Before we go any further, if you don't know what the COD 4 Beta is...this article will have no meaning to you & you can move on. If you're still reading, I'll assume you know what I'm talking about and will shorthand appropriately.
So...here we go...this is my story of woe and despair.
I moved Heaven and Earth, even changing schedules around, to register for the CALL OF DUTY 4 Beta when it went opened on Monday. As you probably know, the CharlieOscarDelta site was jammed, or completely down, for much of the day, making entering the lottery impossible until it came back online (roughly midnight my time).
Miraculously, I was selected to receive a Token to download the COD 4 Beta. I receive an e-mail telling me so the next afternoon.
I sign onto XBOX Live, enter my Token code as instructed in the e-mail. The Beta download begins. The download seems to be healthy and in progress.
I step away from my 360 while it's downloading. Come back to discover the download has (apparently) finished.
I go to check the Games & Demos section of my 360 (where the e-mailed instructions said the Beta would be held). The Beta is not there.
I go to check the Downloads in Progress section of my 360. The Beta is not there.
I go to check the Download History section of my 360. The Beta is not there.
I try to re-enter my Token code & download again; I'm told the code is invalid (presumably because it was processed and invalidated during my first download).
I call Microsoft.
The first guy I talk to...for forty minutes (he was even calling me the wrong name at times)...knew nothing about COD 4 Betas; I had to explain to him what it was, how to get it, the whole shebang. I'm not sure he's ever actually been on XBOX Live.
After said 40 mins, he tells me his isn't the department I should be speaking to and he has to transfer me to the folks at XBOX Live.
Sigh.
This happens quickly...I immediately confirm that the folks at XBOX Live actually know what the CALL OF DUTY 4 Beta. They do.
I explain to them the details I just explained to you. The XBOX Live folks REALLY tried to help - they were thorough and professional. Alas, they could offer no resolution - referring me back to the "Contact Us" section of CharlieOscarDelta.com, where they said it may be feasible to have my Token code reset...or be issued a new one. I was told write them about my conundrum, and perhaps they could help.
I did so, and heard nothing back. This was days ago.
Okay...
So...
I "get" that one accesses the COD 4 Beta by random selection or "invitation" only...and that it's something which is, essentially, a privilege being given to me.
However, when companies such as these ask players / CUSTOMERS to jump through all kinds of hoops...then ask players / customers to be patient even longer (while easily anticipated technical glitches with the registration process are being worked)...don't those companies have some sort of obligation to make a screwed up situation right? At the end of the day, the players who are being given this free download will most likely be consumers of the final product.
In truth, this situation is nothing more than the cyber equivalent of a kid going to the vending machine & having it eat his last quarter. Irritating, but hardly the end of the world. It's not the problem that irks me as much as the effort it took to resolve it...the extreme amount of time required to get nowhere...and the silence that was my only reward for trying to engage a product.
It's irritating to be asked to invest in something (time, money, faith, etc.) and then not have a mechanism for follow-through if all doesn't go exactly as planned the first time. What'll happen if elements of the final game are glitchy upon release? I remember the CALL OF DUTY 2 online debacle vividly. Do you?
What I want to know is: has anyone else out there had difficulties like these with the COD 4 Beta? Does anyone out there have suggestions for how to resolve this dilemma?
Again, I realize we've all got far bigger issues than this to confront. I just thought this could be an interesting little insight into what happens when the gaming process, and a system, goes terribly wrong.
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+ Expand All
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First.....
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Bwahahaha
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I didn't experience any of your issues. If e-mailing Charlie Oscar Delta didn't help, try the forums. At the very least, you might find some like yourself who's going through the same problem.
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Shrug.
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I am enjoying the World in Conflict beta... that is a hella of a game... oh and so is Bioshock... one of the best FPS games ever made. PC Gamer for life!
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Aug 31, 2007 11:33:09 AM CDT
So, this article is to get advice so you can play COD4
by kirttawesomio
Nice.
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And if so, am I going to have to upgrade my entire system to play it?
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... was easier, thus better
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Read an installment of AICN Games, or drive nail through eyeball?
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I got my token invite yesterday and downloaded the beta without a hitch however thats where the easy/fast part of the journey would end. I kid you not that it took about40 minutes to just get started to play online. I took about 25 minutes to set up a game for the first map then all of the sudden it froze up. I gave it a couple extra minutes to try and fix itself but ended up rebooting the 360 and starting over. This time it took about 15 minutes to set up the game and start the match and that is where the LAG began. Some of the worst lag I've ever experienced. So many interrupted connections and when you would finally get the connection re-established you would be on the other side of the map. The lag was an issue about 50% of the time I played. With all that said when everything was running smoothly I absolutely loved what I was playing. The maps are fucking awesome. Sniping from rooftops, the nooks and crannies of the building and cities - loved it. The weapons selections and level ups were great as well. I can see myself spending many hours on multiplayer alone. SO yeah other than the lag and set up times, which no doubt will be fixed before launch, it was a great experience. I'd like to go play some more now but we are headed out of town for the weekend. God damn family camping trip cutting into my COD4 time.
