As Press and Community Relations Manager Casey Keefe was asked regarding their bighuge change in their mmorpg...

Are you worried about alienating the base that has made SWG a success to date? What do you say to those who feel betrayed?

His answer:

Casey Keefe: That’s always a risk with the advancement of any game, whether it be taking an MMO in a new direction or releasing a completely new sequel. However, we have had multiple members of the existing player base, both casual and hardcore alike, come out in support of the new direction of the game who are really enjoying it.

To those that feel "betrayed" we understand their frustration, but really think they are missing out on a great Star Wars experience by not continuing to play the game with its new direction. I would suggest they give it a real honest try, if they do not like it after that then at least they have given it a fair shake, but don’t cast it off automatically just because it is something new.

Here's what a certain Azhrarn, a member of the mmorpg.com site said about SOE's ethic behavior:

I feel very little pity for anyone who would knowingly perpetuate the kind of business SOE and LA do by not only silently consenting to it, but by carrying out those practices daily for a paycheck. People can and often do jokingly refer to themselves or others a corporate whores, but there's more truth to that than most are willing to acknowledge, even to themselves. As for the employees of these two companies... well in the end, what comes around comes around. A company that treats its customers like dirt under its feet will in the end treat its servants with just as little regard. Knowing this, making an ethical decision to seek a better employer shouldn't be such a hardship as some of you would make it out to be.

Paying subscribers to a live game who have signed no NDA have every right and perhaps even the responsibility to warn people of the kind of practices and treatment companies like these give to their customer base. This isn't just about a game gone south, it's about business and the future of a market -- OUR market. Christmas cheer is one thing, but let's not confuse goodwill and peace on earth with accepting deplorable treatment and perpetuating a negative trend in online business. By doing so, you only garauntee that someone else will suffer the same ripoffs and frustrations you yourself endured. Not exactly what *I'd* call a nice holiday gift.

Call a spade a spade. SOE and LA both deserve to reap the rewards for their abusive customer relations, their complete disregard for the value of the virtual property that they have liquidated en masse without reasonable compensation and their (quite literally) having charged thousands of people for years to beta test their software without their knowledge or consent under the thin pretense that they were running a live MMORPG.

Oh...

Merry Effing Christmas.

What about some comments about this kind of thing on the show??