This Wednesday: Just Undertow (but this time it's free)
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jan 21st 2008 at 6:01PM }
For those of you who've already purchased Undertow, we also wanted to direct your attention to this comment by Xbox Live's Major Nelson: "If you have already purchased the game, you can contact support and they will take care of you." We imagine by "take care of you" he means "provide you with a code for a similarly priced game" and not "outfit you with a pair of cement shoes and send you into the drink." But hey, be careful when you call up, okay?
Gallery: Undertow (XBLA)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Blue_Falcon @ Jan 21st 2008 6:05PM
I never bought it the first time, so free is totally worth it.
Marty @ Jan 21st 2008 6:51PM
Underwater Soldat, here I come!
Ramifications @ Jan 21st 2008 6:08PM
That's really good of Microsoft to take care of those who bought the game already. It shows that they are committed fully to take responsibility for things when they go wrong. Just like extending the warranty to 3 years. They may not be perfect...but at least they are trying to do right by their customers and fix their mistakes.
I applaud you Microsoft.
copa @ Jan 21st 2008 6:22PM
"It shows that they are committed fully to take responsibility for things when they go wrong."
Well, that's good to hear. I'm sure that they will come forward with an appropriately sizable settlement on the forthcoming RROD lawsuits.
Just to make sure that Microsoft plays fair (not that it's needed, apparently), one of the ten original members of the XBox hardware design team is consulting with plaintiff's attorneys to help fill in the blanks.
From the story:
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/digitaljoystick/archives/129931.asp
"I have contacted every single attorney who has filed a lawsuit against MS and offered to help. Some have accepted, and that work is in progress."
T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 21st 2008 6:43PM
Applaud the as$holes when you send in your dead 360 and get one back that wont play ANY of the games you PAID for unless your online and then there are the ones (SEGA /DOUBLE DRAGON)that become permanent demos. Then call customer service and speak to rude foregeiners who dont know anything about an xbox and after an HOUR on the phone having to constantly explain your problem be told that they will call you back in 2-6 WEEKS. Then they will not return your call, next they lie and say it will be fixed in the update (december). Then they tell you they are sorry they are "working on it". Also have fun trying to get them to stop charging your credit card if you want to switch to prepaid instead. The woman on the phone called me stupid. That is their customer support. Their customer care. Then enjoy your new replacement 360 with a disc tray that wont open 75% of the time unless you force it. And for more fun try playing on live over the past month and a half after 30 minutes you may be able to get online! But wait, you never know when you will get cut off or your 360 will lock up! Oh you can email or send a message to Major Knobson with any problems too! He will be happy to ignore your emails and messages as well. Leaving the only recourse to be to track down people in corporate and call them to express your lack of satisfaction with their perpetually faulty products, poor service, and outsourced, uninformed, and rude customer service. So yeah this free game doesnt go to far to making me feel good about a company knowingly selling a faulty product and charging for an online service (that isnt supposed to have problems like this since my money pays for their servers and bandwidth). I just want to have the product function like it is supposed to and have the service im paying for. Im sick of idiots telling me that these companies dont owe me anything. THEY OWE ME WHAT I PAY THEM FOR. No matter how trivial it may seem the more of you idiots that let companies get away with this the more they take.
Chris @ Jan 21st 2008 6:44PM
customer service..... you're most likely to waste £10 on calling those damn stupid reps getting put through to another and another caller.
arrrgh @ Jan 21st 2008 6:56PM
better get your stoneaged ass online then wickerman :):)
Marty @ Jan 21st 2008 7:00PM
Wow wickerman, take it easy. How would you have them give you waht you paid for, besides offering you a day or two of Live on their behalf? I'd rather have a game, personally.
It's not like they purposely cut off the service and asked us to keep paying for it anyway - they had network issues, like so many online services do now and then, and they are giving us a free game to compensate. I like it.
T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 21st 2008 7:06PM
Im angry that the 60 + arcade games I have are useless. I bought these to have a library of classic and new games on one hard drive so I could always have them available to play. Now what happens down the road when the new 360 comes out? Will there be a change in live will i still be able to play these games? I want the DRM fixed. The outtage isnt my main gripe (it just showed what would happen if I didnt have access to the internet. I bought these games to play whenever I wanted and it was never stated that I had to be online to do so. Why am I an asshole for wanting to be able to use what I purchased? I would like to hear some real news on the DRM front.
Spartacus @ Jan 21st 2008 8:23PM
Wickerman,
DRM is not an issue exclusive to MS hardware/software. In fact, being able to play those Arcade titles on ANY machine (while connected to LIVE) other than the one they were downloaded onto is much better than many other DRM solutions for even MP3's. But wait a minute, you don't even have this problem, you ARE connected to LIVE! So you're b!tching about MS's horrible service in a hypothetical situation! Good lord man, unwind a bit or you'll die of stress and malcontent at the ripe old age of 27...
And for the record, yes, DRM sucks balls.
