Is EA/Bioware ruining gaming?

[Fizzy]

Over the past few years, Bioware and EA have been responsible for making some of the most popular game series' on this generation of consoles. These games include my favorite current generation series, Dragon Age, Battlefield, and the games that caused me to create this thread, Mass Effect. Now, while these lineup of games may make it seem like Bioware and EA are at the forefront of the gaming industry in regards to high quality, popular games, it's quite the opposite.

I don't remember when it happened, but sometime recent, EA made their games available on the PC specifically through a service called Origin. Every gamer has either heard of or experienced the horror that is Origin. This was the first step towards EA becoming an absolute joke of a company. It was the first time it became apparent that they simply do not care about their customers. Now, Origin has been around for a while and is as shitty as ever, but that wasn't the reason I created this thread.

The reason I made this thread is due to the recent announcement regarding Mass Effect 3 which is on course to be released a little later in the year. It's one of if not the most anticipated game of 2012 for many people and all Mass Effect fans cannot wait. Well, this week, it was announced there would be a $10 DLC released on the same day as the actual game. At first, it seems alright, many companies release DLC on the day of a games release. Only difference between the two is that the Mass Effect 3 DLC contains a major character that they decided to exclude from the actual game. The DLC will throw a big twist into the Mass Effect story and is a must have for any fan of the game. It's something that should not have been left out of the main game considering it's such a major event and has a significant impact on the story. Now, EA is making it's customers buy the game which will be $60-$70 and the DLC for an extra $10. If it wasn't apparent before, it's clear as fucking day now, EA does not give a shit about their customers. They only want to make money.

It's been talked about for years, how DLC will be the downfall of modern gaming. Usually, I could deal with the DLC in games like Batman where you'd get some more challenge missions, or even Saints Row where you receive a few weapons, but for a company to leave out a huge chunk of the story and make people buy it as DLC when they just as easily could have added it into the game is disgusting. What irks me even more is that this will likely be the highest selling game of 2012.

 

[Sinister Shadows]

Over the past few years, Bioware and EA have been responsible for making some of the most popular game series' on this generation of consoles. These games include my favorite current generation series, Dragon Age, Battlefield, and the games that caused me to create this thread, Mass Effect. Now, while these lineup of games may make it seem like Bioware and EA are at the forefront of the gaming industry in regards to high quality, popular games, it's quite the opposite.

I don't remember when it happened, but sometime recent, EA made their games available on the PC specifically through a service called Origin. Every gamer has either heard of or experienced the horror that is Origin. This was the first step towards EA becoming an absolute joke of a company. It was the first time it became apparent that they simply do not care about their customers. Now, Origin has been around for a while and is as shitty as ever, but that wasn't the reason I created this thread.

The reason I made this thread is due to the recent announcement regarding Mass Effect 3 which is on course to be released a little later in the year. It's one of if not the most anticipated game of 2012 for many people and all Mass Effect fans cannot wait. Well, this week, it was announced there would be a $10 DLC released on the same day as the actual game. At first, it seems alright, many companies release DLC on the day of a games release. Only difference between the two is that the Mass Effect 3 DLC contains a major character that they decided to exclude from the actual game. The DLC will throw a big twist into the Mass Effect story and is a must have for any fan of the game. It's something that should not have been left out of the main game considering it's such a major event and has a significant impact on the story. Now, EA is making it's customers buy the game which will be $60-$70 and the DLC for an extra $10. If it wasn't apparent before, it's clear as fucking day now, EA does not give a shit about their customers. They only want to make money.

It's been talked about for years, how DLC will be the downfall of modern gaming. Usually, I could deal with the DLC in games like Batman where you'd get some more challenge missions, or even Saints Row where you receive a few weapons, but for a company to leave out a huge chunk of the story and make people buy it as DLC when they just as easily could have added it into the game is disgusting. What irks me even more is that this will likely be the highest selling game of 2012.

That's the only point that matters in this whole deal. Gaming companies can only get by with what the consumer allows, and until people stop throwing away money on things like that, it's going to get worse and worse.

 

[M]

Sinister Shadows got my major point down already, sneaky badger, now i have to think...

