Jimquisition: Watch Dogs - Five Collector's Editions For One Game? What? F*$%ing WHAT?
- Thread starter Jimothy Sterling
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I definitely feel like Ubisoft are wishing me a big "Fuck you, you cheapskate only pre-ordering" No added extras for you.
I don't understand why everyone is so surprised or shocked that this sort of thing will happen. This is how the industry is progressing. If you wish to change the industry, simply don't buy these products. If larger and larger groups of individuals start doing this, the industry will be forced to change their tactics.
That gives the Escapist users some options. One could try and reach out to the larger gaming community and lobby your point or find other games to play.
That gives the Escapist users some options. One could try and reach out to the larger gaming community and lobby your point or find other games to play.
Would it really have been so hard to add a "complete" edition for those who want everything? Just to make it SLIGHTLY convenient for people who have the money to spend on that extra crap?
I think the true shame is that the pre-order system has been incredibly beneficial to AAA developers and I don't see that benefit decreasing in any way. Not only does this allow them to potentially hook people for multiple editions of the same game with slightly modified content as mentioned in the video, it also helps AAA developers eliminate over-production, which is a type of business waste caused by creating more product than is immediately required.
Take the infamous ET game. If that game came out now with pre-orders, the publisher would already have a pretty good idea of how well it will sell prior to the game actually being in production. They still might end up eating high development costs, but they won't need to find a place in the desert to bury wasted stock. In that way, they are able to kick the can further down the road. Simultaneously, this puts most risk in the development phase, which exacerbates AAA's fear of IPs that are not sequels or clones of other successful franchises.
At the end of the day and for a lot more reasons that I won't go into here, I don't believe pre-orders and the slimy practices found there-in will be getting any better.
Take the infamous ET game. If that game came out now with pre-orders, the publisher would already have a pretty good idea of how well it will sell prior to the game actually being in production. They still might end up eating high development costs, but they won't need to find a place in the desert to bury wasted stock. In that way, they are able to kick the can further down the road. Simultaneously, this puts most risk in the development phase, which exacerbates AAA's fear of IPs that are not sequels or clones of other successful franchises.
At the end of the day and for a lot more reasons that I won't go into here, I don't believe pre-orders and the slimy practices found there-in will be getting any better.
I think what UBI is doing is foolish but nothing to get angry about. The gaming industry has taught me, through this kind of thing to never buy at launch and I will simply apply what I have learned to Watch Dogs.
Running about a year behind the release schedule gets you better games, cheaper. Especially true for PC gaming.
Running about a year behind the release schedule gets you better games, cheaper. Especially true for PC gaming.
You know, I rather liked the Spread Sheet that explained the differences between the PS4 and Xbox One. But one to explain the differences between different versions of a game...
Also, five different versions of the Collector's Edition? Five? FIVE!?
Mega Jesus Christ. That's just ridiculous. That's way too many versions.
I agree with something else Jim touched on. I like a lot of things at their core. I like Preorder bonuses and DLC. But not when the Preorder Bonus and DLC is stuff that I use to get for free. Back when I had games that had multiple paths and endings and sometime just accomplishing certain tasks in the game was enough to unlock another path to take.
Remember back when you unlocked all the addition characters and content just by playing the game? Pepperidge Farms remembers. And so do I.
Also, five different versions of the Collector's Edition? Five? FIVE!?
Mega Jesus Christ. That's just ridiculous. That's way too many versions.
I agree with something else Jim touched on. I like a lot of things at their core. I like Preorder bonuses and DLC. But not when the Preorder Bonus and DLC is stuff that I use to get for free. Back when I had games that had multiple paths and endings and sometime just accomplishing certain tasks in the game was enough to unlock another path to take.
Remember back when you unlocked all the addition characters and content just by playing the game? Pepperidge Farms remembers. And so do I.
Cool Story Bro Time:
i've never quite understood the purpose of collector's editions, at least in terms of what's included in them by publishers/devs. i worked at a GameStop in South Carolina for two years(worked the Black Friday of the Wii/PS3 launch and the one after), and in that entire time i saw one, ONE, collector's edition that when i saw what came with it i thought "oh that's fucking awesome!" and that was Unreal Tournament 3 for PC. for those not familiar, it included six hours worth of video tutorials on how to utilize the included toolsets to make mods and maps, which, asied from being the backbone of that particular franchise, is one of the single coolest things i've ever seen in a collector's edition. it added genuine, tangible value to dropping an extra twenty bucks for the game. it was the only time i've ever seen a CE include something that was absolutely WORTH the extra cost.
i've never quite understood the purpose of collector's editions, at least in terms of what's included in them by publishers/devs. i worked at a GameStop in South Carolina for two years(worked the Black Friday of the Wii/PS3 launch and the one after), and in that entire time i saw one, ONE, collector's edition that when i saw what came with it i thought "oh that's fucking awesome!" and that was Unreal Tournament 3 for PC. for those not familiar, it included six hours worth of video tutorials on how to utilize the included toolsets to make mods and maps, which, asied from being the backbone of that particular franchise, is one of the single coolest things i've ever seen in a collector's edition. it added genuine, tangible value to dropping an extra twenty bucks for the game. it was the only time i've ever seen a CE include something that was absolutely WORTH the extra cost.
Yeah the whole thing's pretty silly. I'm certainly not getting any of those.
I had a look at the spreadsheet and it seems all the DLC stuff that's divided up between the editions is in the season pass.
