AMD Announces "AMD Rewards" Program for the Gaming Evolved Application
by Ryan Smith on February 19, 2014 12:01 AM EST
We normally don’t cover contests and giveaways, but this one is just a bit different than the others and sheds some light on the inner workings of AMD, so we’ll take a quick look at it.
AMD is announcing today that they’re starting up a rewards program for users of their Gaming Evolved Application. The rewards program, dubbed AMD Rewards (not to be confused with Radeon Rewards) is a point based system that will see AMD rewarding users for using the Gaming Evolved application. The points in turn will be redeemable for a number of items, including games and some 3rd party hardware items, but most notably Sapphire Radeon R9 cards. All told, AMD is apparently putting up $5 million USD in merchandise, which would be a significant expense for a single promotion.
What makes this notable is the actions that will earn points in the program. AMD’s press release doesn’t have a complete list, but using the GEA game optimization service and playing supported games are specifically mentioned as activities that earn points. As we covered back in November when the GEA launched, the ad-hoc nature of data collection being used by Raptr and AMD meant that the service started with a very limited data set for optimization recommendations, due to a lack of data to bootstrap the service. Without a dedicated group to provide at least the initial data, the service would be slow to ramp up as AMD needs users playing games and running the GEA first, and only then would they be able to generate recommendations.
This latest promotion looks to be an effort at finally solving the data problem by providing an additional incentive for Radeon owners to use the GEA. If AMD can get enough data collected to make the service widely useful, then it would be able to achieve the critical mass of users needed to make the GEA game optimization service self-sustaining. We'll have to continue to keep an eye on the service and see what this does for AMD's data set. The idea behind the optimization service is very cool, so hopefully this promotion can give AMD the additional data the service needs to really shine.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
25 Comments
View All Comments
chizow - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
Looks like a way for AMD to revive it's recently dormant Gaming Evolved program while driving more people to use it's own version of GeForce Experience. I guess that is the downside of forcing people to use a 3rd party software (Raptr) that they don't really want to use, unlike GeForce Experience which is virtually seamless/unbiquitous in Nvidia driver packages.Dalonely - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
Sounds good but unintended consequences prevent me from participating. I presently have a GTX 560ti-448. I like to upgrade gpu's every 3rd generation. The reviews made the R280x my next video card. crypto-mining ended that when retailers bumped the card $100 plus. So now I've been looking at GTX770 cards. If I can get one closer to $300 rather than around $350. Will AMD sell me a R280x for the msrp price?kwrzesien - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
I'm looking to upgrade my GTX 460 1 GB to a GTX 770, and waited to see if the new AMD cards would maybe bring prices down. No luck - the card I'm watching has just gone from $345 to $375:EVGA 770 SC ACX: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
mfinn999 - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
Yet another article about a piece of software with no link to the software itself: http://raptr.com/amdShadowViper - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
What was failed to be mentioned in this article was the fact that the app used for the program is spyware. Also what was missed is there was a soft launch of the program back in December. Those that participated back in December have been lied to and defrauded. As many of us were about to have enough points to earn 60 dollar games, such as BF4, Thief and Titanfall, AMD/RAPTR removed those points to roughly 1/6 of people had. It has even gone as far as being stated that AMD was not involved. What is really sad is how many people of the gamer community take the blatant lies and thank them stating such things as "its better than nothing". Even right now the points rewarded are ambiguous and not even clearly defined. The whole program is a scam and its said how much coverage they are getting and non of the journalist are looking deeper into the program before reporting them in a positive light.SolMiester - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
Yip, yet another Beta product from AMD..Nice reward for those that lost most of their point eh?...LMAO...AMD management yet again failing to get it right!hpglow - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
Wait AMD isn't giving you free money? They actually want something in return? I don't install crap like that but it sounds to me like your crying over getting stuff for something you would do anyway...play games. I think you ar going to have trouble finding a shoulder to shed your self entitled tears on.SolMiester - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
Wait, what?, you think he is crying because AMD put spyware on his system, while he generated points for prices only to have AMD remove most of his points?. Do you understand what a loyalty program is?.Well the poster does, and was then ripped off...This isnt about something for nothing at all....Its about AMD shitting over it consumers......again....ShadowViper - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
Sad thing is how many people think its crying over "free stuff.Free is giving me something for nothing. They asked to use my system, my time, and effort in return for the points. After I had committed over 350hours they only honored 12. That's a scam, and they knew they were going to do so, committing fraud. They created the terms and conditions, I honored my end of the contract by performing, they however did not honor their end of the arrangement.
http://raptr.com/sorako18/news/52b374db1de88442fe/...
Is the announcement we received within the community.
They then committed fraud/lied to us here-
http://raptr.com/sorako18/news/52e6ff5183eb17b697/...
and here:
http://raptr.com/sorako18/news/52f5874964a58db341/...
ShadowViper - Wednesday, February 19, 2014 - link
Sorry if this double posts, as I don't see the post anymore.Most are missing the fact that this program was released to a limited few of us in December-
http://raptr.com/sorako18/news/52b374db1de88442fe/...
They then committed fraud/lied to us here-
http://raptr.com/sorako18/news/52e6ff5183eb17b697/...
and here:
http://raptr.com/sorako18/news/52f5874964a58db341/...
Notice how the original launch is called a Soft Launch and clearly shows the offer made and what was needed to achieve the earnings and rewards.
They second two links they are trying to confuse people by now calling it a BETA, the raptr application was stated to be in a beta and still is in Beta, but the rewards program was not launched as a beta back in December again refer to the first link.
The second link even shows that they were aware of issues, and instead of stopping the program and making their adjustments they choose to allow the program to run longer having users spend up to 6 hours a day using their app with full intent of changing the terms to a huge advantage to themselves, fraud. This also happened 1 week before the store even opened denying us the chance to spend the points we earned in the original offer before they deducted us those points.
In many threads raptr employees tell the community that it was a beta and compare that to how MMO's run their beta's saying how they could of deleted all the points and we should be glad we kept some.
They also in that last link state that this was not AMD, yet the first link and everywhere on the web its listed as AMD's Program.
I don't know what's more upsetting that companies can treat their consumers this way, or that gamers take the lies and thank them replying "its better than nothing".