Dead Space 3 Resource Exploit "Not a Glitch", Says EA
- Thread starter Timothy Chang
- Start date
... why are so many people assuming they're lying?
Unless these farmable resources give you a ridiculous amount, it's perfectly reasonable that they would not have cared about such a boring, grindy inefficient 'exploit' was left in there for any who could be bothered to use it. Especially since from what I hear playing the game normally actually gets you resources faster.
((it's also a common feature in games to have items, enemies, etc. spawn in places, and re-spawn when you reload the level... it's been around for decades in fact))
They're targeting the micro-transactions at the lazy crowd and the loose-walleted crowd. Similar to how Team Fortress 2 has the item store and get a lot of purchases, despite there being many other options that don't require any money at all(random drops, crafting, and trading).
So it's not 'suspicious', it's... well, common sense really. The micro-transactions are just a side-income, not a primary model, they're making their real cash from the retail side.
Unless these farmable resources give you a ridiculous amount, it's perfectly reasonable that they would not have cared about such a boring, grindy inefficient 'exploit' was left in there for any who could be bothered to use it. Especially since from what I hear playing the game normally actually gets you resources faster.
((it's also a common feature in games to have items, enemies, etc. spawn in places, and re-spawn when you reload the level... it's been around for decades in fact))
They're targeting the micro-transactions at the lazy crowd and the loose-walleted crowd. Similar to how Team Fortress 2 has the item store and get a lot of purchases, despite there being many other options that don't require any money at all(random drops, crafting, and trading).
So it's not 'suspicious', it's... well, common sense really. The micro-transactions are just a side-income, not a primary model, they're making their real cash from the retail side.
wow, they're actually handling this pretty well. sure they arnt being honest but heck any company saying this wouldnt be honest so ... well done EA
btw off topic, do we have any sales figures on DS 3 yet?
btw off topic, do we have any sales figures on DS 3 yet?
im surprised they havent drowned in their own bullshit yet.
good thing i keep my hands of this game. they got my last money for BF3.
good thing i keep my hands of this game. they got my last money for BF3.
This in full agreement. EA aren't trying to stop players getting resources, or making it incredibly difficult - their whole economy when it comes to these transactions is aimed at the impatient, those who are more than happy to drop a few more bucks to give them a quicker/easier experience.thethird0611 said:
"It's not a bug. It's a feature!"
The oldest excuse in the book. And one that I have of course never used when speaking to a client. _>
The oldest excuse in the book. And one that I have of course never used when speaking to a client. _>
Having played through the game, I actually believe this line. Micro-transactions towards crafting are really for those who want to either get stuff up front or don't want to (or forget to) regularly use scavenger bots or look for exploits--of which there are a few. I went into the game fearing I'd be spending as much on non-replayable/one-use item DLC (the bane of DLC in my book) and haven't had to through the course of game-play.
...That said, I do wish I hadn't gotten (or could turn off) the scavenger bot personality DLC, now that I've heard all its lines repeated ad infinitum.
...That said, I do wish I hadn't gotten (or could turn off) the scavenger bot personality DLC, now that I've heard all its lines repeated ad infinitum.
Damn, people are never happy. Lets just shit all over EA for leaving a bug or intentionally leaving it in. Either way, you have a free way to gather resources now as opposed to paying money for it (if you really wanted to do that, this isn't going to change your mind). I buy shit all the time from games I really enjoy or support. I do it for DotA2 all the time and I know damn well they don't need the money. It's stuff I can also acquire for free but I can also purchase it for a set price and get it now. I really don't see a problem in any of this...especially in the single player portion of a game.
Maybe peeps have different definitions of nice, but nice applies on the basis of intention in my book rather then deed which might in itself look superficially nice.Anthony Wells said:
To use a crappy example, lets say im a billionaire being sent to prison for tax evasion UNLESS i donate 10k to a homeless shelter.
Doing the donation won't make me a nice guy as it's for purely self interested reasons, despite what the grateful homeless might think.
That example is really crappy but hopefully you understand that intent is kinda a factor, accidentally being nice isnt in itself nice.
This is how cynical you've made us, EA. When something good happens in one of your games, everyone immedatly thinks you're lying about it being put in there on purpose. This is ussualy a cue that you should just kill yourself.
OT: I think they're lying about it, but even if they are, so what? This is a sign they're trying to get good PR, clean up their act and be liked again. I think they're finally realising they need to adapt or die.
OT: I think they're lying about it, but even if they are, so what? This is a sign they're trying to get good PR, clean up their act and be liked again. I think they're finally realising they need to adapt or die.
