EA charging for Battlefield: Bad Company Weapons? (kotaku)

[8th lutz]

http://kotaku.com/370694/ea-charging-for-bad-company-weapons

 

Word from the Battlefield: Bad Company beta test is that several weapons in the game's arsenal are locked, with "Available for purchase on Xbox Live Marketplace" notations next to them. In total 10 weapons are listed as for sale, with five of them also available in the Gold Edition of the game. What this basically means is that people willing to drop a little extra cash, be it in the store or on Xbox Live, will have more weapons to choose from than someone who scrapes together just enough to pick up the game itself. This is not the way microtransactions should be used. Cosmetic additions and extra maps are all well and good, but allowing players to pay in order to get a leg up on the competition is just slimy. Multiplayer games suffer from enough balance issues without this sort of thing going on. Where will this lead? Perhaps eventually they'll allow you to purchase a much better surrogate player to represent you in matches, taking the term "professional gaming" to an all new level. Maybe we can pay for ammo next! "Everybody down! He bought extra clips!" *sigh*

[PressureCooker2600]

That is the biggest bunch of bullshit.

 

Multiplayer maps and levels are one thing.......but new weapons?!?!?!!

 

Bullshit.

[Hyper_Eye]

Why am I not surprised that EA is the first to try this?

[MausGames]

Some of my friends started complaining big-time when the most recent generation of systems came out, saying that gaming was being handed over to the rich kids and budget gamers were being virtually shoved out of the market, and this is one of the things they constantly mentioned.

 

The two examples they consistently were giving were ammo and weapons costing real money, along with car repair/upgrades in racing games. I said "No way, that's so lame nobody would go for it, even if they had the money to blow."

 

Bummer to find out they were right. Once this is fully embraced, won't it also effect the second hand game market? Not such a great deal to pick up a used game for a few bucks if you still have to shell out money while playing the game. Or what if support is dropped when the next generation of systems comes, and used previous-generation games are forever crippled?

[Starscream]

Why am I not surprised that EA is the first to try this?

 

Yea, my first thought too. EA has really been trying whatever to take these type of things to the farthest they can push it. But, even though I think it's not cool, I can't blame them. They really need to see how far they can push and see what everyone will accept. They are a business and I don't fault them for trying what they have this generation so far to make some money. Who knows? Maybe this is where games will be heading.

[moycon]

Well hopefully folks wont buy into it. That's the way to stop this nonsense. Dont buy. (Although you know there are folks that will and as long as they do this will keep up)

In most cases downloads like this are just cosmetic (cars, guns etc...) They aren't needed to play the game.

Another example of this is PAIN on the PS3.

You buy the game for 9.99, then you have the option to change your character....for .99 a piece.

Granted it's a little different situation. PAIN isn't on a disk ahead of time. But come on. a buck to use a different character? The a-holes that made the game couldn't throw in a few skins to change your character for free?!! LOL

[Starscream]

Some of my friends started complaining big-time when the most recent generation of systems came out, saying that gaming was being handed over to the rich kids and budget gamers were being virtually shoved out of the market, and this is one of the things they constantly mentioned.

 

The two examples they consistently were giving were ammo and weapons costing real money, along with car repair/upgrades in racing games. I said "No way, that's so lame nobody would go for it, even if they had the money to blow."

 

Bummer to find out they were right. Once this is fully embraced, won't it also effect the second hand game market? Not such a great deal to pick up a used game for a few bucks if you still have to shell out money while playing the game. Or what if support is dropped when the next generation of systems comes, and used previous-generation games are forever crippled?

 

 

Because, at least on Xbox Live, both you and your friends are wrong. Live is set up that you cannot play the same matchups as people who have spent the money (for the most part). I didn't download and pay for the new Halo maps, therefore, I don't get matched with those who did. Most racing games I have seen only allow certain cars in certain races, all somewhat closely matched, even the unlockables and ones that can be bought. This is where MS has it 100% right.

 

I can't say too much about Sony. I doubt too many people are having fun with COD 4 right now on the PSN so, if going by how the PSN has worked so far, I can see you and your friends being right. Safest would be the Nintendo network. Online play for that is checking weather and surfing the web

Edited March 21, 2008 by Starscream

[+remowilliams]

Well this certainly isn't their first time around. I got angry enough to actually write a letter to tell them exactly just how far they could stick up their ass what I found in the Godfather.