Buri on March 12, 2012 at 01:08 pm

@Bakka_Buri

Buri-san

Soutas Pop

Last week I was shocked to find that Capcom vs. Tekken was being released with all of the DLC already included on the disk waiting for you to pay more to unlock it.  Questionmarktarius commented that "Capcom is rapidly devolving into Electronic Arts East".  Mass Effect 3 released on the same day (March 6th) by EA, has followed suite and is pulling the same shenanigans as Capcom.  See for yourself.

Well said Questionmarktarius.

Something that I've thought about often, especially now with the news of these 2 DLC stories, is what can I do as a consumer to fight this?  It's unrealistic to say, "Don't buy the game".  I'm a huge Dead Space fan.  I feel comfortable saying it's my favorite franchise for the PS3.  It's published by EA.  They're making Dead Space 3.  What am I going to do when that comes out?  Stick it to EA and not buy it?  Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water here.  Who's going to kill off all the Necromorphs and save Isaac Clarke if I don't?  But what can I do?

Here's one idea or theory.  Many companies put a lot of weight on the first weekend sales, or first month sales.  They like all the pre-orders to get all their financial ducks in a row.  Company stock and in house bonuses are affected by opening sales.  When Dead Space 3 comes out.  I'm not buying it day one, week one or month one.  I'm going to give it time, let their figures and statistics die down, maybe even wait for a price cut or for it to become a "Greatest Hits", then pick it up.  It seems like a realistic way for me to get my game and also send a message to EA with my dollars.

Hyper Uppers, what are some of your ideas that we can implement as consumers to send a message to publishers that it's not okay that they squeeze every penny out of us?  Or do you see it differently?  Is this an acceptable business model?  

6 COMMENTS

EA, Mass Effect 3, Capcom, Street Fighter, Tekken, Dead Space, DLC,

Random on 12-03-2012 15:03

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I’m torn on this issue. I don’t really mind the DLC model as I like add ons. It depends on the content though. Map packs and levels and stuff I dig. Costumes, and extra characters not so much. When it comes to a fighting game, if you’ve created extra characters and not included them in the disc just for the purpose of making some extra bucks, that’s a foul. That would never happen back before DLC became the norm.

Misty Heartbreak on 12-03-2012 20:05

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I like DLC. But I was fucking annoyed to learn of the From Ashes DLC the second time I turned on my Mass Effect 3. I like extra characters if they aren’t on the disc basically. And people who buy extra costumes are part of the problem and fucking retarded.

Buri on 12-03-2012 22:04

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@Random There’s a pretty good article I read (after I posted this), that I think explains it really well http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/10/the-problem-with-biowares-mass-effect-3-day-one-dlc-from-ashes/ @Misty Heartbreak I’m totally with you. Costumes and crap that have nothing to do with gameplay are a mystery to me.  Especially like you said, who the hell are buying these things?

Misty Heartbreak on 12-03-2012 22:35

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I know people who do buy costumes. Apparently it makes a game fresh if you have been playing it for 100+ hours. I don’t get it.

Damien on 12-03-2012 22:42

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Well I guess costumes are not so bad, as if you don’t want them, you’re not really missing out on anything. Characters is a different matter though, especially in competitive games. Having stuff on the disc but locked until you pay more is bad practice and puts me off paying for a game. If they’re going to mug me off, I at least want it dressed up as additional content rather than waved in my face.

Questionmarktarius on 13-03-2012 00:57

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Just wait out the 6-8 months for the inevitable pricedrop. A $60 game + $40 of DLC is obscene.  A $20 game with $40 of DLC is merely what the $60 game should have been all along. And that’s not even considering the “all the stuff” edition that usually follows about a year later.