The Old Republic Collectors' Edition Might Cost You $210

[Dastardly]

Condescending attitude aside, I am well aware that not everyone is going to like the game.

Given the way you began this exchange, it wouldn't do you much good to try to make this an argument about tone. Your wisest move would have been to move forward, taking my reply as a warning that you're getting a little hot-under-the-collar for no reason and might need to dial it back. That's blown, so the second wisest thing you could do is try it again with this warning.

You should also be aware that you assume way too much. You assumed that the story focus will make this a single player game. Despite all evidence to the contrary. In fact they've shown more group content then solo content. It's a common criticism by people who know very little about what the game actually entails. You are criticizing something that isn't true, So forgive me for just assuming you we're one of those people.

You like to use the word "assume," when you might need to consider use of the word "reason." After all, you have just as much (or little) information to go on as we do, so any of the conclusions you draw (including conclusions about other people's conclusions) are reasoned (or, in your words, "assumed") indirectly from what evidence is available.

Where you see "shown more group content than solo content," I see "have shown gameplay footage that involves more than one character on the screen, but may just be repetitive 'dungeon play' like WoW." And, in fact, what they've described of various group-oriented tasks favors just that. The group content happens, in a sense, outside the "epic storyline." Or it's just a passing thing on the way--like each chapter having a "group quest" near the end. But as they've made it clear this is meant to be a solo-friendly game, it's far more likely to be peripheral.

BioWare's pedigree is also single-player games. Consider KOTOR and KOTOR 2. Epic storylines, I'll give them that. Some customization here and there, sure. Single-player. The vast majority of the rhetoric and publicity surrounding this game is designed to compare it to those two games. And you can't make it a paragraph without hearing "epic, story-driven" somewhere.

Also, it has been made abundantly clear that players will not be able to progress without going through this main questline--the "epic story" part, which is supposedly able to be completed solo. Grouping for this unavoidable storyline would be only a matter of convenience, as they content isn't being designed to require a group. Again, your group content is off to the side in your warzones and world bosses and such.

But, you may say, they seem to be showcasing this group stuff. Yep. They're also making a big deal about how you "get your own ship" and all that... even though you can't customize the interior, the ship content is on-the-rails Starfox style, and the devs are openly very "meh" about space combat. In Star Wars. So, clearly, it doesn't bother them to talk up things in the marketing that they're talking down during the actual development.

My conclusions are reasoned not just from what they've said or shown, but also how they've said or shown it, as well as BioWare's past successes and failures.

 

[Unorthodoxx]

If I'm going to drop $200 I at least want a lightsaber with a few Crystals to determine color...In all honesty I have no intention to jump on this offer, I shall casually observe to see how it plays out.

 

[Oro44]

I'm really looking forward to the game, but I'm not sure if I'd pay that much money for all that stuff. Granted, it is a lot of stuff, and I do want that in-game store. But $210 for the rest of it? Not sure about that.

 

[Bretty]

I would pay up to $150 for this. It would be a no brainer, no thought transaction.

I think a lot of this negativity is because kids couldn't think of getting this kind of money together. Of course, I have been working since 14 and have never had such issues. If Bioware have made the product that I think they have made this price point would be about right for me. But $210 is a little high.

 

[furmaster3000]

Not gonna do it. Love SW franchise a lot, but 210 Euro's for a game that might eventually die out, and get shut down.
No way.

 

[rsvp42]

Really EA? You can't stop making me enjoy my new years resolution can you? Authenticators, in game recording, and an exclusive cash shop? I saw this coming but damn you took it further than i expected.

I doesn't say "cash shop," just in-game vendor. I expect we'll hear details starting tomorrow.

Also, it has been made abundantly clear that players will not be able to progress without going through this main questline--the "epic story" part, which is supposedly able to be completed solo. Grouping for this unavoidable storyline would be only a matter of convenience, as they content isn't being designed to require a group. Again, your group content is off to the side in your warzones and world bosses and such.

Although leveling speed can change, current testers have described themselves as being behind the curve when they skip group missions. Ultimately, it's in people's best interest to group up, but you're not prevented from enjoying the game by playing solo. Group mission chains like the one ending in the Alderaan castle encounter showcased at E3 are technically optional, but they still contain story content comparable to the class story missions. Even the less story-intensive group missions are worth playing simply for the challenge. My impression so far, based on statements about the percentage of class missions, is that class content will make up a single chain that leads players from planet to planet, but group and world missions will be there every step of the way. Basically, if you played another MMO and picked up new quests any time you found a new town, it's the same thing. The inclusion of a stronger class storyline doesn't preclude general group quests and it doesn't mean you can just forget about them and level as efficiently.

 

[duchaked]

"What? We could almost buy our own ship for that!"
LOL that's wonderful.

but my interest in this game pretty much disappeared when I saw "MMO" in the first CG trailer's description

still, not saying I wouldn't get it. but the possibility of me buying the game is approximately 3,720 to 1

 

[Bretty]

Snip

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/swtor-preorder-confirmed-by-gamestop/

Looks like Gamestop has it for $150. I am gonna buy it!

