No Key Code

[Jim Sachs]

Prolific is always looking into ways of streamlining the distribution of updates and Key Codes. Since the last upgrade, they have changed ISPs, installed emergency backup servers, and written a great deal of software to handle different type of problems.

However, when you are dealing with this type of volume, the most robust of servers can go down. It even happens to big companies all the time.

The big problem is impatience. If we start sending out Key Codes at 6,000 per day, those people come right back and hit the server for a 1 meg download each (3.2 megs for the Mac). About 1/10 of them (conservative estimate) might have questions or problems. There's 600 emails for our 3 customer-service people right there, each of which takes about 5 minutes to answer. But then those 6,000 tell their friends that the update is available, and they all descend on us too. Pretty soon (way too soon this time) some website posts an announcement, and then the 10 million users of the free demo are alerted. If 1 person in 1000 from that group has a question, that's 10,000 emails.

And we do all this for a free upgrade which does not bring in a dime of revenue until we start charging for it in 90 days. You know, I don't mind any of that. It's people's irate attitude that gets to me. You wouldn't believe the threats and accusations in these emails, when all we're trying to do is give them something for free.

[feldon34]

Reason #20491 why:

• MA2 upgrade should be done before MA2 is available to the general public.
• Each e-mail sent out should have an activation link that can only be used ONE time to download the Aquarium. Their IP address is logged and then that activation link can only be used from that IP address.
• Add an 'update my e-mail' link prominently on the MA2 download page which requests their old e-mail, new e-mail, ZIP code, and City.
• SereneScreen.com block access from VersionTracker.com for the week of the release.
• SereneScreen.com should not have any publicly-obvious links to MA2 until the registered users have upgraded.
• MA2 should not be available as a free download until after upgrade is complete.
• Add a "MA2 Information Center" which has every possible answer about MA2 to reduce the e-mails.*

Prolific did this day-and-date release because their new distributor requested (demanded?) it. I think a few "I told ya so"s are in order.


**

We are proud to introduce Marine Aquarium 2.0!

We have just put Marine Aquarium 2 into early release, which means that we are upgrading 6-7,000 people a day over the next 2 weeks. The list has already been determined and you will not be able to get your keycode early.

Please understand that this is a FREE upgrade* over the next 90 days. This is not a bug fix or a security vulnerability release, this is new features for FREE*, so please be patient with us.

Marine Aquarium 2 adds:

• A new graphical Fish Settings panel
• 5 new fish, a Blue Ring Angelfish, an Imperator Angelfish, a Redfin Butterflyfish, a Rock Beauty Angelfish, and a Squarespot Anthias
• Better support for EnergyStar monitor sleep on some systems.
• Better performance/stability with lower CPU usage on some systems.

All of this while maintaining an incredibly high level of compatibility with old and new systems.

Marine Aquarium 2 works on Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, and XP, provided you have an 8MB 3D-capable video card. [Click Here] for a complete hardware compatibility list and instructions on how to determine your hardware.

For pictures/snapshots from Marine Aquarium 2 or more information about it, please visit the Inside: SereneScreen Fan Site and Discussion Forum.

Marine Aquarium 2 includes the same realistic coral background as prior editions of the Aquarium.

*If you purchased the Aquarium online from SereneScreen.com or one of our partner sites, the upgrade to Marine Aquarium 2 is free for the next 90 days. You will receive your keycode to upgrade the Aquarium in the next 7-10 days as we are releasing MA2 in batches.

If you purchased the 'boxed' or 'CD case' version of the Aquarium from a retailer, the upgrade to Marine Aquarium 2 will be available for $5.95 from SereneScreen.com in the first week of April.

[Reichart]

Another batch of keycodes are going out. There are several more batches going out.

[pedro]

Hey all,
Wonderful work on Virtual Aquarium. I have a quick question. I recieved Virtual Aquarium as a gift from my roommate. She didn't check the box when she registered her account to receive updates, as obviously she didn't want to get email that would be for me.
Now, is there any way for her to now add her name to the mailing list, as she does want me to get the upgrade, or for her to change her registration to my email adress?

In any case, I could just wait for the automatic generator :-)

thanks in advance and best of luck with the long hours I'm sure you've all been putting in.

[Garmonbozia]

3 days and counting. No mail. No key.

[Reichart]

Originally posted by pedro
Now, is there any way for her to now add her name to the mailing list, as she does want me to get the upgrade, or for her to change her registration to my email adress?

Sure!

Just have her email Service@SereneScreen.com
1. From the same original Email Address.
2. Order number.
3. The new Email Address.

Bam, life is good for you.


P.S. Another huge batch of emails went out the door last night, and another huge batch are going out today. We are a small company. Be patient.

