Game Gadget - How to improve it

[adippm82]

Not even setting up a fake account with which to do it is just so dumb its hard to believe.

Yes, very true, the first five star review on Amazon actually used a real name that could be traced back easily to an domain site, not just clumsy or amateurish, it was downright stupid.

Most of them aren't stupid and it has to be noted that the reviewer at Blaze was very clumsy indeed. To a comical degree in fact, which suggests he's an amateur.

Cannot disagree with this, kids stuff, it really is, to have the same reviewer giving five star reviews to the same game on three different formats was more than transparent.

If you've bought stuff off Amazon you've read far more "placed" reviews than you'll ever realise. That also goes for bad reviews btw.

Which is why I don't read them, if there is a new game I like the look of, I play a demo to get some idea of how it plays, then rely on word of mouth, or rent a game I am not sure of, the Game Gadget reviews caught my eye as it was amazingly obvious there was an online war of reviews between the company and their own customers.

[kiwimike]

Also with regard to the fake Amazon reviews, who thought that would be a good idea? Are there really people in PR and marketing who think this actually works,

It's actually common practice in the marketing world.
The Blaze people were just unsubtle about it.

Absolutely. There's no doubt a huge percentage- just taking Amazon specifically- of the product there given good reviews by people associated with them. Blaze and their friends were just shockingly bad at it. Which does not surprise considering this is the crew that bought you the Lord Sugar tweet.
Honestly, with even these things ****ed up- Does it fill you with confidence things will get better?
IMHO, I am convinced these people still think their customers are moaners, impatient, and being unreasonable. I haven't seen anything to date that lets me know, that they know and accept the issues and customer backlash is due to their own actions. Nothing. It seems more like they are telling customers, and the game industry/media, what they think they want to be hearing from them.
Until you accept there's a problem, and it's your responsibility, you can't fix a problem.

[kiwimike]

Yep some of that reading is hard to accept but i hopefully this new setup will bring new credibility to the GG.. I do know much work is going on in the background, and hopefully this will pay off.

What work is that (specifically)? It would help understand if you know exactly WHAT is going on in the background. Because what is going on in the background, has been doing so for four months (Since launch- and obviously longer than that building up to it).

[psj3809]

See again its difficult to know who to believe, as zapiy is helping out on their forum hes not exactly going to say 'yeah they messed up royally' is he, he'll say the company line.

I just think the same people will be involved and a big PR campaign/rehash wont be that much different, if i knew a new company had taken them over with new management i might think about getting one. But the same idiots in charge who made some huge huge schoolboy mistakes then i'm still going to avoid this.

As for user reviews i agree with some of the posts above, on iTunes you can normally spot fake ones, plus lots of companies offer a chance to win a gift voucher if they post a nice review etc, so it makes the reviews mostly useless on itunes. Youtube videos/forums are the way i normally find out about decent games

[Lorfarius]

Its a mess but still salvaegable. All they need to do is secure a nice big pile of games (not more Sega ones!) at a decent price on the store, I'd still be tempted to pick one up but they really need to eat some humble pie.

[kiwimike]

Its a mess but still salvaegable. All they need to do is secure a nice big pile of games (not more Sega ones!) at a decent price on the store, I'd still be tempted to pick one up but they really need to eat some humble pie.

Yeah, agreed. It's not past the point of no return, but actions speak louder than words. Some issues sorted and better communication would go a damn sight further than generic rhetoric. And of course...games. They went on about them long enough, and how many premium titles are in their store that are addition to the Sega ones you knew about? '0'. From six months prior to release, to four months after release, they have fronted up with...nothing.
Freeware doesn't count, and it especially doesn't count if it doesn't even work properly. But they don't seem to fix things ****ed up; they simply move onto something else and forget about it, leaving the issue...like either it's stumped them and they've given up or they have ADD

[subzero]

kiwimike...u really need to answer everything in one post maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

[zapiy]

Yep some of that reading is hard to accept but i hopefully this new setup will bring new credibility to the GG.. I do know much work is going on in the background, and hopefully this will pay off.

What work is that (specifically)? It would help understand if you know exactly WHAT is going on in the background. Because what is going on in the background, has been doing so for four months (Since launch- and obviously longer than that building up to it).

