Microsoft and Sony's easy make a buck theory.

[Sheamus' Suntan]

So here I am. An avid gamer of...what, 20 years now. I've been playing games since Mario on NES, when I was 2 years old, and never looked back. I've owned EVERY major console since, some I've owned twice. I sit on my Xbox 360 most nights. I am subscribed to the £40 fee (I am from the UK. $60 ish.) for Xbox Live so I can play friends on various games. I am hooked up on the PSN Account, it's free, why wouldn't I be?

I sit on my Xbox and I notice there's new downloadable content available for a game I have. I think to myself "Hey, I'm ACTUALLY playing that game right now." So I download it. That right there costs me 1200MS points. 1200 MS points is...£8.50. (Roughly $13).

The download is finished. I'm happy. But I've just spent money I shouldnt have. But then I see a game is available on Games on Demand. There we go, thats another £20 just gone. Just like that. In one night I've spent £33 on an OLD game and an ADD-ON. A NEW game is £40...

My quibble is. Microsoft. Sony. They make it TOO easy to just pick up a controller and BUY stuff you don't even really use. I mean I picked up ALL of the downloadable content for LA Noire. I finished the main story of the game, and never touched the DLC...but why? Why when I paid about £30 in total?

And don't even get me started on Guitar Hero and how I have literally 512 songs in my playlist on it, having brought almost everything that came out across the past 4 games.

My issue really is that it's too easy. Perhaps I'm just...an easy spender and their perfect audience, but then any gamer who has brought into the consoles would also be pretty easy targets. You buy a game, see you can get a few more hours gameplay out of it - WOAH, for only an extra £8? I'm in!

How many people brought into the Annihilation packs on Call of Duty: Black Ops? How many people brought into all 3 packs? Quite a few i'd imagine. That's a very easy way to just simply waste money.

What are everyone elses thoughts on Live and PSN Network and how easy it is to just buy things?

 

[Davi323]

if you lack the self control to not order useless crap, isn't that really your fault, not theirs? Of course they want to make it easy, their goal is not to provide you with the best entertainment, its to make money...but if you choose to be a willing participant in that, beyond purchasing the system and games/content you will actually use and get some value for, that isn't their problem, it's yours. All you have to do before you download anything is ask yourself if it is something you really want and will use, or if it's something you probably won't. If it's not something you definitely think you would use, don't download it. Microsoft and Sony aren't downloading it, you are. The only person who has the final say as to whether you spend that money on downloadable content is YOU. Accept a little bit of personal responsibility for your own spending habits.

 

[Sean Valjean]

This sounds like a personal problem to me, bud. Don't blame Sony or Microsoft for your apparent lack of self control with your spending habits. For one, what goes down with DLC has more to do with the game's developer/publisher than anything. If you don't think you're going play what's for sale then don't buy it, simple as that.

Too easy? I don't even get that point. Of course it's easy to buy things, that's called having a good online service. They may tempt your with deals or bundles, but as I said before, some practice in self control will prevent you making purchases you may later regret.

.

 

[Cracka Jack]

if you lack the self control to not order useless crap, isn't that really your fault, not theirs?

Exactly. Whenever I buy something off the PS Store, I look at price, reviews, how much I truly want it, etc. It sounds like you might just be a compulsive spender. If you're buying every song available for Guitar Hero via DLC, then odds are you need to slow down on your purchases. If you can easily afford it, then go ahead, keep buying. Just don't complain about it as if you're being forced to buy all of it.

This is slightly off topic, but this does bring up the question of "should DLC be produced?" that I've seen pop up a few times. People feel that anything made for a game should be included in the final product and DLC is people getting charged for content that should already be in the game. I personally don't feel that way, as new ideas for gameplay, level design, etc. can come up after producing a game, and if it's good, I'm willing to pay extra for it.

 

[Arkham Noir]

I sit on my Xbox and I notice there's new downloadable content available for a game I have. I think to myself "Hey, I'm ACTUALLY playing that game right now." So I download it. That right there costs me 1200MS points. 1200 MS points is...£8.50. (Roughly $13).

The download is finished. I'm happy. But I've just spent money I shouldnt have. But then I see a game is available on Games on Demand. There we go, thats another £20 just gone. Just like that. In one night I've spent £33 on an OLD game and an ADD-ON. A NEW game is £40...

My quibble is. Microsoft. Sony. They make it TOO easy to just pick up a controller and BUY stuff you don't even really use. I mean I picked up ALL of the downloadable content for LA Noire. I finished the main story of the game, and never touched the DLC...but why? Why when I paid about £30 in total?

Lol What? Your complaining because your impulsive with you spending habbits? That really isn't Sony or Microsoft's problem. I'm not sure about XBox live, but I pretty sure that PSN has the option of you limiting how much money you spend. I could be wrong though, I've only had PSN for a short while and I'm not very familiar with it yet.

That way your making it out to be (especially the part I put in bold in your quote) is that it is mandatory that you buy these things or that Sony/Microsoft is automatically making the purchase for you. You make the conscience decision to buy so in the end it's all on you. You can't fault them for make it easy to use their service. That's just ridiculous

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

Sony and Microsoft provide an online service that allows gamers to purchase new and re-released games, downloadable content, avatars, demo etc. and yes that is one way to make a profit but they don't charge you for it unless you purchase it yourself.

It sounds like you accidentally purchase games or DLC & would like Microsoft & Sony to make it difficult for someone like yourself to make a purchase whether they have the intention to do so or not.

If you go to purchase something, it's not just one click and you wait for it to download. I believe there is at least two or three additional clicks that have to be made to confirm your purchase. Also, if Microsoft or Sony did make it more difficult to make any sort of purchase, the rest of the world that can live without impulse buying would complain that the store isn't user friendly.

Both Microsoft and Sony want to make money, by having content that that visible and easily available to consumers, it puts more money in their pocket. Hell, I just bought a PlayStation Mini game because I happened to stumble upon it in the PlayStation store and the name was intriguing to me.

If you don't think you'll play a game, or need the DLC etc, then don't purchase it. If you like you'd be interested in a game, play the demo, read reviews, ask around and see if it really is something you would like to play.

 

[Sheamus' Suntan]

Okay so yeah. I have an addictive personality trait, but it is STILL far too easy to pick up a controller and spend money IMO. I mean being honest about it - I LOVE DLC, I think it's a great way of adding onto a game. My issue is, you're spending 800 pts to enhance a game for what - 25-30 mins? The ONLY addon I've seen that been worth the money was Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine for Oblivion.

I like the fact that they give you the option to buy things and yes, it is several clicks, but once you're in the mindset to buy, you've brought it and it is VERY easy. I'll admit, PSN is harder to buy games on because they put a monetary value on it.

Here is my issue; points.

MS points is an EASY way to get people to spend money. "Well it's only 400 pts" is my usual excuse I tell myself, but a lot of 400 pt purchases...well 4 of them is worth £10 ish. It's easy for them to add up and up and up. Agreed, I do buy more than I should, but I don't think I would if instead of points, Microsoft put a monetary value against EVERYTHING on their systems, like DLC is £4 to buy, etc. It's EASY to make a buck out of people when you look at the points instead of actual money.

 

[GI Cake]

Oh man I hope you never get a steam account, the amount of dumb games I bought from the Christmas deals were absurd.

It is all about control my friend. I don't know how long I looked at one of my favorite childhood games I saw on Steam for $15, that game was Jade Empire. It is all about control. If you work a good job and make a decent amount of cash every 2 weeks and can afford to buy a array of games, the companies would have absolutely no problem with that.

 

[Qamar34]

thank you for your sharing, it is so useful to me.

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