As it goes let’s just say Batman Arkham Knight has destroyed a bit of belief in PC gaming, closely following that scandal which seems to be getting worse as time goes by we have another of a similar magnitude.
The PC version of Final Fantasy XIV Online seems to be getting a positive reception, well that luck ran out when it came to the Mac port of Final Fantasy XIV Online, unlike Rocksteady and WB Interactive who are currently pointing the finger at Iron Galaxy’s attempt to develop the PC version of Batman Arkham Knight, One man has taken full responsibility for this screw up.
In a blog post on Final Fantasy XIV forum Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida went into detail about how this mistake was made, he opened by saying:
“I would like to discuss the various issues with the client and their underlying causes. However, as this will make for a rather long explanation, I think it best that we begin with refunds.
After careful consideration, due to the issues surrounding the Mac version, we have decided to offer a full refund to those who wish to receive one.
If you have purchased a copy of the Mac version of FINAL FANTASY XIV Online and wish to receive a refund, please contact the store or website from which you purchased it. Please note that the procedure will vary depending on the retailer.”
The main problem all came down to Insufficient communication of system requirements:
“I believe that the biggest problem with the Mac version release was the significant discrepancy between the performance of the product our development team produced and the expectations our customers had for it, which was due to the lack of information available on our product when sales commenced, as well as other issues. I would like to explain in detail how this happened.
Up until the official release of the Mac version on June 23rd, we were working to improve the client’s performance. Consequently, the system requirements which we should have released were not made available in time, which was a serious problem.
Although our development and QA teams tested the client on Mac hardware, because of our last minute efforts to improve performance and the possibility that system requirements might change, we decided to prepare several versions of these requirements, with the one to be released depending on the final result. However, in the chaos leading up to the multi-platform launch of our expansion, we released incorrect requirements, which were not updated prior to the Mac version’s official release.
While the development and operations teams, as well as our entire company, were involved in this mistake, it was I who ultimately made the decision to release the Mac version under these circumstances and therefore bear sole responsibility, and I sincerely apologize to you all.
Because of this situation, many of you purchased a product which your Mac hardware could not run at even the minimum system requirements, resulting in insufficient performance, for which many of you have expressed your dissatisfaction. Had we provided accurate information beforehand, I know many of you would not have purchased the Mac version, which is why we decided to offer full refunds. Once again, I apologize.”
He then goes into the finer details about how the games run on Windows and Mac and the difficulty that came with it, I tried to make sense of it all but I’m useless with understanding all the information so I’ll leave a link to the full post.
Well done to Naoki Yoshida for standing up and shining the spotlight on himself, that must take guts to admit you okayed a game that didn’t quite run like expected with the wrong hardware recommendations to the public, he then follows up by saying:
“We have judged that there is still a lack of information on the Mac version and its system requirements. We are planning to make an announcement which will include detailed information on the product, system requirements, and screen resolution. Until this is done, and I am personally satisfied that our users are adequately informed, we will be suspending the sale of the Mac version.
I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this will cause to those interested in purchasing the Mac version, and ask that you bear with us until sales recommence. For those who already have a Mac version of the game, as service itself will not be suspended, please rest assured you will be able to continue playing as before.”
Have you been directly affected by this problem?
How long did the refund process take?
Are you getting sick of games releasing in a completely unplayable state?
Leave your comments and thoughts below and keep it nerdy.
