I am so glad to see this graph! I replied to a post that showed the same graph, and some other information reguarding UO customer service and the person's experience. I threw in my two cents and now, that post is no longer availble to view.
My thoughts: EA UO is just trying to kill it's game. Let's think about this with some logic, instead of some heated "But I love the game! They wouldn't do that to the game that I love" bit that people have to be thinking when they argue to someone who states what I just stated.
The first and formost of any company is quality customer service. Any training that someone would go to would state that the care of the customer is first and formost in order to keep a customer returning. EA UO does not have quality customer service. How many people have called EA, gotten the run around- do this, no no do that. Then let's discuss the lack of a complaint department. I attempted to sign into EA support website, could not, called EA and stated as such and then am told to sign into the support website. Dude, I am not a chicken, okay? I do not enjoy getting the aimless run around.
I also have heard, "Use the forums." Excuse me, but I would like to talk to a person about what is going on. And in all honesty, aren't there a little too many forums for all of them to get a real response about the specific issue? And I cannot even count how many times I have seen a UO Mod not really address the issue, but instead attempts to degrade the person who made the post. EA UO needs to get a clue if they wish to continue to have a customer base for UO.
Now, let's address the in game violation that EA UO can control, dups. EA UO should be able to delete those items in a timely and effective manor before the item is even thrown on a vendor, or for that matter right as a dubbed item lands in someones pack. There has got to be a way for that to be accomplished, but EA UO is more interested in the "shiny" (and in a moment, I will discuss that). So, instead of doing what can be done, EA UO allows those items to be created and sold. And if bought, Oh you bad boy! You are terminated because you bought an item that you had no way of knowing was dupped!!!! Shame on you for not having ESP and knowing!!!
Let's talk about the "shiny" now. So, I go to GameStop or Walmart or any place that sells MMORP's. I talk with the sells person (who is either in high school or just out of high school) and I ask, "Hey, do you know of any news on when UO will come out with something new?" My reply, "OMG you play UO? WHY? That is sooo 1995! Let me show you this other game. It has much better graffics, they don't allow dupped items and they have excellent customer service." Let alone, they actually have the item on the shelf! With space for other games to be added! But, nope, no UO (not even any form of advertising). So, I have yet to see the "shiny" in UO when compared to other games. Lack of shiny, lack of being able to stop dup's- umm....
And isn't EA UO an American based company? And as an American based company that has a game that is used worldwide, wouldn't it be a wonderful idea of EA UO to actually follow the guildelines of this country? Hey! Novel idea! Why not ask and talk to the person before you punish them? And what about Freedom of Speech? I do not see that happening- don't say this or you are banned. I am sorry, but as an American I am appaulded by this. EA UO is a multi million dollar company that has a strong American base, and as an example of what our country should be about, wouldn't one think that EA UO has the responsiblity to show the rest of the world some of our fundamental rights that many countries do not have? Hmm...
So, those are some of the reason why EA UO is slowly becoming a dead game. Some would say, "If they really wanted to end the game, they would just do it." Umm, sorry, no they would not. Ask any boss- it is much better for someone to quit than to fire them. So, make the working conditions unbearable so they pretty much have no choice but to quit. So, this is what EA UO is doing: not fixing problems, allowing poor customer service to continue, not being able to produce a quality product. Folks, this is a game that is dying. EA UO knows it and has done nothing to stop it. EA UO is unwilling to fix the problems in the game for a reason- they want the game dead and they want people to quit so that they will be able to keep some of it's customer base. After all, if they just up and ended that game, there would be A LOT of unhappy people that most likely would not want to consider playing any other EA game. Very poor business practice there, worse than making some customers out to be the bad guy. Here's what will happen folks if things continue along this line: people will quit for having their accounts terminated for some silly reason; those people have friends in game, and guess what? those friends will be fearful that they as well will be terminated for some silly reason. There will not be any real new accounts opened that will make much of a difference in compensating for the lose of the customers that quit. The remaining people will get frustrate with the product because EA UO is going to reply, "Well, there just is not enough of a customer base to support the staff of the game anylonger at the extent that we once were." So, bye bye to the EA UO staff. Game will run on autopilot. And EA UO will die. Folks, the plan is already begone. We the customer base, should have a say in this. We the customer base should demand a quality product. We the customer base have the right as paying customers to say to EA UO that they need to fix this game. But no, we will not stand together and say this, because EA UO has some how painted people as "bad guys" and the niave blindly follow and say, "Hail EA UO!"
One may wodner why do I continue to play. The answer: I think the friends that I have made on this game are AWESOME! I have a way to hang out with my friends from the comfort of my living room. And trust me, I am trying very hard to get my friends to go to a different game and play with out fear of being terminated from some silly reason. Any how know me, know that I play a clean game and would not knowingly buy a dupped item. Yet, one of my accounts get's snagged for unknowly doing that. Sorry to the people that say, "You should have known!" Sorry folks, I was not born with ESP. The only people that know for sure if an item is duped is EA UO.
