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Joystiq

Don't like Derek Smart's game? He'll refund your money

by Justin McElroy on Mar 11th 2008 3:00PM

We're the first to admit that Derek Smart should not be looked at as a role model in all things. We're happy that most developers fix bugs before they're released, and we're (mostly) happy there aren't more devs vs. fans scraps on message boards. But what we do like is Smart's willingness to release his products for free after retails sales slow. Seriously, you can play a good chunk of the guy's cannon right here.

Now, he's taking things one step further, with a guarantee we're betting he wasn't counting on being as widely circulated as it has been. Posting on Blue's News, Smart said that if you buy his new game Galactic Command Echo Squad, and you don't like it, he'll refund your money. And he won't even invalidate your DRM license. Now that's something we'd like to see more devs promising. ... Now, to see if he follows through.

Source

Tags: derek-smart, dereksmart, galactic-command, PC

Reader Comments (25)

The Ewe Boll of the game industry.

or maybe Ron Popeil...

If by the "uwe boll of the gaming industry" you mean "that guy who works all day doing what he wants, making the games he personally wants to make, and has a good time doing it" then you're 100% right.

Look over his blog, the man puts everything he has into space sims only for morons like you to sit there badmouthing him without even playing one of his games.

Hope you have fun at that job you probably hate, while insulting people doing the things they love.

Fries are up Jdeuel.

p.s. I like potatocakes.

I predict everyone hates this game just to get it free.

I'm going to have to site you again for word over-use/mis-use, Justin. I'm guessing you mean "a good chunk of his 'canon'", but even then it wouldn't really be quite right. Actually it wouldn't be right at all. I always love your posts, but it's time to let this word go.

I am going to have to cite you on the word "site":

site: the spatial location of an actual or planned structure or set of structures (as a building, town, or monuments) b: a space of ground occupied or to be occupied by a building

cite: to bring forward or call to another's attention especially as an example, proof, or precedent

Zing! And with that, he never made another grammar correction post again.

Who is this guy and why is he curling his lips at me? Scary!

How bout you give me the money now and we save ourselves the time?

Why so much animosity towards this guy?

Battlecruiser 3000 A.D.

And how about Battle Cruiser Millenium Gold, which is the game 3000 A.D. should have been, and succeeds in near every aspect of the space sim?

Yeah, knock him for a buggy game, and then completely gloss over the good one.

Not that I feel the need to justify my comments to you Jduelel but all I mean by the Ewe Boll reference was that due to past performance of his games this guy needs to make outlandish promises / hold outlandish press gatherings in order to even get people to consider checking out his latest work.

I didn't intend to put down his talents, thats why I made the ron popiel comment 'money back guarantee' after words. But you can take it however you want to, it doesn't matter to me. Seems like your lookin for a fight.

Universal combat was pretty nice considering the scale of games today.

Nice?

It was an abomination.

Oh man, I really hate this game.

Loose lips sink ships.

Loose gooses take trips.

I usually try not to be too much of a grammar nazi, but playing "a good chunk of the guy's cannon" sounds a bit disturbing.

There's lots you can say negative about him, but Derek Smart is not unaware of the interwebs. I'm sure he knew that news of this would get around, and I actually wouldn't be surprised at all if he did follow through and refund the money to anyone who claims they don't like the game. However, I expect him to add a caveat that the refund is contingent on some kind of feedback form first, which may well slow down people who just a free game.

And for all the trouble of 3000 A.D., it really was significantly improved in Millenium Gold. If he can just keep baking this one until it is actually in release shape, it probably will be good (if brutally difficult).

Didn't he use something that looked pretty much exactly like screenshots from google maps to texture cities? I heard you can even see the copyrights on some of the texture in that Echo game...

Did those textures look good in the game? Seems like an interesting idea.

The catch of course being you have to tell Derek Smart you don't his game.

You know, I've had my share of scraps with Derek Smart Phd. over the years mainly because I think he's an asshole who make shitty games. This time though I've got to give credit where credit is due and this move deserves it. Hats off.

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Don't like Derek Smart's game? He'll refund your money

Reader Comments (25)

Posted: Mar 11th 2008 3:11PM Shagittarius said

Posted: Mar 11th 2008 3:24PM Shagittarius said

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