Plan for Pat Wilson
by Pat Wilson · 03/16/2005 (10:16 am) · 85 comments
Dear Fender,
I recently purchased one of your guitars, an American made Stratocaster (It was red, I like red.) so that me and some friends could make a band. We use Craigs garage because it's the biggest, and since his brother has a drum kit, we figured it would be easier to bring guitars there instead of bringing drums to my place. Anyway, to the point, I am very dissapointed in this guitar because when we tried to play, no loud music came out. Then we learned that we have to buy amps. We can't afford amps, and think that they should be included with the guitar.
This brings me to my second point. We decided that we'd write some music while we waited to get our amps sent to us. Our music is going to be the best ever. Think 50-Cent, mixed with Green Day...only sung like Destiny's Child. We're going to do a remake of "Panama" by Van Halen...only it'll be better. While trying to write the music, we learned that we need to learn how to play chords. This seems like an aweful lot to learn just to make a band. Someone suggested that we start by getting a chord book and doing something easy, but that's stupid because we don't want to play stuff that sounds like that.
Anyway, please get us the amps as soon as possible. We are going to plan out our song, and when we get the amps it will be the best song EVER. Thank you for your time,
-Pat
I recently purchased one of your guitars, an American made Stratocaster (It was red, I like red.) so that me and some friends could make a band. We use Craigs garage because it's the biggest, and since his brother has a drum kit, we figured it would be easier to bring guitars there instead of bringing drums to my place. Anyway, to the point, I am very dissapointed in this guitar because when we tried to play, no loud music came out. Then we learned that we have to buy amps. We can't afford amps, and think that they should be included with the guitar.
This brings me to my second point. We decided that we'd write some music while we waited to get our amps sent to us. Our music is going to be the best ever. Think 50-Cent, mixed with Green Day...only sung like Destiny's Child. We're going to do a remake of "Panama" by Van Halen...only it'll be better. While trying to write the music, we learned that we need to learn how to play chords. This seems like an aweful lot to learn just to make a band. Someone suggested that we start by getting a chord book and doing something easy, but that's stupid because we don't want to play stuff that sounds like that.
Anyway, please get us the amps as soon as possible. We are going to plan out our song, and when we get the amps it will be the best song EVER. Thank you for your time,
-Pat
About the author
#22
03/16/2005 (12:59 pm)
Brilliant.
#23
03/16/2005 (1:13 pm)
Yes ... absolutely hilarious! Why is this society so obsessed with instant gratification anyway ... if you don't work for it ... the end result isn't valuable anyway!
#24
03/16/2005 (1:19 pm)
If only most people didn't expect that you can get something for nothing, *sigh*.
#25
But, I guess it's how we interpret the humor that counts. I for one enjoyed it, I monitor other development boards and I see parallelism in the comments everywhere.
Thanks for the mid-week pick-me-up Pat.
03/16/2005 (1:20 pm)
@JMac: Any company that doesn't have a sense of humor, I'd be afraid to purchase their products.But, I guess it's how we interpret the humor that counts. I for one enjoyed it, I monitor other development boards and I see parallelism in the comments everywhere.
Thanks for the mid-week pick-me-up Pat.
#26
03/16/2005 (1:54 pm)
LOL its looks like do you have interesting experience with developers ;o)))
#27
And Pat, you where funny too... :)
Could I just chip in:
A friend of a guy whose brother I hang out with at work has got a Gibson and according to him it plays much better, louder and harder.. without an amp and all by itself. It is much more polished than Fender will ever be and comes in much cooler colours.
I asked him about the chords and he said "ain't never heard of 'em, wuts them for?".
Just to let you know...
03/16/2005 (2:06 pm)
@Mark Berry:Quote:http://forums.keenspot.com/viewtopic.php?t=74490That is one funny thread, and I'm not even half way trough yet..
And Pat, you where funny too... :)
Could I just chip in:
A friend of a guy whose brother I hang out with at work has got a Gibson and according to him it plays much better, louder and harder.. without an amp and all by itself. It is much more polished than Fender will ever be and comes in much cooler colours.
I asked him about the chords and he said "ain't never heard of 'em, wuts them for?".
Just to let you know...
#28
That was freakin' awesome.
And about the company rep thing: You know, leave that to the stuffed shirts at other companies. We're about GAMES, man.
Quite frankly - if you can't pony up the cash for professional tools, there are SO MANY FREAKING ALTERNATIVES out there. There ARE NO GATEKEEPERS! We're indies, man. Don't like it? Do it yourself. Gimme a week, a reasonably game-capable PC with a fresh install of Windows, an an internet connection, and I can make you a game on a budget of NADA except my time. No, it won't give UT2004 a run for it's money, but it will be fun and playable.
