Hypothermia. . Far Beyond Being Cool!!!!

I’m sure a LOT of you have heard the big stink going on over the NVIDIA PR team tactics. A lot of people aren’t really aware of the way NVIDIA actually deals with websites, especially the smaller…new guys.

I have had a few dealings with MANY companies in my short time on the web, and NVIDIA is by far the HEAVIEST hand. No one denies that NVIDIA has the right to distribute their product in any way the seem fit, but where they cross many lines and stomp on many toes is after you make a deal with NVIDIA.

Dumbass Webmaster: Dear NVIDIA. . . your products kick ass, I would like to review your product on my site. I am an up and coming site, I can SURELY understand if you can not send me a review board, as the demand is probably high, but a reduced price would be greatly appreciated.

NVIDIA PR: Dear Dumbass Webmaster, I am unable to send you a board at this time, as soon as my board allocation changes, I will certainly contact you.

NvPR: Greetings DW, I have located a board for your site, please fill out the following form and fax it back to me.

( Wow. . . kinda stiff requirements, and an SDR board at the time of the agreement 4.14.00 was only $239.00 even in Alaska. But what the hell, I needed a review board. )

NvPR: Dear Dumbass Webmaster, You need to re-read the instructions, the little logo you made is not a standard logo, please remove it and put up a standard logo supplied by us at the specified page.

DW: Dear nvPR, My bad. . . I have downloaded the appropriate logo, it is now in place

NvPR: Dear Dumbass Webmaster, again you are not following the standard procedure, there must be NO background image nor any logos within the specified area.

NvPR: Dear Dumbass Webmaster, I guess that logo placement will be fine, your review board is on it’s way. By the way, I know you have a current deal with 3dfx that supercedes our current deal, but I would like to see that 3dfx LOGO go away or disappear as soon as possible.

DW: Dear NvPR, Yes, I do have an outstanding / current relationship with 3dfx, they currently have provided me with several videocards and 25 “swag packs” containing hats, t-shirts, mousepads. . etc. and all this required NO contract or logo placement, I don’t see the problem with displaying both “SPONSORS” logos, although 3dfx does not REQUIRE that I even place a logo.

NvPR: Dear Dumbass Webmaster, I understand your commitment to 3dfx, and I appreciate your openness and honesty. But I would like to remind you that this IS NOT the last card NVIDIA will be sending you. How can we get that 3dfx logo to disappear ?

DW: Dear NvPR, the card arrived today, again, I would like to thank you for the board.

NvPR: Dear Dumbass Webmaster, I hate to seem nitpicky, but the logo placement on your site needs to be addressed again, please re-read the logo placement page and contact me if there is any problems. I would also like to remind you of our commitment to you and as well, hope to see all 3dfx logos off your site.

But before I can respond, there seemed to be a problem with the Guillemot 3D Prophet board they sent me, it is benchmarking well below V3-3000 boards I have in house, and max textures would absolutely BUCKLE the card. Several nights were spent trouble shooting the card, and long distance calls to tech support in Canada.

Apparently, the board I have was only registering 16mb of memory in the BIOS. A quick BIOS flash later… nothing, nada, zip. Damn… then I noticed the board I have must be completely defective, it only had a total of 16mb of memory ON the board itself. This being the first GeForce I had owned, I didn’t know how many chips would be on it in the first place…..

DW: Dear NvPR, I am having a problem with your board, I am not able to RMA it back to the manufacturer since I didn’t actually purchase the board. Any help you can be would be greatly appreciated. I am upholding my end of the bargain, and have jumped through every hoop you have requested.

NvPR: Dear Dumbass Webmaster, I need the other board back first, I am sure you understand. I will locate another board as soon as possible.

A total of over one month after logos had been in place, advertising for NVIDIA, the replacement board finally arrives. In come the BARRAGE of “remove the 3dfx logos and links” stuff again.

After contacting NVIDIA personally about this, through a TOTALLY different person, wondering why are they so dead set against my affiliation with 3dfx, I was told in no uncertain terms:

“If you wish to continue getting ANY support or product from NVIDIA, you will remove the 3dfx logos from your site.”

