Stardock issuing apology coupons for Demigod network issues
by Richard Mitchell 
{ May 22nd 2009 at 4:45PM } 
The coupons will allow anyone to purchase the game for 50 percent off the standard $39.99 price. We're not quite sure how offering a discount to new customers amounts to an apology to current customers, but it's definitely better than nothing. We're sure it might also serve to help new customers take the plunge despite the reported issues.
So, how about it, Demigod players, have you received your coupon yet? Did you manage to convince a friend to pick up the game? For that matter, have you stuck with the game despite its problems?
[Via BD]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BlackDove @ May 22nd 2009 4:49PM
50% coupons?
.....
I'm simply at a loss for words.
Sassan @ May 22nd 2009 4:51PM
Didn't get my coupon yet. The game was too laggy for me when I started playing. So I waited till they fix it. Local servers are good with friends but other then that its laggy.
h2c @ May 22nd 2009 6:16PM
I bought this game when it first came out. This is the most fun RTS game I have ever played. But I wish I never played it because then I wouldn't know what I'm missing when multiplayer refuses to work.
Multiplayer, up through yesterday including this latest patch, is unreliable at best for me too. I managed to complete just two games with other people during the time I have owned this game from release and it was a blast despite me getting stomped. Unfortunately every other multiplayer game I try I am either waiting to connect or a lag/freeze out midway through the game.
The 50% coupon would be great to get someone else to join and keep the game in a healthy state of competition *if multiplayer worked reliably*. It still doesn't and I have no confidence it will be fixed.
In conclusion, stay away from Demigod until the entire internet states multiplayer has been fixed. If you get a taste of how good this game is then it will just hurt that much more when you are staring at a waiting to connect screen.
Slaziman @ May 22nd 2009 4:59PM
you could use the coupons to buy the game for your friends I guess.
BigD145 @ May 22nd 2009 5:00PM
For some reason Stardock thinks owners need two copies for the price of one and a half copies.
BunnySlapper @ May 22nd 2009 5:03PM
Wait, what? They're having network load issues...so they issue coupons for new customers to buy the game and add more network load to the equation?
Sounds like a bullshit attempt to just get more profit from the game sales than anything else...which equates to a 'screw you' apology rather than an 'I'm sorry'.
SunKing @ May 22nd 2009 5:06PM
I don't know what planet Stardock's on, but this does not amount to an apology; it DOES look like another way for them to increase their sales, though.
slycooper_rocker (PSN SniperChameleon) @ May 22nd 2009 5:15PM
so how do more players make the network issues better?
Crusty Magic @ May 22nd 2009 5:23PM
Wait...why not just reimburse the people who have ALREADY bought the game and have had to struggle with the network performance with a 50% reimbursement? Like others have said this sounds like a way just to eek out a couple more sales.
Howard @ May 22nd 2009 6:07PM
I think it's kind of sad on behalf of the sheer number of people pirating the game though that this even had to happen. GPG is a particular favorite company of mine due to their Supreme Commander series, and for this to happen is quite unfortunate. They're not a larger company which would be as capable of handling such a load to hit them either.
In all honesty they should not have to make up for the actions of the pirates but it's the situation they're stuck in now. No maybe it doesn't directly help the poeple that have been suffering through the issues but it doesn't exactly help the company much to be in this situation either.
h2c @ May 22nd 2009 6:24PM
This issue has been covered already. Pirates have absolutely NOTHING to do with the ongoing multiplayer problems Demigod is suffering from.
Pirates created a problem for people trying to play multiplayer *at release* because all copies of the game would automatically make an HTTP call to do an update check at the game's startup. If Demigod had massive sales opening day then the same problem would have occurred.
Pirated copies were never allowed to join multiplayer games, and so these ongoing multiplayer problems have nothing to do with pirates. But don't take my word for it, Stardock has covered this at length. Here's one link: http://forums.demigodthegame.com/347467
novex @ May 22nd 2009 6:33PM
i recently demanded a refund for my copy of demigod.
the networking didnt have "issues".
it didnt have any sort of reliable connectivity.
most disapointing game i have purchased and only game i have ever gotten so annoyed at its constant failings that i demanded a refund.
you should charge people $40 to participate in an alpha test.
novex @ May 22nd 2009 6:34PM
you *should'nt* charge people $40 to participate in an alpha test
dunno how i missed three whole keys >
LaughingTarget @ May 22nd 2009 7:15PM
Freudian slip baby!
DungeonK @ May 22nd 2009 8:06PM
Steam > Stardock so hard. Laaaaaaaame afterthought of a sorry for releasing an unplayable game.
Fill @ May 22nd 2009 8:31PM
I got my coupon earlier today and was thoroughly confused by it.
While I've had a pretty good time playing Demigod and haven't noticed the networking issues too bad myself, I have played with others that have.
It's a fun game and I do think the 50% off coupon will influence a few friends to play Demigod. Unfortunately, it isn't going to benefit me at all.
I wish they'd instead have given current Demigod owners some credit towards other games on the Impulse store...
Scott @ May 23rd 2009 5:40AM
Let me just post a quote to clarify the coupons a bit:
"The idea is that between launch and last week, there were a lot of people who just couldn’t play the game. Those people could have asked for a refund but they didn’t. They stuck it out. Now that the multiplayer connectivity is largely fixed and people can play (and yes, we know there are some people who still can’t but the # of games being played nearly doubled overnight since the Impulse team’s code was delivered so we know it’s working a lot better) we want to reward those people.
To everyone else, including people still having issues but have decided to stick it out, we are also going to be sending discount coupons to anything on Impulse. A lot of the coverage has neglected to mention that part."
______
So next week another set of coupons will go out allowing you to purchase anything off Impulse. :)
jeepgun @ May 23rd 2009 3:44PM
Awesome, I'm going to pick up Entrenchment next week then!
Jason @ May 31st 2009 11:41PM
This actually isn't that bad of a deal (for Stardock), considering _a lot_ of people currently playing DG didn't pay for it. They're probably trying to get a chunk of the pirates out there to buy a legal copy of the game.