psychotron
Member
But Bethesda wouldn't lose anything. MS would need to pay them for the copies downloaded, regardless of the user getting it for free.
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Fallout 4 Free on Xbox Live Store
- Thread starter Kindekuma
- Start date
But Bethesda wouldn't lose anything. MS would need to pay them for the copies downloaded, regardless of the user getting it for free.
I don't think it works like that, if there's a pricing mistake that's Microsofts problem and not Bethesdas. They still get whatever they usually get at full price. Of course it's up to Microsoft what they want to do, they are perfectly within their rights to revoke the licenses or they can take the hit. I guess it all depends on the number of copies claimed, sizing up money lost etc.
The price mistake, no. The game I snagged last night is working, though. Playing now.
blankempathy
Member
I love when price mistakes happen and people suddenly become experts in laws and rules regarding the subject in order to convince themselves. Same thing different pricing error.
Shpeshal Nick
aka Collingwood
Looks like they're revoking.
My buddy just rang me and his copy is gone from his console. He had been playing it earlier.
My buddy just rang me and his copy is gone from his console. He had been playing it earlier.
Snkfanatic
Banned
Keep spam posting your bull whilst i sit here playing fallout online for free
lol
What in the world is this?
InsaneTiger
Member
Regardless of the word of mouth that may have had people buy something they otherwise wouldn't have, the thought that 10,000 people may have downloaded a $60 game without cost doesn't bring MS or Bethesda any money. That is 10,000 potential people that could have paid at least $60.
Yes, I am sure MS doesn't like the idea of who knows how many are downloading a game for free due to a price error. MS loses at the very least and businesses typically don't like losing money.
Sure the pricing is MS fault but, you know what, justify it however you guys want. I don't care, they're all big companies. But I wouldn't be surprised if MS did revoke and then people getting pissed.
Camp Freddie
Member
MS won't be able to charge you for a mistake they made*.
Normally, they could not revoke your sale after it has been completed (in UK law), but there's a legal grey area about what you're buying in XBL and when that purchase is complete, since XBL is an ongoing service and you're buying a license that has additional T&Cs attached. MS has probably got legally enforcable terms and conditions that allow them to revoke licenses under certain circumstances.
In practice, I think they'll have to eat the cost. Revoking licenses is bad PR, and probably won't get them off the hook for paying Bethesda (though that depends on the terms of the contract between MS and Bethesda).
*IANAL, this is not legal advice, etc. They could always try I suppose, but there is strong legal precedent against this.
Mine still works
They'll just eat the cost I reckon, price glitches has happened in the past and MS didn't do anything about it, I get it this is a bit bigger than any other one, but still. It's not like millions of people did it so it'd be pennies to MS anyways.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
Sometimes it's worth it to keep customers happy, even in situations like this where revoked licenses would be totally justifiable. It does happen.
Eanan
Member
Then again, the few grumbles from a revoke would blow over in a few days, but the millions you'd imagine they'd have to foot the bill for, wont blow over. That money will be gone for good.
$110 for the deluxe edition right? Take away MS 30% that's 77$ per, we'll round it up to 80. 12,500 people would have to have bought the deluxe edition for MS to even lose out on 1M and even that seems a bit high considering it was only available for about 30 minutes.
They probably only have to pay Bethesda in the hundred thousands, not millions, that's my guess anyways.
Eanan
Member
But didnt IGN tweet about it for example and is was getting passed around online a fair bit. Dont count out the asian countries also.
It was still only available for 30 minutes tho, how many people are going to be nearby and actively looking on twitter etc to get it within that short timeframe? and that's not mentioning the amount of people that don't know you can use the web store etc to buy stuff, and would have wanted to get it off their console.
I really doubt they lost a lot of money (couple million+) on this, but I could be wrong
Shpeshal Nick
aka Collingwood
False alarm. Mate thought he bought it through the app but he didn't.
The Elite
BOSS
Being upset because you didn't get to keep your free thing for free is silly.
I got my copy, if they take it away I'm not going to cry foul like MS has done something wrong.
Kadin
Member
30 mins?? Pretty sure it was closer to an hour if not two before it finally got pulled from the shop. I know I didn't see the thread until after close to 30 mins and then installed the season pass and all the applicable dlc.
It was on the front of the most popular deal sites. Bethesda and MS lost thousands of dollars because of this. I think it would be fair to revoke the licenses. Some people might be pissed off but there is a thing called common sense after all.
If you want to keep it just unplug your console to be sure until you've played through the game. I disconnected my Xbox from Wi-Fi.
Yeah...very suprised they haven't been pulled yet
An hour then, still not a long time in the grand scheme of things, & the game sold well on top of that, I bet a lot of people didn't bother because they already had the game.