And if I'm SERIOUS, I can pay a few bucks and get some totally awesome tools. Sure, I love the price of free (or really freaking cheap), too. But folks believing they are entitled to it - welcome to the Real World.
Pat's my hero for the day. Great rant!
03/16/2005 (2:15 pm)
Man, o man.That was freakin' awesome.
And about the company rep thing: You know, leave that to the stuffed shirts at other companies. We're about GAMES, man.
Quite frankly - if you can't pony up the cash for professional tools, there are SO MANY FREAKING ALTERNATIVES out there. There ARE NO GATEKEEPERS! We're indies, man. Don't like it? Do it yourself. Gimme a week, a reasonably game-capable PC with a fresh install of Windows, an an internet connection, and I can make you a game on a budget of NADA except my time. No, it won't give UT2004 a run for it's money, but it will be fun and playable.
And if I'm SERIOUS, I can pay a few bucks and get some totally awesome tools. Sure, I love the price of free (or really freaking cheap), too. But folks believing they are entitled to it - welcome to the Real World.
Pat's my hero for the day. Great rant!
#29
03/16/2005 (2:46 pm)
Hahaha
#31
You're on, matey. Pick your dev tools, pick your rendering API (not a game engine), then make something from scratch. At the next GID (the first anniversary, i might add, be there or be an untextured black triangle) we'll have ourselves some real hardcore programming fun.
T.
03/16/2005 (3:41 pm)
Jay,Quote:Gimme a week, a reasonably game-capable PC with a fresh install of Windows, an an internet connection, and I can make you a game on a budget of NADA except my time. No, it won't give UT2004 a run for it's money, but it will be fun and playable.
You're on, matey. Pick your dev tools, pick your rendering API (not a game engine), then make something from scratch. At the next GID (the first anniversary, i might add, be there or be an untextured black triangle) we'll have ourselves some real hardcore programming fun.
T.
#32
03/16/2005 (3:44 pm)
Hey, I just got done writing them too. Since Fender is giving away all the updates for my guitar for free, I think they should be sending me anything that I need to use the new features for free too.
#33
Though why do you say it can't be a game engine? There's a bunch of abso-rootery free game engines out there available on the Internet. Now, most of them won't give Torque a run for it's money or anything ... but that's doable.
Now, if it HAS to be a Game In A Day (as opposed to a week), I'm gonna cheat and use Microsoft Visual Studio --- which does cost a bit as a tool is concerned, but my level of familiarity is higher than it is with something like Java + whatever graphics tools are available for it, or Python + SDL (though maybe Python + Irrlicht --- now there's an idea...)
03/16/2005 (4:28 pm)
Heh - Tom, alrighty.Though why do you say it can't be a game engine? There's a bunch of abso-rootery free game engines out there available on the Internet. Now, most of them won't give Torque a run for it's money or anything ... but that's doable.
Now, if it HAS to be a Game In A Day (as opposed to a week), I'm gonna cheat and use Microsoft Visual Studio --- which does cost a bit as a tool is concerned, but my level of familiarity is higher than it is with something like Java + whatever graphics tools are available for it, or Python + SDL (though maybe Python + Irrlicht --- now there's an idea...)
#34
03/16/2005 (4:37 pm)
Great post - very true to all the noobs (and other numbnuts) here who whine that they want stuff for free because they own a license to TGE.
#35
The reason for saying no engines was more to keep it as a "from scratch" thing ... which seemed more within the general feel of it. With the exception of VC++ (which I will be cheating and using too), keep it to anything free/dirtcheap or the completely from scratch thing ? Upto you :)
I can't really spare a week at the moment. A game-in-a-week thing is something that has been brought up many times and would be fun, but thus far nobody has had that much time to spare. It would be fun to see what kinda stuff would come out of a GIW.
Drop by IRC if you can, lets chat about it.
T.
03/16/2005 (4:43 pm)
@Jay,The reason for saying no engines was more to keep it as a "from scratch" thing ... which seemed more within the general feel of it. With the exception of VC++ (which I will be cheating and using too), keep it to anything free/dirtcheap or the completely from scratch thing ? Upto you :)
I can't really spare a week at the moment. A game-in-a-week thing is something that has been brought up many times and would be fun, but thus far nobody has had that much time to spare. It would be fun to see what kinda stuff would come out of a GIW.
Drop by IRC if you can, lets chat about it.
T.
#36
I said it was funny. Kind of a take off on the old "automobile" gag though. The point isn't that it's not about games, it was that he's slyly insulting the people who buy their products. Maybe they don't care (I don't care, no skin off my nose). But you don't have to be a "stuffed shirt" to care about your customers.
