PlayStation 3 owners have arguably been short-changed when it comes to Call of Duty of late. Whether it’s Microsoft’s aggressive (and successful) exclusive deals or simply slightly poorer versions of the AAA first person shooters over the last few years, it does feel like Xbox 360 owners (and PC owners, of course) get the best.
Whilst Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 3 was actually pretty good on PS3, the previous year’s Black Ops wasn’t. It ran at a good 10fps slower, had much more screen tear and was sub-HD, plus multiple online issues at launch. This, as you’d expect, frustated a lot of PS3 owners, and that seems to have boiled over, finally, last night.
A thread on the official forums (now deleted) focused on the lack of developer interaction on what’s happening with the PS3 version of Black Ops II. It reached over 200 replies, and was filled with dissatisfied PlayStation gamers.
And then David Vonderhaar, Treyarch’s Game Design Director, started posting.
[drop2]”And you seriously wonder why I don’t enjoy talking to you?” he posted. “You’ve been throwing me under a bus this entire thread. [Complaining] that I tweeted about Xbox Live problems to Xbox Live fans is really a new low-point for you. When the PSN melts down, I’ll be doing the same thing. Oh right, I did do that when the PSN melted down.”“It’s fine. I am a big boy and a few of you are not so great at making friends. When you think about changing your ways; I’ll think about communicating with you more often.”
“In the meantime, I’ll be doing the same thing I did last game, rolling with my own platform-specfic game crews to check the health of the game in the real world. That crew [still] won’t include anyone from the PS3 forum community whose primary post count deals with taking jabs at me.”
It’s clear he’s frustrated. I’ve seen the sorts of comments that used to float around Twitter against Robert Bowling and I found his patience staggering. There’s obviously some mediation required (and Vonderhaar probably shouldn’t have reacted so directly) but it’s also clear that Treyarch do care about other platforms than the 360.
Official forums can be difficult to read, and in this case Treyarch haven’t really done themselves any favours – although I personally don’t think Vonderhaar is really in the wrong with his replies, however barbed – but PS3 owners probably do need a little more interaction from the developers.
It seems like that won’t happen until everyone calms down, though.
Via MP1st.
hazelam
that’s real classy.
when that guy is paying the users for something then he can complain about them.
if somebody complains to you about something they bought off you that they feel is an inferior product then either fix the problems or take the criticism.
bitching about them isn’t going to endear you to them.
what are the odds on some retraction/apology coming within a day or two, saying how he was misconstrued, or misquoted or some other lame excuse.
and they say gamers have an inflated sense of entitlement? pft.
Bilbo_bobbins
also makes you wonder why the industry is losing money? Maybe because publishers bring out half made games, and expect the community to test the final release so they can patch the game every month.
Its a disgrace and people are now becoming frustrated by it all.
Nickboss1
” but it’s also clear that Treyarch do care about other platforms than the 360″.
Lololololololololololololololol.
Bilbo_bobbins
Typical of Devs in this generation. Same happened for BF3 on the forums, there were threads 100’s pages long moaning about lack of communication/interaction regarding ps3 version of the game. lag/input lag etc.
In the end it seemed most gave up, which is why I stopped playing and didn’t buy DLC.
The Dev’s need to realise if they don’t interact with the community, even when they are moaning, then people will get annoyed and end up not buying future games.
The reaction above is unbelievable and the bloke should get sacked IMO. You can’t talk to your customers like that. It also shows where their true work goes into, not the ps3 version.
Awayze
David, you are a twat! Treyarch as a whole are a bunch of douchebags, I will never buy a Treyarch game for PS3.
coruscant
I enjoyed the SP campaign but the MP was practically unplayable. There was so much lag and quite poor graphics and hit detection that I quickly gave up on Blops online and went back to MW2 until MW3 came out. Suffice to say I won’t be buying a Treyarch COD game again, although I probably won’t be buying any more COD games anyway cos I’m tired of the whole thing.
An-dz
Mabay the finally got to him
Youles
Yeah, mabay. ;)
Death_In_Flamez
Now see to be honest, I would have gone and argued like the fan boys. My one gripe with Black Ops and MW3 actually is the restricted NAT type issue which I cannot get around. I’m not quite sure how to say this in a nice way…..let’s just say Mr. Vonderhaar has just completely destroyed any form of interaction with the COD audience.
I have pressed since MW2 that every COD should have a Beta, so developers can find issues with game and make it balanced (which so often it is not and never addressed). Yet these people do not care. They make their game and are almost like teenagers like myself in a way who will get advice from much more experienced “parents” but completely dismiss the advice as stupid or just pure “Complaining”.
COD Fanboys stereotypically don’t have the best vocabulary available to them (just go into any game with mics on to know what I mean by that joke), but they make do and most of their points are absolutely valid. They know exactly what is wrong because they’ve played it for so bloody long.
Treyarch needs a Robert Bowling. Treyarch needs to revolutionise COD. Otherwise, Treyarch may just have implemented it’s destruction with this small step.
Youles
To be honest, Robert Bowling was just as useless with the PS3 Community – you only have to look at the (lack of ) updates in the official Infinity Ward forums on MW2 after the hacking (of which XBox got an extra patch than the PS3).
E8_BALL_
It’s a given, that PS3 & XBOX will both be subject to Bops1 awful sound effects, going from Bops2 demo at E3. What other treats are in store? (i’m a long term cod fan btw, at least untill it’s T.archs turn for a poor attempt, also *I.ward last attempt was below their usual standard, graphically & sound effects.) *too many devs/cooks, or have their top talent gone to Respawn?
themanlikedave
HA HA HA. What a twat.
The reason people are ‘throwing you under the bus’ old son is because they are having trouble shaking the feeling that they are being had over, radio silence re the issues just exacerbates the problem. Now get in your Ferrari we paid for and do one.
The Lone Steven
Confronting the community in the way that he did is never a good idea as it could start a massive argument between fans and the developers. Plus, is he surprised that they are pissed off by the sub par port of BLOPS? If you give a crap service to someone, be prepared to handle any complaints that will get thrown at you. Suspect the PR department are going to be very busy trying to fan the flames.
Forrest_01
I would have thought that they would have wanted to douse the flames rather than fan them! XD
The Lone Steven
Well, you know what i meant and besides it’s erm thursday so er..*looks through the big book of excuses then gives up and hits Forrest on the head with it* :p