Shitty Game Trends: Buy On Release Date or Get Less Game

mykevermin

mykevermin

CAGiversary!
Feedback
34 (97%)
I saw a couple posts on the Playstation Blog over recent weeks that seem to coincide with a bothersome (new?) trend in games. The "buy it at launch for this exclusive stuff" trend. Which means, if you wait for a sale, or if you buy used, or whatever, then you get a *little* less game than you otherwise would.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/08/11/motorstorm-arctic-edge-pre-order-bonus/

This just in for MotorStorm and driving fans. SCEA will be giving an exclusive vehicle to fans who pre-order MotrorStorm Arctic Edge for PSP and PSPgo.
Click to expand...

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/08/04/gran-turismo-psp-pre-order-bonus-items-revealed/

Pre-order Gran Turismo, and you’ll get a voucher that will add one of the top cars to your in-game collection of cars in an exclusive color.
Click to expand...

This is different from 'limited edition" items and even DLC. It's not like the Killzone costumes for use in "Home" (man, I shoulda saved those code and sold 'em).

The message here is clear: buy the game now or get less game.

These are two recent flagrant examples, but I'm sure there are others as well. The custom outfits from LittleBigPlanet, perhaps?

The idea of taking a portion of a game away from gamers is sickening.
 
Because it didn't come to mind. Thought I covered that when I said "I'm sure there are others as well."

I'm not picking on one company - these two were just convenient examples. Jeez.
 
No need to get all defensive. Just asking a question.

Here's another simple question: What's outrageous about getting a different color for a car for pre-ordering the game?
 
I don't necessarily mind extras for pre-ordering, as long as they're not essential for game play. And I am probably in the minority on this, but I don't really mind extras to original purchasers to try and put a dent in used game sales. The only 2 things I would have a huge problem with are:

1. gimped or "incomplete" games if I buy new at a later date
2. unplayable used games
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Here's another simple question: What's outrageous about getting a different color for a car for pre-ordering the game?[/QUOTE]

If you want to cherry pick the least offensive example of this, then nothing.

Otherwise, as the Motorstorm example shows, you get more than an "exclusive color."
 
This is like Dragon Age.... pre-order and get ingame items, MMOs do this too, Guild Wars has a ton, if you didn't buy when it came out, you're really stuck in getting those items.

It's not game breaking, but I bet this would be the transition to DD... where used games still only get half the game. The rest was really with the launch title.

it's lame, stupid and just makes games worth much less to how they are priced.

What's next, all games now 65...
 
It's your two main examples for why this is bad and one of them is just there as fluff. Providing good, solid examples would help, wouldn't it? ;)

What's the car that's exclusive to pre-orders for MS, if it's detailed anywhere?

I'm all for the way EA's done it, since they haven't really put anything substantial under the eye of the sacred code besides online franchise in Madden. As long as it's not like the COD4 GOTY situation where the codes stop being offered at a point without warning, I'm all for publishers giving more reasons to buy their games new by adding stuff to the package. Look at any used version of a Rock Band Track Pack to see why buying used isn't always worth it for the savings.
 
Kind of shitty, but they lose a lot of sales to people who wait to buy used, get it on goozex or other trading sites etc. so I can see why they need to throw in some exclusives to encourage people to buy new games at full price.

But it will really suck when they start making more substantive content available for free download for the first month or two only, then charge for it there after etc. to help thwart the used market.
 
Now if you would have mentioned the whole Fable 2 eclusive DLC fiasco then I do think your point would have been made a bit better. Nothing and I mean NOTHING beats having to wait 2-3 weeks to be able to download content designed to benefit you from day 1.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']The idea of taking a portion of a game away from gamers is sickening.[/QUOTE]

How does someone take something from you if you don't own it?
 
a lot of games always offer bonus material if you get it early but from all that ive gotten from all those games, nothing was really great or made any noticeable difference. so yea its annoying because of the fact you do get less but at least most of the time it really doesnt matter.
 
I could swear the opposite is starting to happen. Look at force unleashed sith edition, or the PH version of Mass Effect. It seems more and more consoles are getting "GOTY"/"Gold" editions that have been common in the PC market for years.

Wait a bit for a game an get the DLC for free seems to be pretty common. Most pre order items or LE items are usually not worth the premium of buying day 1.
 
