Curt Schilling Defends Kingdoms of Amalur Online Pass

[Baresark]

How do you know a person knows they are doing something wrong? As soon as you get near the subject they are justifying themselves.

That said, I'm confused about this...

The game does not have MP. They are just trying to hit used sales by offering up the DLC for free when it's bought new. Other than that, there is is little incentive to buy the game new. I am all for buying a good game as soon as it comes out. But there seems like there is this big fear that people are going to get it and that same week be trading it in. They have honestly done a lot of things right up to now. They put out a demo and offered players of the demo incentive to buy the game with items. The game is supposed to pack about 200+ hours of content, I just don't understand this sudden stab at used game sales. Makes me think they are not that confident in the game.

 

[irishda]

Ah, the self-entitled video gamer. It never gets old. Never mind this pass is FREE, so the only thing you lose is the precious minute or two lost entering in the code. And never mind that even with the cost for a code after buying a used game will still mean a cheaper purchase than a new $60 game. It's completely unreasonable of these guys.

 

[Antari]

Ah, the self-entitled video gamer. It never gets old. Never mind this pass is FREE, so the only thing you lose is the precious minute or two lost entering in the code. And never mind that even with the cost for a code after buying a used game will still mean a cheaper purchase than a new $60 game. It's completely unreasonable of these guys.

You can throw name calling around all you like but when it comes right down to it. I earned my money. And until I feel the product is worth my money, they can keep dreaming up whatever scenarios they like as to why sales are going down. But its a VERY simple equation to me and anyone familiar with most of the other businesses on the planet outside the game industry. You want to talk about self-entitlement? What about game companies convinced that their baby absolutely must be the best thing thats ever been made and it should outsell everything else that has ever been. It goes both ways.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

Alright, new buyers get the first DLC for free. Fine, that's fine.

But publishers, of so many god damn people are buying/selling used games, maybe you need to just stop, and figure out why they're doing that. You could, oh I don't know, just fucking ask them. Like, on your site. Put up a big poll, ask "why do you buy used?", and maybe figure out the reasons people buy used, and work towards improving yourselves so they start buying new.

Schilling likes this game? Dammit, now I feel like hating it on principle. And I liked the demo. God damn Curt Schilling...

Well, he'd better like it. He's head of the studio that made it!

God, I'm becoming "that guy" who doesn't read before he comments. For shame.

Now I'm even more conflicted. My Yankees fan blood is making me all grossed out for liking the demo and being interested in the game (yes, I know it's ridiculously irrational. Such is the joy of being a fan). Schilling always came across as a pompous douche to me, though. Even my Red Sox fan roommate hates him.

Having grown up in Boston, I'm required by law to insert an obligatory "Yankees suck!" comment...but the funny thing is that despite the bloody sock incident and even one of my friends working for 38 Studios, I didn't like the demo. It wasn't bad, but it felt strictly average to me. The whole online pass thing is not really winning points with me, and no amount of excuse-making on their part will convince me it's justified.

 

[dragongit]

Couldn't one argue, that the game when sold new should be sold for the price of the game minus the DLC? If that is how much the game is actually worth.

 

[Hisshiss]

Free dlc for buying new has never been a problem, which from what I gathered is what they are doing here. What pissed me off was exclusive DLC, regardless of where it comes from. Stuff you can't get even if you are willing to pay for it post-purchase, usually a pre-order reward since different places offer different things. Or the kind of shit Bioware does.

..Fuckin bioware..

 

[llubtoille]

Funny, I tried the demo and wasn't terribly interested in it,
- the un-adjustable camera was zoomed in too close - which left me feeling ill
- and health only regen'd via pots or paying a town healer, making alchemy rather a must to skill into.

but all this publicity makes me want to buy and play it XD
(damnable media, you always get me in the end QQ)

not to mention it's one of the few $60US games which actually only charges non-Americans $60US (on steam anyway - where skyrim's still $90us & batman's $100us)

As far as the actual topic goes, I'm totally indifferent to all scenarios.

 

[Hal10k]

Funny, I tried the demo and wasn't terribly interested in it,
- the un-adjustable camera was zoomed in too close - which left me feeling ill
- and health only regen'd via pots or paying a town healer, making alchemy rather a must to skill into.

The camera issues are supposedly going to be fixed in the finished product; the demo we saw was a three-month old build.

And health actually does regenerate over time, just very slowly. And I'm pretty sure that you can buy health potions from some shops. so this problem, like so many others, can be solved by throwing enough money at it.

 

[algalon]

This is the way day 1 DLC should be handled, period. ID software did the same thing when it released Rage. For the people who bought it new, sewer quests that added another hour or 2 to the game. For the people buying used, no sewer levels. The DLC does not affect the outcome of the game. It adds an extra hour or 2 to gameplay, that's all. If you buy the game used, you wouldn't notice you're missing anything. Yes, it is the studio's first offering, not an established franchise yet, and they chose a less obtrusive way to ensure their product is sold as intended. No in-your-face DRM telling you the game isn't actually yours like some companies are oh so happy to produce. Just an added bonus. Where's the problem?

 

[Rad Party God]

Schilling likes this game? Dammit, now I feel like hating it on principle. And I liked the demo. God damn Curt Schilling...

Well, he not only likes the game, it's his company who's releasing the game.

OT: As a PC gamer, I really don't care about day 1 DLC, but trying to see this from the perspective of a console gamer, this will certainly piss off less people than other certain companies, this guy is all about rewarding the fans (or so he says), instead of sucking out your money for "server space".