They know people will go out and buy the game full price (i won't), and they know that telling people they're still missing out on stuff that's apparently a major part of the game will probably make them want to go the extra mile to get the excluded content instead of turning them away. If 5% of the potential buyers get turned off of getting the game altogether, and 5% of the rest don't get the DLC, the remaining 90% of idiots buying the game and the DLC should cover the money and probably add some too, that's their logic. The sad part is that the majority of gamers, while complaining about it to no end, don't have the balls to say "fuck you, I'm not buying your game anymore" and end up buying the game with the DLC anyway. While that sort of sad gamer crap happens you'll see the "compulsory DLC" trend continue to pull money out of your ass to no end.

This industry is motivated by money, not in any way by customer satisfaction, it's actually starting to progress into an era where taking time to produce a brilliant game is thrown out the window because they want that time to make two reasonable games that may sell well.

 

[Fizzy]

This industry is motivated by money, not in any way by customer satisfaction, it's actually starting to progress into an era where taking time to produce a brilliant game is thrown out the window because they want that time to make two reasonable games that may sell well.

Steam constantly puts games up for as much as 75% off its original price. They have to get permission from the companies that manufacture that game in order to do that. Just last weekend they cut down the price of Modern Warfare 3 from $60 to $40. As much as I hate COD and the companies that manufacture the games, that is a pretty awesome thing to do considering it was the highest selling game on Steam at $60.

Do I think it's wrong for companies wanting to make as much money as possible? Of course not, that is what they were made for. However, what I do think is wrong is when a company has gone out of its way to make money at the customers expense. Kids these days are growing up with the mindset that this is true gaming. They've never known any different, and that does not bold well for the future of gaming. Like I said, there are many companies that go out of their way to show their thanks to their customers, EA doesn't give a shit as long as they get paid. That's the problem, and it sickens me that people are buying into this shit so much that Mass Effect 3 will be the highest selling game of 2012.

 

[M]

Steam constantly puts games up for as much as 75% off its original price. They have to get permission from the companies that manufacture that game in order to do that. Just last weekend they cut down the price of Modern Warfare 3 from $60 to $40. As much as I hate COD and the companies that manufacture the games, that is a pretty awesome thing to do considering it was the highest selling game on Steam at $60.

I know about the whole steam service cutting the prices of games, I was referring to how it's getting to the stage where pretty much two halves of the game are being sold at the same price the "whole" game would be.
E.g. a developer is making game A, game A is fucking awesome, game A would cost $60 - $40 on steam for example.
now, what is happening is that game A is being split into game B and game C, B and C are now average games, game B costs $60-$40 on steam, game C costs $60-$40 on steam. B+C=2A
Even with the steam price drop they still make twice as much money splitting the game in two.

The kids these days are the ones who are going to decide the outcome of all this crap, if they don't realise they're getting fooled and go outside or something, then WE will be the ones who will get fooled by the developers, and we'll have to either stop playing or pay more.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This annoucement has infuriated me. I detest the DLC concept to begin with, and this is taking things too far. Call me oldschool all you want, but I refuse to pay for a download. Ever. My wife is a Mass Effect fan, so I will be sure to warn her about the importance of this particular DLC. I personally think that DLC should NEVER include major plot points or important characters that are otherwise unavailable in the main game. Not everyone uses DLC so why exclude those of us who don't ever bother with DLC? It is unfair and a very bad call.

In my opinion DLC should be EXTRA material that is only meant to be for fun or an added challenge. The levels, modes, equipment, and characters included should always be optional. I lost a large amount of respect for these companies when I read the announcement discussed in the opening post. If this DLC is supposedly crucial for any Mass Effect fan, then why not just include it in the main game? They basically are calling the game worthless without the addition of this DLC. I hope they do not do the same thing with Dragon Age 3, or else I will be extremely disappointed because they should care about their fans rather than try to earn an extra buck off of "forcing" them to download a DLC.

