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Fntastic Studio Shuts Down - The Day Before Had Over 50% Refunds, Devs Can't Afford Servers | MMORP

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Comments

  • TillerTiller Member LegendaryPosts: 11,403
    When you think about it... Game aside...they just really shot themselves in the foot with a bunch of bad decisions. Delay delay delay, then launch into early access with a hail Mary in hopes they'll keep enough players around to make their money back.

    Imo we've seen pretty broken games release in pretty bad states. Maybe if they released into a proper early access when they first planned their release and let testers in they wouldn't be in this situation. 

    4 days of operating capital is the best they could do. They weren't prepared at all. 

    I've got a bad feeling this isn't the end of this story or this game.
    maskedweaselHengist
    SWG Bloodfin vet
    Elder Jedi/Elder Bounty Hunter
     
  • JeroKaneJeroKane Member EpicPosts: 7,047
    edited December 2023
    EDIT: Seems delay in Steam app. Game can no longer be bought. Good riddance.

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,022
    edited December 2023
    Nothing you own that is digital is real but get ready to open your wallets for the NFT's and the crypto games. How many times do we have to see this before players wise up to the fact that digital games are not real world assets.
  • MensurMensur Member EpicPosts: 1,531
    edited December 2023
    I blame the content creators for hyping this garbage up. yeah sure you could argue that people should demonstrate critical thought- but with all the content creators hyping this garbage up- I dont really feel sorry for anyone. Both sides played well in securing this outcome.

    mmorpg junkie since 1999



  • kitaradkitarad Member LegendaryPosts: 8,126
    Yeah we did see a scam but man this was like lightning speed the way this unfolded. We didn't even have time to make some fodder post here where we spent some useless time dissecting this piece of shit before it was gone. I feel robbed that I was not allowed to cuss and complain about the game. 
    SplattrScotWargfoot

  • hupahupa Member UncommonPosts: 163
    They have money to put up a huge advertisement on times square but don't have enough money to pay for servers?


    RoinmaskedweaselkitaradScotWargfoot
    When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself

    - Earl Nightingale
  • Viper482Viper482 Member LegendaryPosts: 4,095
    Russians gonna Russian.
    KyleranWargfootTiller
    Make MMORPG's Great Again!
  • JeroKaneJeroKane Member EpicPosts: 7,047
    edited December 2023
    Mensur said:
    I blame the content creators for hyping this garbage up. yeah sure you could argue that people should demonstrate critical thought- but with all the content creators hyping this garbage up- I dont really feel sorry for anyone. Both sides played well in securing this outcome.
    The blame can also be put at Valve!  They need to get their act together and protect consumers for these obvious "asset" scam games.

    This stuff shouldn't even be allowed to end up in the Steam store.

    This also just exposes the whole Early Access system and how it allows for criminal parties to execute these scams all too easy without any scrutiny by Valve.

    The vast majority of gamers don't visit sites, forums, etc and are just plain ignorant in what is happening. They just see this game plastered on the frontpage of the Steam store as most anticipated game by Valve (for crying out loud) and then don't expect to be scammed.

    So this is on Valve to scrutinize the games they allow in their store, especially when they put it on the frontpage as hot game!

    This was such an obvious scam, that Valve should be ashamed.
    kitarad
  • olepiolepi Member EpicPosts: 2,969
    templarga said:
    olepi said:
    Ridrith said:
    I don't feel bad for a single person who can't or won't get a refund for this game. STOP buying shit. There were enough red flags here for even the dumbest or least disconcerning of customers to not pick it up. If you can't be bothered to do a bit of reading, or look up some information on your purchases, that's on you.

    If 40-60 dollars is a drop in the hat, it doesn't even matter to you to begin with. So who cares. For everyone else, oh well.

    I agree. The whole idea of buying a game before it is done, and then getting a refund, seems weird to me.

    Know what you are buying before you put money down, and then live with your decisions is what I go by. Maybe I'm just old now lol.

    The only games I have ever refunded were ones that I needed a motion blur on/off toggle. Its 2023, every game that has motion blur should have a toggle and if a company does not add it, I am okay refunding it. I also notify the company why I did so. I get motion sick in some games (its very random - VERY) but motion blur is the start.

    I am a very careful consumer and if the game sucks, I just deal with it. This is why I did not EVER consider purchasing this POS.

    I've only refunded one game, Star Citizen, because it turned out that it wouldn't run on the latest AMD hardware. At all. Start the game and get a black screen. I have 108 games just on Steam, none refunded.

    As pointed out in this thread though, most gamers probably don't put the effort in that I do before buying a game. I normally won't buy anything Early Access, or in perpetual "alpha". I wait for 6 months after actual release, then read the reviews and watch some footage. 

    For those who want to be on the bleeding edge, and just respond to shiny marketing, and who actually believe what they read, I can see how this game could appeal to them.

    100,000 copies at $40 each is 4 million dollars. Wonder what happened to that money?

    ------------
    2024: 47 years on the Net.