Frankster said:
I do see your point. But the analogy is kinda wrong, because the difference is EA had no legal obligation to get themselves out of a shitstorm, they could have whipped out the ban hammer, accused the people who used the exploit as robbing them of money, and then proceeded on there merry way to churn out more dlc's for mass effect 3 and more battlefield games, making tons of profits and losing nothing but bad press and consumer respect over this. The fact that they didn't is in and of itself "nice". You tell me straight faced that if they whipped out the ban hammer and stuff they would go out of business and i will demonize this response like the rest... but thats besides the point. I do understand what you were putting across and i don't deny they probably made the move just for some good PR. But...honestly I'm ok with that. Pseudo niceness is better then none at all.
The metaphor/analogy was advertised as crappy, but you understood the point so no need for me to scratch my head thinking of a more fitting one ^^Anthony Wells said:
Otherwise you seem to be projecting others views onto me in the last part, i don't attach notions of morality to this, for me EA just did a "smart" business move, in my eyes "nice" and "not nice" doesn't even apply but i felt the need to challenge your assertion that this was a "nice" action as by intent, it really wasn't, it was just salvaging the situation.
Lets say they did go the banhammer route... Could you imagine the negative PR due to so many people exploiting the glitch as soon as it was discovered? They certainly wouldnt go out of business but it would have been seen as a disastrous business move, the kind they use in case studies in marketing classes.
So they (this is my assumption of course, i aint any better informed then anyone else when it comes to EAs inner workings) cut their losses and accepted to let this one go, it was the "smartest" business move.
Now if you don't agree with me about the importance of intent when qualifying an action as "nice" or "not nice", especially in the realm of business where truly selfless actions are very unusual, fairplay. I prefer brute honesty (being frank) to pseudo niceness but this is an individual preference thing. Either way we both consider EA to have done a positive thing even if not for the same reasons xP
I'm not the type to use cheats or look for them so I had no idea such a thing existed. You have to admit though, it's pretty sleezy to make your cheats require so much effort then add in paid cheats that are more or less equivalent to typing "Show me the money" like in the old days except now the cheat code is your credit card number.Iceklimber said:
Shit sucks in my opinion, but if people are willing to pay for cheats then power to them.
Frankster said:
I was so confused as to why I had three quotes. Anyways Thank you for responding and explaining your point even better. I do appreciate it. And I agree it would be disastrous PR move if they had broken out the banhammer. I also mostly agree with you on why they did it. I'm just a little more on the forgiving and trusting side of things. I was glad to have this conversation with you. Nice to meet someone that doesn't just tear into me about every single little point without properly explaining their side of the argument and just reposting what they have already said in the same way.
seems about right, but it looks like the shock collar we put on EA is finally starting to reign in their PR a bit...VanQQisH said:
this isn't the fact this is JUST ea, i'd call bullshit on this if it was just about anyone else too, but it being EA and their shitty pr/business decisions in the past only help fuel that.
Why people yelling 'IT'S A LIE' have no idea what they're talking about:
The microtransactions, that can be bought with ingame currency as well, also give unique weapon parts that have slightly better stats and a gold finish. So you can't 'circumvent' the DLC by gathering infinite resources.
Both of the other Dead Space games had spots where you could farm resources ad infinitum.
Aaaand the other point, which is...it takes 15-20~ seconds to do the 'exploit' that gives you a single random resource. You can get a lot more than that by just playing the game normally. Alternatively, start in chapter 7(?) and just run through the Waystation. Loadsaresources each time you do it. Or you can just go through chapter 1 and get drowned in ammo and health. The moment they add chapter select into a game, grinding becomes far too easy for words.
The microtransactions, that can be bought with ingame currency as well, also give unique weapon parts that have slightly better stats and a gold finish. So you can't 'circumvent' the DLC by gathering infinite resources.
Both of the other Dead Space games had spots where you could farm resources ad infinitum.
Aaaand the other point, which is...it takes 15-20~ seconds to do the 'exploit' that gives you a single random resource. You can get a lot more than that by just playing the game normally. Alternatively, start in chapter 7(?) and just run through the Waystation. Loadsaresources each time you do it. Or you can just go through chapter 1 and get drowned in ammo and health. The moment they add chapter select into a game, grinding becomes far too easy for words.
I think a lot of people seem to misunderstand what EA is doing here with their microtransactions. Maybe I can summarize.
Dead Space 3 has implemented a new game mechanic. CRAFTING. You collect RESOURCES to build and purchase new weapon combinations. It's innovative. It's fun.