[quote name='KingDox']I could swear the opposite is starting to happen. Look at force unleashed sith edition, or the PH version of Mass Effect. It seems more and more consoles are getting "GOTY"/"Gold" editions that have been common in the PC market for years.

Wait a bit for a game an get the DLC for free seems to be pretty common. Most pre order items or LE items are usually not worth the premium of buying day 1.[/QUOTE]



The Force Unleashed Sith Edition is even worse. It's got content on it that won't be available as DLC. Meaning if you bought the game for $60 you now have to pay an additional $40 for the Sith Edition if you want the whole game. I don't want to base my purchases around whether or not I think the game will get a better version later.
 
I like the Atlus method of soundtrack and artbook. I preordered Persona 4 and will probably preorder Demon's Souls. Doesn't hurt that it's through amazon so it saves tax or that I love a lot of their games.
 
My only problem with this is that it contributes to the whole "once a game has been out for longer than a month, it may as well not exist" gaming culture. Because only preorder and release day sales matter, and after that, we're all on to the next shiny object in line.
 
Look at it the other way, I pre-ordered Fallout 3, if I'd waited till now I could get the GOTY edition with $50 worth of free DLC.

You don't always get more game when you pre-order.

Bottom line is pre-ordering is for suckers, you should never do it, no matter what worthless trinkets are on offer.
 
[quote name='evanft']It's one fucking car. Don't be so god damn sensationalist.[/QUOTE]

There are probably more compelling ways of framing your argument than to overzealously tell someone to calm down their tone.
 
[quote name='rainking187']The Force Unleashed Sith Edition is even worse. It's got content on it that won't be available as DLC. Meaning if you bought the game for $60 you now have to pay an additional $40 for the Sith Edition if you want the whole game. I don't want to base my purchases around whether or not I think the game will get a better version later.[/QUOTE]

This is dead on, especially the last sentence. I didn't have time to play that game late last year, but just picked it up a month ago, literally a week before the new edition was announced. Now, granted, I paid like $3 after trade for a new copy, I'm less upset at the new edition, but I won't be purchasing it. That whole situation is an example of when this whole thing is done wrong.

An example of when the exclusive/dlc/new only thing done right, IMO, was Gears 2. Buy it new, you got the flashback maps free. Buy it used, they cost you points if you want them. I had no problem with that. I think it's fair for the developers/publishers, especially when Gamestop is making money hand-over-fist on used copies literally a week after release, when people are still purchasing new copies.
 
A timed window around launch for content is silly and self-defeating.

And I agree with having no problems if game companies release more game with a first printing, or have single use codes to unlock content for the original buyer.
In fact, as an alternative to drm, and as a boon to new game sales, I encourage it.
 
[quote name='rainking187']The Force Unleashed Sith Edition is even worse. It's got content on it that won't be available as DLC. Meaning if you bought the game for $60 you now have to pay an additional $40 for the Sith Edition if you want the whole game. I don't want to base my purchases around whether or not I think the game will get a better version later.[/QUOTE]

From now on only buy Square Enix games, since they release Final Mix or international version that have extra but will never get a US release. A lot of us would love to have the option of paying for them.
 
[quote name='62t']From now on only buy Square Enix games, since they release Final Mix or international version that have extra but will never get a US release. A lot of us would love to have the option of paying for them.[/QUOTE]
I would gladly have double-dipped for the Zodiac Job System version of FF12. In fairness though, it wouldn't make as much sense to release those International Versions here because a lot of the extra content comes from the NA localizations in the first place.
 
To play devil's advocate, I actually like the idea of bonus material at pre-order/day 1 sales. For one, if I know I'm going to get a game at launch, it takes a little bit of the "crap it's only been a day/week and the price dropped 20%" sting knowing I got a little more game for my money than the guy/girl who waited on the price cut. And two, it's a pretty good business strategy for the development studios to boost their sales which is not a bad thing if you want to support your favorite studios (Bioware/Infinity Ward/etc). I do empathize that they should at least put that content up for DLC after some designated period of time. It would all work out the same anyway.
 
[quote name='62t']From now on only buy Square Enix games, since they release Final Mix or international version that have extra but will never get a US release. A lot of us would love to have the option of paying for them.[/QUOTE]


LOL, are you actually trying to support this stuff? There's absolutely no reason they couldn't have made the extra stuff from the Sith Edition DLC other than greed. And I wonder about that Final Mix stuff, if they started releasing the Final Mix editions a year after the original game, how many people would be really happy to buy it again? And how many people would simply start waiting for the Final Mix version before they bought the game. I understand you're not happy that we don't get all the extra stuff in the US, but it doesn't change the fact that this is overall a very shitty practice.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Why not use the EA example for codes to unlock content to screw over used purchasers.[/QUOTE]

Epic did it first with Gears 2.
 