Getting more games, working on copyright issues, obviously i am only a helper but i hope to see news coming through soon.

See again its difficult to know who to believe, as zapiy is helping out on their forum hes not exactly going to say 'yeah they messed up royally' is he, he'll say the company line.

I just think the same people will be involved and a big PR campaign/rehash wont be that much different, if i knew a new company had taken them over with new management i might think about getting one. But the same idiots in charge who made some huge huge schoolboy mistakes then i'm still going to avoid this.

As for user reviews i agree with some of the posts above, on iTunes you can normally spot fake ones, plus lots of companies offer a chance to win a gift voucher if they post a nice review etc, so it makes the reviews mostly useless on itunes. Youtube videos/forums are the way i normally find out about decent games

I agree mate they have messed up royally, i am not affraid to say that. But i having taken a slighly more relaxed view about the whole issue. I like the idea behind the GG, so i am giving them the benefit of doubt and also trying to help there forum..

[alistair_thomas]

Getting more games, working on copyright issues, obviously i am only a helper but i hope to see news coming through soon.

Unfortunately that is what they have been saying since day one, following up with something like "in talks with a major publisher" and then never mentioned again.

There is also still no updates on the official forums - if they are indeed working hard behind the scenes they need to say so. At present, the forum looks like it has been abandoned.

[zapiy]

I know pal..

Whatever i tell you will be met with the same reply "thats what they have said from the start". Your right and i agree but i gather its a complex situation so thats what we have at the moment..

[The Beans]

I'd rather see a genuine improvement in the product than any sort of huge public apology and general falling on their swords kind of thing. A few of you seem to want blood and appear to feel as if the company should tell you the ins and outs of everything they've done and are going to do. Does nobody else find it a bit unrealistic, not to mention somewhat pointless? A brief admission that the product needs improvement and work is being done is all I'd ever offer if I was in their shoes.
Personally, I don't need Blaze to admit what's wrong with the GG because I already know what's wrong with it. If Blaze don't know what's wrong with it then they're buggered and that's not entirely the end of the world in my book. I don't buy based on faith in a company. I buy based on what the product does. Admissions from the management involved will get you what in real terms? More PR spin probably. Petrol on the fire.

And really, outlining a definite plan for the future and sharing it with customers could be as big a disaster as we've already seen. Plans are just hopes. Plans can go wrong. The GG is sensitive to such things now. It already has a bad rep, there's no point in risking more on top IMO.

[zapiy]

And really, outlining a definite plan for the future and sharing it with customers could be as big a disaster as we've already seen. Plans are just hopes. Plans can go wrong. The GG is sensitive to such things now. It already has a bad rep, there's no point in risking more on top IMO.

Could not agree more mate...

[kiwimike]

kiwimike...u really need to answer everything in one post maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

Yeah Sorry mate, bad habit I know
I think we're done anyway as we're going around in circles, and the ball is in their court to sort their sh*t out now tbh

[lemonjellydude]

so has this meeting with RG magazine taken place yet?
I really want to see the article in RG magazine! I have given up with the forum now as it realy just seems pointless posting there when absolutely nothing is happening there.
Does anyone even still play with it??
I still think that some sort of message would be good, rather than total silence! If andyPR is still here can you please give some indication as to what exactly is going on behind the scenes? do any premium 'non sega megadrive' titles actually exsist? what happened to amigacd32 games, spectrum games, mystery publisher suppsidely bagged at E3?

[andypqube]

so has this meeting with RG magazine taken place yet?
I really want to see the article in RG magazine! I have given up with the forum now as it realy just seems pointless posting there when absolutely nothing is happening there.
Does anyone even still play with it??
I still think that some sort of message would be good, rather than total silence! If andyPR is still here can you please give some indication as to what exactly is going on behind the scenes? do any premium 'non sega megadrive' titles actually exsist? what happened to amigacd32 games, spectrum games, mystery publisher suppsidely bagged at E3?

I'm still here - the meeting is tomorrow.

After the meeting, I will go through all the posts on here and respond.

My direct email is andy@pqube.co.uk if you want to discuss anything directly.