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PSA: Rebellion revoking stolen Sniper Elite 3 keys
UK development studio Rebellion claims that a batch of Steam keys for Sniper Elite 3 has been stolen, and access to the game from accounts which purchased the ill-gotten goods has been revoked. "One of our PC retail distributors informed us that some of their allotted Steam keys were stolen," the company wrote on its Steam Community page. "We believe these keys were then resold to multiple companies, with no payments going to either Valve or the retail distributor. Steam were immediately informed and have now revoked that set of keys." Rebellion acknowledged that those affected may not have been aware that the key they purchased was illegitimate, and is thus offering the game's "Target Hitler" DLC for free. Rebellion themselves could not offer refunds, but strongly encouraged those who have found their access revoked to contact their seller to receive one. For more details on how to get the free DLC and the full post of Rebellion's explanation, check the game's Community page. [Image: Rebellion]
Apple closes the loophole that allowed users to update refunded apps
No good loophole lasts for long. Apple has made a subtle update to the App Store which most users will never notice, but if you've ever received a refund for an app, you will. For years, users who got a refund for a paid app through the App Store were able to continue getting updates after they'd gotten their money back. Now that loophole has been closed. The change was noticed by Twitter users Michael Simmons on May 24. The App Store no longer allows people who received a refund to reinstall or update the app with a clear message: pic.twitter.com/zR5drjVCke - Michael Simmons (@macguitar) May 24, 2014 The refund update loophole has also been closed in the Mac App store. While some users will be understandably annoyed, this is ultimately a good thing. If users want the freedom to get refunds from digital products which remain on their phone, that's fine, but along with that freedom should come protection for developers. If you don't like their app enough to support it, you shouldn't be able to get the newest version of it for free once your money has been returned.
Microsoft offering refunds following Xbox Live changes
We've all experienced a case of customer bad luck in our lives. Maybe you, oh, we don't know, bought an Xbox Live Gold subscription right before Microsoft announced they would be getting rid of the Gold requirement for entertainment services like Hulu and Netflix? Well if that's the case, your bad luck is about to take a turn for the better, as Microsoft will be offering refunds to customers who no longer wish to keep an active Gold subscription once the changes to Xbox Live take effect. Customers who have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription extending beyond the date changes to the program go live can request to cancel their subscription and receive a refund from Microsoft. Microsoft will offer a prorated refund based on the number of days between the date of cancellation and the date their paid Gold membership ends. Requests must be submitted through the Microsoft support site after the changes transpire but before August 31, 2014, and require up to eight weeks for processing. More info is available on the official FAQ. In its own way, you could say that this is Microsoft's way of offering cash for Gold. [Image: Microsoft]
Sky's Now TV woes continue as streams go down before the Premiership finale
Sky's Now TV streaming service has experienced its fair share of issues in recent months, but today it couldn't have picked a better time to leave users in the lurch. While previous hiccups took the premiere of Game of Thrones offline, Sky Sports streaming went down just minutes before the final ten games of the Premiership season kicked off. That meant many were left without the chance to watch Manchester City secure their second title in recent years. To save face, Sky has begun contacting all Sports Pass customers to issue refunds, whether they were affected or not. While Entertainment subscribers can gain access to Sky's crown jewels for £4.99 a month, Sky protects its TV sports revenue by pricing a one-off Sky Sports Pass at £9.99 per day. The broadcaster will have lost a significant chunk of change trying to put things right, but it may need to invest more in its streaming infrastructure if it wants to stop customers from switching off completely.
