Topic: Read This before you sign your next Internet Petition

[RickPowers]

The Truth about Internet Petitions

[Termin8Anakin]

Well, I wasn't surprised at all about this. I knew they wouldn't have made a difference, but who would have known that people make money outta this?

Hmm, that's why I guess forums like this are more effective, since some industry insiders actually use them, like good 'ole Denis Dyack, and the DivX chick. If only Miyamoto-san was here. Imagine the screams of joy if people at a forum found out Miyamoto-san was talking to them.

I do agree though how they say the petitions are a way of letting off steam. So many people signed the petition to bring the Zelda bonus discs to Australia. Did it work? Maybe. Perhaps NAL were going to bring it here anyway, perhaps they read the petition and said yeah they will, we'll never know.

[mouse_clicker]

We didn't need to read a 1,800 word essay on why internet petitions won't change the world- we already knew that. People sign petitions because it's quick and easy and the people it's aimed at just MIGHT take notice- unlikely, but it's happened before with internet petitions.

[Grey Ninja]

Yeah, I think we all know that e-petitions are a waste of time for all concerned, but it does help us a little bit in venting our anxiety, such as signing that blasted Mother 3 petition.  We all knew that Nintendo would eventually make the game, we all knew that it didn't matter whether we signed the petition once, twice, or not at all.  Yet we still felt better putting our name down on the list.

[mouse_clicker]

Actually, you couldn't sign the Mother 3 petition twice. Well, you could try, but they had people who individually went through each and every single one of the 3,338 signatures and got rid of any one they thought was unnacceptable. It's possible that a few repeat signatures slipped by StarMen.net, but there were many more signatures that didn't even get through that would have made up for it. Internet petitions don't get credence because it's so easy to tip the balance- StarmMen.net's Mother 3 petition was an example of how a real petition should be handled via the internet.

They shipped the petition off to Nintendo the day the Mother 1+2 commercials started airing in Japan, though, so I guess they didn't really need it.

[Artimus]

They do work in some areas. DVD movies is one. The Wily Wonka DVD was released in Widescreen only after a petition requesting it was formed. An ONLINE petition.

[oohhboy]

"Do you think I am the kind of gaijin that would shack up with underage girls while staying in Japan?"

I would, but I don't look like a gaijin Grey Ninja

[Grey Ninja]

Quote
Originally posted by: oohhboy
"Do you think I am the kind of gaijin that would shack up with underage girls while staying in Japan?"

I would, but I don't look like a gaijin Grey Ninja

I should knock off my legs at my knees and squint a lot.  That would make me look a lot less like a gaijin.  But yes, I would very much like to be that kind of gaijin as well.  

[Hostile Creation]

What?  Internet petitions don't work?!  All those wasted hours!

[Matt]

Internet Petitions can work.

I remember there was one to get a Zelda game on a gold cartridge.  Many gamers participated and demanded gold, and *WE GOT GOLD* in the end.

The problem is, there are too many of them... too many stupid and pointless ones.

For an e-Petition to work it needs to be headed by people who will take the time to send the thing off to the people who matter.

_

On a related note, I heard that Planet GameCube was officially against or unsupporting of the Starmen.net petition for Mother 3 (which finished this February with 30,000 signatures.)  Why was this?  Did PGC just think it wouldn't work?