Bethesda Continues to Struggle With Fallout 76, Refunds Now a Possibility

[Octopuss]

I don't want to rain on your parade, but I sort of believe that Bethesda apologists (jus like EA ones etc. etc.), which must be like 70% of the people who keep buying these games (otherwise the damn company would go bankrupt 15 years ago or so), will praise the piece of crap no matter how bugged it is or how pathetic the content is. Over and over.

 

[Vayra86]

I don't want to rain on your parade, but I sort of believe that Bethesda apologists (jus like EA ones etc. etc.), which must be like 70% of the people who keep buying these games (otherwise the damn company would go bankrupt 15 years ago or so), will praise the piece of crap no matter how bugged it is or how pathetic the content is. Over and over.

Those clearly aren't a majority any more otherwise FO76 would have not been a real wasteland right now and a discount sure as hell wouldn't happen shortly after launch.

 

[Octopuss]

I'm not sure. Some people just don't see any bugs, some are happy with sub-par content, and some are flat out crazy (the apologists).
I really believe people like us here are the minority.

 

[jboydgolfer]

It's sad because they're using a game engine that I believe they started using when they made Skyrim ,or that at least has remnants from that era. Issues that carried over from years back, issues that were fixed by modders, which they could have somehow included in this newest version of fall out, but were either too lazy or too stubborn to do so. Even the PIP boy menu that is native to fall out 76 is awful, and a mod was released three days after fallout 76 came out that greatly improved it. If a modder can do it in three days ,why can't an entire dev team do it in three years? Sad. & what is the deal with not being able to sneak attack multiplayers? they dont take damage until they shoot back?! an absolute fail. I bought it on PC & Xbone, and they are both trash (kids).

Edit:

What blows my mind even more than all the failings of this release, Is when it's proponents will claim "but it's fun when you play with friends". A ping pong ball is fun when you play with friends, snowballs are fun when you play with friends, Hell farting is fun when it's done with friends. A game being fun when it's played with friends doesn't say a lot for that game, Especially when it's the strongest part or positive aspect of that game. Just because 10% of players are content with this game ,doesn't mean anything other than they don't see its faults. A blind man may not see floors covered in shit, but just because he doesn't see the shit , it doesn't mean it's not there. but rest assured, he still slips around on it when he walks, so he's aware, but some choose to ignore its presence.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

It's sad because they're using a game engine that I believe they started using when they made Skyrim ,or that at least has remnants from that era. Issues that carried over from years back, issues that were fixed by modders, which they could have somehow included in this newest version of fall out, but were either too lazy or too stubborn to do so. Even the PIP boy menu that is native to fall out 76 is awful, and a mod was released three days after fallout 76 came out that greatly improved it. If a modder can do it in three days ,why can't an entire dev team do it in three years? Sad. & what is the deal with not being able to sneak attack multiplayers? they dont take damage until they shoot back?! an absolute fail. I bought it on PC & Xbone, and they are both trash (kids).

Edit:

What blows my mind even more than all the failings of this release, Is when it's proponents will claim "but it's fun when you play with friends". A ping pong ball is fun when you play with friends, snowballs are fun when you play with friends, Hell farting is fun when it's done with friends. A game being fun when it's played with friends doesn't say a lot for that game, Especially when it's the strongest part or positive aspect of that game. Just because 10% of players are content with this game ,doesn't mean anything other than they don't see its faults. A blind man may not see floors covered in shit, but just because he doesn't see the shit , it doesn't mean it's not there. but rest assured, he still slips around on it when he walks, so he's aware, but some choose to ignore its presence.

Bethesda wouldnt fix it because they had no reason to. Fallout 3, NV, and skyrim, and FO4 had many of the same engine bugs that oblivion had. Modders fixed it, and gamers bought it anyway. Why would bethesda put ANY effort into fixing it if modders would just do it for them?

