Variety reports that Disney’s much-hyped streaming service Disney+ went online this week only to instantly come crashing down. While some users complained about being unable to access specific content or using certain features, others were unable to even sign up on the website. At least they got an adorable picture of Ralph and Princess Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph.
Customer service apologized, asking for users’ patience since Disney+ didn’t anticipate such a high consumer demand on its first day. While the streaming service had a soft launch in the Netherlands in September, this wasn’t enough to sort out all the kinks. The problem wasn’t helped by Disney’s promo deal with Verizon that guarantees free access to Disney+ for 12 months to all new and existing wireless customers on unlimited data plans. Additionally, Disney+ also offered a free seven-day trial period to all users.
These kinds of launch problems are common. They originate in underestimating users’ demands while vastly overestimating the tech company’s ability to solve glitches and problems. This summer, Blizzard released World of War Classic only to have its users end in seemingly endless queue lines. This is a kind of problem tech companies should deal with… except they probably won’t. As long as people keep spending money, why change anything?
