BioWare Defends DLC Business Strategy

[immortalfrieza]

This is why I am seriously happy that I deleted my Origin account, and uninstalled every thing Bioware from my computer.

They just are running around ripping people off, and trying to do the least amount of work.
Those MP packs? They were just some new maps and characters nothing interesting.

Bioware is simply dead to me.

While I agree with the sentiment. The fact is, if people are willing to fork out a few more dollars for a new gun that is .05% more powerful than the best gun in the game, and has a shiny appearance, then they will keep selling it.

EA/Bioware see these sales and think "Hey, lot's of people must like this". The only way to stop them is to not buy it, then it ceases to be profitable to them.

The problem with the "just vote with your wallet" argument that everybody seems to love throwing around in threads like this is that there will always be millions of blind fanboy and casual lemmings that are willing to just snap up anything EA and it's acquired companies dish out, and for ever one of those lemmings that wises up and jump ship later, there will always be 10, 100, hell, maybe a 1000 more. The people smart enough voting with their wallets and being driven away are just a tiny blip on EA's radar, practically insignificant statistically. In other words, the wallet voters are ultimately meaningless, they might as well buy into whatever crap EA and companies like it do for all the difference it would ever make.

What EA fails to realize most is that they could perfectly keep both the lemmings AND the wallet voters as well by not being so dickish to their customers, insuring a nice, stable fanbase that would keep the company afloat for however long EA exists.

 

[Hides His Eyes]

I really miss the days when a game being released meant it was finished. I seem to be almost alone in this but personally, quite aside from the money side of things, I don't want games to be these never-ending "services" that you can keep indefinitely spending more money on to expand the content a little bit. It feels vulgar, unwholesome, cynical and bullshitty. I want games to be finished, complete pieces of work. It's especially bad when the bulk of the DLC is planned long before the game is finished. So they make a whole game, release 80% of it at full price, then release the other 20% over the next couple of years at a few quid a per cent. It's a sickly, sleazy, money-grubbing tactic and it's wrong WHETHER OR NOT gamers are happy to buy into it (and if you are then you're a fucking idiot, frankly).

 

[Hides His Eyes]

This is why I am seriously happy that I deleted my Origin account, and uninstalled every thing Bioware from my computer.

They just are running around ripping people off, and trying to do the least amount of work.
Those MP packs? They were just some new maps and characters nothing interesting.

Bioware is simply dead to me.

While I agree with the sentiment. The fact is, if people are willing to fork out a few more dollars for a new gun that is .05% more powerful than the best gun in the game, and has a shiny appearance, then they will keep selling it.

EA/Bioware see these sales and think "Hey, lot's of people must like this". The only way to stop them is to not buy it, then it ceases to be profitable to them.

The problem with the "just vote with your wallet" argument that everybody seems to love throwing around in threads like this is that there will always be millions of blind fanboy and casual lemmings that are willing to just snap up anything EA and it's acquired companies dish out, and for ever one of those lemmings that wises up and jump ship later, there will always be 10, 100, hell, maybe a 1000 more. The people smart enough voting with their wallets and being driven away are just a tiny blip on EA's radar, practically insignificant statistically. In other words, the wallet voters are ultimately meaningless, they might as well buy into whatever crap EA and companies like it do for all the difference it would ever make.

What EA fails to realize most is that they could perfectly keep both the lemmings AND the wallet voters as well by not being so dickish to their customers, insuring a nice, stable fanbase that would keep the company afloat for however long EA exists.

I think you're right, but I'm pretty sure EA have no interest in a stable fanbase. What they want is as many people willing to spend money on their stuff as possible, in other words the lowest common denominator. And that demographic is constantly changing but not diminishing; as you say, when one person wises up and leaves it another reaches the age of disposable income and takes their place.

To my mind, the question is not how to stop EA and other such companies from pulling this shit, because they will keep doing it as long as there's a plentiful supply of morons (read: forever), but rather where to look for a good alternative. Ie. companies who want to make good, inventive games that give a satisfying experience rather than games that can be milked for as long as possible with online features and microtransactions.

Despite the concerns with it, I still think Kickstarter is our best bet.

 

[Legion]

This is why I am seriously happy that I deleted my Origin account, and uninstalled every thing Bioware from my computer.

They just are running around ripping people off, and trying to do the least amount of work.
Those MP packs? They were just some new maps and characters nothing interesting.

Bioware is simply dead to me.

While I agree with the sentiment. The fact is, if people are willing to fork out a few more dollars for a new gun that is .05% more powerful than the best gun in the game, and has a shiny appearance, then they will keep selling it.

EA/Bioware see these sales and think "Hey, lot's of people must like this". The only way to stop them is to not buy it, then it ceases to be profitable to them.

The problem with the "just vote with your wallet" argument that everybody seems to love throwing around in threads like this is that there will always be millions of blind fanboy and casual lemmings that are willing to just snap up anything EA and it's acquired companies dish out, and for ever one of those lemmings that wises up and jump ship later, there will always be 10, 100, hell, maybe a 1000 more. The people smart enough voting with their wallets and being driven away are just a tiny blip on EA's radar, practically insignificant statistically. In other words, the wallet voters are ultimately meaningless, they might as well buy into whatever crap EA and companies like it do for all the difference it would ever make.

