Release date thread rant

[Nomino]

No, no potential release date. Bit of a rant really…

See, all this "naming and shaming" of people who create threads about a possible release date, who cares?! So what if my name is added to a thread to show I'm interested in when a game releases? The thing is, "punishment" above and beyond that, meaning any form of ban (temp or otherwise) is completely OTT, and would be considered bad micro-moderation.

So, moderators, why can't you just quietly remove any threads that you see, and drop the individual concerned a PM referring them to your sticky, and ask them to not create such threads again until further notice? It's a crime not worthy of any punishment, and putting peoples name in a hit-list is hardly going to lose them any sleep.

 

[DJW_GT]

+1

I personally think that all this 'naming and shaming' is actually quite childish, and achieves absolutely nothing. The people who post the 'release dates' do so because they haven't read the sticky in the first place. Those who have read the sticky refrain posting release dates as they know it's against the rules, not because they're put off by 'the naughty step'...

 

[Famine]

No, no potential release date. Bit of a rant really…

See, all this "naming and shaming" of people who create threads about a possible release date, who cares?! So what if my name is added to a thread to show I'm interested in when a game releases? The thing is, "punishment" above and beyond that, meaning any form of ban (temp or otherwise) is completely OTT, and would be considered bad micro-moderation.

So, moderators, why can't you just quietly remove any threads that you see, and drop the individual concerned a PM referring them to your sticky, and ask them to not create such threads again until further notice? It's a crime not worthy of any punishment, and putting peoples name in a hit-list is hardly going to lose them any sleep.

Who's being threatened with bans? Where did you get this idea from? Ivorbigun has been put up there twice - has he had any official sanctions against him for it? No.


As for "who cares?!", "So what", "hardly going to lose them any sleep", it seems to have rattled you enough to rant about it despite you not being on the list.

Chill.

I personally think that all this 'naming and shaming' is actually quite childish, and achieves absolutely nothing. The people who post the 'release dates' do so because they haven't read the sticky in the first place. Those who have read the sticky refrain posting release dates as they know it's against the rules, not because they're put off by 'the naughty step'...

It achieves one thing - they read the sticky and, generally, don't do it again.

It's not "against the rules" to post a release date thread. If it were, people would be getting warnings/infractions/bans. But they aren't. So... what's the problem?

 

[Conquerer]

I think it's quite unnecessary and pointless. Just delete it and move on.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

DJW_GT & Nomino, famine has got a point. Maybe its that scary dog and purple text that scares you.

Anyway, so when is this game getting released?

Anyone fancy playing fill in the blanks?

Tesco : 04/12/09
Play :
Gamestop :
Game :
Argos :
IGN :
Game :
Asda :
Dabs :
Amazon : 29/12/09
EBGames.com.au: 2010

Hehe

 

[DJW_GT]

It achieves one thing - they read the sticky and, generally, don't do it again.

That's what the first post in that thread achieves, all the naming and shaming posts are pointless. If anyone continued to post release date threads after reading that first post then they are most likely only doing it to wind the mods up, and if that's their reasoning then I doubt any amount of naming and shaming is going to stop them, and may even just be giving them the attention they are looking for...

It's not "against the rules" to post a release date thread. If it were, people would be getting warnings/infractions/bans. But they aren't. So... what's the problem?

...(continuing from above) and if there are no rules preventing it, and no warnings/suspentions/bans, then there's nothing stopping them from just doing it over and over again.

 

[Heath_1]

EBgames.com.au say 2010 (no month specified)

Feel free to add me to your little name and shame list if you must feel that its necessary to do so. I agree I think its rather silly, just PM them, delete the thread, and move on.

Gran Turismo 5 - PlayStation 3
Gran Turismo 5
Platform: PlayStation 3
Category: Racing
In stores: TBC 2010

 

[Enciah]

+1 for an unique thread with all unofficial release date 👍 this can help for speculation...and pass this endless waiting

 

[Famine]

That's what the first post in that thread achieves

Not really. Otherwise nobody would have posted a release date thread after it was posted.

all the naming and shaming posts are pointless.

Apart from giving individuals a clear reminder that they should read stickies.

If anyone continued to post release date threads after reading that first post then they are most likely only doing it to wind the mods up

We don't get wound up.

and if that's their reasoning then I doubt any amount of naming and shaming is going to stop them, and may even just be giving them the attention they are looking for...

...(continuing from above) and if there are no rules preventing it, and no warnings/suspentions/bans, then there's nothing stopping them from just doing it over and over again.

Then that's a completely different matter. They would be subject to warnings/Infractions (and all that come with them) for flooding, spamming and ignoring moderator instruction. We have rules against that, you see.


