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Zam.com Q&AFollow

#77 May 03 2006 at 5:53 PM Rating: Good
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I just renewed my premium a week ago, so I'll have a year to see where this goes. Hopefully that money did stay in Allakhazam.

I have similar concerns as expressed by the other people, but I'm willing to trust Alla enough to see where everyone will be 1-2 months from now. Always the optimist I guess Smiley: lol.
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#78 May 03 2006 at 5:55 PM Rating: Excellent
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I think what Alla also doesn't realize (or doesn't care about anymore since he doesn't play WoW now), is that most of the guides, info, etc that help people like me who use the site, are made by the active members and forum readers. Since several are now canceling their premium accounts, and many won't contribute any more, Alla will become much less useful in the future.

Good job, Alla.
#79 May 03 2006 at 5:56 PM Rating: Decent
So does this mean selling of accounts/items will be legal now???

Edited, Wed May 3 18:57:02 2006 by lysolramuh
#80 May 03 2006 at 5:57 PM Rating: Excellent
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Allakhazam wrote:
I know it is hard to believe me


No, man. It's not like you lost credibility on this little stunt.

Fact is, my personal information is in the hands of the people who couldn't turn down goldsellers. What will happen the next time they make a generous offer?
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#81 May 03 2006 at 5:57 PM Rating: Excellent
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While I can understand the financial and business reasoning behind the decision, and it being a definite no brainer in that regards, I think what most people are upset about is how this site was the only one out there who stood above the rest, proclaiming an integrity we could believe in: not supporting in any shape or form the sites who sell gold to others. Now, no matter what angle you look at it, that integrity is gone.

I congratulate you Allah, and your employers, for the ability to do what you have been wanting to do with this site for years, but I mourn what was lost to acheive it.
#82 May 03 2006 at 6:00 PM Rating: Excellent
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Allakhazam Defender of Justice wrote:
I don't like Marlboros, but I still buy oreos. I would never buy a Ford, but would definitely buy a Jaguar. Not big on Taco Bell, but like KFC.
On the other hand, if KFC was doing something I found morally objectionable enough to boycott KFC, it might influence my Taco Bell buying habits as well.

There's a difference between most people's feelings on IGE and saying "Meh, I don't like burritos".

Like some others, I've turned off auto-renewal. Gives me four months to see where this is headed but my confidence isn't high.

Edited, Wed May 3 19:01:35 2006 by Jophiel
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Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
#83 May 03 2006 at 6:01 PM Rating: Good
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Baron von AngstyCoder wrote:
So who will now have easy access to the databases containing our usernames, email addresses, mailing addresses, billing addresses, and possibly credit card numbers, as well as IP addresses and other such information?


Visa&MC had me go through a tonne of hoops this year regarding CISP certification, I'm very protective of the user data. The billing database isn't used for anything except recurring account charges (renewals). The credit card companies's rules are really clear on that. Anyhow, nothing is changing with regards to that.

I'm really excited about this, it's been in the works for quite a while. The first thing we did was hire the previously part-time programming team on full time.

I wanted to wait to tell anyone about it, untill our premium users went to thottbot and saw the "Welcome soandso" message there, but there was pressure to get news out before e3.
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#84 May 03 2006 at 6:03 PM Rating: Excellent
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I do have a question for Alla.

What happens if the company that bought you suddenly demands that you share your client data with IGE? Can you pull out of the deal? Or can they just fire you and do it anyways?

...the way I see this is that you're not the 'boss' anymore, some faceless corporation is. They can say 'jump' and you'll say 'how high?' or you'll lose your job.

EDIT:

...and anyone who ever posted here to prevent supporting IGE will be screwed by them.

Edited, Wed May 3 19:10:45 2006 by Iamadam
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#85 May 03 2006 at 6:04 PM Rating: Excellent
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Illia wrote:
I wanted to wait to tell anyone about it, untill our premium users went to thottbot and saw the "Welcome soandso" message there


I'm sorry, but part of the reason why I'm premium member here is that I NEVER visit Thottbot.
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#86 May 03 2006 at 6:04 PM Rating: Good
Alla, when your network makes money, where do the profits go? To you, and to your higher-ups. Looks like it's time for the kids to find a new tree-house.
#87 May 03 2006 at 6:05 PM Rating: Good
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Quote:
We are purchasing eight new servers to run the site. Expect the speed issues to go away. We are also working on a way for people to personalize their view of the site and add blogging and other individual features. Our programmers will be able to put significantly more time into the site too, so there can be more searches and more features for every game. The benefits of this far outweigh the negatives. Given all of that, frankly this was a no brainer. The plan is to make Allakhazam.com and The Zam.com Network the ultimate online destination for all the latest information about your game.


