Amazonfail

Saga continues to pry Nina Kimberly from their greedy hands. Venting at 11.

How to Lose a Customer

While I have used Amazon.com in the past, here and there, to collect things to clutter my room with, I tend to go to a local store. In the case of buying books lately, I have been exclusively buying from Amazon to help out fellow authors. After all, it's not if your good or not, it's how high that ranking gets. I don't feel this way, but clearly there are people who do, so I do my best to help where I can. Sure, I can get awareness as well by making sure my local bookstore carries them, especially if I have to special order the damn thing, but most people seem to feel more comfortable with those ranking numbers. Oddly, even more-so, the ones found on Amazon.com.

A couple of months ago, I pre-ordered Personal Effects: Dark Art by J.C. Hutchins. Later, I added to that order Nina Kimberly the Merciless by Christiana Ellis, and then chose to just have both orders sent once the books are available. Since Nina Kimberly was already available at the time I ordered it, all I had to do was wait for June 9th for them to be sent together. Color me surprised when I received a email from Amazon.com stating that my books had shipped on the 3rd of June, meaning, as long as it was sent via standard mail (using gas powered machinery), I should receive my books by June 9th, or close to. Yay!

This was not the case.

Today, thirteen days after the order was said to have shipped, the man carrying my order, I'm guessing by foot from Kentucky to Utah, finally arrived. Proof in the picture below.

Despite this, I am not happy. Not by the fact it nearly took two weeks for my order to travel what should have taken much less. I say this because I can send BACK an game to Gamefly and have them send my NEXT game and get it in less time.. These said games being forced to travel just as many states, if not more in the process. I'm upset because even though my shipment order sheet clearly states that Personal Effects and Nina Kimberly were shipped in the same package, only Personal Effects exists in said package.

Now I've been forced to deal with Customer Support where I was asked almost right off the bat, "Did you double check the box?" What, did the rep really think they sent a box the size a Live Doll comes in? The box was barely big enough to contain Personal Effects, so I doubt I missed where Nina might be hiding. (I swear I'm not Francis, Nina, Really!)

Now, after supposedly convincing them I did not receive the book, I have to wait for Amazon to send me my missing book. A book they say they will be sending to me via Two Day Shipping. Let's see if it take this package the 2 days, or 13. Either way, not the best way to keep a customer.

Promo for Misdirection in the Works

Well, going to throw down the gaunlet and attempt to record the promo audio for Misdirection today. If all turns out well, I'll start recording episodes soon after, or next week; all depending on how well things go, the quaility of the sound (still battleing background crap), and if my voice behaves. Until then, the pic to your right is the current choice I have made for the cover of the podcast novel. Let me know what you think.

1000th post - Misdirection News

Well, decided that for my 1000th post I'd talk briefly about Misdirection and where I'm going with it. I hope to start recording the podcast novel version of it soon. This is happening much later then planned thanks to a few last edits and the fact I'm still waiting for the second half to be looked over by my guest editor. *glares* You know who you are.

I'm also working on a new idea to help spread the word about Misdirection, but still need to see how it will all turn out. This new idea will involve something that I'm calling 'backgrounds', and I plan on posting them here and on Twitter, maybe even Facebook. Yet, I'm getting ahead of myself here, as I still need to work this idea out, make some test versions, and insure that my long run goal with them works.

Until then, I will try to actually start posting again a bit more frequently ... well, any amount is a hell of a lot more then I have been doing. So, hopefully everyone that pokes their head in here just to see if I've done anything won't completely be disappointed.

Oi! I Live!

Yes I still exist. While I'm not sure when the next real update will hit, I am taking time to rearrange a few things here. Hope to have some real stuff soon, including some nice news about Misdirection and Red Brick House. Hopefully you stay tuned.

Funy of the Week: RWAR! Barbie

Sorry for the lack of real updates, but here is the funny of the week.

Funny of the Week: I Love Disclaimers!

A Email To Jaffe

Just got done reading/watching a post over on David Jaffe's site that made me go, WTF? Not anything David said or did, but what was sent to him in a email by a journalist over at MSNBC ... if that's really the persons profession. I decided, for the shits and giggles, to copy and paste that email below and answer it myself as a gamer. A gamer, mind you, that doesn't own a PS3. So, you might think what I am about to say is bias, but wait and see.

