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Moriendor
Black Ring Leader
Joined: 19 Jul 2001
Posts: 1306
Location: Germany |
| EverQuest 2: Beta Impressions @ RPG Vault |
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Also on RPG Vault are <a href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/553/553963p1.html" target="_blank">impressions</a> from the ongoing 'EverQuest II' beta. |
Wed Oct 06, 2004 7:04 pm |
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Loremaster
Village Leader
Joined: 31 Mar 2002
Posts: 88
Location: Hampshire, England |
Unless you've been expressly authorised by SOE to report on the beta, in which case that should be clearly stated in the article, your report is in clear breach of the NDA and should be withdrawn. It is a breach even to disclose that you have been selected to participate, let alone to write about your experiences. |
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Wed Oct 06, 2004 7:12 pm |
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Moriendor
Black Ring Leader
Joined: 19 Jul 2001
Posts: 1306
Location: Germany |
Wrong recipient, Loremaster  . You should mail that to the editor at RPG Vault who is responsible for the article.
However, I'm afraid you may be making a fool of yourself if you do that. RPG Vault has been around for a looong time and they are a subsidiary of IGN/GameSpy, the largest gaming network in our solar system. I'm fairly certain that they are very familiar with NDAs and when to ask for permission etc.
Additionally, I've read somewhere that you can write as many (unauthorized) beta reports as you want to as long as the report only covers the first ten levels of the game (the starting island).
Reports reaching beyond that point may require authorization but I wouldn't be surprised if a network as big as IGN basically has a carte blanche as far as (positive sounding) EQ2 beta coverage is concerned. They are very popular and SOE marketing knows that so I doubt that IGN or GameSpy have to beg for authorization every time they want to write something nice about EQ2. |
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Wed Oct 06, 2004 7:52 pm |
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Anon :)
Guest
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Village leader? More like village idiot  |
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Wed Oct 06, 2004 8:48 pm |
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Loremaster
Village Leader
Joined: 31 Mar 2002
Posts: 88
Location: Hampshire, England |
I accept that no developer will take action against positive press. Unfortunately, all that means is that irrespective of the quality of a beta all that will be printed will be positive (Horizons, anyone?), in order to grab the attention. "Wow guys, we're in the EQ2 beta, here's the lowdown!" - no need to mention any of the negative aspects that afflict any beta, that would spoil the scoop and attract the attention of the developer.
If I were a part of the EQ2 beta, which I can neither confirm nor deny, then doubtless there would be a balanced article which I could pen were I permitted to. So long as the NDA exists, however, no beta tester can publish anything, but if you "read somewhere" that I'm wrong, then fair enough.
As regards the complaint that I posted in the wrong place, I simply posted what I know to the place where I read what, to my reading of the public EQ2 forum, is a link to unauthorised material - unless it has indeed been authorised in which case, as I made clear in my original post, that should have been made clear, if only to deter other beta testers from breaking the NDA agreements which they signed up to by making it clear that IGN has special dispensation along with anyone else who chooses to publish what is now in the public domain.
So what all this amounts to is very simple. Either IGN had no authority to publish as they did, in which case you should withdraw the link, or they were authorised to do so and should have made it clear in their article, failing which and following appropriate enquiries, MMORPGDOT should have made clear in your link. Your guys know there's an NDA, that's why there's no public discussion of the beta on your site and elsewhere.
If all that makes me the village idiot (not sure where that came from but I assume it's aimed at me), then fine, I've been called worse. I've even called others worse, but never remained Anon to do so. |
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Wed Oct 06, 2004 9:16 pm |
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Moriendor
Black Ring Leader
Joined: 19 Jul 2001
Posts: 1306
Location: Germany |
Loremaster, I have no idea why you're so gung-ho about 3rd party (or are you an employee of SOE?) NDA enforcement but let me assure you that we will not even begin to consider pulling this link until a representative of Sony Online Entertainment asks us to.
I do not know if RPG Vault has permission from SOE. It's their business, not ours. Until proven otherwise, we will assume that they do indeed have permission (benefit of the doubt ... though -as I said- I have very little doubt that they were allowed to post it).
