This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:26:21
The video provides an extensive look at the flawed launch and aftermath of Bethesda's Fallout 76. The game’s release in November 2018 was plagued by significant technical issues, including severe bugs, crashing servers, and game-breaking glitches like Error CE-34878-0. Players also dealt with dysfunctional features such as non-operational nukes and inconsistent AI. Development was rushed, and an inexperienced team handled the expanding scope, leading to numerous exploits and glitches, which Bethesda attempted to control through player bans and appeals for help in fixing the issues.
The company faced substantial backlash not only for the in-game issues but also for misleading and inadequate responses to customer complaints regarding the Power Armor Edition's bag and the delayed, poor-quality Nuka-Cola Dark rum. Failed attempts to placate customers included an inadequate amount of in-game currency compensation and a data breach during the replacement process of the bags.
Financially, Fallout 76 undersold compared to Fallout 4, leading Bethesda to utilize aggressive discounting and bundling strategies to inflate sales figures. The company faced further criticism for deceptive marketing practices and a restrictive refund policy, which spurred customer outrage and a class-action lawsuit. Attempts to repair the damaged reputation included incremental game updates and improvements.
Bethesda’s missteps extended beyond the game to their merchandise, with poor-quality products and misleading advertising contributing to decreased trust. Despite these issues, the game continues to receive updates and improvements, hinting at a potential recovery akin to No Man’s Sky.
00:00:00
In this segment of the video, the narrator discusses the disastrous launch of Fallout 76. Initial excitement was built up with high claims about the game’s features, such as 16 times the detail and a map four times the size of Fallout 4. However, upon its release on November 14, 2018, the game was riddled with issues: massive bugs, server crashes, and persistent problems from previous Fallout games. Players encountered various glitches including disappearing body parts, uncontrollable T-poses, frame rate drops, and broken animations. A particularly severe issue, Error CE-34878-0, could corrupt game data and even brick PCs. Additionally, basic game functions such as retrieving items and consistent enemy AI were flawed. The widespread problems led to significant disappointment among the player community.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, various issues with the game Fallout 76 are highlighted, such as non-functional nukes, unauthorized account access, and characters being randomly replaced. Players expressed their dissatisfaction on various platforms, but Bethesda controlled the main ones, leading to increased frustration. Reviewers strongly disliked the game, describing it as boring and fundamentally flawed. It was revealed that the development was rushed, handled by an inexperienced team, and the game’s scope kept expanding. Despite bugs and bad reviews, the most significant issue for Bethesda was the presence of game-breaking exploits like infinite inventory and invisibility.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the narrator discusses various exploits and glitches that plagued the game, such as frame rate issues tied to game speed, server hopping, infinite cash, item duplication, unlimited XP, and unencrypted nuclear codes. Key actions include Bethesda’s attempt to control the situation by banning players caught cheating and even offering a redemption path through writing an essay on the harms of cheating. Another exploit involved players accessing a developer room containing all game items, leading to severe in-game economy issues. Bethesda’s measures to curb this, like banning accounts and tagging those who entered the room, were circumvented by players using low-level “smurf” accounts to obtain and duplicate items. The segment ends with Bethesda’s plea to players to reveal their methods in exchange for unbanning their accounts, highlighting the ongoing challenge and the game being discounted shortly after release.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the drastic price reductions for a product, which is now often given away for free or bundled with other items. Bethesda sells it cheaply to draw customers to the more lucrative Atomic Shop and inflate poor sales figures, with Fallout 76 selling significantly less than Fallout 4. Additionally, many hard copies are returned due to the online-only nature of the game and a generous refund policy, which later backfired, leading to a flood of refund requests. Bethesda then stopped providing refunds, sparking customer outrage, media attention, and a class-action lawsuit claiming the game’s unplayability and poor handling by Bethesda. Updates on the lawsuit will be provided on the second channel.
00:12:00
In this segment, the video features a humorous advertisement for CuriosityStream, a streaming platform specializing in documentaries and non-fiction content. After the ad, the focus shifts to the Fallout game series, specifically the pre-orders for the Power Armor Edition. This edition promised premium items, including a high-quality canvas bag. However, upon release, customers received an inferior bag, sparking significant backlash. Bethesda’s customer service initially responded dismissively, citing cost issues and refusing to address the complaints, which further inflamed public outrage. As a mitigation effort, Bethesda offered affected customers a small amount of in-game currency, which was perceived as an inadequate response.
00:15:00
In this segment, the narrator humorously describes Bethesda’s missteps concerning their Power Armor edition and the canvas bag controversy. Initially, there was excitement about spending “Atoms,” an in-game currency, on cosmetic items like Paint versions of Power Armor and Light Wood Laminate. However, Bethesda’s actual response to customer complaints over a cheaper nylon bag instead of the advertised canvas one was lackluster, leading to further media and community outrage. The company falsely claimed a material shortage for the canvas bags, which was debunked since they provided them to influencers. The in-game Atom Shop also sold a similar bag for 700 Atoms, sparking more frustration.
Bethesda eventually agreed to produce the canvas bags but required customers to provide personal information via a form, estimated delivery in 4-6 months. However, this resulted in a significant data breach where customer support inquiries were publicly accessible, exposing personal details. Bethesda had to shut down their website temporarily to address the issue. The segment ends by mentioning another merchandising flop—a delayed release of the $80 Nuka-Cola Dark rum, meant to be a collectible item that also missed its promised delivery date.
00:18:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the disappointment surrounding a pre-ordered Fallout product. Customers expected a high-quality item, but received a plastic shell instead of the promised “super premium” product. This led to widespread dissatisfaction, with some people canceling their orders. The manufacturer tried to defend the decision, claiming higher production costs for plastic and significant design efforts. However, the product had several flaws, including a poor pouring mechanism and a flimsy design prone to damage. The situation was exacerbated by misleading marketing that suggested a glass item and falsified product reviews. Users suggested alternative, better-quality versions available on platforms like Etsy.
00:21:00
In this part of the video, the speaker criticizes Bethesda for deceptive practices and poorly managed merchandise. The Bethesda Merch Store is scrutinized, highlighting shortcomings such as odd photography and impractical items, like a crumpled jacket. Attention then shifts to “Fallout 76” where December 2018 introduced two controversial patches. The positive changes included quality-of-life improvements like push-to-talk, field of view sliders, increased stash capacity, and bug fixes. However, the negative aspects featured unannounced stealth nerfs, making the game grindier, leading players to believe it was to push Atomic Shop purchases. The segment concludes by pointing out the exorbitant prices and misleading marketing practices in the Atomic Shop, causing backlash among the media and consumers.
00:24:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses a deceptive pricing strategy where a product was falsely advertised as being on a limited-time discount when it was released at that price, which is illegal in certain regions like Australia, Canada, and the EU. Bethesda was called out for this on Reddit and subsequently corrected the price. The speaker then mentions various issues such as a pay-to-win controversy, a new teleportation camera item, and declining player numbers, but also notes that the game is receiving new content and improvements. They compare the situation to the comeback of No Man’s Sky, suggesting a similar recovery might be possible for Bethesda. The segment concludes with the speaker humorously boasting about their rap skills and attempting to quickly read names from the credits.