Better a network hungry and run with love than a network well-fed on the misery of gamers.

The "no brainer" was IGE's people latching on to this place's collective skull and starting to suck.

Be very, very careful. The pact you've entered into lacks any kind of moral balance at the other side of the contract. You are now part of the Yantis machine.

May it benefit what you desire. I have great doubts in the end that you won't be cursing it later- because the quote above sounds like the beginnings of corporatespeak, rather than a person who's putting his soul into what he loves.
#88 May 03 2006 at 6:05 PM Rating: Decent
The people behind IGE now own Allakhazam. IGE is not a partner in any real sense, it is effectively the owner, but under a different name (they set up an organisation that is "above" IGE with a new name so that you can't factually say "IGE owns Allakhazam" but effectively it's the same thing).

This is a very sad day. In addition to Thottbot, Allakhazam and ogaming, IGE has bought playerauctions, yantis, and just about every other gold-trading site. Even if you think you're buying gold from someone else, it's probably one of IGE's fronts. IGE has also been buying up smalltime fan sites for future games, making large offers that people cannot refuse.

Even before WoW launched, IGE bought its competitor (yantis) for at least US$10million, and that was from profits made selling currencies in old games like EQ1, DAoC, AC, etc. Now that you have games with millions of players like WoW and Lineage2, you can bet IGE is turning over hundreds of millions of dollars.

IGE is now a threat to game companies themselves. And if you ever bought an in-game currency for real money, YOU ARE TO BLAME. YOU MADE IGE.

And if you don't know who is behind IGE, start googling terms like "brock pierce" and "digital entertainment network". Then do a google search for:

den "dot-com deadpool"

And click on the first link.

Edited, Wed May 3 19:14:55 2006 by MorvenDee
#89 May 03 2006 at 6:07 PM Rating: Good
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Allakhazam Defender of Justice wrote:
I don't like Marlboros, but I still buy oreos. I would never buy a Ford, but would definitely buy a Jaguar. Not big on Taco Bell, but like KFC. Many products you use are owned by people who own other products you may not like. It's the way of the world. As long as the companies are run separately, most people are fine with that. If your oreo cookie wrapper had a marlboro ad on it, maybe that would be a problem. It is important to keep in mind that we are a completely separate company within a large holding company that just happens to own other companies as well.
That's all well and good when you're buying a product you want. However, it's my understanding that premium members here consider their payment more of a donation than a purchase.

This site brings together a great community, but it is nothing more than a gathering place; like a public park. There's nothing here that can't be found elsewhere in better condition, except the people.

Nobody buys a place in a public park, but many people do make donations, because without donations the park may erode into garbage dump.

But, you don't need donations anymore Alla.. you've got corperate sponsors. You've just turned your public park into a Starbucks coffee shop. When you need money now, don't look at us.
Allakhazam Defender of Justice wrote:
This gives us the financial backing and stability to really do a great deal for everyone. Before the financial backing for the site was just me. Now it is a well financed corporation.
I couldn't have said it better myself. You don't need donations anymore.
Allakhazam Defender of Justice wrote:
I want our network to always be the first to have new game information. I want to be the destination of choice for anything having to do with any game we cover.
Be careful you don't lose the one thing that you have over the other sites right now - the community. You have your work cut out for you if you want to be the first on the spot with official new game information. Right now the community provides that, by being there to post new finds, and answer new questions about new content. In that respect this site already the first one with new information oftentimes, but only thanks to a community that could easily find a new home. Be careful you don't drive them away.
#90 May 03 2006 at 6:14 PM Rating: Decent
Maybe we'll get a free premium if we buy X amount of Currency!
#91 May 03 2006 at 6:15 PM Rating: Excellent
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Bhodi if I was truly a sellout, I would have just sold the site and run off and sat on a beach and enjoyed the profits. That would have actually been the easy thing to do. Instead I cared enough about it to insist that I be the one to run it and develop it. It is the fact that I care about this community and what happens to it that I am still sitting here and posting about this. A more cold blooded type would have just run off laughing into the sunset.
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#92 May 03 2006 at 6:16 PM Rating: Good
Never been to Thottbot or OGaming.com (I had to read it 3 times thought it said OGame.org) I know little of their clientel, etc etc. If a bunch of 1337ist aholes |337speak their way into here...

