compensation
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SOE reveals compensation plan for outage, says at least a few more days until services are restored
Sony Online Entertainment's broken its string of the now-standard "Our games won't be up today" message to deliver substantial news about the restoration of its services and how players will be compensated. "At least a few more days" is all the studio is willing to commit to a time frame before its MMOs come back online, but at least it provides hope to the anxious players waiting to click their Station Launcher icon. More definite, however, is the plan for how SOE will make good with its playerbase. All current SOE players will receive 30 days of game time added to their accounts plus one day for every day the system's been down. Depending on the game to which players are subscribed, SOE has a list of specific in-game items, currency, Station Cash, events and bonuses ready. This applies to both the studio's PC and PS3 titles. Finally, all Station Account holders will be enrolled in a complimentary identity theft protection program. U.S. players will be enrolled in Debix for a year, while residents in other countries will be set up with similar services. Codes will be sent out by email for these programs, and U.S. players will need to enroll by June 28th to get the coverage.
Apple compensates customer injured at Beijing store
Apple reportedly compensated a customer injured in a melee outside the Sanlitun Apple Store in Beijing, China. The customer, identified as Ding Wencheng by the Global Times, was reportedly paid a 20,000-yuan ($3,000) settlement by the Apple store for injuries he received in the altercation. According to state reports, a scuffle erupted when a foreign Apple employee allegedly started to beat suspected line jumpers. In the aftermath, several customers were hospitalized, and the front glass door of the Apple store was smashed. Apple spokesperson Carolyn Wu acknowledged the brawl, but did not comment on the rumored settlement. "The Apple Store Sanlitun was closed for several hours on Saturday after a group outside the store became unruly." Wu added, "The store team acted to protect themselves and our customers by closing the doors and preventing the group from entering. The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority." Details on the status of the hospitalized customers are unknown, but presumably, Apple may compensate others injured in this unfortunate incident. [Via The Next Web]
SOE releases further breach details, 24.6 million accounts compromised
There's an old adage that things are always darkest just before the dawn, and right now the folks at Sony Online Entertainment -- as well as millions of customers -- are enduring another round of grim news. The San Diego-based MMORPG publisher has just announced that approximately 24.6 million accounts may have been stolen, in addition to the 12,700 credit or debit card thefts reported yesterday. A new SOE press release reports that personal information including names, addresses, email addresses, login names, and hashed passwords has been illegally obtained by hackers. Another 10,700 direct debit records were pilfered from accounts in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain, including bank account numbers and the information mentioned above. SOE plans to compensate consumers with 30 days of free subscription time as well as an additional day for each day its systems are down. The company will also provide "a complimentary offering to assist users in enrolling in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs."
Sony update on PSN / Qriocity outage: 'some services up and running within a week' (updated)
As the PlayStation Network / Qriocity outage stretches into its second week, over on the PlayStation Blog rep Patrick Seybold has just posted an updated Q&A based on the inquiries of concerned users. Beyond the security of our personal information, the most important question is when service might be restored and he reiterates Sony expects to have "some services" up and running within a week from yesterday. When it comes to the most important personal information like credit card numbers, there are assurances that the credit card database was encrypted and there is no evidence anything was taken, but that's a possibility that still cannot be ruled out completely. To keep things secure, Gamasutra reports game developers are getting new SDKs with updated security features as well. When the service comes back up, expect a mandatory system update that requires a new password before getting back to your Mortal Kombat or Portal 2-related plans. Update: Sony posted Q&A #2 with a few more details addressing custom compensation. Regarding a "goodwill gesture," Sony says, "We are currently evaluating ways to show appreciation for your extraordinary patience as we work to get these services back online." The company is also working on a "make good" plan for gamers with a subscription to the PS3 MMOs DC Universe Online or Free Realms, details of which are coming soon.
Softbank to offer free phones to earthquake orphans, free replacement for lost iPhones
Following the catastrophic earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, surviving victims from the affected region are going to face a tough time over the coming months, if not years. Many of those who are more fortunate have been actively contributing in one way or another, regardless of distance, to help put Japan on its road to recovery. Back in the country, one such generous person is non other than Softbank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, who's recently visited Tamura, one of the cities most affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster. During that trip, Son announced that Softbank will cover a year's worth of living costs (commute and food) and provide job positions for the 1,200 people to be relocated to Takeo in Saga, the prefecture where Son originated. Additionally, Son is using Softbank's "Let's Do It" campaign site -- a tracker for his "Let's Do It" tasks posted on Twitter, each accompanied by a completion status indicator -- to crowdsource requests for supporting earthquake victims. So far, these requests are mainly about ways to increase efficiency for donation efforts (like publishing a live list of item shortages for each shelter, and setting up new mobile networks at the shelters), but there were two that caught our attention. Last week, one of Son's followers suggested that Softbank should provide orphaned children free phone credit for a limited time, so that they could contact their friends and other family members. Son then retweeted this idea and announced that all earthquake orphans will receive free phones, along with call costs waived until they reach the age of 18. Another gadget-related initiative came in earlier today with Son promising free replacement for all lost or damaged iPhones due to the earthquake, with details to follow later. Obviously, anyone providing aid to Japan in any way, shape, or form deserves just as much credit, but Softbank's extra mileage and cunning use of social networking is certainly praiseworthy in its own right. Here's hoping that Son's actions will inspire others for even greater causes. [Thanks, Tres] Update: It's worth pointing out that Son said he's also happy to help pay phone bills for earthquake orphans who are already on other networks, including DoCoMo. Good on ya, sir!
