That is what my words said. People are lucky they are getting a refund at all. I have the same thoughts on people who subscribe to Lootcrate/Nerdbox type products. Last thing I want my money to go to is unknown shit.
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GAMEPUMP - Service cancelled, everyone refunded + 2 bonus apology games
- Thread starter Ryo Hazuki
- Start date
That is what my words said. People are lucky they are getting a refund at all. I have the same thoughts on people who subscribe to Lootcrate/Nerdbox type products. Last thing I want my money to go to is unknown shit.
Wok
Member
It is Robert Bowling. Not unknown shit.
We trust the boy, we knew he would refund if things go down.
The Humble Monthly service delivers great games every month consistently at all time low prices. The only time I regret subscribing is if I get games I already own, in which case I can give away or sell the keys to someone else so I don't really lose anything.
People who decide to subscribe are absolutely not gullible. That's ridiculous.
Gamepump had the promise of guaranteeing you would get games that you wouldn't own, but with the downside of having nothing to build trust in the service. It was always much higher risk.
VlaudTheImpaler
tl;dr
Absolute mad respect for them for doing that if indeed that is what they are doing.
Sean Murray could take a lesson from these guys in humbleness and humility.
As it is, I will definitely be checking out anything these guys do in the future because of this. It was a fail, but they had the balls to see that and take the shame and blame instead of making off like bandits. I hope they continue to strive for whatever dreams they have as devs and most importantly that they take the lessons they have learned here to heart and don't repeat the same mistakes. Especially with communication. But I'd guess at this point, that was due to them trying to come to terms with the situation, not wanting to dig deeper holes and preparing for... this.
TheBrainninja
Member
I think most of us filed this under the "acceptable risk" category in our brains, as I expect subscribers to other blind box services do. "Gullible" implies we were not informed or wary, which is not how I would characterize most people in this thread. Perhaps we just value $20 differently than you do.
BlazeHedgehog
Member
You're quite the cynic.
I think mystery boxes are a waste of money but I pitched $20 in to this because for a 12 month subscription that's actually a pretty good deal. Lootcrate and equivalents usually ask $15-20 per month, whereas if you spread this $20 out, it comes out to about a buck-sixty per game.
I do agree that we're lucky to get refunds, but like others have said, Robert Bowling isn't exactly an unknown in this industry.
Zeyphersan
Banned
I don't know, I'm generally very happy with my humble monthly subscription
SpikeDaPenguin
Neo Member
I put my money down for it and I appreciate that the creator had respect for his consumers to refund their money in full with 2 Free games on top of it. I wish bigger companies would do the same when they botch up their releases. Anyways, I hope he continues to work on GAMEPUMP though as I think it still holds promise but it just wasn't ready for prime time. Maybe next time he'll have a years worth "locked down" instead of just, what it feels like to me, winging it.
That said though because of this kind gesture (the full refund and two free games) I'll be back to support GAMEPUMP if it tries again.
That said though because of this kind gesture (the full refund and two free games) I'll be back to support GAMEPUMP if it tries again.
To start something, you need investments. If you can't get them via traditional means, you'll have to get money trough other sources, like trough subscriptions or trough a kickstarter. They owned up to their mistake/unfeasible plans, so there is no problem in my view. Not sure what COD has to do with anything, that is one of the biggest and most successful series out there.
I know, iam just grumpy. But making a game big and successful doesnt = not broken
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cod+broken
sorry for ot
FinaruDensetsu
Member
I think that's pretty damn classy. We still get two games and on steam too. Can't really complain about someone who was trying to realize a really cool idea. Sometimes things just don't work out.
randomlee26
Member
That's too bad.
Looking forward to Lit though.
Looking forward to Lit though.
PurpleMoustache
Member
It's a bummer, but it ended up in the best possible way. They:
1. Seem to still be going
2. Refunded everybody
3. We still get some games
All in all, a class act. They could have been a little quicker, or more transparent, but nobody got hurt in this transaction
1. Seem to still be going
2. Refunded everybody
3. We still get some games
All in all, a class act. They could have been a little quicker, or more transparent, but nobody got hurt in this transaction
Ryo Hazuki
Member
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Attn Dusk Golem and others:
Looks like the NES horror game could be HAUNTED: Halloween '85, which is a homebrew NES game.
Looks like the NES horror game could be HAUNTED: Halloween '85, which is a homebrew NES game.
snoopeasystreet
Member
Fair play to turn for cancelling it. If they get it up and running again, I'll resub. It seems like their heart is in the right place.
