It’s good to see that major companies do seek to smooth over problems, as Ubisoft apologizes and offers a freebie to Might & Magic collectors after many encountered a problem with their CD/DVD disc copies, or lack thereof.
- Initial promotional material featured the physical copy of HoMM 7, but the labeling was changed to say ‘PC download’
- It was stated that the physical copy in the Collector’s Edition is available only for European markets
- Ubisoft eventually owned up, offered a refund and a physical copy of another game
- The Heroes of Might & Magic VII Collector’s Edition went for $100
Heroes of Might & Magic is a long standing franchise that has seen great success and popularity since the first game came out in 1995. That is blatantly obvious considering the series managed to make it to seven installments so far. They had undergone a change in graphics, odd experimenting with gameplay, but managed to pull through.
Though most fans of the series could argue that the franchise peaked with its third or fourth installment, and then it was all downhill from there. However, Ubisoft has made another attempt to bring the magic back. Heroes of Might & Magic VII has been highly anticipated as a revival of old gameplay styles mixed with new techniques and better-than-pixels graphics.
Due to hopes and general draw to the franchise, some were even willing to fork over $99.99 for the neat-looking Collector’s Edition. It arrived with an epic figurine, tarot cards, a 96-page long artbook, lithographs, an extra hero (Solmyr), an additional scenario map, the soundrack, and, naturally, a physical copy of the game. It was the latter that caused issues among collectors.
Customers in North America who purchased the Collector’s Edition have complained that they were mislead by marketing. While both the promotional pictures and a live unboxing on Twitch showed the bundle clearly including a physical copy of the game, they were met with a piece of paper and a download code.
Along with that, there was a clearly empty slot where the CD/DVD case should’ve been. Buyers of the Collector’s Edition took to the forums to state out their complaints.
It seems that Ubisoft, however, had changed the labeling to read “PC download” explicitly in the meantime. However, once something is posted on the internet, it’s virtually impossible to take it down everywhere.
Their former promotional boasting a physical copy of the game was still out there. It’s a little shady that Ubisoft was trying to cover its tracks or at least that they so suddenly changed their minds. And it’s probably why they have such a bad reputation among the gaming community in spite of the big and successful titles they develop.
However, when it seemed there was no way out of the problem, the company owned up to its mistake. A little late, but it still counts. They offered their apologies and a full refund for those who had purchased the Collector’s Edition. To further appease the community, they also offered a free copy of one of their other games, such as Far Cry 4, Assassin’s Creed Rogue, The Crew, Toy Soldiers, or Zombi.
It’s at least a decent attempt. However, it should be noted that people who are willing to pay extra for a Collector’s Edition are usually the ones who actually want that physical copy in their hands. Though a refund and the copy of another game is better than nothing.
Image source: neogaf.com
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