Fallout 76 is the first time the Fallout *heh* of this kind of lazy development has become clear, with people outright refusing to buy the game and the servers being a wasteland *heh* devoid of any life. FO76 was an exercise in lazy, shitty game development, with less content then many indie games stretched out over an MMO landscape, and bethesda is just now realizing all that "review bombing" was their actual customers displaying dissatisfaction at their actions rather then a bunch of internet trolls. They now know: consumers are getting sick and tired of bethesda's excuses, and sales are reflecting that.

Of course, fallout 5 being single player might reverse that animosity, but we'll see. Consumers were willing to put up with bethesda's BS for years, they may be willing to continue to do so with future releases.

All of this is ironic, as bethesda owns iD, and the rights to iDtech 6, which is hands down a superior game engine.

 

[Octopuss]

Modders fixed tons of game bugs, but could never - and never will - fix engine bugs. They managed to do band aid workarounds around some of them, but generally engine stuff is impossible to do anything about, and that sucks the most. The unofficial patches eventually (like in 3-5 years) solve vast majority of content problems, but the engine... nope.

 

[erocker]

Nope.

From Bethesda:

Greetings,
Thank you for contacting the Bethesda Support Team.
Customers who have downloaded the game are not eligible for a refund. We apologize for the inconvenience.
If there is anything else we can assist you with please reply to this email for further assistance.
Thank you for your patience.
Kind Regards,
Bethesda Support

So that single forum post that started this news story might not be true. Others are reporting the same.

 

[Vayra86]

A blind man may not see floors covered in shit, but just because he doesn't see the shit , it doesn't mean it's not there. but rest assured, he still slips around on it when he walks, so he's aware, but some choose to ignore its presence.

Thanks for my new sig. If you don't mind Love it, it has that philosophical ring to it.

Nope.

From Bethesda:



So that single forum post that started this news story might not be true. Others are reporting the same.

That is just hilarious. How is anyone supposed to not download a downloadable product. Inb4 the first class action

 

[Bladej]

Bethesda don't want to refund my pre-order of Fallout 76, after i`ve played like 3 hours of it, they said this, i think they are giving me this treatment cause i`m not from USA, thats racism man, or w/e its called, xeno etc...
Greetings,
Thank you for contacting the Bethesda Support Team.
Customers who have downloaded the game are not eligible for a refund. We apologize for the inconvenience.
If there is anything else we can assist you with please reply to this email for further assistance.
Thank you for your patience.
Kind Regards,
Bethesda Support

 

[rtwjunkie]

Bethesda don't want to refund my pre-order of Fallout 76, after i`ve played like 3 hours of it, they said this, i think they are giving me this treatment cause i`m not from USA, thats racism man, or w/e its called, xeno etc...
Greetings,
Thank you for contacting the Bethesda Support Team.
Customers who have downloaded the game are not eligible for a refund. We apologize for the inconvenience.
If there is anything else we can assist you with please reply to this email for further assistance.
Thank you for your patience.
Kind Regards,
Bethesda Support

I hope you realize a lot of people in the USA won’t get a refund either. Stop jumping to conclusions.

 

[Bones]

Agree with rtwjunkie - Companies don't really give a rat's ass where you're from when it comes down to money and having to either repay or simply lose it.

I will say years ago I bought a game by this same company and it was beyond buggy as all hell, woudn't even play the cinematic cut scenes properly, never mind the game itself was an adventure in buggyness. I'll never buy anything from these guys again if I even buy another game at all.

BTW @Bladej - Double posting the same exact thing doesn't make your point any more or less relevant. It's understood getting a refund from them for anyone will be about as pleasant as getting your teeth pulled.

 

[Bladej]

Agree with rtwjunkie - Companies don't really give a rat's ass where you're from when it comes down to money and having to either repay or simply lose it.

I will say years ago I bought a game by this same company and it was beyond buggy as all hell, woudn't even play the cinematic cut scenes properly, never mind the game itself was an adventure in buggyness. I'll never buy anything from these guys again if I even buy another game at all.

