as much as i hate to admit it i think SD need to think about they way they treat customers. as soon as the game came out its like they couldnt give a [censored]. they treat customers with contempt. yes, free DLC will be nice but by the time its released only 20 people will be playing. just a quick word might be nice to say there has been a hold up. the community is almost dead - certain times of the day you cant even find 16 man servers with people playing.

also - their twitter feed is dead, they never say anything useful on there and ive only once seen them here. they sporadically use the SD forum but the poor PR and terrible community liaison is just annoying.

i like brink but my thoughts of SD have plummeted, surely smaller devs companies with small communities deserve to treat their customers better. brink is a great new bit of IP but some stupid decisions and poor support (no response ever about any ATI issues or the useless one-button-barely-works scenario) SD just look like they dont care. im sure they do care but image is everything. perception is reality etc etc

And why do people always use that excuse to defend them? Lawyer speak and politics svck and is not needed on the forums to understand what happened. And don't put words in my mouth, since I never said anything about guarantee. I said what they "stated" not promised. (See I'm pulling the same BS)

It doesn't matter if something is free nor does it matter if people think they owe us anything. It is the fact that credibility was on the line and they did not deliver upon it. That's the bottom line.

PS: You misread the smoke break part of the metaphor. It was to show the lack of notification when the expected time of release was past.

Also the birthday example is garbage. Our friends hold no obligation to make you happy (probably not very good friends). A business does hold an obligation to make you happy. (Or there will not be any customers) Credibility and trust in a business is incredibly important. Why else would Sony be in the **** they are in now for there free online service?

Like I posted erlier, its really the same princaple as this;

People have the right to complain about this....
Like hot-wire said its like ordering something from a restureaunt [even if it is 'free' or a complimentry meal because you are a past customer, oh and your food was mouldy] then waiting 45 minites and then the waiter saying "sorry your order is expected in another 45 minites, but heres a picture of your food" So your like ok... ill wait then. Then 45 minites later you still have no food... and nobody has told you anything about it even with other people asking, so you go and ask where your food is, and you just get ignored.....wtf, I know many people that in person would RAGE lol, its very disrespectful to say the least.
If you havent already left the resturant then you very much have the right to complain. Anyone who doesnt complain, or is delusional, or tries to justify them doing it because "the food isnt coming so why let us no? its still not coming yet, why complain?" are just mugs in my opinion, have your opinion about people who complain, but it doesnt change these people very much have the reason to complain, maybe if they wern't complaining they would even still be here..... so be thankfull for that, would you rather them not even play the game anymore? These people dont like being mugged off... let them complain the the company hasnt given them any reason not to when they eaisly could have.....

None the less, are any of these complaints making a difference? Would they better off at SD's site, where they are more bound to see them?

Ill agree that a person or company should stick to there word. Or give some notification that "hey sorry plans changed, we dont know what we are doing. but we will let you know when we do!" Or whatever.

But again whats the use. Our cries only land on deaf ears, they already have our money! They will get to it when and if they get it. Thats my opinion anyway. I could say a much more.

I love this game so dont get me wrong here, but shouldnt all of this crap have been fixed in developement????? i want to play this game but its unplayable online and its not even worth playing solo
!!! bottom line is that the game shouldnt have been released for another 6 months to a year!!!!!!

Ok, time for the collective voice of reason to jump in. There are two sides of the fence you're on. You're either outraged and at arms about the new content not being out yet, as well as SD/Bethesda not giving any info as to the exact reason why, or you think that the people who feel that way have no relevance in their complaints because it's "free" content, and they should be grateful when it is released. But there's another side...that I myself am on. That being the side that doesn't give a damn either way. DLC or not, it's not effecting me. It's not the end of the world. It's not something I absolutely need to have. I have other games to play. I have other things I do in my spare time. While I can see, and completely understand both ends of the argument, is either argument making the new content come out any faster?

Short answer...no.

So with that said, how about folks take a chill pill, and wait it out. The people who are miffed, you have the right to feel that way. The people who are annoyed by the complainers, you have a right to be annoyed as well. But the bickering between both sides isn't doing anything productive...at all. So how about we transfer that energy into something a bit more constructive on the forum, eh folks? Just a suggestion.

I still very much doubt this update is coming out anytime soon. All there has ever been is reasons to put it off, yet NEVER a real good explanation.