No-one's going to get banned for posting a release date thread. So again I ask... what's the problem?

+1 for an unique thread with all unofficial release date 👍 this can help for speculation...and pass this endless waiting

If you can provide me with a good reason why and how ever-changing speculative release dates, from any and every source on the internet, will help anyone in the absence of an actual official release date, I'll think about it.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

If you can provide me with a good reason why and how ever-changing speculative release dates, from any and every source on the internet, will help anyone in the absence of an actual official release date, I'll think about it.

It would help people like me sleep at night knowing that retailers are obviously thinking the release date the game. The grapevine of retail / sony / PD has to let some info slip at some point. I would be very surprised if none of the dates are correct.

It's also good to know that some pressure is being put on PD to actually give a release date.

We're like Jonny 5, we need input!

 

[Tired Tyres]

It would help people like me sleep at night knowing that retailers are obviously thinking the release date the game. The grapevine of retail / sony / PD has to let some info slip at some point. I would be very surprised if none of the dates are correct.

It's also good to know that some pressure is being put on PD to actually give a release date.

We're like Jonny 5, we need input!

It doesn't matter one little bit what retailers think about release dates. It is only what Sony say that matters.

 

[TheCracker]

It would help people like me sleep at night knowing that retailers are obviously thinking the release date the game. The grapevine of retail / sony / PD has to let some info slip at some point. I would be very surprised if none of the dates are correct.

If you really are loosing sleep over not knowing the exact release date of a computer game perhaps it's time to take up a hobby. If you have nothing better to do with your time and really want a good estimation of when GT5 is likely to be released why don't you do some research on these forums into when GT5 or GT4 was actually released and when the news of the release date was actually released. Maybe doing something positive about it will help with your insomnia?

It's also good to know that some pressure is being put on PD to actually give a release date.

Sony/PD will have decided on a release date a long time ago. Moaning on a internet forum about it isn't going to influence anything.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

It doesn't matter one little bit what retailers think about release dates. It is only what Sony say that matters.

In your opinion.

Sony/PD will have decided on a release date a long time ago. Moaning on a internet forum about it isn't going to influence anything.

Prove they decided a long time ago? You cant. Moaning? Not moaning, just interested.

Look im not really losing sleep, its not that big a deal. BUT i would prefare to know about what release dates are being guessed at than rather not. Same as i would prefare to know about a possible PS3 slim.

Release dates are part of speculation, 90% of the threads in this site are speculation.

 

[TheCracker]

Prove they decided a long time ago? You cant.

Prove that they didn't? You can't

Logic dictates that any huge corporation releasing an important product will have a detailed game plan which will include a release date/deadline that everyone works towards. This date is likely to be flexible, to an extent, especially early on in the development process. But when they get towards finishing the game, company big wigs are likely to demand setting a date so they can plan advertising and marketing campaigns, as well as fitting it in with any other releases they have planned.

Nobody here minds posts speculating about release dates, no matter how futile they are. The mods issues are with their forums being jammed up with multiple threads covering the same topic. They're only doing their job which is to bring some order through the chaos, enabling the forum to be an appealing place for all to visit. Some folks might just visit here to gather some titbits on an upcoming game, they'll try and find whatever info it is they are looking for, maybe post a few posts and then never visit again, not minding what mess they leave behind them. Some of us however have been here for a long time and like their 'online home-from-home' to be a somewhere enjoyable to visit, not some kind of ungoverned free-for-all.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

Prove that they didn't? You can't

Logic dictates that any huge corporation releasing an important product will have a detailed game plan which will include a release date/deadline that everyone works towards. This date is likely to be flexible, to an extent, especially early on in the development process. But when they get towards finishing the game, company big wigs are likely to demand setting a date so they can plan advertising and marketing campaigns, as well as fitting it in with any other releases they have planned.

Which history dictates results in leaks, leaks lead to release dates. So therefore one of the release dates could be accurate!

 

[TheCracker]

Which history dictates results in leaks, leaks lead to release dates. So therefore one of the release dates could be accurate!

An infinite amount of chimps typing random numbers will also eventually make an accurate guess too

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

An infinite amount of chimps typing random numbers will also eventually make an accurate guess too

True. Although, your assuming that everyone is an uninformed as you.

Maybe some of us would have steered the titanic rather than re-arranging the deckchairs.

 

[Famine]

True. Although, your assuming that everyone is an uninformed as you.

Until Sony announce a release date, everyone is guessing.

Someone might guess right. Woo. They have no better chance than someone sticking a pin in a calendar.

 

[Jay]

True. Although, your assuming that everyone is an uninformed as you.