T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 21st 2008 8:30PM
Im not bitching in a hypothetical situation.Im going to be moving soon and wont have access to the old internets for my 360 so it will affect me in the long run. Good lord Sparty how do you know how old I am? Are you one of ...them? AAAHHAHHAA!!!! Ive been targeted for termination! ;)
Mr.ESC @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:13AM
To be honest I share your pain T3H WICKERMAN.
I have 20 games that won't work offline, in my case I'm offline most of the time since my gaming connection is the same one I use for my Home computer which is decent for using the internet but is not really good for other applications even less for gaming.
I have a really good connection in my office but is for work only. I don’t like the idea of paying for unnecessary stuff like a gaming connection since I rarely play online matches outside of the PC or Wireless since it would be only for my Wii and my PSP and that would be so I could finally have access to the online stores. So basically I would be paying to pay more.
Back on topic:
Now one would think that the remedy would be I don’t know just going online and activating the games in the console you just got by entering some data like maybe the serial number of your older XB360(I still have it) and the serial number of the new one so the data could be transfer into the account so it would be matter of just upgrading the console so the game could be permanent in the console without having to go online (Also if someone gets my older console I mean after is fixed what? it gets the games I paid for offline or wth?) but no it seems there is no solution also if your disc was scratched it won’t be replaced unless it is something like I don’t know First party exclusive like Gears of war but if you got Dead Rising or the Orange box (Maybe the Idolm0lester) you are screwed(God bless Skip Dr).
I really appreciate the free game and stuff but I would also like if I could just access the stuff I paid without having to use my internet connection, for example if I want to play Exit one of my favorite games but I’m downloading I don’t know lets say porn for the lulz sake (It would be actually an antivirus or some other app that would take hours to download but then again the truth would make this text wall completely boring, yeah is a cheap laugh for all of you who are still reading this colossal text wall..is not ending soon you know) it would be very annoying. Actually is very annoying.
Now I never gave a damn about xlive being down since I was playing offline so this is great but about the costumer service well Argentina should feel shame of themselves, horrible service but it was really weird because the Support center in Mexico, Miami and Venezuela, maybe it was Chile (I don’t know) were really helpful and polite.
So what I’m trying to say is that yes this is awesome but yeah I would like to play my games offline.
GRANTED @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:40AM
wow... never realized RROD can potentially wipe out DL'ed games (because MS repairs and customer support can be awful). and that a constant internet connection is required to play a lot of these games. to top it off, hardware failure rates might still be as high as 10% on the newer boards, probably a result of disc drive issues.
but hey at least its cool that they facilitate a "community atmosphere" that lets you vote on which xbl games are the best, so that they can sell more of them.
sweet deal for $5/mo.
driven2sin @ Jan 21st 2008 6:08PM
so when everyone d/l's for free and it crashes the system again, does it set up a perpetual free game giving reach-around since you'll never be able to play all these free games gaved
Marty @ Jan 21st 2008 6:51PM
Gaved?
arrrgh @ Jan 21st 2008 6:57PM
PERPETUAL FREEDOMMMM!!!
Brandon @ Jan 21st 2008 10:35PM
I'd suggest doing what I have already done. I've downloaded the trial of Undertow now. So I already have the bulk of the game on my machine now. Come Wednesday when the game is free I just gave to choose the purchase option and Live only has to feed me the small file that unlockes the license. I don't have to worry about having to download the entire game which will probably take forever with the way folks are going to be trying to grab it.
Joe @ Jan 21st 2008 6:10PM
Will we need Gold to download it? My sub ran out last Tuesday and I don't have enough money to buy more (much less time to get to Best Buy). The free content block is damn annoying...
NATO_Duke @ Jan 21st 2008 6:16PM
I still think this is a good deal for us.
The game had great reviews, and I had no problem playing online this weekend - so I can't join the angry crowd crying over Live still being messed up.
matt @ Jan 21st 2008 6:31PM
Don't try to use email support system. I sent an email saying I already owned undertow, all I got back was an obviously copy and pasted email stating that they are aware live is having problems. Somehow I envision phoning them and the clueless person who doesn't play games wont know what the hell I'm talking about.
Joe Smith @ Jan 21st 2008 6:35PM
Cool! I LOVE free stuff. Especially since I was thinking about buyiong this one anyway, AND I haven't had any LIVE problems. So it's a win-win :)
danpen @ Jan 21st 2008 6:41PM
Rang cust support and they refunded me 800 msp to use on any game i want. sweet
morganfell @ Jan 21st 2008 6:46PM
Wow. You can tell this is a 360 story. A console company screws paying customers over an issue Ray Charles could have seen coming, toss a free game many of us already have, and Microstiq, er....Joystiq doesn't make one snide comment. I am not surprised in the least.
Marty @ Jan 21st 2008 6:50PM
They're giving away a free game that's worth much more than the amount they would owe any of us for lost service, to everyone who is on the service (whether they experienced problems or not), and you're calling Joystiq biased for being happy about it?
Gimme a break!
Knight Marquise @ Jan 21st 2008 7:19PM
@ Morganfell.
Wow. A snide comment regarding the 360 coming from a PS3 fanboy. What a shocker!