-We were TOLD we would get a DLC + Updated in game mechanics within the FIRST two weeks of June.........................That never happened.
-We were TOLD we would get the DLC during the end of June or first week of July...................That never happened.
-We were told like a few weeks ago we will be getting it on the last day or two of July (Hard Date)...........................Has yet to happen........however
-SD's own forum moderator is telling us basically "Well yeah we HAVE the update, and DLC, however, we JUST submitted it to MS and PSN for approval before we go live with it. So yeah, it exist but we won't meet our own deadline most likely."

So wait a minute! This DLC, according to SD's posts in their own forums PREVIOUSLY, has been ready since the START of JUNE. Just NOW they are trying to get it submitted? Well if they had a clue that the DLC was going to take "X AMOUNT" of time to authorize through MS and PSN, then why on earth would they give a hard date if it was not even ready on the date we were told? Even their own moderator had to go on the defensive and state "The DLC is NOT canceled." Meaning that there is a TON of concern for this so called UPDATE we were GOING TO GET FOR FREE, that he has to state that it still is coming out, however it may be yet a while more.

The good news? If your still playing, then you will get the DLC at some point...................maybe this year..................or next. If your not playing, then you probably are using Brink as a wedge to keep your kitchen table balanced.

Yes, sorry don't much care anymore for the Brink [censored] that are going to go and get all pissy with my post. Its true. At the start of this post, the creator posted a link to the actual SD site and the actual forum moderators POST. You too can go read for yourself about the DLC that would never be as planned. With less then a thousand people on between the US and Europe, this game is hitting the <>

Congrats Beth and SD, you finally went as low as you could ever go regarding Customer Service, a Title with theatrics (E3) and promises that never happened (Endless customization? PLEASE LOL), Concept ideas that sounded good on paper, looked good during promo vids, but never made it in game (Okay maybe they did, but they are for the most part broken), it's and endless list.

In other words, the game can't get any worse. You got our money. You broke every promise and statement made. At least just be upfront and say "LOOK! We have a DLC but some idiot forgot to send it for approval. Hes being hanged in our dungeon currently, however, we got a runner to snail mail it to those that need to approve it. It might take a year to bike ride it over to such people, but we are on it! In the mean time, PLEASE keep playing our game with IMPROVED AI! No longer will your AI Medic show hes coming to revive, just to stand on top of you and fight. NOW! They will run over to you, T-Bag you, THEN fight! Your death will result in HUMOR! We will also include a free coupon for your DLC pack that will never come. Should it ever come, the Coupon will expire and we will take more of your money to make the game playable for you. Thank you and have a nice day!"

I would just love to point out the irony of SD/Bethesda holding up the DLC for a simultaneous release since that is such an important part of their business model considering that neither console version has the weapon patch, yet the PC version does and the stats site does not support the PC version yet but both console versions have access to it. Since when does delivering equal content actually matter to SD/Bethesda? Brink is like a comedy of errors at this point and it is rather appropriate to see SD/Bethesda mess up every single aspect of this game considering that is all they have done up to this point.

So close yet so far...

People may jump in here and throttle you for sayin we weren't told we were getting it on and exact date or w/e and that it was 'planned' or 'expected' but just incase in advance it really doesnt matter, it still stands. and this is a very good point;

"So wait a minute! This DLC, according to SD's posts in their own forums PREVIOUSLY, has been ready since the START of JUNE. Just NOW they are trying to get it submitted? Well if they had a clue that the DLC was going to take "X AMOUNT" of time to authorize through MS and PSN, then why on earth would they give a hard date if it was not even ready on the date we were told? Even their own moderator had to go on the defensive and state "The DLC is NOT canceled." Meaning that there is a TON of concern for this so called UPDATE we were GOING TO GET FOR FREE, that he has to state that it still is coming out, however it may be yet a while more."

If the DLC was 'planned' for june then dont you think they would have it in for confirmation at atleast early june........ its all just BS. Comming from what they have said it sounds like it been in confirmation for like 5 weeks lol, they knew for a fact it wouldnt be ready for june and just told everyone its 'planned' for june knowing that it wouldnt be ready and only letting them know at the very end of june, or had it in for confirmation and it failed misserably so had to work on it again.
Then they say at the end of june they have in Confirmation at Sony/Microsoft [hangon... it should have been long ago.... lol] and it is expected early july, then the week before the end of early july or erlier they knew for a fact wether it would be out in time or not.... yet they didnt let anyone know or update but just sit there and let people think its coming. Idiots. And still no update on the offial site....Morons

Ino... but they had already stringed it out long enough and were obviously just constantly eating Bethesdas money

Hopefully tomorrow.

