Tuesday, December 4, 2007

The NDA Debacle

So, I was browsing the VN forums today when I came across that rare post that stings. For it was directed at me. The NDA to Pirates lifted yesterday, but not until about 1130am PST. I was unaware of this.

Instead, I came into work around 8am, and as I made my way through the morning I stumbled across Tobold's blog and his Beta Review of PotBS. Admittedly an unwise choice in hindsight, I took this to mean that the NDA had indeed been lifted. I don't have access to MOST sites here at work. I can get to the VN boards, but I can't log in. I can't check PotBS' website, or pretty much anything gaming related. Even Keen's blog has been blocked to me now, thanks to the folks here thinking a gaming news site must mean I am playing games at work too... but that's neither here nor there.

The fact is that I couldn't find out about the NDA dropping by any means other than the few blogs I can visit while at work. My mistake certainly for trusting them as indicators of some official announcement. I own up to that for sure.

I didn't review it myself, in fact I still haven't. But apparently by way of association I may now branded as a bad beta tester for linking to sites who did (albeit accidentally) break the NDA themselves. This was not my intention. My sole intention was to get more great words out about PotBS, which Tobold and Potshot have covered in spades.

There are many things that could be said about their early reviews. We could all debate all day that they should have checked the website for an official announcement before posting their reviews. In fact, I'd say they should have too.

But that's not what I'm concerned about right now, frankly. I just want it known that I never broke the NDA nor did I intend to. I hope no one, and I mean NO ONE, thinks I would.

6 comments:

KevinC said...

Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong to me - you didn't break the NDA. You may have linked to articles that did, but then again, from the information you had at the time it was a valid assumption. I wouldn't sweat it bud, and I certainly hope folks aren't trying to give you a black eye.

Also, you were technically under an NDA until tomorrow at 1:35 P.M. before you could reveal any of this. :)

Anonymous said...

No one broke the NDA, and Keen and the others that are all pissy about Tobold, you et. al writing posts need to chill out.

FLS made an announcement to all of us behind closed doors that specified what date the NDA would drop and we could start telling people about the game.

I read that, they read that, everyone read that... It didn't specify a time until AFTER this misunderstanding, and I'm no lawyer, but when you say 'December 3rd' and nothing further, you either 1) don't care or 2) should have been more specific.

My review would have been up at 8:30am on the 3rd if 15inches of snow hadn't fallen and I stayed home from work. I am a rabid NDA follower, and I was ready to post as well.

Anonymous said...

I love how reminding people of a standard procedure and asking that they be more careful in the future can be misconstrued as being "pissed"... but anyway...

Bildo didn't violate the NDA and my post was not even aimed at him. He knows this as well.

What I find ironic are all the people who become defensive assuming I was talking to them. Nothing like a guilty conscience.

Anonymous said...

I just want to add that I find it amusing to see the constant quoting of the dev's saying "Dec 3rd" and referencing posts, etc. Did some how those people conveniently miss the posts by devs on the beta board asking people to "wait until the public announcement" was up?

If I'm the easy target people need to use to feel better about it then have at it.

Anonymous said...

Developers and others shouldn't be so prissy about a couple of hours here or there.
The fact is, whether the game is good or it sucks, there aren't going to be any major changes made to it so close to the restrictions being lifted.

Bildo said...

This is true anonymous, but it IS also simple courtesy to not say anything until the official announcement has been made.

Should FLS have been more clear with an NDA timeline? Perhaps. But maybe they should have also just not let it be known until the moment it was lifted. After all the confusion I'm thinking the latter would have been a better choice.

FLS has got to be the most openly honest development team on an MMO I've ever seen. I hope it carries on into release, and with the Boarding Party, I think it will.

And Keen, don't let it get to you man. Your principles are sound. This post was just to cover my own integrity. I don't want the developers that happen upon this blog to think I'd purposefully break an NDA.