EA Store - Anyone know why searching for UO pops up WAR?

[Saphireena]

I was inspecting the EA Store and used the search option to find Ultima Online.

Results: No versions of UO, but it did come back with Warhammer.

a) Shouldn't the store be selling the last purchasable version of UO?
b) If they want people to download KR for free and buy accounts instead, fine - but shouldn't that info come up, or a link or anything! Just anything but a dead end like that. People are going to think the game no longer exists if you can't even buy it off EA's own store. It's almost like it would be an embarrassment to EA not to have it there, which is a wrong approach. It should be thought of as an "old master" which has weathered many storms and seen many years. An olden goldie to be proud of.
c) Why on earth would Warhammer come up in the search results?

 

[canary]

WooHoo! Warhammer!! LOL rolleyes:

 

[The Craftsman]

c) Why on earth would Warhammer come up in the search results?

Because EA want to target someone searching for an MMO on their website and bring WAR to their attention? Its hardly surprising.

I'd have been more surprised in the seach for UO on EA's site had brought up WOW!

 

[Nok]

Hi Saphireena,

a) Shouldn't the store be selling the last purchasable version of UO?

There isn't a box to sell. The box was the 9th Anniversary Edition, EA doesn't have any more of those to sell from their fulfillment warehouse... 9AE was a limited edition run (they only made so many copies), sold all those into distribution and retailers. EA doesn't have any left to sell, without having to make more. With the last title being 2 years old, and a new expansion coming in the future... it wouldn't make business sense to make a new batch of 9AE's. And the EA store cannot sell a download when they already give the client away free.

b) If they want people to download KR for free and buy accounts instead, fine - but shouldn't that info come up, or a link or anything! Just anything but a dead end like that. People are going to think the game no longer exists if you can't even buy it off EA's own store. It's almost like it would be an embarrassment to EA not to have it there, which is a wrong approach. It should be thought of as an "old master" which has weathered many storms and seen many years. An olden goldie to be proud of.

Ideally the EA store would list UO, with links to UO Herald and where to download the free client... until the next expansion is available. That would be debatable from a business perspective though. Sure it would be nice to point a customer in the direction of something you offer for free anyway. On the other hand, if a customer cannot find the product that they are looking for... maybe they would buy another product that you do have in stock. Not all customer will do this, but you pitch (sell) to the ones that will.

c) Why on earth would Warhammer come up in the search results?

In a search your using keywords to look for what you want. Products when they are entered into the system have not only the title, a description, and price, but additional info that you as the consumer don't see display on the store page... like tags. These tags are work and phrase descriptors that your search keywords hit on that are common amongst like titles. So when you search for UO or Ultima Online... the search will know that UO is also fantasy, MMORPG, MMO, RPG, multiplayer, and so on. WAR is also going to have similar tags and come up in the results. Maybe even include a redirection because it is an available title that is in stock.

Hope that helps.

c) Why on earth would Warhammer come up in the search results?

Because EA want to target someone searching for an MMO on their website and bring WAR to their attention? Its hardly surprising.

Yup... they want to sell what is available now. Cannot sell what you don't have in stock.

 

[Saphireena]

Nok thanks for your descriptive responses and going to the trouble to explain it all. I do realize many of the things you say, and do understand that "that's the way things are" - but that still doesn't make them right. At least from my perspective.

There isn't a box to sell.

There should always be a box to sell. There will always be people like myself who want to own the physical version and have it neatly stacked with the rest of the game collection. As for the age of the last version, well 2 years ain't so bad. You can still find games that were made in the 90's - although MMOs are a slightly different case due to all the new content that has to be patched. But still, that slot on the store's game shelf has a huge impact on how aware people will be of the game. And if not on those, it should be at least in EA's own online catalog!

Ideally the EA store would list UO, with links to UO Herald and where to download the free client... until the next expansion is available. That would be debatable from a business perspective though.

I see what you're getting at, but I have to wonder which reaps more profits:
a) an old UO player wanting to come back / a new prospective player who knows about it and wants to buy it > visit the EA store > find the free UO download + account purchase buttons > buys and starts paying monthly fees

b) an old UO player wanting to come back / a new prospective player who knows about it and wants to buy it > visit the EA store > doesn't find UO and assumes the game has been ditched, finding a warhammer link instead > either a) ignores the WAR link because they already knew about "that 3D MMO" and would have bought it anyhow had they been interested in a game of that kind or b) assumes that since Warhammer came up as a result, it must be the new version of UO or is a very similar type of game so they buy it. But after installing, realize they've been swindled because it's such a different kind of game.

In both cases, the person has specifically typed out Ultima Online (not MMO), they know exactly what they want. In both cases the person is left disappointed and discouraged. Surely that can't be good business sense?

WAR is also going to have similar tags and come up in the results. Maybe even include a redirection because it is an available title that is in stock.

Doing this makes sense, but not if it's implemented in the way it is now. There was no polite message saying:

"We're sorry, but Ultima Online is not available right now, please check back later for new expansions! Meanwhile, we recommend the following games which are similar."

So, with no explanation, no message, no nothing - it feels like it's a bugged search system and the customer is left confused and dismayed.

Hope that helped explain the point I was trying to make.

 

[Aran]

Simplest answer: If you searched Ultima Online without quotes, Warhammer also contains the word Online in its title (Warhammer Online, obv)

So it found something else with the correct words in the title.

 

[Nok]

Hope that helped explain the point I was trying to make.

It definitely did.

I agree more information on the EA Store concerning UO would be a good thing.