Board Thread:Game Discussion/@comment-11013956-20130809140109

Here's the letter I just sent to Hasbro at hasbrobrandpr@hasbro.com :

Dear Hasbro,

Let me begin by saying that, like many others, I've been a fan of your Transformers and G.I. Joe brands for more than 20 years. Your products and those you license have brought my son and I many years of enjoyment. The fact that your brands are some of the most popular and easily recognizable out there is a testament to how much we enjoy them.

That said, it must be made clear to you that one of the companies you've chosen to license your properties to is dragging the good name of Transformers--and by extension, Hasbro--through the mud.

NGMOCO LLC, owner of the Mobage games distribution brand, is unapologetically ripping off fans of your brand. They are preying on our nostalgic love of Transformers to lure players into what is, essentially, a gambling operation. Week after week, event after event, the Transformers: Legends game entices customers to spend hundreds--sometimes thousands--of dollars for a "chance" to acquire their favorite bots, with no guarantee they will get anything of value for their money. Every event they release creeps up the power of the new bots released, making the ones already paid for obsolete.

There is no actual value associated with any of the "cards" acquired because within a week they are underpowered and useless. This business/game model is enraging many of Transformers' biggest fans. We are people who are normally quite eager to buy your products, but the decision to let Mobage create and distribute this game leaves us wondering if Hasbro is even aware of the state of Transformers: Legends.

NGMOCO LLC has earned an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau, mainly because they refuse to address the complaints of their customers. They release events that are full of bugs and don't respond when players complain. They make significant changes multiple times during events to force players to spend more money to stay competitive. They are aware of exploits used by some top players to stay at the top of the rankings and allow those players to continue cheating because it forces the other players to pay more to keep up.

In the end, they are preying on the inexperience of children and the addictive nature of some adults to line their pockets. The simple fact that Apple has issued hundreds of dollars in refunds to IOS users without question illustrates that this is not an isolated problem. Players are becoming more enraged by the day and the goodwill with customers that is being sacrificed is YOURS.

I, and many other once-paying players, have uninstalled the game and refuse to be fools any longer. We let ourselves be blinded by our love for your brand to the point of financial ruin. We've devoted countless hours to grinding away at a game we simply CANNOT win without spending huge sums of money, only to have Mobage nullify our purchases and spit in our faces. It's just not right.

What they have done to your Transformers brand is appalling, and the damage is done. Please don't allow them to do the same to your G.I. Joe brand. I was so excited to learn there was a G.I.Joe app available...until I saw it was being distributed by Mobage. It's only a matter of time before they ruin G.I. Joe and turn those fans against you, too.

Hasbro is better than this. At least I thought it was, anyway.

Sincerely,

Alex King



If you're angry about what's been going on, let Hasbro know. They own the brand and they need to be aware of what Mobage is doing to it. Peace.

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