Did FilePlanet Impact the WAR Open Beta Experience?
In order to participate in the Warhammer Online open beta, users had to download the WAR client from FilePlanet, a file downloading service that is part of IGN Entertainment, a division of Fox Interactive Media.
In order to download the client, open beta participants had to choose between one of two download options: try their luck with the free download service, or subscribe to FilePlanet to get preferential treatment.
I chose the former, and waited for more than 12 hours for the WAR beta client to download. I wasn’t at the PC when the download completed, and the FilePlanet download manager removed me from the download queue. Determined to download the client, I reluctantly signed up for FilePlanet’s $15/quarterly service, which provides preferential download treatment.
I don’t fault FilePlanet for offering free and premium services, as I know as bandwidth isn’t free, especially when we’re talking about massive 9GB file sizes. Yet the goal of any product sampling experience is to give potential customers a taste of your product, and hope that a positive experience convinces them to upgrade. Granted, I upgraded to download the client. But I didn’t upgrade because I was satisfied with the service; I upgraded because it was the ONLY way to download the WAR open beta client. It’s akin to Google suddenly saying that you’re allowed to see how many emails you have in your Google email account, but you can only read them if you bust out the credit card. The experience left such a bad taste in my mouth that canceling my FilePlanet account is at the top of my to do list.
Update: It seems I’m not alone in thinking FilePlanet’s user experience needs work. See here, here, here, and here for more opinions on the subject.
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