Each day I read more of your conspiracy theories is a day closer to the release of the DLC so thanks for at least helping pass the time. I know that everyone has a right to be upset about the situation but you take it to another level and are impossible to please. Even if SD got everything right, you would still find something to complain about.... that is just the kind of person that you have proven yourself to be. You say you want communication and GUESS WHAT? They did just what you asked and told the community the hard truth... but you CHOOSE to not accept it in all your stubborness. Your like that demanding customer or boss that wants it done yesterday and stares at you like you own a time machine, absolutely unreasonable.

If they got everything right, not even that but just a little better with lobbies or server lists and good matchamking I wouldnt have much to complain about, What I am complaining about is the huge lack of communication form SD/Bethesda when it really needs it...
And what? they have updated on the SD forums [after the end of early july btw, when they knew for a fact before....] But they still havent even updated the main site or main forum for thier game!?!?!? wtf... like I said I dont want tired players waiting for the DLC wondering where it is comming here and seeing no update and leaving like allot of others..... how hard is it to update the main site and forum for the game.... its like they dont care. Its not that I dont accept anything, but sadly it is what it is.

(I'm scited to see I'm still one of the only people who knows hot multiquote.)

I'm going to argue that they more than likely did not CHOOSE these communication problems. Things come up, things happen. It could have been an earnest mistake on their part. Even their short notes to us seem rushed, so they're certainly feeling pressure.
And I get that the gaming industry has changed, but since when did us buying from a certain developer yield US certain customer services? When you buy a game, you simply bought that game. The only people, at that point, who you customer service are the stores you purchase your games from.
If I buy a book from Stephen King, does that entitle me to indefinite service from him..?
Nnnno. We have purchased a singular product, we got exactly what we paid for (though $40 is probably more the price this game should have charged).

I'm really confused as to where you're getting this "lawyer speak and politics" nonsense. Nor did I imply that you're the one who said anything about a guarantee. I was stating that nothing was guaranteed to us, at all, meaning; we were not told of any solid information outside of receiving (at an undisclosed time, only a rough estimate) DLC. That is it. They didn't promise to everyone we'd be getting it June 20th, or whatever date you wanna pick for the example. If they had told us it'd be out at that time, and it wasn't, then didn't say anything for a month... I'd get it. That's annoying. But that isn't the case.

And it has nothing to do with it being free or "owed" to you. My point being; this DLC is STILL a gift. It is free because the developers are SORRY for the community's disappointment in receiving a slightly broken game. My "Birthday Gift" example still holds its point, as well as the fact that was no specific time given.
As I said, I don't care if you're upset. That isn't the problem. The problem is the obscene reaction from the majority. Pure out-rage and cursing at the company.

I honestly don't blame the company for taking their time with this... There are MANY reasons it could have been delayed, all to our benefit (with few exceptions). Maybe they wanted to take a bit more time to polish it up or squeeze in a bit more tweaks to the game. Maybe they DID finish it in June and throw it to Sony and Microsoft, but something went wrong with them. Maybe their agreement was somehow botched.
The company is working for us in this case, and a majority of the community is cursing them for that?
Ridiculous.

My main points;
-Beyond the customer service of the store we purchased the game from, these developers and companies owe us NOTHING. You paid the price already, whether you agree with it in hindsight or not.
-The DLC is a GIFT. And you're acting like children because you didn't get it when you wanted it.
-On that note, the DLC was never given a specific date of release, therefore - it was NOT a guarantee on the company's part when they could get it out.
-This gift is free to us - as in; YOU HAVE NOT PAID FOR ANYTHING YET. You are NOT entitled to any services as of this point.
-I'm more than certain the developers busted their asses trying to get this to us. It has nothing to do with incompetence. (I challenge any of you to do it better.)
-Most of these delays were more than likely for OUR BENEFIT.
-I'm still confused about the "lawyer talk and politics" thing.