 

[Agayek]

Schilling likes this game? Dammit, now I feel like hating it on principle. And I liked the demo. God damn Curt Schilling...

You do realize Curt Schilling made the game right? Or his company did at least. Of course he's going to like it.

OT: I have no issue with day 1 DLC. Like the man said, it's an incentive to buy new; nothing more or less. There's no reason to get up in arms about it, ever. As long as the game does not outright prevent you from playing it without the code (eg, multiplayer lockout), there's absolutely no reason to be upset about it.

 

[lacktheknack]

As per usual, I don't see the problem.

Then again, I'm PC-exclusive, so the "MUST BUY USED" mindset is completely foreign to me.

 

[viranimus]

Part of me wants to get involved in the same dead horse debate, but I am tired and honestly I have a different focus here.

So, am I like the only one who has been watching the progress of this game and studio for like the last 2-3 years now? As for Shillings involvement in all this. Shilling is a long time MMO player, who started off in EQ and got heavily invested in WoW. (I think the later is a major reason why the game looks almost Wowcloney in its graphical esthetic) Anyway he might be a baseball player, but hes been a long time gamer, and into RPGs heavily so really there should be no surprise. Also the fact that this game had art direction taken from Todd McFarlane, and writing direction from R A Salvatore I am really surprised this game "came out of the blue" for anyone into RPGs

 

[trooper6]

Well actually, you are paying $10 either way. The used buyer will save $10 (minimum) off the new price. The used buyer actually gets the better deal since he gets to choose to make a $50 purchase or pay the extra $10. The customer buying new will pay for the content, even if they don't want to redeem it.

Indeed, having to put in codes does not sound like a reward to me. Most games I get on Steam don't even require that anymore. It's just spin to make the online pass sound better.

Where do you get your used games? Most of the used Gamestop games I see nowadays are only $5 cheaper than the new game...unless the game has been out for ages and was a real bust. They were charging almost full price for used Arkham Asylum just a few months ago and that game is not new. That is why I don't buy used very often anymore. It just isn't a deal anymore.

If my options are:
a) Spend $60 for a new version of KoA, and it comes with free DLC, and I'm supporting the developer, or
b) Spend $55 for a used version of KoA, which may have a missing booklet or scratched, it doesn't come with free DLC, and I'm supporting crazy greedy Gamestop.

I go with A. I'll still buy a used game here or there...but it is usually some game that wasn't well received and I can get for $12.

Then again, I'm PC-exclusive, so the "MUST BUY USED" mindset is completely foreign to me.

PC-exclusive...yeah, I don't hear developers complaining about the used PC-game market...on the other hand I do hear the developers complaining about rampant piracy in the PC-game market. So I don't think the PC market is free of problematics.

 

[lacktheknack]

Then again, I'm PC-exclusive, so the "MUST BUY USED" mindset is completely foreign to me.

PC-exclusive...yeah, I don't hear developers complaining about the used PC-game market...on the other hand I do hear the developers complaining about rampant piracy in the PC-game market. So I don't think the PC market is free of problematics.

I didn't say it was. Only quote people if you're going to address what they actually said.

 

[Gatx]

Day 1 DLC is complete bullshit. If they had it ready to go in time for launch, they might as well have put it in the game.

On the other hand, since it's free with a new copy of the game, you can see it as withholding content from people who buy used. However, in that case it's still a case of punishing the person who buys used while inconveniencing the person who bought it new, while pretending to reward them.

 

[DustyDrB]

Schilling likes this game? Dammit, now I feel like hating it on principle. And I liked the demo. God damn Curt Schilling...

Well, he not only likes the game, it's his company who's releasing the game.

OT: As a PC gamer, I really don't care about day 1 DLC, but trying to see this from the perspective of a console gamer, this will certainly piss off less people than other certain companies, this guy is all about rewarding the fans (or so he says), instead of sucking out your money for "server space".

Schilling likes this game? Dammit, now I feel like hating it on principle. And I liked the demo. God damn Curt Schilling...

You do realize Curt Schilling made the game right? Or his company did at least. Of course he's going to like it.

OT: I have no issue with day 1 DLC. Like the man said, it's an incentive to buy new; nothing more or less. There's no reason to get up in arms about it, ever. As long as the game does not outright prevent you from playing it without the code (eg, multiplayer lockout), there's absolutely no reason to be upset about it.

Yeah, I know now. Edited my first post in the thread now. This is the second time in the last week or so I commented before reading something and looked like an ass for it. Don't be like me, kids! Reading is good [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zweTtDGlK-c&feature=related]!

 

[Baldr]

The developers I've met from 38 Studios are some of the nicest people I've met in the industry. I hope Kingdoms of Amalur is good and it sells well.

 

[Dandark]

I had never heard of this game untill I tried the demo, now I plan to buy it soon after release, although it clashes with the Darkness 2(Dammit). It seemed like a really fun game that I could definatily enjoy.

Im also completely fine with the day 1 DLC. It's some quest right? So it's not that big a deal, I plan to get it new anyway so it doesn't really affect me other than the small annoyance of putting a code in once.

The only time this kind of thing annoys me is in cases of games like Battlefield 3. I want to try it out to see if I like it but they have no demo, used copies also have to pay extra for the multiplayer which is the only reason I would want it.

I also played the beta which sucked and really turned me off of the game. This though I am fine with, it's just a new studio hoping to get some more money from their game rather than everyone getting it used because they haven't played this game before.