BTW @Bladej - Double posting the same exact thing doesn't make your point any more or less relevant. It's understood getting a refund from them for anyone will be about as pleasant as getting your teeth pulled.

Sorry, wasnt going to double post it!, Ty

Just said this shitty conclusion of mine, cause lots of people was posting that they got a refund with no problem at all, and some sites posted it too, like these ones:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/refunds-available-for-fallout-76-pc-bethesda-launcher.82628/
http://www.legitreviews.com/bethesda-refunding-fallout-76-pc-purchases_209251
https://www.techpowerup.com/249888/...gle-with-fallout-76-refunds-now-a-possibility

 

[Bones]

Hey - It happens.
I just feel sorry for those that banked on Bethesda actually having something GOOD this time.

After that one game I had, I just wrote them off as a crap software corp and moved on.
BTW do bear in mind that was very early on, some won't like the game and refunds at that pojnt aren't a problem, it's when the game is found to be a total crap-fest and EVERYONE want a refund is when they get stubborn about it. Also noted the source of the refund being said to have happened was from a single individual in both off site links, in fact legitreviews used the same source - Also the guy is probrably a BIG gamer and reviewer too.

Can't say if that's really so but you never know, I've never heard of him before.

 

[king of swag187]

Sure on PC, the game is a utter joke and shouldn't be considered, but know Xbox? Getting into a party with a few friends, it's like the old days. Sure, even on the slightly more polished console version side of things, it's a considerably buggy game. But it looks good and is fun to play, and for me paying only $160 for it and my Xbox bundled together, it's a good time for me

 

[eidairaman1]

What happened to hiring testers!?

 

[lexluthermiester]

Nope.

From Bethesda:

So that single forum post that started this news story might not be true. Others are reporting the same.

Solution, call your credit card company and dispute the charge. I've done this. It works.

 

[robot zombie]

I dunno... after Fallout 4, I kinda saw this coming, especially when I first saw the game and realized it's basically just a multiplayer modded Fallout 4. I get that people wanted this game to be good - as did I. I just don't get why anybody bought it up front. My heart goes out to those being denied refunds... at this point that is major insult to injury.

What they don't seem to be seeing yet is that the empire they have built over these past couple of decades CAN fall. I think they tend to think of all of us as some sort of family who just adores their games and lovingly crafts improvements, all while accepting them for what they are. No matter what! And we HAVE been a very apologetic community. There's some truth to that but at the end of the day, if you repeatedly let down your family, in the same way no less, they will eventually stop answering your calls and inviting you to stuff. It's important to cherish what you have in family and do right by them.

By now they should know very well that we want only two simple things. 1. A better engine or at least a REAL overhaul (not tack-ons.) And 2. A new open-world RPG, major release. It has been more than long enough for them to do both. And yet we see none. They're going to see just how fast a monolith can go from legend to relic if their next release shares any of the traits that this one has. I am very glad to see the outcry. It has been long overdue. People have been too tolerant their practices for too long, and it's made them as complacent as we have been. Easy to do. At the end of the day the games are still fun. But the signs of something like this coming about have been out there for some time now. It's okay until it isn't.

And then it's very bad.

It's time for them to just stop whatever they're doing and focus on the mechanical end. No denying it now, I hope. They'll probably try to skirt, if I'm reading them denying refunds properly. They want to act like there isn't a problem... ...that or they think they can fix this fast enough and *just* well enough for people not to be super pissed, like they usually do. Or maybe they're betting on modders bailing them out and drawing these people back, like they usually do. Problem is... this time, the game is ALREADY ruined for a lot of people, some of whom will not come back, whether it gets fixed or not. Stuff like this can be really damaging, especially when your rep already precedes you. Hopefully nobody will have it. They need to take a real fall here. And I say that not out of spite, but as someone who has enjoyed several of their releases and wants to see them be better.