Collecting RESOURCES is a GRIND. Lot's of games have a GRIND. Final Fantasy VII had a GRIND for example. Many games give you something to do and a reward to work toward. Chasing a carrot on a stick can be fun.
EA has MONETIZED the GRIND in Dead Space 3. You can GRIND for RESOURCES if you want to, or you can pay $2.99 to get your resources RIGHT NOW. What does this mean? EA has created a FINANCIAL INCENTIVE for itself to make their games MORE FRUSTRATING. They have an INCENTIVE to make this game as FRUSTRATING as they can without ruining the game outright.
You can FARM for RESOURCES in some areas of the game. This isn't an EXPLOIT. It's not a CHEAT. You are repeating a monotonous task to get all the RESOURCES you want without having to pay for them. You are weighing the benefits of WASTING YOUR TIME or SPENDING YOUR MONEY. This is the foundation of this business model.
Many Free-To-Play games are monetized this way. The game is free, but you can unlock things faster if you pay. I personally hate games like that. They MONETIZE player FRUSTRATION. They create a PROBLEM and sell you the SOLUTION. Sell me whatever you want EA, but just don't do this. Anything but this.
Not all Free-To-Play are monetized this way. Dota 2 for example. All purchasable items are cosmetic. You can buy a cool hat, but you can't pay money to skip ahead to the good part. This is a much better microtransaction to live with. Perhaps there is hope for the future. I hope so.
Even if the game isn't horribly broken, I don't quite trust it anymore. Am I having fun right now, or am I just a chump running on some hamster wheel? Bringing money into it taints everything. This is why magazines keep their advertising and editorial departments in different parts of the building. Conflicts of interest start to arise.
EA will NICKEL-AND-DIME you for as much as you can TOLERATE. They are searching for the perfect sweet spot between
MAKING A GREAT GAME
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2013/02/06/ea-wins-top-publisher-honors-at-metacritic/
and SCREWING YOU OVER
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/04/09/why-ea-won-the-worst-company-in-america-award/.
EA is not EVIL. They are just EVIL ENOUGH... Which is actually a lot MORE EVIL when you think about it.
Dead Space 3 is pretty beautiful BTW
Dead Space 3 has implemented a new game mechanic. CRAFTING. You collect RESOURCES to build and purchase new weapon combinations. It's innovative. It's fun.
Collecting RESOURCES is a GRIND. Lot's of games have a GRIND. Final Fantasy VII had a GRIND for example. Many games give you something to do and a reward to work toward. Chasing a carrot on a stick can be fun.
EA has MONETIZED the GRIND in Dead Space 3. You can GRIND for RESOURCES if you want to, or you can pay $2.99 to get your resources RIGHT NOW. What does this mean? EA has created a FINANCIAL INCENTIVE for itself to make their games MORE FRUSTRATING. They have an INCENTIVE to make this game as FRUSTRATING as they can without ruining the game outright.
You can FARM for RESOURCES in some areas of the game. This isn't an EXPLOIT. It's not a CHEAT. You are repeating a monotonous task to get all the RESOURCES you want without having to pay for them. You are weighing the benefits of WASTING YOUR TIME or SPENDING YOUR MONEY. This is the foundation of this business model.
Many Free-To-Play games are monetized this way. The game is free, but you can unlock things faster if you pay. I personally hate games like that. They MONETIZE player FRUSTRATION. They create a PROBLEM and sell you the SOLUTION. Sell me whatever you want EA, but just don't do this. Anything but this.
Not all Free-To-Play are monetized this way. Dota 2 for example. All purchasable items are cosmetic. You can buy a cool hat, but you can't pay money to skip ahead to the good part. This is a much better microtransaction to live with. Perhaps there is hope for the future. I hope so.
Even if the game isn't horribly broken, I don't quite trust it anymore. Am I having fun right now, or am I just a chump running on some hamster wheel? Bringing money into it taints everything. This is why magazines keep their advertising and editorial departments in different parts of the building. Conflicts of interest start to arise.
EA will NICKEL-AND-DIME you for as much as you can TOLERATE. They are searching for the perfect sweet spot between
MAKING A GREAT GAME
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2013/02/06/ea-wins-top-publisher-honors-at-metacritic/
and SCREWING YOU OVER
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/04/09/why-ea-won-the-worst-company-in-america-award/.
EA is not EVIL. They are just EVIL ENOUGH... Which is actually a lot MORE EVIL when you think about it.
Dead Space 3 is pretty beautiful BTW