Gamertell

This is the way game companies should do business. Aeria Games & Entertainment, Inc., has launched a month-long promotion (April 2009) that guarantees gamers will enjoy their games or get a refund.

The company’s press release goes a bit further than just guaranteeing “fun” and states a refund will be issued “if players do not have the most fun they possibly can.”

Yep, if you don’t have fun - a completely subjective state of being - while playing an Aeria game, you get your money back. The catch is that the refund will be of Aeria Points, the currency used to purchase in-game items at Item Malls including avatar outfits, pet and items that help leveling.

Aeria’s games is a relatively new company, founded in 2006, and offers a bunch of free PC-based MMOs including Stone Age 2, Shaiya, Last Chaos and Twelve Sky (and the upcoming Hello Kitty Online). Aeira Points are only necessary if you want to do more than the free portion of the game.

Here are the guidelines for the Fun or Refund promotion according to the Aeria web site:

• All AP purchases between April 1st and April 30th up to 5000AP will be eligible for a refund.
• The player must spend an equal or greater amount of AP between April 1st and April 30th to be eligible for a refund.
• If a player fails to have fun they will need to contact our billing department using the contact form.
• When filling out the contact form the subject must be “Fun Month Rebate” and the category must also be “Fun Month Rebate”.
• The rebate request must be made between May 1st and May 10th.
• The refund is only Aeria Points. Bonus/Rewards Aeria Points are not eligible to be refunded.
• Maximum refund amount is 5000AP per account.

It’s certainly a promotional sales tactic but the idea is still solid and will likely get people to try the company’s games.

Imagine if other companies followed suit, guaranteeing you will enjoy a game or you get your money back.

Oh, the money we’d save.

Read [Gamertell] Site [Aeria Games]