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Why be so excited to play it in the first place?
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Well being a designer I have been involved in many beta's from both the consumer and developer standpoint.
Most of the time it is a pain in the ass to get any problems resolved without help directly from the developers. Most of these beta's are run by marketing and PR divisions that usually only have a working knowledge of the game.
So what happens is these things are started and problems always pop up. Of course when problems do happen the pipeline for solving this problems usually falls back on the developers (which are usually very busy at beta time getting shit working haha) to fix the issues.
Of course with the xbox live these issues should be handled by Microsofts Xbox live division, but even then issues like what you had usually can only be handled by the issuer of the cd-keys.
So ya beta problems suck ass especially when you are really excited to join a beta. But overall with Beta's that is a risk that you have with joining them. Personally I rarely engage in beta's anymore because of problems that just frustrate me like you had Merrick :)
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just some weird glitch I suppose
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No one cares
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So, it's not in your Download History? That doesn't make any sense, man.
Hope you get that fixed. The beta is pretty freakin' sweet. -
SUCK IT UP!!
Mine works and the game is bad ass. Maps are tight. Graphics give me a chubbers. Game play is crisp. Sucks to be you.
Nah for real, I read about this problem and they said to check your download history and download again off of that. Seeing as you have done that, it seem you will have to wait for a response. Or just send an email every 5 min until you get a response.
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6. While downloading the Public Beta, my download was interrupted or cancelled and now it says my code is invalid. How do I download the beta now? UPDATED
If you have already started downloading the Public Beta from Xbox Live, and it was interrupted for any reason, simply go to:
1. The Marketplace Blade on your Xbox 360 Dashboard.
2. Select Account Management on the lower right hand menu.
3. Select Download History from the menu.
4. Choose Call of Duty 4: MP Beta.
5. Choose Download Again.
This will restart your download without requiring you to re-use your token. -
I approve this thread post.
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"It's irritating to be asked to invest in something (time, money, faith, etc.) and then not have a mechanism for follow-through if all doesn't go exactly as planned the first time. What'll happen if elements of the final game are glitchy upon release?"If it was all tested and bug-fixed and working swimingly, they wouldn't be doing a beta test, they'd be releasing the game! The whole point of beta testing is to get people to try it so you can find where the kinks and bugs are to fix or polish before release.That said, there must then be some way of reporting found bugs to the game developers, so you should find what that procedure is and tell them. And if it only gets fixed in time for the release and not for you to act as a tester, then that's just tough but at the end of the day you're supposed to be acting as a volunteer quality assurance tester, and the fact of getting to enjoy the game for free before it's out is a byproduct that in this case you'll just have to go without.
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...if you were invited into one of a series of free test screenings to give feedback on an unfinished upcoming film, and the projector broke just before the film started, would you really maintain that the studio was 'obligated' to move heaven and Earth to make sure you saw that film before its release day?
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....and you're not missing much.
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... is wah wah wah, I am a whiny bitch. I mean jesus, I thought this was about the game itself. Way to kill my hopes and dreams you sonnavavitch.
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But...
http://www.charlieoscardelta.com/beta.php##qid110 -
chill out merrick. go play bioshock, and wait for them to respond to your email. ps: did you even LOOK at the charlieoscardelta forum? they don't owe you anything.
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Is this problem in any way related to Larry Blackmon?
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You probably don't watch a collection of raw film dailies and expect them to be worthy of the price of a cinema ticket; likewise, don't expect a beta to be a functional game, but rather a test done to ensure that the retail game is functional. If you want a working game, wait until its official release date and buy it - just like if you want a proper cinema experience, wait until opening day and watch it with a public audience, not with a test audience or as it's edited. You are guilty of having unreasonable expectations.
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...before I even got a chance to play it. I live in Canada, and after checking the website, I was informed that I can go fuck myself. Thanks a lot!
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Merrick, shut that talking vagina you shove doritos into, you whiny bitch. Goddamn that felt good.
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or any of the other 50 billion games that have come out in the last month.
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when they say they are transferring me, the disconnect...when they say they are shipping me a box to return my dead 360 to microsoft, they mistakenly input that i will be supplying the box so that i have to call back later and ask where is my box and they start the process over again...when i tell them the new replacement xbox 360 is scratching any disc i put in it and making it unreadable, they say that since it's not a mircosoft product that was damaged, they won't replace or repair the game, but hey they will send me viva pinata for my troubles...and they will replace the xbox again...and not send me a box until i call back for the third time. they ask if i mind being on hold for a minute while they check something and are gone for 10 minutes...all in all, they royally piss me off...so i totally get the frustration that you're having, merrick. bah!
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xbox live has nothing to do with the beta problems, try the forums and fourzerotwo guy for help.
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which is the ONLY FPS I have completed without getting nauseaous.Not to mention that it's more original that what I have seen lately from first person shooters.The jury is out on H3 until I get my hands on it.
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Who cares...the beta does rock, you should play it.
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...you said Xbox.
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