Have you ever written a letter to a gaming/software company?

[Redifer]

Back in the day (8 and 16-bit era) I wrote to just about every company. I was very prolific. I'd write to just about anyone to see if they'd respond because I always wanted more information that I could get from the mags. Most replied.

I wrote and received replies from (off the top of my head):

Sega
Nintendo
SNK (got a nice long reply from "The Game Lord" full of idiocy)
Accolade
Electronic Arts
Renovation

I'm sure there are more that replied. I know I wrote to Hudson Soft and never received a reply because I was basically pissed at them at the time for ripping off Wonder Boy with their Adventure Island game.

I've written companies e-mails within the last 10 years or so and they pretty much always reply, but that's never as fun as getting an actual letter on company stationary and the responses are usually not very informative.

I've also had letters published in EGM and I think VG&CE. I know I had a Joe Montana Sports Talk Football password published in Mega Play but they didn't give me credit. But they were MY passwords and my algorithm for figuring out which teams = what letters/numbers and what game/playoff/superbowl = what letters/numbers. They published it verbatim. Assholes.

[vlame]

Fucking douches!

[Luke]

I called Capcom when I was a kid because my copy of Ghost N Goblins did not contain an instruction booklet. They sent me one, although it took a few weeks, and then I called back after receiving the instructions with the question "Why do you even print instructions if they don't help you?".

The receptionist must have felt horrible, as she's talking to a young boy who is just absolutely devastated that he can't make it to the fourth level. She was great though, "Try to save all of your lives until the third level. In the first level try to get the dagger and never switch weapons. Remember the big guys take around 10 hits and use rapid fire on your advantage if you have one. Oh, and if you see a red demon, try running away from him when you first see him and he might go away". Without her help, I would have never beaten the final boss to find out I had to play the entire game again.

Oh well.

[god]

I called Capcom when I was a kid because my copy of Ghost N Goblins did not contain an instruction booklet. They sent me one, although it took a few weeks, and then I called back after receiving the instructions with the question "Why do you even print instructions if they don't help you?".

The receptionist must have felt horrible, as she's talking to a young boy who is just absolutely devastated that he can't make it to the fourth level. She was great though, "Try to save all of your lives until the third level. In the first level try to get the dagger and never switch weapons. Remember the big guys take around 10 hits and use rapid fire on your advantage if you have one. Oh, and if you see a red demon, try running away from him when you first see him and he might go away". Without her help, I would have never beaten the final boss to find out I had to play the entire game again.

Oh well.

that is a heart-warming story! you would just never get that level of service these days. Granted, the kids probably wouldn't need extra help navigating through the interactive movies that pass for games these days.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Never wrote to a game company, but I did write to Nintendo Power in the 90s. I sent a letter to Counselors' Corner because I got stuck while playing............ (drum roll please)............ FINAL FANTASY MYSTIC QUEST!

I did get a nice lengthy reply. It didn't come until about a month after I had written and by that point I wasn't stuck anymore, haha.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I'm sure there are more that replied. I know I wrote to Hudson Soft and never received a reply because I was basically pissed at them at the time for ripping off Wonder Boy with their Adventure Island game.

HAHAHA that is awesome.

[Luke]

You would just never get that level of service these days.

No doubt.


Oh, and Margaret wanted me to ask you if you are there. She said you'd understand.

[noiseredux]

I used to call Sega all the time in the early 90's. They were really nice. I'd ask them about upcoming games and things like that. And once they walked me through how to clean the contacts on my Sega CD (moldel 1) with a pencil eraser. Worked like a charm.

[Luke]

...once they walked me through how to clean the contacts on my Sega CD (moldel 1) with a pencil eraser. Worked like a charm.

Same here. Still not sure how it works, but it certainly does.

[wip3outguy7]

I wrote Sony expressing my disappointment over the PSP's original price at launch. They responded with a non-canned email thanking me for my input.