Chaos Theory: Funcom flubbed it with The Secret World's mankinigate
I'd rather be focused on the four new investigation missions that just launched in The Secret World, even though I need much more time to complete them all, or yammering on about Tokyo coming next month (did you catch that in the director's letter?). But as the fates would have it, Funcom did something else this past week that has nabbed attention and necessitates a little scrutiny. Mankinigate. Last week during the notable first of April shenanigans, The Secret World poked fun at the fact that female outfits in games (including TSW) are stereotypically skimpy while males get adventuring gear. The item store offered the "Gender Equality" clothing pack: full scuba gear for females and a mankini for males. As hideous as I think the mankini is, I appreciated this obvious jab at stereotypes, not to mention the fact that Funcom listened to players who've requested revealing attire for their male avatars. But then with no real explanation given at the time, the makinis were yanked not only from the store but from players' inventories as well.
Fitbit has received nearly 10,000 reports of skin irritation from Force owners
Fitbit kicked off a refund program last month after learning its Force activity tracker caused skin irritation in a "small percentage" of users, and now we're finally getting a better sense of the situation. According to the official recall notice from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the company received around 9,900 reports of skin irritation and around 250 reports of blistering. The notice also points out that the recall affects about 1 million of the wearables in the United States and about 28,000 more in Canada. So what happens next? Well, the CPSC's stance is clear: contact the company and take the money.
Warhammer Online offers partial refunds
With Warhammer Online's closure tomorrow, some of the players will be entitled to a partial refund for money spent during the past few months. Those who qualify for a refund will include those who had paid game time on their accounts on November 1st, including credit card payments and game time cards. Mythic will also be refunding unused purchased game item codes. These refunds will begin tomorrow but could take up to 90 days to process. In the case of credit card purchases, Mythic will automatically refund the money back onto the account. For cards and codes, Mythic is asking those who qualify to contact customer support to arrange a refund method (we suggest a shady back alley hand-off between a Mythic employee and you).
Apple refunds Breaking Bad iTunes passes in wake of split season
When AMC split the last season of Breaking Bad in two, it annoyed iTunes Season Pass holders who had to pay twice to finish Walter White's saga. Rather than point angry viewers in AMC's direction, though, Apple is shouldering the burden (and trying to dodge a lawsuit) by issuing refunds. Customers who bought the not-actually-last season of Breaking Bad are receiving $23 iTunes credits that they can use for another Season Pass if they so choose. The refund comes just before the series wraps this Sunday, but it's a welcome recompense for viewers who were caught off guard. Check out Apple's email to customers after the break. [Thanks, Abraham]
If you bought Logic Pro within 30 days of Logic Pro X release, you may get a refund
This isn't exactly unprecedented, but there's been some discussion about "upgrade pricing" regarding Logic Pro X today, so I thought this would be good info for Logic Pro customers. First, if you bought Logic Pro within 30 days, consider contacting Apple support -- you may be able to get a refund (within a week). With that money you can happily upgrade to Logic Pro X through the Mac App Store. As for the upgrade pricing for customers beyond 30 days, I'm not sure why that was ever a mystery. When Final Cut Pro X debuted, there wasn't upgrade pricing, either. Logic Pro X continues the Mac App Store practice of no upgrades from purchases made off the store. In a short amount of time it won't matter, as pros will have purchased the update through the MAS anyway. Unless Apple creates another version currently on the Store that requires a separate purchase also from the Store -- but it hasn't done that with any of its apps thus far.
Sony refunding Deadpool PSN price disparity
If you purchased Deadpool from the North American PlayStation Network, it's possible that you paid too much and will soon be receiving a refund from ol' Aunt Sony. The game, originally listed for $60, should in truth have cost $50. Affected customers will soon receive an XMB notification informing them of their impending $10 refund, according to the official PlayStation Twitter. We wish more of the world worked this way. Like this one time, we bought a tiny paper cup of lemonade from a tiny child's ramshackle stand for 10 cents, only to discover that a different tiny child was selling equally small paper cups of lemonade at their ramshackle stand for seven cents! That first kid wouldn't price match, even after we threatened to call the Better Business Bureau! Can you believe that?