I was critical of this when the pitch was going out because pre-buying a mix of mystery digital titles is a hard sell with my game backlog, and I think that's common. Assuming the games were something I wanted, they had my ear for buying them individually at the normal prices after they launched. I don't buy into standalone loot-crate offers because I don't want to "own" games I don't want to play, let alone buy them (even at a savings).
It's hard to be fully disappointed at what happened though when there were never games actually named that we're not getting. It's good they're handling refunds and goodwill gestures like they are.
It's hard to be fully disappointed at what happened though when there were never games actually named that we're not getting. It's good they're handling refunds and goodwill gestures like they are.
Did they not have their lineup for the first year planned in advance?
GrantDaNasty
Member
It's a shame it didn't work out, but based on Bowling's wording: the work will not end up lost, perhaps just having each game available standalone with an equivalent price.
I have to imagine a lot of the more-requested games are likely expensive to get a deal going with the rights holder, if they even have any interest (I'm reminded of Night Dive trying to secure NOLF, and that series is in so many layers of legal-limbo that it's essentially impossible to ever re-release).
I have to imagine a lot of the more-requested games are likely expensive to get a deal going with the rights holder, if they even have any interest (I'm reminded of Night Dive trying to secure NOLF, and that series is in so many layers of legal-limbo that it's essentially impossible to ever re-release).
Father_Brain
Banned
Yeah, I find this part baffling. It would be one thing if games they thought they had secured fell through at the absolute last minute, but that's not what the apology letter says.
This is already on Steam, though.
I thought I wasn't giving enough credit when I feared the blind release calendar for the first year meant they hadn't secured worthwhile games, but they're saying that's what happened.
Like, if these games really were good enough to sell and not available elsewhere, it would have given them more exposure releasing the names earlier. It would let the countdown to each release hype up the different fanbases throughout the year.
Purple Cheeto
Member
Wasn't he only a community manager? Community managers don't really know much about software development.
infinityBCRT
Member
Good on them. Lets hope they can still put out some games.
CrunchyFrog
Member
Expected. You don't launch a service like this out of the blue without SOME indication of the caliber of games coming with it, particularly when the legal issues of legacy console titles are involved. Nice that they're giving refunds at least, but this seemed pie in the sky from the get go.
paperspace
Member
Last edited:
Stuggernaut
Grandma's Chippy
Best of luck to them, I was fine with $20 out if it all fell through. Good on them for doing refunds though.
I can't imagine why you would have been ok being out your pre-purchase in a situation like this. They hadn't even announced the games they would be trying to bring over.
paid with paypal, haven't received any email from gamepump, paypal, nor are there funds in my paypal account..
might have to contact paypal if not there in a few days
Because it's $20...
ScientificPizza
Banned
any way to shoehorn it in, huh?
Have you checked the pending section on your paypal account? The funds won't immediately clear, and there should be a section near your transactions that will show you pending refunds.
I didn't receive an email from paypal, but the pending funds are there
You'd never do a wine of the month club? It's the same sorta deal.
added_time
Member
Got my refund. Not hard feelings here. I was looking forward to it but it's ok. Things happen. Neat to still get a couple games though.
I hope he still brings out some old games like he said in the future
I hope he still brings out some old games like he said in the future
nope, nothing pending on paypal, no email from gamepump... I got in early, and it seems like those who got in early will have to wait longer and/or dispute the charges.
...I honestly think I'm missing something. What does the dollar amount have to do with not getting back money from a pre-purchase that falls through?
Quadraphonic
Member
It's amazing what publishers can decide to do at the last minute on a whim. I've worked at a company that closed when the publisher of the title we were developing got in a spat with our boss. They wanted to see our payroll and know what everyone was being paid.
I mean, look at Sony and Activision. Spyro/Crash PS1 don't work on the Vita. Petty shit can stop something that seems so simple.
Or how Warner Bros. music in SingStar was ONLY on disc and not DLC.
Licensing is tough work and since all of these titles were resurrected titles, it's 100% licensing.
The Dear Leader
Banned
It's not a huge loss to some folks, I would have forgotten I even spent it if it wasn't for all the noise around the delay and stuff. Some people just aren't going to get bent out of shape over $20. You have the right to be upset about your $20 and others have the right to not really care about the loss, which isn't even a loss.
The dollar amount is low enough that I assume certain people are OK with the risk of potentially losing it in exchange for a potentially good idea/product.
See kickstarter.
illusionary
Member
I've just had my refund through now too (paid by credit card)... I might even end up making a few pennies on it overall, given currency shifts since paying!
It's a shame to see things turn out this way, but hopefully they'll be able to regroup and relaunch at some point down the line.
It's a shame to see things turn out this way, but hopefully they'll be able to regroup and relaunch at some point down the line.
Wok
Member
We are on the same boat. #TeamNov16