Battlefield Fans Don't Like Freebies

[jpakaferrari]

Wow DICE could have just hired an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist to tell them this several years ago. Or better yet pick up a $60 general psychology textbook and you can read about it. Still better yet go to Wikipedia and look up "The Effort-Justification Paradigm." In this case individuals have to psychologically justify the purchase, therefore they will not complain if they pay. If they don't have to pay for things then they have no reason to not complain. BOOM! I just mind bombed the scene.

 

[CD-R]

No, no, no, DICE You are fucking retarded and trying to spin this in a completely different direction.

They know DAMN WELL what the problem with the DLC for BC2 was. We were promised FREE DLC NEW MAPS, and what we got were recycled maps from different game modes. Why was that an issue? Because most people I saw on the PC were stuck in one game mode, so 99% of the time we were just shafted. And when we weren't, the recycled maps were so poorly optimized that they weren't fun.

No if you payed 15 dollars for the "recycled maps from different game modes" you would have gotten shafted. These were free.

AND THEN we get the expansion? FINALLY 4 new maps? But we have to pay for them? Yeah, I know I stopped playing around then, and a lot of my other PC brethren did, as well.

Actually you got five maps, along with new vehicles, a new time period to play in, a new faction to play as, new weapons including a god damn flame thrower, along with all the classes being tweaked and rebalanced to play in the new setting. That seems like a pretty good deal for fifteen dollars.

So those douchebags are now trying to spin it like we were just impatient (which yeah, maybe a bit, but jesus christ they took forever to recycle those maps), when in reality we just felt like we were lied to. Way to piss me off even more, DICE. Really thinking of dropping BF3 off my radar, just so I don't contribute to yer bullshit any longer.

Yeah because it's not like you need to program, balance, or test these maps at all. You can just slap spawn points on levels from single player and send them out the door. Maps which were still free by the way.

 

[CD-R]

I thought the first free thing you get from BF3 was a invasive game management system that will rape your PC for information.

Actually they changed the EULA for Origin to something less stupid.

http://bf3blog.com/2011/08/ea-updates-origin-eula-after-criticism/

I suppose you could still be mad about it if you wanted but it's kind of hard to justify that when Steam and Adobe have pretty much the same EULA's.

 

[zombiesinc]

Really doesn't surprise me, people will complain about anything, and oddly enough, especially so when it's free.

If they're not complaining about pre-order benefits, they're complaining about free DLC not living up to their standards/expectations. There will always be something to complain about, at least when it comes to the more vocal and self-entitled consumers out there.

 

[natster43]

I dunno whats up with people concerning the free map back for BFBC2, but as for the physical warfare pack for BF3, I and many others who wasn't happy with it, were under the impression that it was something only given to pre-ordering players, which by itself is perfectly fine, but not if they're getting power unachievable by others.
If they get otherwise unobtainable weapon skins, no problem.
If they get weapons, other people will get/be able to unlock later on (as i now see is the case) fine, no problem.
But if they, as was thought, gave power to the pre-order players, which other players couldn't achieve, or could only achieve by forking over more cash, that would be a problem.

The way gameing looks today, i'm impressed when companies add free stuff, as opposed to charging 10 dolloars for 4 new maps.
But if you're giving one boxer a pair of gloves with brass knucles fitted inside, you better give his opponent a set too, or the match will be screwed over.

I will never understand people's aversion to pre-ordering games. There is absolutely zero consequence to putting $5 on a game before it comes out and nabbing the free stuff that comes with the pre-order. If it turns out you don't want the game by the time it comes out, then simply cancel your pre-order and get a refund or put the money towards something else.

Complaining about free stuff just boggles the mind.

Now i've never pre-ordered games, so this is an honest question, not some smart-ass comment.
Does game-stores really give you your deposit back, if you change your mind?

CAuse in the case of BF3, i'm glad i didn't preorder, after hearing about the EA origin TOS (which is now changed to be less invasive, so i'll have to reconsider again) which basicly gave them the right to use a shitload of your computers rescources to probe for any data on your computer, and use it however they pleased.

Your question may have been answered already, but yes, if you decide you don't want a game, Gamestop, or whatever place you get your games at, must give you your money back. All it is that you are doing is putting money down towards a game so that when it comes out you have a copy on reserve so you can get it still if the game sells out. They will probably ask you if you would rather put it down on a different game, but that is because (at least with Gamestop) losing a preorder hurts that store, but you can just get your money back. Hell, if I wanted to, I cancel all my preorders and get over a hundred dollars back because of all the games I preorder.

EDIT: OT: I don't know what you are talking about, I am a DICE fan and I loved the free stuff. I say keep it up.

 

[Funcakes]

Actually, the l4d thing was about valve "promising" updates to l4d1(weapons, characters, etc) and instead making l4d2. But whatever, old news.

I have no doubt that a piece of this is the exact same as the whole 3ds price drop bitching. People have this unreasonably self-defeating behavior of wanting others to go to the same lengths for something as they did. Which is pointless.

 

[MrJKapowey]

don't forget that they also screwed us pc folk out of the onslaught mode for no particularely good reason. -.-

They needed additional time and workers to finish BF3 is the given reason... That sounds like a good reason, what would you rather have: BF3 on time and no Onslaught or An annoying game mode which is hard to get into games on and adds very little to the game and BF3 delayed?

 

[Smooth Operator]

It's always hearth warming when developers spin the facts around to lie, and I guess the end note on that is "you won't be getting anything for free".