So I guess I'll just get the standard edition and the season pass sometime whenever.
But then I'll have to live with the fact that I will never own what's-his-face's iconic cap.
That's gonna be tough... I mean, it's just so iconic.
I had a look at the spreadsheet and it seems all the DLC stuff that's divided up between the editions is in the season pass.
So I guess I'll just get the standard edition and the season pass sometime whenever.
But then I'll have to live with the fact that I will never own what's-his-face's iconic cap.
That's gonna be tough... I mean, it's just so iconic.
don't talk to me about the new Splinter Cel on PC. Awful port, the frame rate got worse as I lowered setting. And Sam Fishers voice sounded strange no matter how many times the game was patchedImre Csete said:
Dear Ubisoft,
Thank you for solving my conundrum regarding this game. I've been avoiding your releases for some time now, but I'd been considering breaking down and buying Watch Dogs. This announcement is perfectly timed to re-affirm my resolve and not purchase any version, collector's or no.
Thank you for solving my conundrum regarding this game. I've been avoiding your releases for some time now, but I'd been considering breaking down and buying Watch Dogs. This announcement is perfectly timed to re-affirm my resolve and not purchase any version, collector's or no.
Yep I'm pretty much a "wait for the GOTY on sale" type of guy, unless i see a really good price on a CD Key/DLC etc. ie just got Saints Row IV & season pass for £10 on Humble Sale. Played the Third, was fun but not worth the full price of a game, IV looked more of the same, waited for a price to suit.Scrumpmonkey said:
I can list all my pre orders of the last 4 years;
Mass Effect 2
Dark Souls
Blood Dragon
Dark Souls 2
Mario Kart Wii U (only swayed by the fact i'd also get a free copy of the Wonderful 101)
Thats it, not a lot. What it is though, is a vote of no confidence, a vote with my wallet; and behind my keyboard, I'm pretty smug about the gamers who still get stung by the hype machine (not Joe/Jo public, but those who come to sites like this, and should have no excuse)
This right here is exactly the kind of crap I stopped buying games at release in almost all cases over. Yes it means I am behind six months to a year sometimes more on games I want to play, but I will gladly take that and pay a reasonable price for a complete game without slices cut off to be sold separately. Than to buy it a release and keep getting shafted for more money if I want the full game as more DLC comes out.
Hell I am still waiting for a Saints Row 4 GOTY/complete edition with the stupid amount of DLC that has.
Hell I am still waiting for a Saints Row 4 GOTY/complete edition with the stupid amount of DLC that has.
I sent you an alien toy ^^ but Amazon wouldn't let me send any kind of notice with it.
Nonetheless you are quite welcome and I honestly think your videos should be required viewing. The amount of people I find who actually don't agree with basic consumer principles is astounding.
Nonetheless you are quite welcome and I honestly think your videos should be required viewing. The amount of people I find who actually don't agree with basic consumer principles is astounding.
It's really not that complicated to figure out which Watch_Dogs special edition to buy. Just get the one that offers the most console exclusive missions at 1080p 60fps.
The gaming industry right now reminds a lot of the comic book industry of the mid to late 90s. Ridiculously huge sales numbers. Multiple variant covers for even standard issues. Special editions. Toy bundles. Specialty bagging. All that stuff they did right before the market dropped out from under the industry. The industry still hasn?t recovered from that mess. Both DC and Marvel have become little more than sources of licensed properties for their respective parent companies. Sales of comics remain a bare fraction of what they were in the mid 90s.
I feel Jim's videos should more directed at consumers than actual publishers, but he keeps acting as if all these practices are 100% the fault of publishers. Is it really that hard to understand that consumers are the MAIN reason this kind of bullshit gets pushed so far? "Pre-order culture" was created by consumers - publishers presented the concept and consumers went crazy over it, they spoke (with their wallets) "DO THIS MORE OFTEN PLEASE!" so that's exactly what publishers did.
Consumers encouraged ridiculous DLC practices by buying everything the moment it gets thrown out, buying DLCs that launch with the released game. Consumers embraced collector editions so here we are.
There's no point getting worked-up about the game industry making "fuck-ups", because all of these moves are calculated. There is no right/wrong/good/evil in business as long as it doesn't break any laws - there is only what sells and what doesn't sell. Yeah go ahead and tell me "you sound just like a soulless corrupt publisher", but I only strive to be realistic about things and not let emotions/morals get in the way of that reality.
Everyone has the right to criticize, but to what end? To what purpose? To achieve WHAT? Self-satisfaction of getting it off your chest, that's all I can think of. The only thing that is going to persuade publishers is sales figures (or lack of), i.e. voting with wallets.
Consumers encouraged ridiculous DLC practices by buying everything the moment it gets thrown out, buying DLCs that launch with the released game. Consumers embraced collector editions so here we are.
There's no point getting worked-up about the game industry making "fuck-ups", because all of these moves are calculated. There is no right/wrong/good/evil in business as long as it doesn't break any laws - there is only what sells and what doesn't sell. Yeah go ahead and tell me "you sound just like a soulless corrupt publisher", but I only strive to be realistic about things and not let emotions/morals get in the way of that reality.
Everyone has the right to criticize, but to what end? To what purpose? To achieve WHAT? Self-satisfaction of getting it off your chest, that's all I can think of. The only thing that is going to persuade publishers is sales figures (or lack of), i.e. voting with wallets.