EA Isn't Trying to Blackmail You

[Jhereg42]

I want to add that the Cerberus Network thing is actually being used as a great value add for Mass Effect 2. If you buy it used, they are actually making it worth the extra money because so far they are releasing almost every DLC on it for free.

- Zaeed and the crashed Normandy at launch.
- New Shotgun and armor recently
- Just announced Hammerhead add on a Firewalker Mission Pack on Twitter.

That $10 every used copy would cost gamers is actually shaping up to be a deal. If you start to look at the direction they are going, they are trying to trade some DLC money early for new game purchases. This isn't a bad thing.

http://masseffect.bioware.com/info/cerberus

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

As a PC gamer, the only way this would impact me in the slightest would be for companies to saddle their DLC-redemption codes with expiration dates, as I buy all of my games new now (just not always right at release).

As far as I am aware, they all do have expiration dates -- typically six months to a year after the original release date.

Huh. Well I don't generally hold off on new releases for that long, unless they were games I never honestly intended to play and only picked up because I saw them on sale for some ridiculous price, so I can't see myself being too annoyed by that.

All the games I own with launch day DLC now were titles I pre-ordered via Steam, so I never even saw the printed "voucher", just a CD-Key. Seems kind of cheap to make the codes expire, if the point is to make used games potentially profitable, but worthy of my nerd rage? Nah.

Don't even get me started on Ubisoft's DRM...

 

[kaizen2468]

100% agree. You can get yourself a big mac combo at mcdonalds, but if you want to supersize it, you've got to pay extra. the exact same thing goes for video games so don't complain, get your priorities straight.

 

[LordZ]

100% agree. You can get yourself a big mac combo at mcdonalds, but if you want to supersize it, you've got to pay extra. the exact same thing goes for video games so don't complain, get your priorities straight.

Who are you to say I can't complain about both. Unless you're a mod, admin, etc. you have no right to try to stop me. Even if you were, I'm still free to seek other venues to complain about something if I believe it to be wrong.

 

[Shurikens and Lightning]

What, is everybody who works for the Escapist on this thread?

Personally, I buy new games. If I am going to play an old game or a quick game, I rent. So if I rent I will never download DLC. Therefor this doesn't effect me negatively in one bit. I am for getting free DLC for games that I buy.

 

[CD-R]

I'd love to agree with you Susan, I really would. But I can't approve of it for a simple reason: It's online activation. With all its usual warts.

Lately, my home internet has been buggled by the ISP. Annoying, but it happens. I loaded up Mass Effect 2 on my Xbox.

BZZ! "You have shifted account." Huh. That's odd. Try again. BZZ! "You have shifted account." Huh.

Log out of my Xbox account. Log back in.

"Your Cerberus downloaded content has been corrupted and cannot be used. Please redownload this content."

And like that, my game is basically unplayable, since Zaeed was going to be a part of my strategies.

I can't approve of this. It's yet more DRM, and like all DRM, it's punishing paying customers, not to reduce piracy (which it barely does) but rather to reward the charlatans providing their DRM services.

I'm not sure how everyone keeps having these problems playing the game with dlc unless they are connected to the internet. I unplugged my X box's internet cable started up Mass Effect 2 and played through the suicide mission with no issues. Used Zaeed and had everyone equipped with the down loadable eviscerator shotguns and everything. If the contents already on your hard drive you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[RandV80]

You know I wonder if it isn't so much the 'buy it used' gamers that this is being targeted here as it is the undercutting sales of recently released games by places like Gamestop and EB, where their trained to always offer to "buy used and save $5" when someone brings a new game to the counter.

So in other words after selling a game they'll offer you $20 or whatever a month later on trade in, then turn around and offer it to the next customer with a new copy for $55 instead of $60. Huge profit for them, lost sale for the game developers... That's gotta hurt their bottom line.

 

[John Funk]

Blackmail? No. Remove content and re-add it to charge extra? Yes.

Conspiracy theories really are fun, aren't they?

Maybe I'm coming off harsh, but this sort of thing really, really bugs me, because it smacks of not knowing how games are made.

 

[JaredXE]

I totally support the "10 Dollar" initiative. I dislike EA, but I still support them in this.

I detest used games, unless it's like a classic cartridge or something. And this takes money out of the hands of upscale pawnshops like Gamestop.

