Zero day DLC = disrespecting the customer

[tom2050]

That is a bit of stretching there.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was released in 2006. At the time, high-end computers were able to run it at the games top graphical levels with high performance. Same goes for today's games.

I bought my system I currently have around mid 07 (can't remember exact date)... Duo Core 5600+ Athlon 64 X2 3GB Ram for $650. 1 year earlier would have wielded similar results in price for technology.

 

[arstal]

4-5 years ago is not that long ago (well, unless you're a hardcore gamer). And just because "everybody's doing it" today doesn't make it the right thing to do. As I'm sure your mother has asked you at least once, if everybody jumped off a bridge, would you jump off the bridge too?

They're doing it again this year or early next year, with a much higher budget (Elemental)

Hearts of Iron is also DRM-free, but unsure how well that sells.

Battlefield Bad Company II is supposed to use a "very light" version of Securom that's in the .exe only, and that game is selling like hotcakes. Unsure if that's good enough for some people though (I haven't decided, I need to hear more info)

 

[Duuk]

Excellent point!

So a company creating a game for release, then deciding that certain portions they will release on Day 0 as 'Additional Content' instead of with the Day 0 game itself... and selling the 'Additional Content' for high prices. And they do so to 'Herd the consumer' into digital download of the product (which costs them less, and is priced higher). And the majority of the Happy Herd of Consumers goes right along as they are coerced to do.

I guess you are right, that is the "wave of the future" here and now, it's called ripping the customer off and being disrespectful.

I almost forgot that such was commonplace nowadays and has been for the last 2-3 years!

And I'll ask: Did you buy the collector's edition of Civ4? I did. It was $10 or $20 more than the base game at time of release. It included a prettier box and a soundtrack CD.

What did I do with the soundtrack cd? I ripped it to mp3 so I could listen to it while playing other games.

Now open your Civ4 folder. Click "Assets". Now "Sounds". Look through there. What is it? It's the soundtrack. In mp3 format.

Yes. Firaxis got me to pay $20 extra for a pretty box and a hard-cd copy of something that they gave you for FREE if you didn't buy the collector's edition.

And I didn't even get a forum shiny badge or anything.

With the next release, they're offering a few non-game breaking perks for being a collector's edition buyer.

And you're saying they're ripping us off NOW? Seriously?

 

[Olaf_The_Great]

And I'll ask: Did you buy the collector's edition of Civ4? I did. It was $10 or $20 more than the base game at time of release. It included a prettier box and a soundtrack CD.

What did I do with the soundtrack cd? I ripped it to mp3 so I could listen to it while playing other games.

Now open your Civ4 folder. Click "Assets". Now "Sounds". Look through there. What is it? It's the soundtrack. In mp3 format.

Yes. Firaxis got me to pay $20 extra for a pretty box and a hard-cd copy of something that they gave you for FREE if you didn't buy the collector's edition.

And I didn't even get a forum shiny badge or anything.

With the next release, they're offering a few non-game breaking perks for being a collector's edition buyer.

And you're saying they're ripping us off NOW? Seriously?

Yes, because last time we had all of the base civilizations with the core game.

 

[deanej]

Its not a question of weather they're ripping us off or not - it's about principle and the community.

As for the extras with civ4's collectors edition, they eventually got bundled with civ chronicles anyways. Even before chronicles, the second run of box sets released (those that had 1.09 on the CDs) included the tech tree poster. So all anyone got with the collectors edition of civ4 was a special box and a single mp3 file (the opening movie music, which is not in mp3 form otherwise) a little bit earlier.

I'm against limited stuff in any case. The consumer shouldn't be forced to make a snap decision to buy a product at or before release or have to have a lesser experience.

 

[Commander Bello]

What planet have some of you been living on? DLC has become a fact over the last 2-3 years. Not a "wave of the future". A here-and-now fact.

Same stands true for absolutism at its time.