NVIDIA's faulty GPU class action settlement challenged, but time's running out
Remember when NVIDIA was caught selling defective mobile graphics chips, and agreed to provide bargain-basement replacement laptops to make a class-action lawsuit go away? At least one gentleman wasn't happy with how that went down, and is suing to see that affected customers get a fair shake. Ted Frank of the Center for Class Action Fairness says that NVIDIA has no business passing off cheap laptops, and we think he might have a case -- after all, the judge ordered that NVIDIA provide "a replacement computer of like or similar kind and equal or similar value," and it doesn't take a lawyer to see that the $400 Compaq Presario CQ56-115DX that the company's offering doesn't come close to compensating owners of faulty machines. We joked that you might be better off selling your old laptop for parts on eBay, and that might not be far from the truth. The thing is, whether Ted Frank and company win or lose in court, defective laptop owners have only two weeks remaining to sign up for whatever NVIDIA ends up handing out, as March 14th is the final deadline to have settlement claims postmarked. Read the arguments at our more coverage link, and decide for yourself.
NVIDIA's faulty laptop GPU settlement starts paying out, file your repair and reimbursement claims now
Got an old Dell, HP or Apple laptop sitting around with a defective NVIDIA GPU? The company's finally ready to compensate you. That proposed class-action settlement from late last year has been approved by a California court, and the company's taking claims for repairs, replacements and reimbursements at a specially-designated website until March 14th. If you've got an affected Dell or Apple MacBook Pro, you can get the faulty chips replaced free of charge, while HP owners get a whole new replacement computer, though considering the choices there are the budget Compaq Presario CQ50 or an ASUS Eee PC T101MT, you might be better off selling your old parts on eBay. Finally, if you've already paid to get your components replaced and have the docs to prove it, you might be able to get refunded -- NVIDIA's set up a $2 million pool to be divided among all such reimbursements. Find everything you need at the links below. [Thanks, Kalyan]
Report: Some APB players receiving compensation, but denied refund
The short, brutal life of APB (and developer Realtime Words) recently ended, with consumers seemingly unable to reclaim whatever investment they put into the MMO. However, despite not receiving refunds, consumers are reportedly obtaining compensation in other ways. Gamasutra and Dtoid both report that players have been offered a discount or free game after contacting EA's support line. According to the administrators behind Realtime Worlds' bankruptcy, consumers should contact the retailers from which they purchased the game in order to pursue "entitlement to any refund."
Rebellion accused of not paying dismissed employees
Something's apparently rotten at Rebellion. Not only was the dev forced to shutter its Derby office doors back in March, but those ex-employees seemingly aren't getting their deserved cash. Develop reports that numerous sources have come forward, claiming they've never received their promised salaries or redundancy pay. Sources tell Develop that a few of the employees had been working there "for nearly 20 years" and are due large compensation packages. An even worse reality, one source posits, could result in Rebellion filing for bankruptcy -- which would mean that anybody due compensation could very well never receive payment. Grim stuff, for sure. Rebellion's Derby office effectively closed its doors back in March. Founding brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley could not be reached for comment as they're currently traveling.