The tangential possibility here is they know they're cooking up something so much better that they can afford the risk of 76 flopping. I.E. "Just you wait..." Maybe they've already fixed this stuff and we just haven't seen it yet. It's possible, given that development for this started back when FO4 was still pretty new. May be they just went too far with it to go back and are just hoping to break even. I mean, they had to know, right? Can only hope. :/

 

[TheOne]

What happened to hiring testers!?

Why pay people when they will pay for the chance to test it, B.E.T.A.. It's a shame they didn't actually use the people who preordered to test the game before launch.

 

[R-T-B]

I don't want to rain on your parade, but I sort of believe that Bethesda apologists (jus like EA ones etc. etc.), which must be like 70% of the people who keep buying these games (otherwise the damn company would go bankrupt 15 years ago or so), will praise the piece of crap no matter how bugged it is or how pathetic the content is. Over and over.

Fortunately this time around even they appear pretty tired of this shit. My whole guild was full of those guys and they are raging.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Solution, call your credit card company and dispute the charge. I've done this. It works.

What do you tell the CC company? Is there an option to say that you aren’t satisfied and that the seller isn’t providing a refund? Does your game still work?

 

[R-T-B]

I hope you realize a lot of people in the USA won’t get a refund either. Stop jumping to conclusions.

I mean a lot of countries don't have strong consumer protections (even worse than USA) so his assumption probably wouldn't be too offbase in any other situation.

Aparently in this one though bethesda wants to be a global asshole, not just a regional one.

What do you tell the CC company? Is there an option to say that you aren’t satisfied and that the seller isn’t providing a refund?

Some cards do indeed offer a "Satisfaction Guarantee." You'd need to ask your CC company.

However, if you own any other bethesda.net content, be aware they may take retaliatory action (bethesda.net ban) to "settle your account."

 

[lexluthermiester]

What do you tell the CC company? Is there an option to say that you aren’t satisfied and that the seller isn’t providing a refund? Does your game still work?

You claim, correctly so, that the product either fails to work or fails to work properly for you. Consumer protection laws apply.

However, if you own any other bethesda.net content, be aware they may take retaliatory action (bethesda.net ban) to "settle your account."

Legally, in the United States at least, they can't do that. Again consumer protection laws.

 

[R-T-B]

Legally, in the United States at least, they can't do that. Again consumer protection laws.

Maybe. I'm not a lawyer. I do know trying this on steam will get your account banned (at least that part seems automatic) and a nice "see you in court" when you claim that you are protected via consumer protection laws.

Then again, steam is only a retailer, and my friend who relayed this likely made the situation worse than it had to be.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Maybe. I'm not a lawyer. I do know trying this on steam will get your account banned and a nice "see you in court" when you claim that.

Not true. I've done it to Steam. I bought a game that refused to run, at all, then demanded a refund. They refused. I disputed the charge, it was reversed. I then notified them that ANY retaliatory action would be met with responses they would not enjoy. They responded with an apology and an assurance that future problems would be handled in accordance to consumer protection laws. They of course removed the game from my library.

Folks if you don't defend your rights, you lose them. Never back down, never take no for an answer. If they want your money, they have to earn it and respect you in the process.

 

[R-T-B]

Not true. I've done it to Steam. I bought a game that refused to run, at all, then demanded a refund. They refused. I disputed the charge, it was reversed. I then notified them that ANY retaliatory action would be met with responses they would not enjoy. They responded with an apology and an assurance that future problems would be handled in accordance to consumer protection laws. They of course removed the game from my library.

Folks if you don't defend your rights, you lose them. Never back down, never take no for an answer. If they want your money, they have to earn it and respect you in the process.

Like I said my friends actions were likely to blame as much as anything there. Just relaying what he told me. And either way, be aware we're on the same page here in the end: You'll likely have to "remind" them a few times. Still, rights are worth perusing.