We will only and will only have to remove links if we knowingly link to illegal content. Just not the case here, sorry.
And regarding the less restricted NDA that press/fansites have to obey to (the level 1-10 stuff I was talking about), here's what I found at the official EQ2 forums (damn you for making me look for it *gg*  ). The 1st quote is from Rich Waters, Design Director EQ2, and the second one is a direct quote of the mail that was sent out to press/gaming sites (and I have very little doubt that IGN, RPG Vault, EQ2 Vault or EQ Vault are part of this deal).
Quotes:
Rich Waters, EQ2 Design Director on 09/10/2004:
quote:
The NDA is still in effect for almost everyone. Some members of the press and fansites have been given permission to share more information, but that's the only change. If you haven't been contacted directly, then you should assume you're still under the same NDA rules and shouldn't discuss the game outside of the beta forums.
Mail that was sent to fansite/press folks:
quote:
"We're lifting the NDA for select media (only those who receive this email from me) in the EverQuest II beta to allow you to talk about your experiences in game through level 9 today (nothing above level 9 yet). This does not include xxxxxx, as they are still covered by the NDA. Please send links to any coverage you post so we can link to it from our main site. Please let me know if you have any questions."
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Wed Oct 06, 2004 10:01 pm |
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Loremaster
Village Leader
Joined: 31 Mar 2002
Posts: 88
Location: Hampshire, England |
I'm not gung-ho, I'm simply aware from the public forum of the enormous pressure beta testers are under on EQ2 in relation to the NDA, as opposed to WoW where Blizzard didn't feel they needed the protection of one, and as many testers are common to both games I can imagine it's frustrating for EQ2 testers to read beta articles about the game they're not permitted even to tell their wife they've been selected to test (  !).
I thought it sensible and fair, therefore, that if the article was an unauthorised breach of the NDA links to it should be pulled, whereas if it was an authorised relaxation of the NDA that should be stated in the article (or failing that the links) so as not to give the testers the impression that they can comment on an article - which they clearly can't even tho' it's in the public domain.
That's all, please don't read more into it than that ! |
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Wed Oct 06, 2004 10:25 pm |
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Moriendor
Black Ring Leader
Joined: 19 Jul 2001
Posts: 1306
Location: Germany |
Ah OK, I understand . It's just that your first post had this staff seargeant tone to it, like "Pull it or be fired upon!" that irritated me for a second. As I said, we'll never censor ourselves unless we know that we're doing something illegal.
Everything else is RPG Vault's business, though it is my opinion that it is within any tester's own responsibility to know that the NDA is still in place and that they are not supposed to comment on articles such as the one posted at RPG Vault.
Sure, would be nice of RPG Vault to remind people of it but in the end, you as a tester agree to the NDA every time you log into beta and as long as it doesn't say otherwise, you should assume that you have to play by the rules stated within.
---
Besides, I agree with you that SOE seems to be a little tight . Their dealing with the NDA is very old school. I also wish they would loosen up some and allow testers to talk about beta as freely as WoW testers can.
It's not like they can "hide" anything from the competition anymore once beta goes semi-public and avoiding massive flames is simple: Just get the job done right and if something goes terribly wrong, communicate with the people why stuff isn't working as intended yet.
It's not like WoW is being torn apart all over the net. To the contrary. Blizzard is very open and honest about things that aren't working and people understand.
I don't think Sony are doing themselves a favor with their old school NDA approach. It naturally makes you ask yourself what they have to hide and as a tester, you feel like big bossy Sony is watching you wherever you go . |
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Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:01 pm |
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Loremaster
Village Leader
Joined: 31 Mar 2002
Posts: 88
Location: Hampshire, England |
quote:
Originally posted by Moriendor
you feel like big bossy Sony is watching you wherever you go .
Exactly, that's why I would never beta test for Microsoft - they really CAN watch you wherever you go !
Glad we're at one at last.
Shan't post again, because that wretched Fable pop-up is really getting on my nerves! At least I think it's Fable, I keep closing it before I find out... |
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Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:21 pm |
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