Ubisoft compensating PC gamers for DRM server outage
Ubisoft is trying to make amends to legitimate PC gamers that were blocked out of recent DRM-enabled titles due to a recent server outage. Hackers, angry at Ubisoft's draconian DRM protocol, which requires a persistent internet connection, even for single player games -- knocked out the publisher's authentication servers, preventing owners of games like Assassin's Creed II from being able to play at all. While Ubisoft has modified its DRM protocol, it doesn't seem the publisher has any plans to discontinue using it any time soon. In light of the recent outage, the publisher has started to send letters offering gamers either a free game or DLC, depending on the product originally purchased. A support forum for Assassin's Creed II appears to confirm that those affected by the outage may receive an offer to upgrade the standard edition to the "Black Edition," which includes additional areas not found in the original. Those that already have the Black Edition will be able to receive either HAWX, Heroes Over Europe, EndWar, or Prince of Persia. Certainly, this is the right move for the publisher to take, offering a virtual olive branch for a policy that has only generated negative press thus far. However, the Ubisoft forums are alight with those that have yet to receive any compensatory offer. We're reaching out to Ubisoft to find out more details of this offer, and will update if we hear a response. [Thanks, Rockr90! Via Exophase]
WoW Insider Show Episode 119 with special guest Mary Varn
Our podcast was live on the air as usual last Saturday, and the show is now up for your listening enjoyment. Artist Mary Varn was aboard to talk with us about her comic and her Warcraft career, and Matt Low of World of Matticus also jumped on to chat with Turpster and I about the latest WoW news, including the impending patch 3.3, the recent server outages, and the Taiwanese player who picked up all of the achievements in the game (which, probably not entirely concidentally, is the subject of Mary's comic today). And of course we answered your emails as well. For those of you wondering about our Podcast Awards nomination, voting has ended, and the winners are supposed to be announced next Saturday in a ceremony online. We'll keep you updated -- remember, if we win, we'll be giving away any prizes we get to one lucky listener, and we'll be recording a Warcraft bedtime story for all of you to download. Cross your fingers for us! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page:
Compensation for last week's extended downtime
In what will surely please anyone who follows or was affected by extended realm downtimes, Blizzard has quietly announced compensation for the realms affected by it last week. We covered the downtime last week as it occurred. Even after having worked at Blizzard, I'm unsure as to how the decision is made to or not to offer compensation for downtime, but I'm glad that it does get offered periodically. It's no fun to have a day off or a light workday and then discover that the realm that houses your main is down, again. Regardless, if you were on any of the realms listed after the cut, you should see that a 24-hour credit has been added to your subscription on your Account Management page. Take this, your blue badge of courage, and hold it high to the heavens, your karmic reward for not pitching a fit. "We cool, Blizz. We cool."
Mickey Mouse + Magic Mouse = Mighty Steve
Is it better to have a lot of something good or a little of something great? If Apple CEO Steve Jobs is any indication, it's better to have both. In September, Alpha Steve had an estimated personal net worth of $5.1 billion, enough to end up the 43rd richest person in the U.S. according to Forbes' list of the 400 richest people in the states. This week he's up to at least $5.4 billion. If you think that's because of the tear on which Apple's stock has gone over the past few weeks, you're only a little over half right. According to filings by Apple (AAPL), Jobs owns 5.426 million shares of Apple stock. As of Tuesday night, Apple's stock had picked up 26.39 points since Forbes' counted the 400 "haves." Jobs shares had gained $146 million in value. Not bad. Disney (DIS) filings say Jobs owns 138 million shares of the happiest company on Earth. Those shares have not had nearly the run enjoyed by Apple shares over the last few weeks, gaining only 99 cents as of Tuesday night. Still, Jobs has so many of them that they've increased in value by $136 million. Not bad either. Apple's meteoric rise plus Disney's incremental rise equals $282 million more for Apple's CEO and Disney's largest private shareholder. It's better to have both. [via Fortune]
T-Mobile 'considering additional measures' to compensate Sidekick owners
The official line is still that T-Mobile customers affected by Sidekick amnesia will be given a months' credit on their data plan, but that may not be the end of it (and considering the magnitude of the issue for affected folks, we'd certainly hope not). At this point, they're leaving the door open to more by saying that they're "considering additional measures" to help soothe the souls of those who lost contacts, notes, schedules, apps, and everything else, but exactly what those "measures" are remains to be seen. Free phones? Free service? A gift certificate to a day spa? The full (albeit brief) remarks can be found after the break.
Freesky Online merges two servers, offers players compensation
Browser-based MMO strategy game Freesky Online has just finished merging two of its servers to help bring the player population up. The Paradise and Canaan servers have been turned into a single server called Paradise&Canaan, and the server's map was made bigger and filled with more resources to give the inflated population a chance to prosper in their new environment. The hope is that a greater population will increase the amount of PvP action that goes on and offer new strategic alliance opportunities.Along with the positive effects, the merge brought a lot of inconvenience to players: those that had a character on both servers were only able to keep one, and friends lists and existing alliances were deleted. Players were also unhappy about having their ongoing activities interrupted. To make up for all of this, the game's developers IGG have put together some compensatory goodies for affected players. There are two different gift packages; the players' reputation level affects which pack they will receive. To see what you might be entitled to, visit the news article about the merge at the game's official site.
The Daily Grind: Should players be rewarded for creating content?