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  • ShinyFlygonShinyFlygon Member UncommonPosts: 562
    Early Access is almost as bad as Kickstarter. If people had any sense, they'd avoid it like the plague that it is. Developers use it when they run out of money, and in many, many many cases, they stay in EA for many, many years beyond their initial "estimate" (pronounced "bald-faced lie"). Even when they finally do release, it's often a huge disappointment.
  • WargfootWargfoot Member EpicPosts: 1,262
    edited December 2023
    Early Access is almost as bad as Kickstarter. If people had any sense, they'd avoid it like the plague that it is. Developers use it when they run out of money, and in many, many many cases, they stay in EA for many, many years beyond their initial "estimate" (pronounced "bald-faced lie"). Even when they finally do release, it's often a huge disappointment.
    I'm enjoying Fractured Online early access.

    Part of this is because of the mindset I have for this game:
    • I expect early access bugs and adjustments
    • I enjoy watching the ruleset evolve.
    • I want to be a 'vet' in this game.
    • I want to support the team.
    • I love the red vs. blue chat, miss it from UO.
    Now I could get burned by all of this but I know that going into it.  If I'd bought it thinking it was the "Wow killer" I'd have refunded by now.  I agree with you if the point is "Understand the implications of Early Access before you buy".
    KyleranMMOgamerdad666
  • ForgrimmForgrimm Member EpicPosts: 3,069
    olepi said:
    templarga said:
    olepi said:
    Ridrith said:
    I don't feel bad for a single person who can't or won't get a refund for this game. STOP buying shit. There were enough red flags here for even the dumbest or least disconcerning of customers to not pick it up. If you can't be bothered to do a bit of reading, or look up some information on your purchases, that's on you.

    If 40-60 dollars is a drop in the hat, it doesn't even matter to you to begin with. So who cares. For everyone else, oh well.

    I agree. The whole idea of buying a game before it is done, and then getting a refund, seems weird to me.

    Know what you are buying before you put money down, and then live with your decisions is what I go by. Maybe I'm just old now lol.

    The only games I have ever refunded were ones that I needed a motion blur on/off toggle. Its 2023, every game that has motion blur should have a toggle and if a company does not add it, I am okay refunding it. I also notify the company why I did so. I get motion sick in some games (its very random - VERY) but motion blur is the start.

    I am a very careful consumer and if the game sucks, I just deal with it. This is why I did not EVER consider purchasing this POS.

    I've only refunded one game, Star Citizen, because it turned out that it wouldn't run on the latest AMD hardware. At all. Start the game and get a black screen. I have 108 games just on Steam, none refunded.

    As pointed out in this thread though, most gamers probably don't put the effort in that I do before buying a game. I normally won't buy anything Early Access, or in perpetual "alpha". I wait for 6 months after actual release, then read the reviews and watch some footage. 

    For those who want to be on the bleeding edge, and just respond to shiny marketing, and who actually believe what they read, I can see how this game could appeal to them.

    100,000 copies at $40 each is 4 million dollars. Wonder what happened to that money?
    Steam pays out monthly, so Fntastic likely hasn't seen a dime of the game's earnings.
  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,193
    Wargfoot said:
    Early Access is almost as bad as Kickstarter. If people had any sense, they'd avoid it like the plague that it is. Developers use it when they run out of money, and in many, many many cases, they stay in EA for many, many years beyond their initial "estimate" (pronounced "bald-faced lie"). Even when they finally do release, it's often a huge disappointment.
    I'm enjoying Fractured Online early access.

    Part of this is because of the mindset I have for this game:
    • I expect early access bugs and adjustments
    • I enjoy watching the ruleset evolve.
    • I want to be a 'vet' in this game.
    • I want to support the team.
    • I love the red vs. blue chat, miss it from UO.
    Now I could get burned by all of this but I know that going into it.  If I'd bought it thinking it was the "Wow killer" I'd have refunded by now.  I agree with you if the point is "Understand the implications of Early Access before you buy".
    I think early access is just a tough call. Baldurs Gate 3 was in early access for a few years. Won game of the year.

    I play inkbound almost daily and that game is in early access too. 

    I feel like early access is basically looked at as a "launch" because a lot of games that do early access also start alternative monetization at that point too. 



  • MMOgamerdad666MMOgamerdad666 Member UncommonPosts: 35
    Viper482 said:
    Russians gonna Russian

    Pretty sure it's an Asian company.
  • ForgrimmForgrimm Member EpicPosts: 3,069
    Viper482 said:
    Russians gonna Russian

    Pretty sure it's an Asian company.
    Both actually. Though it's headquartered in Singapore, it was founded in Yakutia, which is in the Asian region of Russia.
    maskedweaselKyleran
  • StevenWeberStevenWeber MMORPG.COM Staff UncommonPosts: 114
    Viper482 said:
    Russians gonna Russian

    Pretty sure it's an Asian company.
    Greetings MMORPGers!

    I know there's a lot to follow up on here, so I'm happy to jump in! We actually reported on this last year! 

    https://www.mmorpg.com/news/the-day-before-what-is-going-on-with-this-highly-anticipated-survival-mmo-2000124876

    TL:DR Fntastic was founded in Russia but reportedly moved their headquarters to Singapore. (Not that this is solely a cause for concern, but this is just for clarification)

    Looking back on our coverage of The Day Before over the past couple of years, I have to give our team props on picking up on many of these red flags months ahead of the release. From our Indie MMO Spotlight that's been quite candid with coverage to the news and editorials published, it was hard to see this game going any other way. 