Project Awakened on hold due to 'alternate funding options,' donors receiving refunds
Phosphor Games has cancelled its self-powered crowdfunding initiative for Project Awakened and will be issuing refunds to everyone that has contributed to the drive thus far, according to a missive of the game's official website. "At this time we need to put our funding endeavor on hold effective immediately. Everyone who pledged money will be receiving a full refund," the message reads. "There have been some alternative funding options that have recently been presented to us, so please continue to keep an eye out on our Facebook page for future updates." Phosphor turned to DIY crowdfunding after its initial efforts to raise capital on Kickstarter fell short of the company's goal.
Crowdfunders fail to win Homeworld IP in THQ auction, issue refunds
When THQ went bankrupt and saw several of its IPs heading to the auction block, indie developer teamPixel began crowdfunding bidding money to win the Homeworld property for use in its upcoming space RTS game. Even after garnering $58,644 through a successful Kickstarter campaign and $13,675 on Indiegogo, teamPixel recently announced that it failed to win the Homeworld IP during the auction process."We hope you will join us in supporting Homeworld's new owners in building a future for the franchise," the developer said in a Kickstarter update. "We anticipate an announcement of the new owner to be made within a couple weeks and for the sale to be finalized around mid-May."Well into development on its own Homeworld-inspired strategy game, teamPixel will refund all money earned during its crowdfunding efforts while also offering donors a "special credit" in the game. The developer's "Save Homeworld" site has since transformed to a landing page for tracking donor refunds.The final THQ auction is expected to earn $6 million to $7 million. First details of the bidding results are expected to be revealed Monday.
Family Guy Online to shut down next month
Get your Quahog gaming fix soon because Family Guy Online is not long for this world. The game announced that it will be shutting down next month on January 18th. Family Guy Online is currently in open beta, which means that it will have never officially launched before spinning down. The game will refund any cash purchases made during the last two months (from October 22nd through December 21st). If you're curious how this interactive version of the TV animated series performed, you can check out Beau's Rise and Shiny expedition. [Thanks to Matthew for the tip!]
The War Z removed from Steam
Hammerpoint Interactive's The War Z has been removed from Steam amid allegations of false advertising from its community, which claims that the developer knowingly listed inaccurate information on The War Z's Steam profile.Originally, the game's profile touted multiple areas ranging in size from 100 to 400 kilometers and servers capable of handling up to 100 players, according to this screenshot obtained by Gamespy. The profile also stated that The War Z was a "Single Purchase, Downloadable Client with the ability to play the full game without subscriptions or requiring in-game transactions," and failed to mention that this is a "Foundation Release," meaning that the game is still under development, with some areas even marked with alpha testing information.In actuality, the game only has one zone, and servers were initially capped at a maximum of 50 players, though that issue at least appears to have been corrected. Moreover, The War Z features a microtransactional-based in-game economy, somewhat contradicting its claim of being a "single purchase" game. The profile has since been rejiggered and no longer makes mention of the multiple zones, nor does it make any mention of in-game transactions. It does, however, still neglect information about the game's somewhat early developmental stage.
Matrix One pins troubles on part delays and Google Wallet freeze, says refunds coming
We've been following the saga of the extra-budget Matrix One tablet almost since its birth, and there's been mounting concerns as the company (or rather its parent, Direct Merchandise Marketing) went silent not long after reporting a customs freeze on shipments. At least according to a new letter to customers on the company's front page, we now know why. The firm claims that glass and processor supply trouble at the relevant factories triggered delays, which in turn led to Google Wallet shutting down its account after customers complained regarding unfulfilled orders -- it couldn't complete or even refund purchases, no matter how much it wanted to. There's a potential ray of sunshine, however, as Google has reportedly confirmed to Matrix One that refunds are going out to affected shoppers. New orders will supposedly be possible, but only after initial refunds go through and the company is "well stocked" with inventory. We have many reasons to be skeptical when Matrix One doesn't mention the customs issue, is known to have been unresponsive to customers and even reported itself as closed, but this news at least gives us hope that buyers won't be left hanging. Read the full letter after the break. [Thanks, Stephan]
The Daily Grind: Do sunsetted games owe us refunds?