Lord Chako @ Jan 21st 2008 8:08PM
Bias is in the eyes of the reader.
morganfell @ Jan 22nd 2008 3:55AM
You suckheads will swallow anything. Get your kool aid. Get your free kool aid.
greatslack @ Jan 22nd 2008 6:41PM
@Marty:
I've seen you make the point several times that users are getting a game which is worth more than their lost live service. Yes it's worth more, but it's not what you paid for. If you went into a restaurant and were very hungry, and ordered a burger, and got caviar instead, you'd be pissed since you were expecting a burger. The caviar isn't going to satisfy your hunger nearly as well as the burger would have, and had you wanted caviar, you would have ordered it in the first place.
bAssackwards @ Jan 21st 2008 6:49PM
Gimmie gimmie gimmie! =oD
fractaltheory @ Jan 21st 2008 11:34PM
So what does one do if their 360 is in for repairs during the Undertow free download period? :(
UltimateQ @ Jan 21st 2008 7:07PM
Fail. its on XBLA.
T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 21st 2008 7:08PM
Why is everyone on Joystiq's ass for being Microsoft flunkies? I dont see any bias in their reporting.
riggs @ Jan 21st 2008 7:25PM
if this game is good why did the demo suck tremendous ass?
Mr.ESC @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:15AM
Probably because when you played the demo you were high,using a Wii-mote and playing another game and not even in the right console with your tv turn off.
Lol J/K
The demo was great.Like shadowrun except it was fun.
finnith @ Jan 21st 2008 7:58PM
I don't know how some you were raised, but I was raised to know not to bite the hand that gives you free stuff like this,
T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 21st 2008 8:06PM
I was raised to understand that in this country at least, you dont sell a ...you know what forget it. I will just eat the candy till my eyes glaze over and everything is dandy. Thank you microsoft oh thank you for this wonderful gift!!! I take back everything "bad" ive said. Thank you for letting me play 360 and letting me play online. It is an honor and a privledge to pay you any money I have and wish you guys would let me pay you some more! Keep up the outstanding work! Awesome Show, Great Job!
AK @ Jan 21st 2008 8:25PM
Wickerman,
If you really are that unhappy with your 360, what is stopping you from getting rid of it? It's not like you are married to the machine.
Seven years ago I bought a Samsung 27" CRT HDTV for $800.
The tube went out 19 months later (one month after it was paid off). Samsung wouldn't cover it (warranty was only for 6 months), and the authorized repair center wanted $350 to fix it. I'll be damned if I was going to spend $350 to fix a tv that should have lasted me atleast 10 years.
Instead of bitching about it on the internet for 6 years, I sold it for $50, bought myself a sony crt hdtv, and moved on.
If you really are that unhappy with your 360, contact customer service and try to get the issue resolved. If that doesn't happen, get rid of the damn thing, and move on.
T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 21st 2008 10:44PM
Your right its better to buckle and give up and end up spending MORE than that 350 to get another one. Throw more money at a problem, thats whats wrong with credit in this country. Why get a product that works right on the first go.
AK @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:56AM
It's called cutting your losses.
And don't give me the "thats whats wrong with the credit in this country".
We are talking about a video game system. This isn't a house, or a car, or a loan. It's a $350 toy. Stop making it out to be more than it is.
If you can't pay for your video game system without using your credit cards, maybe you shouldn't be purchasing it to begin with.
If you really are that unsatisfied with your 360, sell the damn thing, recoup some of your losses, and move on.
It's not like you are giving away a child.
T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:09PM
I dont use credit cards to pay for things. I use my hard earned cash. It must be nice to have that kind of money to throw around on junk. I also do not think of games as "toys", that is a problem that this industry continues to face. The misconception that games are just for children, and not a valid form of entertainment. But thats just my opinion on the issue and you are entitled to yours.
Ratfoot @ Jan 21st 2008 8:07PM
Demo seemed pretty fun and I will never turn down a free game. *Thinks about Totemball* Nevermind.
CB @ Jan 21st 2008 8:14PM
Some people are never happy...
T3H WICKERMAN (TMNT DF) (BWF) @ Jan 21st 2008 8:37PM
You misunderstand im ok with it all now. (Customer service was no help) I like my choice of games on the 360 but I dont like these drm problems and wish MS would let us know what the deal is and how they plan on fixing it if at all? Should I just stop using Xbox live and downloading their games? I guess so. P.S. Undertow demo wasnt so bad on the second go thru. Im not trying to come off as a raving lunatic I just so how its wrong for me to want the products ive purchased to work they way they were supposed to? My Ipod has no trouble switching between computers and transfering my info about and yes im aware this isnt a microsoft exclusive problem. But if they can be shown my credit card purchases and have access to that info anyway whats the big deal with getting to work on my replacement console? Wouldnt just addressing the issue help?
KiraXD @ Jan 21st 2008 9:38PM
once again... where the f__k is rez?
sambadeamigo @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:09AM
Free schmee I want Rez, not a game I'll d/l and never play