 

[Captain Morgan Freeman]

I would hardly say it's ruining gaming. Basically they offer you they chance at changing the story itself for a price, the game still works fine without it so i don't see what the big deal is.
On the subject of EA not caring about their customers and only wanting to make money ill let you in on a little secret, every company is the same in that regard. It's a company's aim to make money, if they don't take your money another company will. Games company's are losing a ton of money because of people only buying second hand games these days so they have to find other ways of making money in order to keep making the high quality games we customers demand.
The only way to stop downloadable content is to vote with your wallet and not buy the content they intentionally hold back from customers. But it's not going to kill gaming, believe it or not the money games company's make actually goes back towards making better games then before.

 

[justinsayne]

This is hardly a big deal, or "the downfall of gaming". They're offering DLC that allows you to change the story in the game, you don't have to buy it, I have not seen ANYTHING that signifies that the game is unplayable in anyway without this DLC. Get over, stop being so fucking cheap, if you got the $60-70 to shell out for the game on the day of it's releases than you probably got an extra $10 you can shell out for the DLC. if not, then just play the game without the DLC, after you finish it you can buy the DLC & play it that way, & get a whole different story & experiance out of the game.

Also they're a company of course they care about making money, they're a fucking business, if they don't make money they don't exist & you don't get anymore Mass Effect games.

 

[GI Cake]

EA is a company, their main goal is to make money. EA nor Bioware are not non-profit groups. The very reason they make video games is because they want your money, they don't care who buys their game, just as long as they sell. I don't see how a company can be considered evil or don't give a shit about their fan base when they create DLC. That is the thing about DLC, you can choose not to pay for it and continue your game plain and simple. DLC is out there for people who want to expand their game at a small cost of $10-15.

With that being said, I can't help but agree with you about feeling confused on why they would release DLC on the first day of the game. I can understand if they were developing the DLC after the final build was finished and a month or two passed, but when it is released on the first day, it makes you wonder why they didn't just include it anyway. DLC is not the end of the world, it is just video game companies trying to make a quick buck. Which is something that has been done through all services since the dawn of time. You can't really blame them for for trying to do what they set out to do, and that is make money. You are already shelling out $60 for a game, what is $10-15 more?

If you really feel that strongly about EA, don't continue to buy their products and continue to complain about them. I refuse to use Origin because of how crummy the service it provides and how much personal information it requires. But if you are that upset with Mass Effect 3, and how EA/Bioware are treating its customers, don't buy the game. But you are missing the point of how a business works and are missing the point of how DLC is a service you can choose to accept.

 

[Captain Morgan Freeman]

With that being said, I can't help but agree with you about feeling confused on why they would release DLC on the first day of the game. I can understand if they were developing the DLC after the final build was finished and a month or two passed, but when it is released on the first day, it makes you wonder why they didn't just include it anyway. DLC is not the end of the world, it is just video game companies trying to make a quick buck. Which is something that has been done through all services since the dawn of time. You can't really blame them for for trying to do what they set out to do, and that is make money. You are already shelling out $60 for a game, what is $10-15 more?

There's a simple reason why. Games companies aren't making enough money from game sales alone. With the global recession everyone has turned to buying second hand. Do you know how much the companies that make the game get from second hand sales? A big fat zero.
Games companies have come to terms with the fact that people are going to buy second hand if they can, so to actually raise the money needed to keep making games they have had to think outside the box with online passes and having DLC come out at the same time as the game is released.
Fans expect games companies to make the next game better then the last with original stories, better graphics, smooth controls and a good online mode. Yet when the companies actually try to raise the money to make that happen people bitch and moan about 10 fucking dollars. You can't have it both ways in that regard and it's pretty sad how many people don't realise that.

 

[jrichardson25]

I personally think that DLC should NEVER include major plot points or important characters that are otherwise unavailable in the main game.

I agree completely. That's my one beef with the usage of DLC. It needs to be optional. I hate that part on Mass Effect 2... It is also a bit of a cop out to release an incomplete game instead of getting the whole picture out there all at once....

As for EA/Bioware... are they ruining gaming? No, they're just trying to force change to up the bottom line as all business do at some point. Will it explode on them? Probably not because people aren't as picky as old school gamers like myself....

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

Games cost a lot of money to develop, Mass Effect 3 has been in the works since work was finished on Mass Effect 2, its slated to be one of the biggest releases of the year, $60+ tax to buy the game is cheap considering the amount of play time you'll get out of the title. $10 to expand upon that title is nothing.