    To update you all as well (which will be updated again in the article) Fntastic states they have taken no money from the game (rather they've made no money from it and won't receive any which indicates that if this was a scam, it was also poorly planned), as Mytona has insisted that anyone wanting a refund will receive one, and now the Fntastic team is also on board with this notion. 



    I hope that answers a few questions that I noticed in this thread!

    Happy posting!
    HengistScotKyleran
  • HengistHengist Member RarePosts: 1,305

    To update you all as well (which will be updated again in the article) Fntastic states they have taken no money from the game (rather they've made no money from it and won't receive any which indicates that if this was a scam, it was also poorly planned), 


    Would that really shock anyone? I mean....can we just add it to the list of things they poorly planned? These guys aren't criminal masterminds, they are the cartoon versions that are complete idiots, and everyone laughs at.


    maskedweaselJeroKane
  • WBadgerWBadger Member RarePosts: 379
    edited December 2023
    Viper482 said:
    Russians gonna Russian

    Pretty sure it's an Asian company.


    To update you all as well (which will be updated again in the article) Fntastic states they have taken no money from the game (rather they've made no money from it and won't receive any which indicates that if this was a scam, it was also poorly planned), as Mytona has insisted that anyone wanting a refund will receive one, and now the Fntastic team is also on board with this notion. 



    I hope that answers a few questions that I noticed in this thread!

    Happy posting!
    Makes sense.  If they tried to push back on the refunds they would probably bankrupt themselves eating chargeback fees as well as open themselves to what would be a very easily won class action lawsuit since they did everything in the worst possible way.  If they wanted to obviously scam; they would have stretched out the process a lot longer then possible with promises of fixing it.  If anything;  their entire response  all reads as a knee jerk reaction where they realized they screwed up in the worst possible way and opened themselves to being significantly more screwed then if they had just 'abandoned a game,' like their other titles.
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • TillerTiller Member LegendaryPosts: 11,403
    edited December 2023

    :D Insert Random Fractured Online advert here:

    Wargfoot said:
    Early Access is almost as bad as Kickstarter. If people had any sense, they'd avoid it like the plague that it is. Developers use it when they run out of money, and in many, many many cases, they stay in EA for many, many years beyond their initial "estimate" (pronounced "bald-faced lie"). Even when they finally do release, it's often a huge disappointment.
    I'm enjoying Fractured Online early access.

    Part of this is because of the mindset I have for this game:
    • I expect early access bugs and adjustments
    • I enjoy watching the ruleset evolve.
    • I want to be a 'vet' in this game.
    • I want to support the team.
    • I love the red vs. blue chat, miss it from UO.
    Now I could get burned by all of this but I know that going into it.  If I'd bought it thinking it was the "Wow killer" I'd have refunded by now.  I agree with you if the point is "Understand the implications of Early Access before you buy".

    Kidding btw. At least someone likes that game.
    ;)
    Hengist
    SWG Bloodfin vet
    Elder Jedi/Elder Bounty Hunter
     
  • XanzoXanzo Member UncommonPosts: 137
    Well, on to the next survival mmo...well, a real survival mmo.

    P.S. I hope everyone got their refunds.
  • SarlaSarla Member UncommonPosts: 386

    Angrakhan said:

    The game is still listed for sale on Steam. I find that interesting. Also when did you get that screenshot of the Steam store page? I never saw it climb above "Overwhelmingly Negative" which is where it currently sits. Must have been very early after release.



    The game was delisted early yesterday and everyone that requests gets a refund no matter how long you played the game
  • ShinyFlygonShinyFlygon Member UncommonPosts: 562
    Wargfoot said:
    Early Access is almost as bad as Kickstarter. If people had any sense, they'd avoid it like the plague that it is. Developers use it when they run out of money, and in many, many many cases, they stay in EA for many, many years beyond their initial "estimate" (pronounced "bald-faced lie"). Even when they finally do release, it's often a huge disappointment.
    I'm enjoying Fractured Online early access.

    Part of this is because of the mindset I have for this game:
    • I expect early access bugs and adjustments
    • I enjoy watching the ruleset evolve.
    • I want to be a 'vet' in this game.
    • I want to support the team.
    • I love the red vs. blue chat, miss it from UO.
    Now I could get burned by all of this but I know that going into it.  If I'd bought it thinking it was the "Wow killer" I'd have refunded by now.  I agree with you if the point is "Understand the implications of Early Access before you buy".

    That's all well and good, assuming good faith on the part of the developers (just like Kickstarter). Unfortunately, EA is being used more and more as a way for devs with a half-baked game to make money with no intention of finishing the game being sold. They either used most of the profits to fund other projects, or they just abscond entirely.

    Steam needs to put much stricter rules in place to keep this kind of abuse to a minimum. Until they do, it's just blatant fraud waiting to happen.
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