I'm not saying it's not gonna cost MS "a lot" of money, of course it will, but not millions IMO. In the hundreds of thousands? Sure, but millions seems like a stretch.
While your math seems reasonably sound, even for a company like Microsoft, "only" hundred(s) of thousand(s) of dollars unexpectedly gone is not a small deal.
Yeah, it was a glitch/their error, but if they chose to revoke, they're within their right to do so.
It would be cool if they decide to keep it though,
I agree.
I wouldn't be surprised if they do revoke it, but I have a feeling they won't because they've always honoured price glitches before. None as severe as this, sure, but still.
And I like to keep hope thinking I'll keep the season pass
GeordieMark
Member
Yeah, I can't reasonably complain about that. Wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
Probably going to try and get through it asap just in case they pull the plug.
Mr Reasonable
Completely Unreasonable
My copy seems to be working just fine, judging from people's accounts of what happened, I think I got in under the wire - the Deluxe edition wasn't available when I checked after "buying" the regular version.
It's possible that I'll buy the Season Pass at some point, Mr Bethesda / Microsoft.
It's possible that I'll buy the Season Pass at some point, Mr Bethesda / Microsoft.
What do you expect, Major Nelson and Master Chief to come knocking on your door with uzis? It'll just sit there lol
The Elite
BOSS
As long as you disconnect they can't revoke the license on your Xbox. As soon as you connect it will be revoked.
disappeared
Banned
So there was some sort of quip yesterday about this being possibly e3 related? I'm definitely gonna be refreshing here during Beth's conference on sunday.
bluelightningduo
Member
I'm surprised more companies (any?) don't turn glitches like this into positive pub. Microsoft could come right out and tweet/fb post that this was a glitch, but they value their customers and will allow everyone who purchased during the free window to keep the game.
This would make headlines on most media outlets that Microsoft cares about and whatever they would need to ship off to Bethesda would be a drop in the bucket compared to the free advertising and goodwill they would get from honoring the price.
This would make headlines on most media outlets that Microsoft cares about and whatever they would need to ship off to Bethesda would be a drop in the bucket compared to the free advertising and goodwill they would get from honoring the price.
Interface23
Member
I don't think MS has revoked anything before. They had a Strider glitch a year or so ago and I still have that game, same with the Fable 2 or 3 game a long while ago.
MightyHedgehog
Member
What other $0 pricing errors has MS done this for before? I can't think of a single one.
darkinstinct
...lacks reading comprehension.
They never did. If you ask for a refund though (for preorders) they revoke your license instantaneously. It's already gone by the time you end the conversation.
M.W.
Member
Other people earlier in the thread were saying they had licenses revoked...maybe they were blowin smoke
Interface23
Member
-misread the post-
MicroCuts7
Member
Battlefield: Hardline, Rainbow 6: Siege, Fable 2 off the top of my head.
EDIT: Ugh, misread - it generally looks like MS doesn't revoke, unless you switch consoles...
MightyHedgehog
Member
Heh, I've never even known those to be available in such a way. I guess there might be precedent after all.
Interface23
Member
Those weren't revoked which is what the poster was asking, but yea there have been plenty of price errors we were allowed to keep
smokeymicpot
Beat EviLore at pool.
None everyone keeps referencing when this happened on PSN with the season pass. That is totally different though. None of the dlc was out yet so they just removed it from the account. Game is already downloaded if they were to remove it chances are it would have done so already.
I thought you meant them taking it away. This happened a lot of times as people mentioned.
BossDarkseid
Member
MS, if you wanna do this again please feel free.
MightyHedgehog
Member
Yeah, see, that's what I thought. I guess people had better get to playing like maniacs if they want to clear the game before MS breaks with tradition.
Fable 2 was a different sort of thing, though. It was when they were splitting up the game into multiple chunks, and instead of the first 'free' episode giving you the small sample, it gave the whole game instead.
So if you already had downloaded it, you'd continue to have the full game, but wouldn't be able to re-download it as it would instead just re-download the first episode part.
disappeared
Banned
Hiyooo!
rob305
Member
Nah, everyone who didnt get it (which is the majority) will be mad.
The best way to handle this for a big company like Microsoft is to make a deal with the publisher for the sales and then soak up the losses. Losses due to accidents or errors happen in all companies and they are usually insured for stuff like this.
They will let everyone keep their licenses and never speak about this incident. That way the people who didnt get the game think that the licenses will be revoked sooner or later until this whole thing is forgotten by everyone
Sony removed the Amplitude license after it was downloaded. It would still be on your console, but you'd be locked out of launching the game. Don't know if Microsoft can do the same.
Did that to me for killzone too. Although I'd completed by the time they got around to it.