 

[StittsvilleJame]

I don't think that Babylon as a special bonus for buying the deluxe edition will break all modding capailities of this game. Isn't the lead designer a modder? Why wouldn't he have thought of this stuff already?

I also don't think it's fair to say they're disrespecting you as a customer by releasing extra content for paying customers. I think it's you who are disrespecting the developers with your self righteousness and misplaced sense of entitlement.

 

[deanej]

Jon Shafter might not have a choice in the Babylon thing.

I'm not saying that they're disrespecting anyone by releasing extra content for paying consumers, I'm saying it's bad if the extra content is limited. It shouldn't matter if I get the game in the pre-release or a few months after release. In fact, with the exception of BtS, I have NEVER gotten a game at release. Why should I be penalized for waiting for information about the game to be well known before making an informed decision?

 

[Olaf_The_Great]

You know, I would not be too angry if they released Babylon, say, a month later for everyone, and a month earlier for Steam users. I mean, steam blows. Which means they get rewarded.

 

[StittsvilleJame]

Why should I be penalized for waiting for information about the game to be well known before making an informed decision?

Why should you get the bonus if you don't fulfill the requirements of the bonus though? The bonus is for people who buy the game as a preorder. If you don't buy the game as a preorder, you aren't being penalized, you are simply not being rewarded. Big difference.

Anyways, is his name really Jon Shafter? If it is, that's pretty unfortunate... Sounds like a porn star name...

 

[deanej]

The bonus is for people who buy the game as a preorder.

Which is why I'm against it. Consumers shouldn't be forced into making a decision to buy the game based on nothing but hype in order to get the full experience.

Anyways, is his name really Jon Shafter?

Looks like I'm making a LOT of typos tonight... should be Jon Shafer.

 

[Thyrwyn]

In the meantime, how are things in Happy Valley? Have the students left yet?

They left last week. Peace and quiet until Arts Fest

 

[frekk]

I was never going to buy Civ5 as soon as it's released, but by releasing what is essentially crippleware at full price, Firaxis has guaranteed I will not buy it new either - I will get a used copy and deny my dollar to Firaxis.

 

[Magma]

What, are they trying to encourage us to pirate the game now?

Probably not, but that is how it works.

 

[StittsvilleJame]

I was never going to buy Civ5 as soon as it's released, but by releasing what is essentially crippleware at full price, Firaxis has guaranteed I will not buy it new either - I will get a used copy and deny my dollar to Firaxis.

Crippleware? Really?

 

[Duuk]

I was never going to buy Civ5 as soon as it's released, but by releasing what is essentially crippleware at full price, Firaxis has guaranteed I will not buy it new either - I will get a used copy and deny my dollar to Firaxis.

The sense of entitlement is strong in this one.

Moderator Action: no need to attack a user you disagree with - discuss the post, not the poster

 

[Chalks]

I was never going to buy Civ5 as soon as it's released, but by releasing what is essentially crippleware at full price, Firaxis has guaranteed I will not buy it new either - I will get a used copy and deny my dollar to Firaxis.

Good luck buying a used steamworks game.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say is "crippleware". Not getting a bonus civ because you didn't get the delux edition?

I guess your car is crippled too because you didn't pay for heated seats.

 

[arstal]

I was never going to buy Civ5 as soon as it's released, but by releasing what is essentially crippleware at full price, Firaxis has guaranteed I will not buy it new either - I will get a used copy and deny my dollar to Firaxis.

The used PC market is a thing of the past. No point in waiting for something that won't happen.

 

[The_J]

I guess you are right, that is the "wave of the future" here and now, it's called ripping the customer off and being disrespectful.

I almost forgot that such was commonplace nowadays and has been for the last 2-3 years!

Yeah, it's really sad.
And the people don't mind it. That's even more sad.

edit: ups, there was one page more.

 

[Shurdus]

My god, that horrible custom title actually catched on to at least one person. Take that, Firaxis!