NGUK drop 0800 service
Users outrage GSP by remaining connected
NGUK, the company that suggested we stop playing with ourselves, has pulled the plug on its 0800 Internet gaming dialup service because according to statistical research, "the vasty [sic] majority of ... subscribers are not in fact on-line gamers using the NGUK gaming service." NGUK's Managing Director Andy Jones confirmed that the service will be suspended within the next two weeks. Speaking out on the company's website, which features provocative young women holding weapons and touching themselves (steady on -moral decency Ed), Jones said that NGUK "receive little revenue directly related to the 20,000 gamers playing on our network, and are prevented from making long term investment in developing the service as a result." The company has now decided to "provide a low cost pay-per-play option in the next few months". Apparently this will allow them to "directly re-invest revenues from the actual user base back into the service that they want to use, rather than have a gaming service subsidised by our dial-up service that many of our customers, who have ADSL or are not in the UK, cannot use." Rumour has it that NGUK just received a bill from Cable & Wireless, and that it might be partly responsible, but staff at the GSP were unwilling to talk to us about that. Current 0800 customers will not be re-billed at the start of their next pay period, and will only be able to use the service up to that point. You can read what NGUK users think of that in a fruity discussion on their forums. Speaking in that thread are numerous employees as well as a slew of disgruntled users. One person, confirmed as an employee, said that the management asked customers "not take the [mickey] and just leave the connection on 24/7". Continuing, I won't bother to correct the spelling, he told users that NGUK had "about 45% of the users clocking up 20hours or more a day on the dialup". "As a side note, more info about where NGUKs going will appear soon, and yes we are looking into evenings/weekend freecall, however im afriad ... no prommises . And as a point, pay per play (mentioned in the news update -Ed) is NOT based round an 0845 dialup." "This is a NON CORE business for nguk anyhow. We tryed to offer an 0800 dialup for gamers.. and in the current climate its not suceeded .. hence rather than carrying on and lossing millions of pounds.. were stopping the service." Plenty more here.