Random Rant: Dead Space 2

[weker]

Ok, So I grabbed a copy of Dead Space 2 and wanted to play it online. Well guess what? If you don't buy it brand new you have to pay 800 Microsoft points to play online. I mean WOW, seriously? If I don't buy the game new it locks out part of the content.

Wow that crosses the line for me. Some crappy skin or something fine, but to lock out multiplayer...

Thats just wrong

Guess you just need to take more care in buying your games.
There nothing wrong charging for online if its preowned in my books.

 

[Woodsey]

Unless the cost of the game used + 800 MS points was equal to, or more than, the cost of the game new, I don't really see the issue. You still got the game cheap, the developer got (some of) their dues.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

Did you buy it used off of Gamestop, or something.
Correct me if I'm wrong....but EA isn't actually getting ANY of the money you paid for your copy. So, I don't see why they are to blame. They are merely asking money for they're product.

They got their money from the first guy who bought it. I'm all for developers making money, DLC, Map Packs, New Skins, whatever, but locking out part of the game... Come on, where does it stop?

Are they going to stop the game halfway and say, enter your new game code to play the rest of the game?

Well yes, the first guy bought the game, and then (presumably) PLAYED it..... That's what people pay for. They pay the publisher to be able to play the game. You didn't exactly do that. You paid an arbitrary third party that has nothing to do with EA.

On the flipside, EA ISN'T asking for your money to play the game. EA is asking for your money to play an optional HALF of the game. The other half it is giving away for free, as far as EA is concerned (as in, they gained no profit from you playing SP).

 

[Tjebbe]

So you're ok with the shop getting all the money while Visceral Games get nothing?

If you were to buy a second-hand book, would you make sure to send $10 to the original publisher?

Or a car, or a television, or a DVD, or anything, really. Why are games different?

Isn't this part of the first-sale doctrine?

If the point is they need money to run the servers, then they should charge for that.

 

[Jordi]

If the place you grabbed it from didn't tell you you couldn't play multiplayer, I would look into returning it or getting multiplayer enabled by them.

that wouldn't be likely to happen, yes the guys who sold the game should have said the online multiplayer needed to be unlocked. but it is a code that's packaged within the game box, not a receipt code the store could give you, so it is very unlikely they would even be able to give him access to it via some code much less be willing to do so. I'm fortunate enough the places i get games from are run by pretty cool people who are willing to give out help where they are able to

I was thinking more along the lines of "if it's their fault, they can pay for unlocking the multiplayer".

 

[JohnTomorrow]

I listened to the podcast where Yahtzee and Gabe Newall (?) talked about DRM, and one of them (i think it was Gabe) equated it to the secuirty guards in a mall.

But....its actually like, you go to a shopping center, buy a shirt from a store - but you have to show your ID when you buy it. And every time you want to wear it, you'd have to drive out to the store and show them your ID and reciept before you're allowed to wear it. Otherwise the security guards would bust in and stop you from wearing the shirt. Doesn't matter if your car doesn't work, or if you lose your receipt - they dont give a shit. All they care is that you're not copying their shirt design.

....A bit of a dragged out analogy, but yeah.

 

[K V MAN]

The multiplayer isn't particularly all that interesting at all so you are not missing out.

i agree, company in a survival horror game kinda defeats the purpose.

any way some games are purchased for the multiplayer, some are for the single player and some are for the coop. only a few games ever got all three perfectly, and they are of the top of my head are halo and resistance.

however this is my opinion only

 

[C95J]

When you buy pre owned games, the developer doesn't get any money. If you want all the features of the game, you pay all the money.

Cost of pre owned game + Online pass = the full game, for the same price. Plus the developers get the money they deserve from making the game.

Otherwise you would be getting the exact same game for a lower price, which isn't really fair in my opinion, just because it is pre owned, so the box might not look brand new.