 

[WaywardHaymaker]

While I can admit that not getting every bit of content a game can support for me DOES irk me considerably, EA has a good thing going to combat everyone buying used. Buying used is cheaper, and generally the better deal. Except that NOW, for EA's games at least, you actually have the incentive to pay that extra ten or twenty dollars for a new copy. All they're doing is knowing their consumers. You, me, and every other gamer out there want more content in their games, because a brand new, $60 game is quite pricy. But now, it actually come with a little extra incentive other than that new game smell (I'm sure you've all smelt it too, unless I'm less sane than I originally believed).

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It's free DLC. That's all. I gave away my Blood Armor...

 

[JaredXE]

So basically it comes down to some people want to get the DLC without paying for it because they are too damn cheap to buy new, or they want NONE of the DLC to be free because they are too damn cheap to buy new.

Huh.

Fact: DLC is OPTIONAL. As in, YOU DON'T NEED IT TO PLAY/FINISH THE GAME! How hard is that to understand? And since it's optional, that means you CHOOSE whether to purchase/use it or not. You don't like it, don't buy it and play your game.

And yes, you sound like whiners and crybabies, every last one of you.

 

[heyheysg]

Emotions = Bad

Robot help you decide

1) Buy New - If you want the game with DLC, since there's nothing you can do about it.
2) Buy Used - If you have no money to buy new, since there's nothing you can do about it.
3) Don't Buy - No money and don't like the idea? Just don't buy, complaining won't help anymore than bubblegum algebra.

Ta-Dah. Unless you happen to be a shareholder of EA, your opinions are worth as much as everyone elses. Which is nothing.

 

[BlindChance]

I'm not sure how everyone keeps having these problems playing the game with dlc unless they are connected to the internet. I unplugged my X box's internet cable started up Mass Effect 2 and played through the suicide mission with no issues. Used Zaeed and had everyone equipped with the down loadable eviscerator shotguns and everything. If the contents already on your hard drive you shouldn't have a problem.

It shouldn't do, but I assure you it did. No system is foolproof, and DRM systems seem very prone to breaking down.

 

[ItsAPaul]

Does everyone work 10 hours a week at mcdonalds? I've had no trouble buying every game new for years now, and I don't even work full time. If Gamestop dies, high-fives to EA.

 

[PrimoThePro]

I say that they were doing the original system since... forever, so us being mad just makes sense. we used to be able to save money, and being able to get good prices and full content is was possible. we got used to this cushy lifestyle, anything different from that is bad. i will not change my view. project ten dollar sucks.

 

[LordZ]

Blackmail? No. Remove content and re-add it to charge extra? Yes.

Conspiracy theories really are fun, aren't they?

Maybe I'm coming off harsh, but this sort of thing really, really bugs me, because it smacks of not knowing how games are made.

I know exactly how games are made. I may not know exactly how Dragon Age: Origins was made but that doesn't mean my knowledge of programming has no relevance to how it was made.

The only proof we have that the DLC wasn't just ripped out and re-added with an extra fee is because they(the developers) said so. You're free to take them at their word for it but I'm not so quick to trust them. Do you have any compelling reason I should believe what they say? Yeah, didn't think so. They're in it for the money and will say anything that wont get them sued to make more money. There's no way for us to prove that they didn't rip it expressly to make it into DLC but they've presented only their word as proof that they did.

 

[AceDiamond]

You might have more of a point if EA weren't going to hack out substantial parts of the game to "give away" as day one DLC, or sell later. Like they already do.

Yeah I can't believe they "hacked out" less than 5% of the content of Mass Effect 2 to use as DLC later, what a bunch of jerks.

No wait, that's not a big deal, especially when most of the DLC they're giving away for that is free or at a ridiculously low price

 

[CD-R]

I'm not sure how everyone keeps having these problems playing the game with dlc unless they are connected to the internet. I unplugged my X box's internet cable started up Mass Effect 2 and played through the suicide mission with no issues. Used Zaeed and had everyone equipped with the down loadable eviscerator shotguns and everything. If the contents already on your hard drive you shouldn't have a problem.

It shouldn't do, but I assure you it did. No system is foolproof, and DRM systems seem very prone to breaking down.

What did EA tech support say? You did call them right?

 

[Kermi]

You might have more of a point if EA weren't going to hack out substantial parts of the game to "give away" as day one DLC, or sell later. Like they already do.

Do you have any examples to draw from? What substantial parts of Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 were missing?