American McGee, during a recent Geek.com interview, made a comment about user-generated content in games that made us stop and think. The snip in question was: "...I think if game products or publishers are relying on "outside the box" content created by users to drive interest in their titles – then they should find ways of compensating those users for developing added value." While he may have been talking about Little Big Planet at the time, we thought immediately of City of Heroes Issue 14, and other systems like Myst Online: URU Live, which will be depending on player-created content for future growth when it comes back up.You could argue that at this point players who create and run Mission Architect content are largely already rewarded; there are several badges available that way, and it's a nice break from the regular missions when you've already run them eleventy-billion times since launch. Of course, as anyone who has actually built a mission arc can tell you, writing one can suck away some serious time from you very easily. So this morning, we thought we'd take it to you, the Massively community - do you think players should be rewarded in some fashion for creating content in MMOs? Should it be something simple like badges, or should it be more involved? Should Paragon Studios and NCsoft look at giving players who create quality arcs more space to create in? Free game time? Or is the ability to create fun content and get recognized by the community for writing good arcs enough reward in itself?
[UPDATED] Playtime over for You Play or We Pay
In what seems to be an inevitable move, Blizzard has ordered the controversial and too-good-to-be-true services of You Play or We Pay to stop operations. According to their website, Blizzard found YPOWP's offering to be a violation of their intellectual property rights. You Play or We Pay, which stirred up a bit of controversy and a lot of skepticism when it first launched, aimed to compensate players whenever the World of Warcraft had unscheduled downtime. Essentially, it was insurance for WoW game time.Initially, the site planned to charge for their service but eventually moved to a free model after some mysterious downtime of their own. It was such a novel idea that WoW Insider even interviewed the site's founders, George Tung and Milos Golubovic. It seems that this bizarre saga has at last come to an end, and questions of whether the site was for real or not (did anyone ever get compensation?) will never be answered. [UPDATE: Several readers chimed in to answer that question -- apparently YPOWP sent its members 30-day game cards as compensation for lost play time. This indicates that the service, even after going to the free model, was for real. It also isn't against the TOS. That service was frowned upon by Blizzard legal, though, and YPOWP was taken down because of intellectual property rights issues instead.]
Motorola co-CEO Jha makes off with staggering $104M package in 2008
How many CEOs of Fortune 500 companies can brag that their total compensation package for a single year equalled a full percent of their firm's market cap? Actually, with stock prices in the toilet as they are these days, probably quite a few -- but no one would seriously expect Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of embattled Moto, to be a member of that elite club. The Qualcomm hire -- who worked less than five months for Motorola in 2008 -- managed to rake in over $104 million between his salary, stock options, and other benefits, which seems criminal in light of his company's continued fight for survival, its multiple rounds of layoffs, and a recent pay cut (that, by all appearances, probably should've included some of those lucrative options). Realistically, Jha hasn't been at the helm long enough to prove whether he's worthy of this kind of dough -- but when you lose $3.6 billion in a single quarter, these sorts of packages just don't seem kosher by any measure, you know?
YouPlayorWePay opens up a new month, plans to add EU realms soon
We haven't heard much from the folks at You Play or We Pay lately, but maybe that's a good thing for them -- after all the noise from their initial launch, it seems like things have calmed down over there. They're giving out "Compensation Credits," it looks like they've started running a few ads, and it seems like they've finally settled on a model that works for everyone -- both the founders of the site and the people who sign up for compensation. While we heard the first month of slots filled up pretty fast, the second month seems to be going a little slower -- they've still got about half the slots for March still available as of this writing. But as you can see from the picture, they're promising some real items in exchange for those Compensation Credits. With 150 slots in March and about 100 credits given out last month, you may be waiting over a year to save up the credits to buy a 30-day game card, but the site is working the way they planned: you can sign up for free and eventually get something back for your realm's downtime.And they're planning on expanding soon -- the site reports that by the 15th of March, English EU players will be able to sign up for compensation on their realms' downtime as well. This site caused a lot of controversy when it first opened up, but we have to give it to them: it looks like they've worked out a way to do what they want to do.
YouPlayorWePay goes free with a new plan
As promised, YouPlayorWePay has returned, and they've got a whole new plan in place. Originally, as we reported earlier, they wanted to create a site where players would pay a fee for the opportunity to get reimbursed for lost playtime in World of Warcraft, but after outcries from the community, they have outlined a whole slew of changes on the site.And the biggest of these is that the service is now free. Instead of charging users, they plan to support a limited number of registrants (for March, when they begin, they're opening up 150 spots), and when downtime or queues occur for those registrants, they'll be given "YPOWP credits," which apparently will be used either towards compensation or towards "contest prizes," which will update every month. They've got some new stats on the front page, too, including the realms with the most calculated downtime, and how many compensation and contest prizes they've given out every month.Very interesting. From the beginning, the founders have made it clear that they didn't want to scam anyone (they told us as much in our interview), and they now say that not one person has been charged a cent for compensation. This new model, however, seems much more fair -- there's no cost up front for people who register, even if the "compensation" might not be worth as much as the cash they originally promised. What do you think of the new plan?