“I am at a loss here, 3dfx, whom has supplied my pissy little site with a handful of graphics cards and tons of products to be given away as I see fit, they have never asked for a single thing in return. . . . NVIDIA has supplied me with ONE single card that took damn near an act of Congress to get, and now I should dump them like a cheap hooker..”

“If you are unhappy with the terms and conditions you agreed to, I suggest you speak to your PR rep.”

“Maybe I should return the board and forget this whole thing”

“You are legally bound by the terms and conditions of this agreement that you SIGNED, whether or not you keep the board is your choice, our deals still stands”

WTF! ! ! I have to abide by this shit even if I send the board back because I signed a deal for ONE single card, that I don’t even want now?? This is some bullshit!!! So I contact the original NvPR person, and explain a bunch of what has been happening. . . and I get the following ( paraphrased NOT quoted. . to protect the NvPR person. )

Mr Hypothermia, I am but a little fish in a big pond, I do not make these rules and regs, and personally I have not seen these things you speak of. I could get in a lot of shit over this type of conversation, I like you and your site. . . but my hands are tied.

Now, before any of you take this the wrong way, Yes I do believe what NVIDIA does is FUCKED UP beyond belief, and had I been a little weaker in the melon ( easily influenced ) I may have fallen victim the way many people have. I quietly waited out my time ( 90 days ) and then they can FIRMLY plant their lips on my big fat ass. I chose not to accept any more product from them, and the logo comes down. It’ll all end here.

On may 31^st, the whole Diane Vanasse of NVIDIA slamming 3dfx and making smart-ass comments about her competition ( 3dfx ) pushed me to the point I thought I would just make a small rebuttal and enlighten everyone as to just WHO Diane Vanasse was. So I post a story

and sent out the standard newslink to other sites, only to have dozens of stories flood in from other webmasters about some of the scareless shit Diane had pulled on them. Wow.

Among these letters was a nice little letter from Brian Burke of 3dfx, and the gist of the letter was this “Steve, your article only makes you look bad, I cannot tell you what to do. . . but maybe you could give NVIDIA the benefit of the doubt…”

GOOD GOD…..Wasn’t this the company getting SLAMMED by this person just two days ago. I’ll tell you what, I have always admired and respected Brian and the 3dfx gang for being stand up guys and gals, and mainly for SUPPORTING the community. So when Brian said I should pull the story, I did. Talk about being the bigger man… Brian demonstrated what coolness was all about.

Then comes the fucked up letter from Diane Vannase saying basically “ Have the balls to say it to my face “. . . . so I send a nice little link and an explanation as to WHY the article was pulled and she should thank Brian Burke from 3dfx. Diane still continues her negative campaign against 3dfx and the smartass slams and cut downs against 3dfx.

I received a nice little “My e-mail is not functioning right now, resend the link to the story” from Diane, So I did. . . and as usual, no response, no rebuttal. . . no kind little . . . you must’ve misunderstood me. No nothing. . . apparently I warrant no response.

So I am doing what I think is right, and I am posting this article, in it’s full glory, and if NVIDIA doesn’t like it, they can BLOW ME.

I have kept every single document and e-mail exchange I ever received from them, ESPECIALLY after the “how do we make those 3dfx logos disappear” comments started.

I can prove EVERY single statement made in any form need be, so I welcome the idea that NVIDIA will somehow come out and call me a liar. I’ll post every damn official document and e-mail exchange I ever had, so NVIDIA. . . . don’t try it.

I am simply asking that you guys wake up and treat us right. I am simply asking every webmaster who has had a similar experience. . . post a nice little blurb. Together as a community, we can keep from being run over. Kyle from HardOCP has taken the initiative to make a stand, and I am backing his play by saying “I AM NOT AFRAID TO POST THE TRUTH ABOUT NVIDIA”

I encourage others to do the same. Speak ONLY the truth, and state ONLY what can be proven, and no one will have a problem with what you say.

To NVIDIA, I say this. . . . take the time like you did with Riva3D and be right with ALL the webmasters.

You are walking on the people who BUY your cards, you are taking advantage of the people who support you. No one is so big that they need not ANSWER to their customers. . .