Congrats on the joint venture but IGE Smiley: confused

I do like the customization aspects you hinted on and new things for premium members.
#93 May 03 2006 at 6:18 PM Rating: Decent
So no free account [:sad:]
#94 May 03 2006 at 6:19 PM Rating: Excellent
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MorvenDee wrote:
The people behind IGE now own Allakhazam. IGE is not a partner in any real sense, it is effectively the owner, but under a different name (they set up an organisation that is "above" IGE with a new name so that you can't factually say "IGE owns Allakhazam" but effectively it's the same thing).
Who is the ultimate owner then of this site? I'd think we have the right to know where our dollars are actually headed when we spend them here.
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Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
#95 May 03 2006 at 6:19 PM Rating: Good
You guys ****** up.
#96 May 03 2006 at 6:21 PM Rating: Excellent
The Marlboro / Oreo comparison is not even vaguely relevant to this situation.

IGE makes its living by directly damaging the quality and content of the games that Alla supports. Marlboro does not chase after cookie eaters.

Better that you had just walked away and sat on the beach. How can you claim to love a site and the work you did on it, but yet you know work for/with the enemy of all gamers and gaming developers? Personally I would have had no problem with the sale of the site to IGE, because then its just sale, and your clear of it. But to claim that this move is in any way good for the GAMERS is silly. Who cares if we have a blog now if the price of items in games triples because of RMTs?
#97 May 03 2006 at 6:24 PM Rating: Excellent
Rate down -.-
#98 May 03 2006 at 6:24 PM Rating: Excellent
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wow...i don't think i've ever seen more than 20 people in this forum at one time...10 on an average day
#99 May 03 2006 at 6:30 PM Rating: Good
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*sigh* Soon as I read the newspost and saw the words THOTTBOT I KNEW this was going to turn out bad... I have a link somewhere i'll pull up here that was on the WoW boards awhile back showing that ige owned thott/og or something... so now that has changed or something I assume? Hell, that thread is even where alla said that thot tried to buyout him several times and when they WOULDN'T sell they vowed to run alla OUT OF BUSINESS. (well, not in so many words)

All that being said, I really hope you do maintain your firm stance against gold/gil/plat/whatever selling and keep things "safe" however I like other have some real concerns... my premium is a long way from renewing, but for now it is off (like many others) and I have no clue if it'll even go back on.

Also, as someone else pointed out, one thing that made alla so great was the comunity and how much info they submitted... lots of people aren't going to now, and some people like bodhisattva are asking for guides to be removed they wrote. That is really going to hurt the comunity, not only for WoW but other games too.

Well, time to dig up that link rq...

Edit:

Linky

also, what alla posted in there (in case you don't want to follow it >_>)

Allakhazam Defender of Justice wrote:
Interesting. I've know IGE owned Thottbot for quite a while now, but didn't want to post about it. I knew they were advertising on ogaming at one point, but didn't realize they had bought them outright. IGE tried to buy us a while ago and when we refused to have anything to do with them vowed to create a network to rival ours. Looks like they are on their way to doing so. I suggest you spread the word so others know about this too. I know people playing EQ2 would be interested in this info too.


I will say one thing though, at least Allakhazam is still staying on to develope and manage this new network it sounds like... the big question is just how much power will you have over what goes into it...

Edited, Wed May 3 19:40:11 2006 by Tomec
#100 May 03 2006 at 6:37 PM Rating: Decent
"Jophiel" wrote:
Who is the ultimate owner then of this site? I'd think we have the right to know where our dollars are actually headed when we spend them here.


To shed its image as a tobacco company whose product kills people, Philip Morris created a parent company for itself, called Altria Group. So now Kraft Foods, Miller Brewing, etc, can say "we're owned by Altria" instead of "we're owned by Philip Morris".

IGE has apparently done the same thing: artificially set up a new company above itself. So your dollars are going to whatever IGE's new artificial parent company is called. It's the same people as IGE.

#101 May 03 2006 at 6:38 PM Rating: Decent
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I see it this way:

Its not the people behind IGE that own this site.

Its the people that just recently bought both sites. The management remains the same on both sites, correct?

All the decisions will still be run through our current admin from what I can tell, so there's no need for worry about IGE influencing this site.

The business execs that bought the sites probably don't know the ethical dilemma that most gamers see in gilbuying/selling, they just see it as a profitable venture. I don't hold that against them personally.
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