[Gigazoid]

Riechart;
You had mentioned in a previous post about a web page that would generate a v. 2.0 keycode by entering your v. 1.1 keycode. Has there been any progreses on this?

[Reichart]

Yup, right on schedule.

[dwax]

Originally posted by Reichart
Yup, right on schedule.

Erm,that means what?2 weeks?

[Franklin J. Flocks]

Here's my my mildly irate comment:

- I bought the boxed CD version - I am willing to pay $5.95
for the upgrade now - I could send a payment by Paypal now
and you would get it immediately - There is no need to pay
a credit card service $1.00 per transaction.

-All those people who are being upgraded for free, get the ugrade first, whereas
the paying second class customers have to wait.

-We were told two to three days before you would be ready to accept our $5.95 -

Now - 3 days later we are told that we have to wait until some time during the first week of April. (i.e possibly
two weeks).

I am sorry that Prolific is not getting any revenue while spending
so much time doing the free upgrades, but it seems to me
that this is a problem of Prolific's own making.

[Reichart]

1. Q: FRANK WROTE: All those people who are being upgraded for free, get the upgrade first, whereas the paying second class customers have to wait.

A: Actually, this is not correct. The free “gift” is going to be available to all people. Including people that bought the CD (Mac or PC). For about the same time (90 days). But we are a small company, and we had to release this in batches. The “FREE” upgrade for CD owners will be available very soon, but we are waiting for everyone that registered to get these upgrades first. I will not apologize for making a list, and supporting Fans and electronic purchasers first.

I will even go so far as to state that I will support getting the free copies out First before offering PAYING customers the chance to buy it. It is just like Government Cheese.

2. Q: I am sorry that Prolific is not getting any revenue while spending so much time doing the free upgrades, but it seems to me that this is a problem of Prolific's own making.
A: So, it is our own doing that we are a small company, decided to give out a “gift” to everyone (PC, Mac, 1.0, and 1.1), but have to use “some” method to meter out the upgrade? (We had our servers slammed even the way it is, and sent out 48 gigs in less than 24 hours).

[feldon34]

I'm confused. Is the $5.95 out the window now?

[Schnaaps]

We are still actively emailing all users who requested email notifications. This is a time consuming process, and we are processing version 2 updates as fast as we can process them. This averages to between 5,000 and 6,000 per day.

It has been repeatly posted, but everyone must remain patient. We actively tried to take care of all the the fans first, but unfortunaly we can not make everyone happy immediately.

March 2003 is a record breaking month for us in terms of downloads. We have pushed more bandwidth this month in downloads that any other month to date. Over one third of all the traffic for this record breaking month has been in the last four days. And we still have another week to go!

To Sum up since V2 release:
3-19: 43,536,008K
3-20: 22,720,387K
3-21: 27,576,818K
3-22: 28,309,475K

This is a 3x times increase in our daily average, and easily puts us on track to break 450 GB of doanload traffic this month!!

That is a lot of fish!

Thanks for your continued patience.

[Garmonbozia]

5 days and no mail no key to tstjohn@sc.rr.com

(just some guy, feldon) had SS since WAY before Lionfish release.

[feldon34]

Originally posted by Garmonbozia
5 days and no mail no key to tstjohn@sc.rr.com

(just some guy, feldon) had SS since WAY before Lionfish release.

This IS my fault, as I am working on the e-mail system. The current method is almost completely manual.

[pwakely]

For crying out loud you lot, give it a rest and stop whinging and hassling for new codes! I too am in the group who has not yet received the new code, and am keen to use the new version, but the way some of you guys are hassling Jim et al is unreasonable, e.g. making demands that their online IT email/payment should be upgraded to issue a free upgrade! Even if you can't be less selfish then consider this - If Jim et al develop more fish/creatures, and are considering whether to not to offer another free upgrade to existing users, do you want to have been a pain in the arse this time?

Remember that they have decided to provide this free, and have said they will take 7 to 10 days, so quit complaining you havent got a code yet, and give them a chance to send it to you in the timescales they have quite reasonably defined!

Jim et al - thanks for this free upgrade; I look forward to using it.

Best Regards,

Phil.

[Jav400]

Phil,

Thank You very much.

[thebadgerone]

come on peeps, since when is free suppossed to be fast? have some patience( if you are tense i reccomend watching the beautifull fish you already have )

[Reichart]

Originally posted by feldon27
I'm confused. Is the $5.95 out the window now?

A: Strange way to word this question. I think this phrase comes from throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and usually denotes something negative.

On the other hand, we devised a method to offer the upgrade for free for 90 days even for the CD holder. Which is really cool. It will be availble in a few days.

[feldon34]

we devised a method to offer the upgrade for free for 90 days even for the CD holder. Which is really cool.

But which you won't be using at this time.