There is a lot of misinformation floating around. We need to distinguish between fact and opinion and I'll do my best to distinguish between the two in this post. It's my
opinion that, given Firaxis' reliance on this community for its help with bugs, testing, etc., the
substance of the debate over their actions has merit. The form of the debate has been tawdry at times, but a lot of that has to do with not having the facts straight.
Both Azzaman and Ori have made good points in terms of setting the record straight. To follow on to Ori's point, as best I can tell (and I'd be happy to be shown otherwise), Firaxis is now a wholly-owned, unincorporated division of Take2. I also know for certain that their financials are consolidated. Therefore, there is no legal or financial distinction between the two. Further, Take2 had revenues of ~$1 Billion in its last fiscal year and currently employees more than 2,000 people. So, in my opinion, there is no basis for concluding they do not have adequate resources to communicate with the customers. Further, since Take2/Firaxis does not go to the time, effort and expense to host their own forum, but relies on this Board and Apolyton, IMO there is a very good argument they have at least a moral obligation to communicate periodically and accurately with the forums. But that's just my opinion.
Back to facts.
Before they take on a life of their own, there are a couple of myths which need to be dispelled. I was part of the discussion -- for better or worse -- in the other thread from the beginning. I cannot recall a single instance of "hate and vitriol" directed at Alex. To be sure, there was criticism -- strong criticism, with more than an occasional unhealthy dose of sarcasm (myself included). But nowhere do I recall seeing any hate or vitriol directed at Alex. Unfortunately, we reserved the worst remarks for each other.
Secondly, there is the "Don't shoot the messenger" canard. Shooting the messenger means that the messenger was ordered to deliver an unpleasant message over which he/she has no control. If Alex had been acting on the orders of his superiors at Firaxis, the "Don't shoot the messenger" defense might be applicable. But he made it very clear he was
not acting on behalf of Friaxis, but rather on his own. Under those circumstances, he was not just the messenger since he created the message and decided to deliver it himself.
Lastly, there is the notion that Alex was "just trying to be helpful." I sincerely believe he
was trying to be helpful. However, to say he was "just" trying to be helpful is at odds with all the facts.
In addition to the helpful changelist (posted to the obvious delight and gratitude of many people), Alex also posted a poll, soliciting opinions as to whether the patch was "worth the wait." I thought it curious at the time (and posted as much) how anyone could answer the question as to whether the patch (or any product) was "worth the wait," since neither "worth" nor "wait" can be adequately measured until the product is in hand. I thought it similarly curious that Alex would solicit opinions about the patch before the "worth" could be determined through usage and the "wait" quantified by actual delivery.
In retrospect, it's clear to me at least that Alex was not simply soliciting our opinions. He was seeking our approval for the apparent (although not actual) completion of an obviously difficult and arduous project. Most people (myself included) find "fishing for compliments" distasteful. And, in my view, that's exactly what was happening. I also believe most people find it more than a little annoying when someone seems to offer them something, but then takes it away (think: Charlie Brown/Lucy/Football).
His reaction (and sometimes lack thereof) over the last two weeks to the responses he solicited only reinforces that view. Having not gotten the universal praise he apparently sought, not surprisingly, he reacted poorly, in a distinctly passive aggressive manner. After giving us the silent treatment for a couple of weeks, he gave us responses such as, "we can remain silent, if you prefer," and the last bastion of the unwilling, "It's not my job." Ultimately he engaged in the archetypal childish behavior and took his marbles and went home.
Again, it's only my opinion, but from a business and professional standpoint, I find his behavior throughout this sordid little escapade to be childish, petty, punitive and deplorable. Just to be perfectly clear,
I do not find Alex himself to be childish, petty, punitive and deplorable. I do not know him personally and am thus in no position to judge him, even if I wanted to do so, which I do not. But I
am in a position to judge his behavior in this affair. And I find his behavior to have been sorely lacking. For those who are tempted to respond by being critical of my behavior and that of other customers, and who believe we should have been more understanding in our approach, I remind you that we are paying customers. Although we live in a free society, with all people created equal, there are relationships within this society which are unequal. And the seller/customer relationship is one of those unequal relationships. The seller has affirmative obligations to the seller (e.g., the warranty of fitness), which the buyer does not have. The buyer's duties tend to be more proscriptive (e.g., no illegal copying, etc.). So, as Alex might say: "It's Not Our Job." Complaining customers probably goes all the way back to Adam & Eve and the apple. If a seller is not prepared -- financially, logistically or psychically -- to deal with customer complaints, he/she ought not to be in business. Customers owe no such obligation to sellers. Do we, as human beings have a moral obligation to attempt to be civil? Absolutely. But sellers must be prepared to deal with even its most uncivil of customers.
Ultimately, Im not sure we should have expected more from someone who felt the need to post a poll seeking approval for his work before that work was complete. Here is a graphic example of the result of the attitude, Its Not My Job:
In my view, Alex fails to appreciate that both Firaxis in general and he, in particular, benefit immeasurably from those who take a broader view than: Its Not My Job. Where would Firaxis be if, when they asked for feedback, alpha or beta testers, etc., the response they got was: "It's Not My Job?" Moreover, where would he be if (as has been reported) in 2004 when he was asked to be a pre-alpha tester for CivIV (which reportedly led to his being offered the employment he currently enjoys) he had replied: "It's Not My Job?" Although it may not be within Alex' job description to do so, it is most certainly Take2/Firaxis' job to satisfy its customers, not the other way around. Further, by soliciting the opinions/seeking the approval of this community, Alex needed to be professional enough to accept whatever answers were forthcoming. As others have noted, we are quite literally the hand that feeds Take2/Firaxis. That hand has been both slapped and bitten.
I'm going to stress what I've said before: In my opinion BtS is a great game. Despite whatever bugs it may have (or even continue to have), it continues to give me many hours of enjoyment. It was worth every penny, whether we ever get another patch. I sincerely say: "Job well done." I'm also sure that the patch will only serve to enhance my enjoyment. But the
handling of the previous patch and this one have been very poor in terms of communication and customer relations and Firaxis deserves most (if not all) the criticism directed towards it. If they're smart, they'll view the criticism as free market research and use it to their advantage, much as they do with bug reports and other feedback from this forum.
I'm not trying to assign blame. I'm just saying it's unfortunate that we're losing a valuable source of information, for whatever reason that is.
