Update to 18+ Open Chat

[Professor Greyrose]

Accounts that are NOT currently subscribed with a credit card will no longer have 18+ open chat. Those accounts will revert to Text Chat. Open Chat is a feature for accounts currently subscribed with a valid Credit Card.

We try to offer a full range of player account options (ie. Credit Cards, PayPal, Gift Certificates, Gift Cards, subscriptions, access passes, free trial, etc). Each of these comes with its own set of benefits and limitations.

For instance, as a crowns player, you have lifetime access to areas purchased. As a credit card subscriber, you’re given the option to enable 18+ chat (if you’re 18+ in age of course).

The fact that some accounts were able to retain their 18+ chat ability even when they were no longer subscribed, was a bug. In an effort to keep the player options equitable for all, we fixed the bug.

We thank you for your understanding. Please note, your ability to chat is not gone, your account will retain the filtered chat option.

*edit by Jester*
Please see this post for an official update from KI
http://www.wizard101central.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1591562&postcount=875

To the Wizard101 Community,

Recently we made a change to our chat system that left a number of people in our community frustrated -- or some cases, even angry. The feedback has been signficant, and I wanted to write you a quick note to let you know that, as always, we are listening.

First off, a quick apology. We did a very poor job of notifying you, our customer community, that this change was coming. To make matters worse, we completely failed to explain the reasons behind this decision. Please accept our apology for that, and allow me the opportunity to provide that explanation now.

A large portion of our effort here at KingsIsle is spent polishing our game, and all the related subsystems. It may not be apparent on the outside, but maintaining a virtual world with 15 million players can be pretty challenging. Operational systems, customer support, registration and billing, the website -- there are hundreds of individual pieces that have to fit together perfectly to keep Wizard101 running all day, every day. Our team is constantly changing these systems, improving them, polishing them, trying to make them better for you.

Sometimes when we make changes, we also make mistakes. A few weeks ago, we found that we had made an error: the explanation for how our 18+ Chat feature worked, as described on the website, didn't match the rules set that turned this Chat Filter off. The result was that a number of players -- all of them over 18 years of age, mind you -- were able to keep Open Chat working, even when their subscription expired.

Oops. Our original intention was to restrict this type of chat to active members only. We thought requiring a current, active credit card would be the safest, easiest way to ensure that 18+ chat remained exactly that -- a restricted feature meant only for our more mature players.

When we found that error, we put it on the schedule, and a short time later it was "fixed." The issue, of course, is that a number of our customers -- like those who have migrated from a subscription account to buying areas with crowns -- found themselves suddenly unable to use a feature they had grown accustomed to. This wasn't a problem before; in fact, when we added 18+ Chat, game cards were a pretty small part of our business. Now we sell them in almost fifty thousand retail locations.

Our intention was to fix an issue with our chat system -- not to alienate a portion of our community! We value our pay-as-you-go customers just as much as our monthly subscribers -- but by making this change, it certainly didn't look that way.

So the question now is: how do we resolve this going forward?

After much discussion, we have decided to move the system back to the way it was before -- and fix the messaging to accurately reflect this. As before, we will still require the use of a credit card to verify that an account holder is 18 or older -- this is not just the right thing to do, it is actually a legal requirement. This is not open to debate. But we can drop the restriction that you must have an active subscription. Once an account is verified as being over 18 years old, that account will remain verified, whether they continue to pay us or not.

We're going to make this change immediately, and I sincerely hope that this will address the situation to everyone's satisfaction. That said, player safety is (and must be) our first priority, and we will continue to review and revise our policies and rules to keep Wizard101 both safe and appropriate for all ages . We reserve the right to change things as we deem necessary, even if those changes are unpopular.

Please understand that we consider our player community to be our most important asset... We are listening, and we do care about your opinions. Thank you again for playing, and I hope to see you in Ravenwood.

Regards,

J Todd Coleman
"Headmaster Ambrose"
Director, Wizard101

ps. one final note about feedback. We promise to continue listening... but only to opinions that are stated in a curteous, respectful manner. Profanity, insults or threats towards our customer support team absolutely will not be tolerated. Those who have acted in a discourteous or disrepectful manner -- in game, on our forums, or via email -- can expect their accounts to be immediately sanctioned or banned.

[StormGoddess]

Edit: REALLY SAD! OPEN CHAT IS SUPER USEFUL AND HELPFUL! WHY KI! WHY!

[White Tiger Knight]

Well I'm sry to see it go to this, But my family is now done playing. We are very sad to say but we are all over the age over 18 and have bought the game.
We dont see why we should be forced to pay to speak with each other (in the Open that is).
Its been a great run and I will miss you all very much

[Layfon Alseif]

Wow! That makes me angry. I have a subscription currently, but i am mostly a crowns player. Now i have to buy monthly subs just to get open chat. This is really just a bad move by KingsIsle. Kingsisle has made lots of mistakes, but they should have at least given warning for something like this.

[Brian Icefist]

Wow! That makes me angry. I have a subscription currently, but i am mostly a crowns player. Now i have to buy monthly subs just to get open chat. This is really just a bad move by KingsIsle.

Like Greyrose said, there are different benefits for each way of playing. It seems fair to me that people who pay monthly to play should get open chat and not others. After all, as a crowns player you only have to pay for all the areas once if you have crowns and once a month/year whatever if you have a sub. This seems completely fair to me and I think you're simply complaining because you no longer have open chat and you want everything your way.

[Andante]

I'm quitting again. I used to play for a little bit and stop, little bit and stop, but now when I get my plant to Elder I'm quitting. Bad move, KI, losing yourself some people like this. I used to subscribe, but cya, I'm gone.

[Layfon Alseif]

Like Greyrose said, there are different benefits for each way of playing. It seems fair to me that people who pay monthly to play should get open chat and not others. After all, as a crowns player you only have to pay for all the areas once if you have crowns and once a month/year whatever if you have a sub. This seems completely fair to me and I think you're simply complaining because you no longer have open chat and you want everything your way.

I actually have not lost open chat and i will probably start paying for a subscription. If i have enough money to buy a prius yesterday i can spare some change on wizard 101. However, i am saying it is a bad move for kinsisle as a business because people will be angry, and they will lose customers. Also, it isn't fair to give us no prior warning.

[fireforever]

lol everyone is qutting

[EmeraldDragon]

Why is everyone getting mad over this? Saying you are going to quit the game? I don't think that will influence KI, but fine, quit if you want.

[White Tiger Knight]

I dont want this sound rude, because that is not what I want to to be.
But we are living in a world were money and jobs are very hard to come by, and doing this to people most family with kids is a very bad move.
Now let say someone started playing as a crowns player and there father get layed off, but dear mom had a job. that kid could still have a way to leave that world and come play here. And if mom so happens to have a extra 10.00 they that boy could have a little more fun forever.

I wish you all at KI would please rethink this, and think about almost all American family's.
Thanks