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

I'd be interested if it were about $90 with an art book and an ingame pet. That's pretty much all I want out of collector's editions for anything.

 

[Dastardly]

My impression so far, based on statements about the percentage of class missions, is that class content will make up a single chain that leads players from planet to planet, but group and world missions will be there every step of the way. Basically, if you played another MMO and picked up new quests any time you found a new town, it's the same thing. The inclusion of a stronger class storyline doesn't preclude general group quests and it doesn't mean you can just forget about them and level as efficiently.

My issue is less that, and more that the devs have explicitly said you won't be able to avoid the central storyline, you won't be able to avoid using your companions (which are the same ones everyone else in your class has), and all the other statements that just amount to this game not having the freedom a subscription-based game should have (in my opinion).

A monthly fee should be treated as paying rent in a virtual world. If you don't have your own space (ie, a ship you can customize, even on the inside), your own story (instead of borrowing one from them), your own path (instead of on-the-rails space combat), or even your own voice (instead of the one chosen for you)... what is it that you are continually paying for?

Some folks will say, "There's nothing stopping you from imagining your own voice or writing your own story or..." and so on. To this, I say it's not about the game "not stopping" me. It's about the fact that the game isn't helping me do these things, yet it's expecting me to buy the game, and then essentially re-buy the game every few months.

Everything about this game so far says it'll be nice and "epic," and surely quite "story driven." Everyone will be the hero of the galaxy, and it'll be a hoot. But nothing said about this game says "freedom," and that's what MMOs used to be all about--even this game's successor Star Wars Galaxies.

 

[Adam28]

There are few things that would make me buy this for that price, perhaps a real lighsaber, KOTOR3, an actual droid, maybe a blaster rifle.

Come on though, this is ridiculous. There is not even a pazzack deck.

 

[Hauntghost20]

Fuck it i will probaly buy it.

 

[Megahedron]

Snip

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/swtor-preorder-confirmed-by-gamestop/

Looks like Gamestop has it for $150. I am gonna buy it!

You just won!

Assuming that link is real, while $150 is around... 50 more than I'd like to pay for a collectors edition, it's not unreasonable. Especially if the early entry thing on the bottom of that link is true. And double especially if I cared about statues, because the wikipedia link someone posted above was kinda cool.

 

[Parnage]

I am curious why I am finding out and learning more about the games collector edition then I am actually learning about the game itself? When's beta opening? Hell I am not seeing it on the website unless I am missing out on some stuff.

I don't give a crap about the collectors edition, except for why I am learning about it before I've even had a chance to test or see others test out this game except for video's put up by bioware itself.

Am I missing something?

 

[Worgen]

wow they include so much digital crap I dont give a damn about

but then again I dont really like starwars anymore and the next mmo Im really looking forward to isnt old republic, its guild wars 2

 

[Stall]

I feel the image below is somewhat obligatory. Honestly, with this insane pricing on this collector's edition, along with the sheer length the game has been in development hell and the astronomical rumors regarding its budget (last I heard it was 200 million), I get this odd feeling that TOR is going to be one of the biggest flops in recent video game history. Hell, it might even be THE flop that defines this generation of gaming.

http://i52.tinypic.com/r2kcbm.jpg

It was cool while it lasted, Bioware.

 

[Stall]

150$ USD is not that ridiculous for a Collector's Edition. Especially with what this one entails. It's certainly better than Blizzard's charging an extra 40$ for an in-game pet.

Considering that "average" cost of a collectors edition is 80-90 dollars, this is a little less than double the norm, so I fail to see how this doesn't quality as "ridiculous". Also: the point on Blizzard is only tangentially related, and a failed attempt to divert attention away from a rather steeply priced collector's edition. What kind of logical fallacy is that again? I can't remember...

Look up the meaning of Development hell, I assure SW:TOR is not, nor has ever been in development hell.

How many "release dates" has this game had? Even further, I want you to go look at a screenshot of the game when it was first announced and a recent screenshot. Sure, it might not have been the WORST development hell, but you'd have to be blind to say that TOR hasn't had a very troubled and bumpy development cycle.

And lastly, the CONFIRMED budget of the game is 80 million.

Confirmed DEVELOPMENT costs... not total budget including advertising and all that. If you include the gross budget of the game, then it does get will into the hundreds of millions.

Also: you do realize that they probably aren't telling the truth about the budget, right? Companies lie about budgets of games and movies ALL the time. Just because Bioware/EA SAID it was 80 million doesn't mean for a fact it is 80 million.

It's nice to see memes outside of 4chan, But i suggest you keep them outside of your posts if you want your opinion to be taken seriously.

Ah, and a strawman to top things off very nicely. Ironic that someone use a logical fallacy while advising someone how to take a post seriously! Well done!

TOR is going to be a flop... a historic flop. It's going to cost EA and Bioware a lot of money, and is going to take a long time to turn a profit.