Interesting. If they were initially saying "no steam code for existing owners" but have changed their mind and the latest statement is "we're looking into it," the point still stands that they're listening to the community. Are they backpedaling? Seems like it. Maybe they now realize, based on the community backlash, that they might want to reconsider. Whether the community gets what it wants or not only time will tell.
To be clear, I have no vested interest in defending Frontier's business decisions. I am not a backer/founder, or some rabid fanboy with something to prove or defend. I didn't follow E:D's pre-launch development much at all, and bought the game almost on a whim after official launch. I knew what I was getting into, even knowing that the game was still subject to change after launch, as all the major updates so far have shown. I do have my own gripes about certain poor design choices and so forth in E:D. I totally agree with the popular analogy that the game suffers from being a mile wide and an inch deep. Frontier should address those concerns if they care to keep E:D afloat.
Regarding those comments from Tincup on the Steam forums, I'm just rolling my eyes at that guy. Seriously, man. Anyone that starts whipping out that old "I'm gonna lawyer-up" chestnut doesn't deserve any attention. What is he gonna do? Take them to claims court over 60 bucks? Consult a PA that charges quadruple that per hour for consultation, nevermind having one on retainer? Pay crackpots like him no mind, I implore you. He's a classic example of a hyper-reactionary shit stirrer, and that's all he's doing with comments like:
That was 24 hours ago without another word. Even IF they hand out keys. I want nothing to do with this company. They already lied , tried to screw over its customers and falsely advertised the game and its mechanics and gameplay in order to promote sales. Lying or omitting critical information is more then enough reason for me to put in that claim.
They can keep their game. I don't support deceivers , thieves or scammers. Plenty of indie devs that deserve a million times more respect and show the same for its community. This companies actions are nothing short of disgusting.
Disgusting? Really? Such knee-jerk hyperbolic reactions don't help the situation. This guy has, at best, a tenuous grip on reality and demonstrates absolutely no understanding of what is involved in business negotiations, and the amount of work required in deploying and implementing enterprise-level products. If Frontier truly has been caught with their pants down, and are only now looking into what is needed to make Steam codes happen for the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of non-Steam owners of the game, it's going to take more time than Tincup is willing to give.
Getting back to your post, you said:
When all they had to do from the beginning of the Steam launch was state they were working on issuing Steam keys for all previous backers, which would cost them nothing and instead generate goodwill. One can only wonder why they would choose the "fuck you guys" route instead. It's painful and it makes no sense.
I agree that they handled this poorly, however, I think it would be wrong to assume it would cost Frontier nothing to just grant non-Steam owners of the game a Steam code. Frontier is under no obligation to provide Steam codes to people that have already purchased the game outside of Steam. Ever hear the expression "all sales are final?" Why is this such a hard concept to understand? Do people not appreciate what might be involved with grandfathering in the total number of existing people that purchased the game outside of Steam? Do you think Valve has no say in how this all goes down? Valve is going to want their pound of flesh from Frontier for grandfathering in those existing owners. I guaran-fuckin-tee it, and I've said as much in other posts in this thread.
If Frontier does indeed Make It Happen™ and allows existing owners to activate on Steam, it will, without a doubt, be purely an act of goodwill. Don't fool yourself that it won't come at a cost. So Frontier has a choice:
I dunno. Based on the predictable reactions of gaming communities when they start bringing out the pitchforks and torches, the choice seems pretty clear to me. Either way, Frontier pays. Maybe they'll just offset whatever costs incurred by a deal with Valve for grandfathering by charging a little more for a future paid expansion pack. Just don't tell Tincup, okay? That'll really get his panties in a bunch. Ah, who am I kidding, he probably won't be playing by then anyway.