I used to play Everquest, where not only did you pay a monthly fee to play the game, you paid $30 every time new content came out, which was every 6-9 months.

DLC isn't going to lead to the death of games, because you do not need DLC for every title, its extra content for the game. If you have an issue paying for it, don't fucking buy it.

With the amount of playtime some games have they should cost Double the regular price, IE Skyrim, Oblivion, Mass Effect 1 and 2, but yet they still come out at the $60 price point. DLC helps to keep the companies afloat that make these games. Not every game is a hit, and since the average development cycle on current gen games runs 2-5 years, they have to make back their money some how.

DLC is a smart business strategy, because rather than issuing a new game every year for $60 ah la la shitty ass sports titles like Madden, NBA2k, MLB and all that garbage, you get added content for a fraction of the cost. Yes maybe you end up spending $100 when its all said and done, but its on something you enjoy, so shut the fuck up crying over it already.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

For all you that are bitching, I'm finna post this

http://kotaku.com/evil%2c-evil-dlc/

EVIL, EVIL DLC


DLC
BY OWEN GOOD MAR 10, 2012 3:00 PM 41,012 1234 Share


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FOLLOW KOTAKU


‘Stop Thinking You’re a Producer,’ Former Mass Effect Designer Tells Gamers
Christina Norman worked for BioWare on Mass Effect. She's with Riot Games now. But she must have felt pangs of sympathy when BioWare got raked by gamer complaints about day-one DLC in Mass Effect 3. Because she basically gave them a double-barreled middle finger in a rant at GDC.

"There's no point in releasing DLC a year after your game has come out when most people have already sold your game back to GameStop three times," said at a GDC panel, reported ShackNews. "That means getting it out early; that means even day-one DLC. That is a terrible thing to some players.

"Players rant—they know nothing about this DLC that's coming out except its name. But then it's 'oh this game must be incomplete, the game must be ruined.' Game developers are not evil. (Some are evil.) But most are not evil.

"We just want to release awesome stuff. Players please, give us a chance. Judge our games based on what they are. Judge the DLC based on what it is. Stop thinking you're a producer and telling us when and where we should be building our content."

 

[Zeven_Zion]

For all you that are bitching, I'm finna post this

http://kotaku.com/evil%2c-evil-dlc/

EVIL, EVIL DLC


DLC
BY OWEN GOOD MAR 10, 2012 3:00 PM 41,012 1234 Share


GET OUR TOP STORIES
FOLLOW KOTAKU


‘Stop Thinking You’re a Producer,’ Former Mass Effect Designer Tells Gamers
Christina Norman worked for BioWare on Mass Effect. She's with Riot Games now. But she must have felt pangs of sympathy when BioWare got raked by gamer complaints about day-one DLC in Mass Effect 3. Because she basically gave them a double-barreled middle finger in a rant at GDC.

"There's no point in releasing DLC a year after your game has come out when most people have already sold your game back to GameStop three times," said at a GDC panel, reported ShackNews. "That means getting it out early; that means even day-one DLC. That is a terrible thing to some players.

"Players rant—they know nothing about this DLC that's coming out except its name. But then it's 'oh this game must be incomplete, the game must be ruined.' Game developers are not evil. (Some are evil.) But most are not evil.

"We just want to release awesome stuff. Players please, give us a chance. Judge our games based on what they are. Judge the DLC based on what it is. Stop thinking you're a producer and telling us when and where we should be building our content."

Then I suppose I should judge Mass Effect 3 for what it is? Okay. I beat the game yesterday and I still can't get over it. Awesome game and then my love and passion for the great series was the deer in this gif ...

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

Then I suppose I should judge Mass Effect 3 for what it is? Okay. I beat the game yesterday and I still can't get over it. Awesome game and then my love and passion for the great series was the deer in this gif ...

I reserved it, paid it off, and haven't went to the store to pick it up.

I'm still playing Skyrim, still playing Uncharted 2, WWE12 and I have three other games still unopened that I've yet to get a chance to play. By the time I have time to play Mass Effect 3, the GOTY edition will be out