When Tiny Speck announced last week that Glitch would be shutting down come December 9th, the studio simultaneously did something that few closed MMOs do: It offered complete refunds for past subs. Sure, some companies have offered free game time or bonus cash-shop currency for their other games, but that's usually small consolation. NCsoft grudgingly provided refunds for unused timecards and long-term recurring subs when it set City of Heroes' closure date, but virtually no one provides a complete refund of all the subscription money you ever paid for the game. On Black Friday, it seems as if half the world is out shopping, looking for a good deal and with money on the brain, so today's an appropriate day to ask: Do sunsetted games owe us refunds? And if you were offered one, would you take it? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Glitch closing down, cites limited audience
The word is out and it is sad: "Glitch is over." Tiny Speck delivered the shocking news today, saying that the 2-D browser title will be closing forever on December 9th. The team said that it is "heartbroken" to have to announce this, and apologized for letting its fans down. Apparently, the game simply could not find a critical mass large enough to be financially viable. The developers explained it simply: "Unfortunately, Glitch has not attracted an audience large enough to sustain itself and based on a long period of experimentation and our best estimates, it seems unlikely that it ever would." While Tiny Speck will continue with a smaller team working on other projects, many of Glitch's developers are now looking for work elsewhere. The studio posted a closure FAQ that included reasoning behind the shutdown and information on how to obtain refunds for money spent on the game. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
ASUS, Google offer monetary compensation for Nexus 7 tablets bought before price drop
Bought yourself a shiny new Nexus 7 just before the priced dropped on October 29th and feel a bit slighted? ASUS and Google want to turn your frown upside down, each offering their own compensation. Folks in Europe who purchased any variant of the tablet from ASUS prior to October 30th are eligible to a redeem a 25-pound or 30-euro coupon for its online shop. Apparently, the deal has been in place since October 30th, and you'll have until the 30th of this month to submit your proof of purchase (from sanctioned dealers, naturally) and apply. Sure, it may not be as nice as a Google Play credit for apps or cash in-pocket, but at least ASUS is showing it can share at least some love for early adopters. Europeans should move their cursors over to the ASUS source link below for all the details. Tracking back to Google, Droid-Life notes that Google's price protection policy might have you covered for some cash-back, as well. If you purchased the 16GB model from Google Play between the 14th and the 29th of October, you have until about the 13th of this month to get a refund for the price difference (15 days from the initial price drop). As always, check out the Google link below for more details.
Editorial: Apple apologies actually aren't that infrequent, and that's okay
Today, Tim Cook made his first major apology as the CEO of Apple. It probably won't be his last. Despite the obvious knee-jerk reaction regarding the Maps debacle, it's actually interesting that this particular scenario is yet another example of humans having extraordinarily short-term memories. It's the same reason that whatever game we most recently saw is the "best or worst ever." (Packers v. Seahawks 09.24.2012, I'm looking at you.) In truth, Apple has a fairly solid history of ingesting pride in the iPhone era, when it surged headfirst into the realm of serving consumers in a way that it never had before. And moreover, hearing Cook apologize isn't something that should be mocked or berated; one can only hope that more companies of all shapes and sizes develop a policy of listening and reacting. Allow me to explain.
Victorinox offers refunds for secure USB drives in light of discontinued software updates
Software support and security certificates are coming to an end for Victorinox's line of secure USB drives, but the firm announced on Facebook that it's offering customers full refunds until December 31 if they'd like to return their products in light of the developments. In order to avoid losing data, owners of the flash drives should perform a backup before the encryption application meets its untimely end on September 15th. However, files stored on non-encrypted areas of the device will remain accessible without further action. The Slim, Secure and Presentation Master storage sticks can still be used as run-of-the-mill thumb drives after the cut-off date, but the Swiss Army Knife maker's application will no longer be able to scramble or unscramble their contents.