I don't normally write posts like this, hell I don't normally write anything, but I've decided in this particular case it was worth the effort.

Our story starts out with an average twenty-something joe looking to immerse himself into the fantasy world of a role-playing game (RPG). It just happened around this same time he discovered a post about game piracy. After reading said post, he decided to check out the indie game development house Spiderweb Software, which just happens to be run by the very same guy, Jeff Vogel, that wrote the above post. This is where I was first introduced to Avernum 6 and Geneforge 5. I immediately downloaded the "huge" Avernum 6 demo and began my journey through the world Jeff so wonderfully created. While I was enjoying Avernum 6, I decided to give Geneforge 5 a try as well. Reading through the online material, the story line told in Geneforge seemed more appealing to me. At this point, I've been enjoying both demo's immensely. The whole idea of indie game development, well indie anything for that matter, really intrigues me, so I started reading some interviews Jeff has done online and came across one particular interview (direct link to mp3). In this interview Jeff mentioned one of his favorite games, Dragon Age. And this is where the story takes a horrible turn for the worst, i.e. rant!

Being that I'm really just starting to play RPG style video games again I decided to check on Dragon Age since I discovered there was a Mac version out. The Mac version of the game is only available through digital downloads through third parties, it just so happens there are only three options. The first site I tried was Direct 2 Drive. No matter what I tried, after adding the game to my shopping cart every time I went to checkout I was presented with an empty shopping cart. The next site I tried was GameTree Online. This site looked very promising and to my excitement, I was able to successfully checkout. Being a digital download I figured I'd have access to my new game in no time. Needless to say after purchasing the game on Saturday evening, looking forward to playing on Sunday, I have yet to receive access to the game. It is Sunday afternoon. Even though nothing on GameTree's website states you will only get access to your purchase during normal business hours, they clearly lead you to believe it is a matter a minutes from purchase to play. I should also mention, it just happens that Monday will be a holiday for Canadians, which of course GameTree will be closed for. They also don't provide support outside of normal business hours. I have since asked for a full refund. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for holiday's and weekends, I just wish GameTree made it very clear from the beginning that they do not provide digital downloads outside of normal business hours. Maybe this is just a fluke in my case and 9 times out of 10 you get your games right away, but like they say one unhappy customer will tell more people about their experience then a happy customer. Now, back to the good stuff.

After being extremely discouraged by this turn of events, I decided to throw my monetary support toward Spiderweb Software. I purchased Geneforge 5 on Sunday and received my key 20 minutes later even though it was clearly stated in the confirmation email that it could take up to one business day to receive your key. In my opinion, that is a company that truly cares about it's customers and wanting to produce the best games and service possible.

While this entry was partly about ranting about GameTree, it is primarily about promoting indie game development. While Spiderweb is a small shop (three employees) with limited resources, they still managed to produce a much better distribution and overall buying experience then the large companies. As far as game play, while graphic-wise may seem outdated to some, is still highly enjoyable and the storyline is very captivating. Needless to say Geneforge 5 will provide a lot more game play to come. Oh, on a side note I also can't wait for Spiderweb's most recent endeavor, Avadon to come out.

Update (8/3): I was contacted by GameTree this afternoon, the customer support specialist was very polite and explained that most games are available on demand. My purchase just happened to be flagged due to security measures. I've decided to have them process my order since I've heard such great things about Dragon Age.