03/16/2005 (5:51 pm)
Quote:and about the company rep thing: You know, leave that to the stuffed shirts at other companies. We're about GAMES, man.
I said it was funny. Kind of a take off on the old "automobile" gag though. The point isn't that it's not about games, it was that he's slyly insulting the people who buy their products. Maybe they don't care (I don't care, no skin off my nose). But you don't have to be a "stuffed shirt" to care about your customers.
#37
I dunno, it seems that if youre (not YOU JMac, but people in general) too stupid to realize that TGE is an engine and not something that includes everything needed to make a game, you really deserve to get made fun of and mocked by people - including the people that sold you the engine. I applaud companies that dont put up with idiotic people who dont do their research before buying a product, or expect everything to be handed to them just because they own a product. As for myself, I'd do the same thing Pat did. Might it chase away customers? Sure, but to me its worth not having to deal with morons so I can concentrate on helping those that deserve my time. Remember - TGE never came with a promise for tech support, so it is something that you earn or are graced with having from a GG employee. Give it time and the idiots will weed themselves out. Ive had several run ins like this with people who buy surplus/EOL electronic components from me - I ignore the morons and help those who I feel 'deserve' it - and Ive had no problems selling gobs of components to customers ranging from hobbiests to pinball machine repair shops. In fact many sales are to repeat customers and they prefer to do business with me.
Sorry for the long post, and keep the blunt and straight .plans coming Pat!
03/16/2005 (6:10 pm)
@JMacI dunno, it seems that if youre (not YOU JMac, but people in general) too stupid to realize that TGE is an engine and not something that includes everything needed to make a game, you really deserve to get made fun of and mocked by people - including the people that sold you the engine. I applaud companies that dont put up with idiotic people who dont do their research before buying a product, or expect everything to be handed to them just because they own a product. As for myself, I'd do the same thing Pat did. Might it chase away customers? Sure, but to me its worth not having to deal with morons so I can concentrate on helping those that deserve my time. Remember - TGE never came with a promise for tech support, so it is something that you earn or are graced with having from a GG employee. Give it time and the idiots will weed themselves out. Ive had several run ins like this with people who buy surplus/EOL electronic components from me - I ignore the morons and help those who I feel 'deserve' it - and Ive had no problems selling gobs of components to customers ranging from hobbiests to pinball machine repair shops. In fact many sales are to repeat customers and they prefer to do business with me.
Sorry for the long post, and keep the blunt and straight .plans coming Pat!
#38
I understand the guy's frustration - it's hard to work on something great, and then have people complain it's not free. I've done it myself, and it sounds like you may have also.
It's not even Pat's comment itself that's really the problem -- it's the follow up posts that it encourages that out right calls the people who either assumed or hoped it would be free "morons".
Anyway, this is a lot more than I wanted to say on the subject. I was just surprised that a company rep would attack his own customers, even slyly. I could really care less whether they do or not.
I won't be contributing again to this thread, hopefully I won't be flamed too bad.
03/16/2005 (6:35 pm)
I don't know This sort of thing is fine from non-company people. But for a company whose tagline includes "We are a band of professional gamemakers" promising to give "any and all" their chance to make games", it just doesn't look good.I understand the guy's frustration - it's hard to work on something great, and then have people complain it's not free. I've done it myself, and it sounds like you may have also.
It's not even Pat's comment itself that's really the problem -- it's the follow up posts that it encourages that out right calls the people who either assumed or hoped it would be free "morons".
Anyway, this is a lot more than I wanted to say on the subject. I was just surprised that a company rep would attack his own customers, even slyly. I could really care less whether they do or not.
I won't be contributing again to this thread, hopefully I won't be flamed too bad.
#39
03/16/2005 (7:05 pm)
Quote:
[19:03] PatW: I think you should maybe say something about what exactly "professional" in the game industry means
[19:04] BenG: What does it mean?
[19:04] PatW: we make money doing it :-P
[19:04] BenG: Ahhh
#40
That and Pat's post made me laugh. So this customer is happy.
03/16/2005 (7:44 pm)
I feel this is a very serious problem that Pat has put in a way that I often explain it to others. Most wouldn't think twice about asking for a new car, shirt, food, etc because a new one came out and they had the old one. Yet they feel SW, music, movies should be free to them because its easy to re-produce or easy for them to copy. The only way to I have found to combat this mentality is to make is to draw the type of comparison Pat has. I feel this is something that needs to be done because I am someone who works many long and late hours to produce useful programs. I can't put food on the table with free upgrades or add on's to my programs.That and Pat's post made me laugh. So this customer is happy.
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