I think it's a good move for these companies if it helps get them more pre-orders. I'll only have a problem with it if they charge ridiculous prices for the DLC or don't offer the pre-order bonus as DLC at all.
 
This is what makes me sick about this issue:

Developers and publishers actually have meetings where they discuss what they can TAKE OUT of a game to sell to you for additional cost.


Of course the huge publishers like EA and Activision are the worst offenders. There is no fucking excuse for DLC that is available day one and already on the disc. You pay extra for a code that unlocks whats already on the disc, thats what makes me crazy.

The people that come up with this shit should be taken out back and shot.



I don't mind preorder or LE bonus's as long as they don't negatively impact the progresss in the game of someone who doesn't have that content. Theres a Dragon Age Origins extra experience boost item that preorders get. Now they can progress thru the game faster and easier than someone who didn't preorder. Thats bullshit.

And NEVER should this stuff be awarded for online play. Everyone needs to be on a level playing field online or the experience will be broken. EA tried this shit a while back, giving more and better guns to be used online in some shooter they were releasing. There was a huge backlash and EA eventually nixed their plans.

Preorder or LE goodies should be limited to additional colors, skins, etc. Not stat boosting items that make the game easier or different. And NOTHING that can be used online outside of additional maps.
 
mykevermin,

In the Persona 1 for PSP thread you said "Holy shit! I might buy a PSP game this year when it hits $20!"

Now you complain about companies trying to encourage people to preorder/ rewarding those that do.

If games didn't drop in price so quickly after release, then companies wouldn't have to look for ways to encourage gamers to pay full price by preordering them.

I think one of the reasons games drop in price so quick is bacause gamers like you are expecting them to and hold off making purchases (besides the obvious main reason of market being flooded with used copies).

I short, I think you're causing the problem you're complaining about.
 
[quote name='Puffa469']And NEVER should this stuff be awarded for online play. Everyone needs to be on a level playing field online or the experience will be broken. EA tried this shit a while back, giving more and better guns to be used online in some shooter they were releasing. There was a huge backlash and EA eventually nixed their plans.[/QUOTE]

Actually the game you're talking about is Battlefield Bad Company. The backlash was because EA originally said they were going to charge money to unlock those guns. That was what was cancelled. There was still one given away as a preorder bonus.
 
I completely Agree. Marvel UA2 is coming out soon. I want to play it- but it's definately not a day 1 purchase. However, a little piece of me is worried that they are going to make Juggs a pre-order only character and i'll miss out. I'm sure they'll start selling him in a few weeks after release- but who knows? When the first game came out, there were characters exclusive to each platform, so I wouldn't put it past them.

The GOTY stuff ticks me off too- but thankfully there is gamesharing which takes away a little of the pain (don't know what i'm going to do about the Fallout stuff though).
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']NBA Live 09 came out first.[/QUOTE]

My bad, forgot all about that since I play NBA 2K and not Live.
 
[quote name='nbballard']I completely Agree. Marvel UA2 is coming out soon. I want to play it- but it's definately not a day 1 purchase. However, a little piece of me is worried that they are going to make Juggs a pre-order only character and i'll miss out. I'm sure they'll start selling him in a few weeks after release- but who knows? When the first game came out, there were characters exclusive to each platform, so I wouldn't put it past them.[/QUOTE]
Seeing as Activision is publishing the game I have no doubt that they will sell Juggernaut as DLC some point down the line.
 
This kind of stuff has the opposite effect on me than what they intend. I usually just end up renting or skipping the game entirely. I don't like being forced to buy on day one or at a certain retailer.
 
I don't see it as a bad trend, it's the developers/publishers going "We need to recoup our cost, so lets toss something in with it to encourage people buying it at launch/buying it new, instead of getting a used copy/waiting on clearance."

I bet right now people are in a meeting going "Shitty consumer trends - not buying our games. Damn these bastards are too cheap, we get stuck losing money, we had to cut four games this quarter, and we have to release another 10 generic shooters to get to our expected revenue now."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top