Sure, every game shop manager has a good buddy who is a insider. Any information about any game ask a gameshop employee 👍



...

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

I give up.

 

[Enciah]

If you can provide me with a good reason why and how ever-changing speculative release dates, from any and every source on the internet, will help anyone in the absence of an actual official release date, I'll think about it.

Online shop's release date are speculation too, ok but it's a sort of "profesionnal speculation" (maybe they have some clue we don't have...or not)
So if 4, 5 let's say 10 suplier's, online shop give us the same release date, then i'll have a good hope the game will be released at the mentionned day.

It's all about getting hope not trying to have real release date.

 

[Duke]

So, moderators, why can't you just quietly remove any threads that you see, and drop the individual concerned a PM referring them to your sticky, and ask them to not create such threads again until further notice?

Because that only stops ONE person at a time, and sometimes it doesn't even stop that person from doing it again. And with well over 100,000 members, plus a huge influx of new people every time another version is nearing release, we can't afford the time to handle each and every one quietly and individually. After all we are volunteers and most of us have actual lives with jobs.

Think of it as a big old police car parked in the median of a busy freeway versus and unmarked car cruising along with traffic. The unmarked car can stop a single speeder at a time. But that highly-visible police officer in the giant, brightly-colored police interceptor gets everybody to slow down a little.

I give up.

What an excellent idea.

 

[Famine]

Online shop's release date are speculation too, ok but it's a sort of "profesionnal speculation"

I agree.

So if 4, 5 let's say 10 suplier's, online shop give us the same release date, then i'll have a good hope the game will be released at the mentionned day.

I don't agree.

A couple of weeks ago, Play.com changed their "release date" to 25th September. Within the day, Tesco, Asda, Game UK and HMV.com had all changed their "release date" to the same one.

Now, were they acting on the same information, or were the others all watching Play.com and changed their dates simply because Play.com changed theirs? Well, they all now show different dates (Play/Asda/Tesco: 4th December; Game: 25th September; HMV: 26th December), which kinda suggests the "information" didn't exist.

It's all about getting hope not trying to have real release date.

But hope isn't information. I could hope and hope and hope until my brain exploded that GT5 comes out tomorrow. Won't change anything, or get the game into my hands.


When Sony have a release date for the world, GTPlanet will be at the head of the queue to let you know.

 

[Enciah]

You're right Famine


At least this kind of thread is an opportunity to the community members to express themself, even if it's misinformation, complain...(As long as that stays in forums, real information are in the News part)

 

[sher_da_putt]

To be honest I would blame the retailers, They are confusing people, all retailers should have the release as tba

 

[G.T.Ace]

Thats why we need this sticky, so people get reminded that shopdates mean nothing!
If people stop thinking these dates mean something, the shops will stop making them.

 

[TheCracker]

Thats why we need this sticky, so people get reminded that shopdates mean nothing!
If people stop thinking these dates mean something, the shops will stop making them.

Shops would rather post a date, however random, and possibly coerce someone to pre-order a game with them, then wait until an official date is announced and risk that potential customer shoping elsewhere.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

What an excellent idea.

Dont be fooled into thinking i've given up because of other peoples opinions being better/worse.

Its the attitude i've given up on. Their seem to be 4 types of people on this forum, and theres a certain type that disregards free speech and open discussion.


We have the strong sensible character who keeps things in line, yet allows discussion to run free. Most would agree with this person in general, the only people who dont are the next group. .

The big mouthed argumentative, generally teenager, type character. They have no patience to read what everyone else is saying, no concept of two sides to a discussion and would argue to the bitter end about absolute crap. You find this character is to blame for many of the closed threads.

The third character is probably the most common long term visitor. This character makes a statement based on opinion, with a bit of fact to back it up. They think indepedently yet dont cross anyone else, because its both rude and 'feeds the trolls'. Unfortunately because they can think for themselves and the next group really hate this, these people are generally the ones who get the must stick on these forums.

The fourth is the " im right your wrong your views dont count and i'll get a dig in whenever i can " This is to to make it seem like they have a completely independent view, the truth is they are generally incapable of having independant thought. Unfortunately this is the type of person thats grows up from character number 2. Its even worse when they are given authority.

 

[TheCracker]

Actually to simplify things, there's two types of people on this forum.

Those who follow the rules of this forum and follow general web forum etiquette.

And those who want someone else's forum to operate how they would like it to be run.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

Actually to simplify things, there's two types of people on this forum.

Those who follow the rules of this forum and follow general web forum etiquette.

And those who want someone else's forum to operate how they would like it to be run.

Maybe we should have a poll on this?