What EA fails to realize most is that they could perfectly keep both the lemmings AND the wallet voters as well by not being so dickish to their customers, insuring a nice, stable fanbase that would keep the company afloat for however long EA exists.

No argument there, I was only making the point that, as much as EA deserve the flak for how they treat their customers, those customers have their fair share of the blame too.

The sad thing is, given the choice between $5 million profit and an almost entirely happy fanbase, or $10 million profit while pissing a lot of fans off, EA'd rather have the latter. Unlike other games companies who want happy customers and lot's of money, EA's policy is all about the money.

 

[The_Waspman]

Wait, people actually pay money for the multiplayer equipment packs?

Wow, makes me feel foolish for playing the game to earn credits to buy them...

 

[Hatchetman]

This just sounds like BioWare saying something controversial so people remember ME3 exists. Do they happen to have new DLC launching soon?

 

[SadisticBrownie]

Jesus Bioware, what are you playing at? Saying shit like this is just asking to get skewered by gamers.

 

[Karadalis]

Its official now... EA has ripped off biowares face and wears it like some sort of haloween mask while the former body lies rotting in EAs cellar.

 

[TheBelgianGuy]

Back in the day, games costed 40~ euro's, and with the CD came a nice manual with plenty of explanation, hints and tips about the game... sometimes an art book, or a map of the ingame world, or a spreadsheet of the ingame technology / building tree...

Nowadays, game costs 50-60 euro's, the game manual tells pretty nothing besides controls and installation requirements, and the only extra you're getting is a small piece of paper with your online activation code you need to use to play, that is if their servers actually work... and for the full game experience, you need to buy DLC they cut out of the game.

Such a shame. Call me nostalgic, but I think the gaming industry was a lot more cooler and friendlier back in the day. (Not that the games were any better, though.)

 

[Kikosemmek]

<-- User upholds avoid-Bioware-products business model.

I'm not going to wade into a pseudo-philosophical argument here. If this is what they want to do, then this is simply my response. Thanks for the good times in any case, Bioware. BG, IWD, NWN made my childhood happier than otherwise!

 

[edos63]

This just sounds like BioWare saying something controversial so people remember ME3 exists. Do they happen to have new DLC launching soon?

Why yes they do. This time they're going to sell the underwater gimmic to us. Maybe it will be good, but considering Bioware's and EA's bullshit tactics and the lame DLC they have put out so far for the game, I doubt it.

 

[Krantos]

Why do so many companies confuse "Happy to" with "willing to?"

Seriously, this is why we need to stop buying DLC we think is exploitative. Companies don't care if you whine about it, they only care if you bought it.

Buying it is an endorsement of their practices. Don't like them? Stop flipping buying!

 

[cidbahamut]

Bioware is simply dead to me.

This.

I don't care how good the games they make are, it's not worth putting up with the corporate shenanigans.
I'm not happy with these new business models.
I'm not happy to open my wallet for this crap.
I'm pissed off and have simply stopped buying their games because I don't approve of this tomfoolery.

I have no faith left in Bioware.

 

[Aircross]

Is this Bioware talking or EA talking?

Actually, don't answer that.

Bioware IS EA.

Let's see how long EA will keep Bioware alive sucking away the developer's soul for cash.

 

[Darkmantle]

Huh.

well I still think Day1 DLC and project 10 dollar are horrible practices, but I am actually completely okay with the micro transactions as they have been implemented in ME3 multiplayer. The packs being randomized prevents the game from being "pay to win", and I find the packs very reasonable priced with the in game currency. It never feels necessary to pay real money to compete in ME3, and that's the way it should be.

so one out of three ain't bad?

 

[mental_looney]

Well if someone wants to spend real money on the supply packs you can buy for in game currency and it gets me free multi player DLC, then I am not going to stop them.

The amount of people willing to spend money is clearly enough to sustain the amount of people not doing it and give them free multiplayer stuff. It's coop so there is no pay to win against other players.

While gamers on the internet may be up in arms about it sad fact is we are going to be out numbered by people who don't care, don't know about the business side at all and just want more stuff now. Companies won't change if people still want to give them money.

 

[putowtin]

anc[is]As obnoxious as I find the gambling to be, it's still not as spammy or obnoxious as say Saints Row 3 or Dungeon Defenders.

kinda this. I'm of the opinion that you buy what you want, I have no interest in paying for new gusn (for the main game or multiplayer) but dlc like "Leviathan" that add to the story, I will pick up.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Why can't he just say something to the effect of, "Yeah, it's pretty much just for the money."

I'm not sure how many other people out there are like this (if there are enough to make any particular difference to their profits), but I don't exactly buy a game brand-spanking-new when I know the whole game will cost, what, $30 or $40 more?

I still haven't touched Mass Effect 3.

 

[The White Hunter]

For those who might scoff at Mass Effect 3's DLC and microtransactions, Melo did offer one interesting point: These sales subsidized the game's plentiful free multiplayer DLC, ensuring that players get a steady stream of varied content, and that developers get to stay on the Mass Effect 3 team.

Because that's all that really matters in this day and age isn't it? The Multiplayer. You'd think all that money would at least earn us another gameplay mode.

A good solid co-op mode would be nice. And maybe some games you can play on your own and have fun, but everyone knows nobody buys those anymore...

 

[Lunar Templar]

uh huh ....

DLC aside, who's ever been happy with online passes?