 

[Kathinka]

don't forget that they also screwed us pc folk out of the onslaught mode for no particularely good reason. -.-

They needed additional time and workers to finish BF3 is the given reason... That sounds like a good reason, what would you rather have: BF3 on time and no Onslaught or An annoying game mode which is hard to get into games on and adds very little to the game and BF3 delayed?

actually, it was set and done for the pc. they only had to hit the button. they didn't because they didn't want to give out the files for hosting games on pc, in fear of piracy.
stupid of course, since the game had been cracked, uploaded and pirated long since when they made that decision.

and why the hell do i not get a message anymore when people quote me? annoying^^

 

[Strazdas]

ok, people, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? i've been fighting for free DLC for years, and now you ruin my hope!

 

[Riobux]

Maybe people felt Vietnam was a better add-on was because it actually added something new and wasn't just a collection of maps strung together? Maybe the Physical Warfare pack getting poor press is because we don't want people who pre-order to get an obvious upper-hand in combat? I really don't think there is a hidden "money means it's good!" agenda here.

 

[Vrach]

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietman [http://www.amazon.com/Battlefield-Company-Vietnam-Expansion-Online/dp/B004GHNFZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316025527&sr=8-1]

Might wanna sort that.

Also, Vietnam ain't a real DLC, it's more like an expansion. It's not just a map pack, it's a whole new game, giving you a whole different era, along with maps, weapons, vehicles and everything else adjusted to that era.

 

[minuialear]

Valve once said they could put $20 in a box, charge $10 for it, and the fans would still complain about something.

What are you going to do with that useless box? Why don't they just hand you the $20 in person, so you don't have to open a container to get to it?

 

[Sylveria]

This just shows that the kids playing these games have no concept of the value of a dollar. They get something for free and ***** that it wasn't better or freer somehow, but when Mommmy and Daddy are paying for it, it's gold.

 

[Slight]

that $5 commits you (however slightly) to buying that game at that store.

I don't think a psychologist would be at all surprised by this whole story. It's this commitment principle that sub-consciously stops people remarking negatively about a course of action they've taken - if you've paid for something, by later complaining about your purchase you're effectively admitting you've made a poor decision.

If you've not paid anything for it, you don't have to justify any financial loss - so you can be more openly negative without contradicting any earlier decision to buy it.

 

[The Random One]

Ha, right, just look at all the people complaining at the free Team Fortress 2 stuff. (I'm trying to be sarcastic but I know there are people who legitimately complain.)

Free stuff is free stuff, and BF:BC2 had one of the best ways to handle it while still charging for the DLC and avoiding excessively balkanizing the player base. I have a far greater problem with 'starter packs'/preorder bonus that unlock items early, but it's such an ingrained part of games nowadays (even TF2 does it) that I don't even bother. Patience, patience.

I will never understand people's aversion to pre-ordering games. There is absolutely zero consequence to putting $5 on a game before it comes out and nabbing the free stuff that comes with the pre-order. If it turns out you don't want the game by the time it comes out, then simply cancel your pre-order and get a refund or put the money towards something else.

Complaining about free stuff just boggles the mind.

Yeah there is zero consequence to putting down money on something at a point you have no clear concept of what it'll look like without being able to take it back until the point in which you realize you paid for a giant piece of shit to come with extra shit is way past, if at all. Speaking of which, I'd like to show you my investment portfolio.

 

[M-E-D The Poet]

I love that he felt he needed to clarify that they would not give people $100 to play the game.
Anyway, people are weird. But good on them to not cave in, to me it seems like a lost opportunity for profit.

Nah it's just scumbaggery at this point, there wasn't bitching about getting shit for free rather : there was bitching about getting stuff there should have been all along

I don't want to be the one to cut the horses but : BFBC2'S multiplayer had half the maps BFBC1 had, then they took 2 maps out of 1 and 1 normal map and said : OH LOOK A GIFT FOR YOU AREN'T WE NICE

To which people with good reason responded : Grahh... douchebags....


This is not about Free VS Payed it's about putting a well designed mp out with a game from day one as opposed to trying to pull marketing stunts

 

[YodaUnleashed]

Well this doesn't make a lick of sense, I'm a person (I think) and I've never complained about free stuff, or at least the concept and practice of giving away free stuff and I don't see why anyone else would. The quality of the content might not always be up to scratch necessarily but one never complains about it's freeability. That would just be plain stupid. "God, I wish I'd paid for this new map pack, even though it's crappy and sucks." That sentance right there makes absolutely no sense.

 

[Zefar]

The "new maps" they gave away in Bad Company 2 weren't new maps though. They were the same maps the game shipped with, they just put all gamemodes on them as time went on.

They most certainly did not give away new maps for free. Something they said they would do, but didn't. That's why people complained.

Sorry but Oasis, Heavy Metal, Cold War, Harvest Day where all NEW maps that wasn't recycled with new game modes. Heavy Metal and Cold War was from the SP part but that's fine.

So we did get NEW and FREE maps.

For people who whines about it being on another game mode. Rush is pretty much the best thing in BF series yet except for Titan mode. Conquest is basically just Domination on larger scale which has gotten quite boring.

So when you strictly play Rush and get a new map on that game mode it's actually a good thing. Sometimes the new maps we got where better than the stock maps. Much better in fact.

I really hope DICE doesn't start to charge for map packs of any type because of these babies whining for petty things.

Kathinka: Onslaught would have been nice but for the majority of people it would have done nothing. People skipped the SP the moment they started the game and went online right away to play against people. I doubt they would care if they lose a mode where you only fight AI enemies.

 

[Epic Fail 1977]

I don't know anything about the BF3 freebie mentioned, but I do avoid pre-odering games that come with in-game pre-order "incentives" because of balance issues. The free gun/armor/quest/whatever that you get with the pre-order version often severely imbalances the gameplay. If I wanted that I'd just put the difficulty on Easy.