The problem there is that if i order something from Walmart there is actually a firm window for delivery and if it doesn't arrive the order can be cancelled and i get a refund. Also, say i ordered a book and when it arrived, it was missing chapters and the pages kept sticking together. I could get a hassle free refund.

Way to look far too deep for a literal meaning to a hyperphetical metaphor dude. Gold Star.

Entitlement from some users is getting quite tiresome if I say so myself, the DLC is delayed. End of. We don't NEED to know when it's being released, we might WANT to know but it isn't going to make our lives unbearable if we obtain this downloadable content later than an estimated date. Simmer down, much like Over-Hype, getting this annoyed about a delay of FREE content would mean nothing more than blasting it again when it does come out saying its "not worth the wait" and "I thought it would have been better".

Think of it this way, If you like Brink, if you Love Brink, if you find it okay, Is the inclusion of increased Level Cap, new weapons and maps going to make any major difference to your opinion? It will still be the same game that's improving itself day by day. Hopefully improving from issues that matter moreso than concentrating on a minorities impatience.

fingers crossed , but seeing as we havent hear anything official its highly unlikely.......sigggghhh

but they did release this info today >>http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1211410-new-brink-pc-update-stopwatch-tweaks-motd-and-more/ << which you can read into how that may corelate with the dlc releases

I was merely pointing out the flaw in your example. I'm not really bothered either way as far as dlc goes. The patch is my main concern.

In summary, Splash Damage told us that we would be receiving free DLC because they wanted to make amends for the quality of the game at release. This DLC was described as being available in early July. Early July came and went and we didn't hear anything from the developers about the DLC. Now, in mid to late July they are telling us that it is out to Microsoft and Sony for certification and they are holding all the DLC updates until they are fully cleared.

Does this frustrate me. Absolutely! I want BRINK to be free of all the frustrations that have crept up over the past few months. This DLC has the possibility of resolving some of these issues.
Do I have the right to complain. Yes. Splash Damage gave us a time period where we could expect this release and didn't communicate when this period passed with no results.

This all being said, people still need to chill the F out. Complaining is one thing, calling the developers idiots and morons is another. Asking for better service or a fix for the game is one thing, saying that this game couldn't get any worse is another.

If you wait 45 minutes for a burger and it doesn't come and they tell you it'll be another 45 minutes, you get your money back and LEAVE because that is an unreasonable amount of time for a hamburger. These guys put out the first patch on release day, and their first DLC in approximately 2 months. It seems to me that SD is putting in work on this game, trying to make it better. I understand the complaints, and I share the frustration, but I agree with L00fah that many people have overreacted in the extreme here.

An unrelated thought. Does anyone else think the frustration with this situation is a microcosm for the frustration we feel with the game itself? We have waited for a payoff (the game and DLC respectively) and what we receive doesn't meet our expectations (bugs and well, nothing, respectively) and there was no communication or warning prior.

True, I guess there would be some precursor sign like it showing up in the "coming soon" section for Xbox marketplace. Then the chances of the DLC dropping without any prior notification is slim to none. I was just hoping that I would turn on my system tomorrow and find it at the store.... wishful thinking. In any case, all this time and energy checking the forums and getting into arguments is only making the time go by slower. I should take a leave of absence and just work on my characters because this is getting ridiculous.

Man thats what i was trying to say. It may have lacked some constructive aspects, but yeah I agree. Thanks for that input.

yeah thats a good idea i might follow as well......i agree with you bro ,wishful thinking and info searching on here feels like a snipe hunt at the end of the day.

This is the problem with not releasing any info after they missed the "slated" date, now you have a whole community running around scratching there heads and asses ,making wild theories ,hilarious restaurant anologies and speculations about when to expect it , which is extremely misinforming to anyone actually looking for info about it.

the fact is "The DLC and the associated title update are still in submission at both Microsoft and Sony and will be released when both of them give the okay."

svcks....i know.

LOOfah
the free dlc is an indicator that the product was not up to scratch...so...yeah Ithink we are entitled to some customer service ....just as i would if my Stephen King novel was missing pages...not for eternity... just until they fix their screw up.

and as i stated previously the real problem here is a communication fail

why wouldthe delay be affecting all platforms ? ....some backlog at Sony I understand but pc and xbox too?

^ This!

Should be fine then otherwise. Thanks