David,

I'm working on a story for MSNBC examining the life-to-date chronology of the PS3. As a respected PlayStation developer, would you be willing to answer a few questions? In the interest you are, here goes:

In hindsight, noting the PS3's lukewarm reception and relatively high cost, a lot of people wonder what Sony was thinking when developing the PS3. So... what were they thinking? Um, how about they were thinking of making the best console possible at the time. What's so wrong with that? Microsoft did the same thing with the 360 when you think about it, as well as the original Xbox. Not to mention Sony did the same with the PS2 and original Playstation. And to dig deeper, so did SEGA and Nintendo with all their previous systems as well. Nintendo broke that chain with the GameCube, but really, have any of them really thought poorly in their systems design and capability? Not really.

It's been said that Ken Kutaragi and Howard Stinger dictated what technology the PS3 should include instead of doing proper research to what the consumer wanted while paying little mind to price. As a development partner, did you feel that was the case? Why/why not? I find this to be the problem with all companies, as well as the bonus. What they think the consumer wants and what the consumer wants tend to be two separate things since the dawn of the home console. So, why is this a big deal now? Plus, they were intent on helping their new technology get a better launch (Blu-ray) and did so successfully having it built into the system, unlike HD-DVD which you needed to buy a very expensive add on to run. Who wasn't thinking of the consumer again? Plus, they had been researching CELL for a while before they even announced the PS3. To say they didn't do proper research before implementing it is like saying you DID do proper research before coming up with that question.

It seems that releasing a feature-rich console for $600, now $400, was a crippling move for Sony, especially given the recent economic downturn. Would you agree? Why/why not?  In what way was it crippling again? Besides, it's not like they could foresee the current economic climate. Besides, while not everyone can lay down the once $600 and now $400 for the console, considering what is packed inside the $400 price tag is a pretty sweet deal! Besides, if you want a crippling price point that killed someone, you should look towards the Neo-Geo or even the Turbo-Grafix ... oh, forgot those consoles already, did we? 

Did you ever perceive low morale within the company once the $600 price was announced in 2006? Can you elaborate? I can't this question though. 

Consumers appear indifferent to Blu-ray technology. Do you feel Sony overvalued Blu-ray, after DVD helped the PS2 become such a huge success? Um, did you forget that Blu-ray WON the format war already? Besides, every movie getting a release now comes out as Blu-ray and Blu-ray IS selling well. So I'm not sure why in the hell this question is even being asked.

It seems the PS3 has been cobbled together since its release: feature-cutting to help cut costs, patched with controller rumble, patched with Home, patched with trophy achievements -- like the console never had a specific plan. During your tenure, did you feel the powers that be at Sony had a grip on what exactly would make the PS3 a success? Why/why not? As if the 360 hasn't been patched with NXE, chip and motherboard changes to help fight off RRoD and so on. Sure, I think Sony has dropped the ball hard on removing backwards capability so soon (proof is in the PS2 still selling like mad), but as gamers in a day and age where games and consoles can be upgraded through patches, its nice to see the PS3 making improvements instead of dealing with what it was lacking out of the box. Unlike all of us who own a 360 who have to send our systems off once every two years (or less) to get it replaced cuz it no longer works. Besides, it's clear Sony had a very specific plan when they developed and delivered the PS3, some of the things they happened to deliver later due to popularity (such as Trophy's to equal out the playing field of achievements on the 360) or because the project was far from done (or in the case of Home, still far from done and way overhyped). 

What has been your biggest concern as a PS3 developer? I can't answer this as a developer, but as a gamer, I'd have to say Sony's lack of trying to hold onto its exclusives. That isn't helping one bit loosing so many of them to the 360, and even the Wii. That and they have canceled some huge titles that the fans have wanted to see finished. That doesn't help either. I mean, Heavenly Sword might not have had that critics going crazy for more, but gamers in genreal did.

Was the Wall Street Journal right: has hope faded for PS3 as the "comeback player"? When has the Wall Street Journal been on top of the video game industry? Try never! I remember when they first started to do game reviews to get new blood to read their paper and they complained that GTA Vice City didn't allow you to use a steering wheel to drive and the light gun to shot. I'm surprised they didn't claim it should of allowed you to use the DDR pad to walk and run and come with a blow up doll to fuck then beat over the head with the light gun to get your money back. Oh, wait, this is the same paper that said that the Wii had an uphill battle even at its lower price point. Who's winning the race again?

Kindly,

Mystery Journalist (A.K.A. I know as much about the gaming industry as a nat)