Tuesday, January 26, 2010
WTF - BFBC2 Gamestop MP Mode
So I had the privilege of playing Battle Field Bad Company 2 during the PS3 beta. While I cannot say more than that (EULAs suck!) @mittense brought to my attention the whoring out of game modes. In the past retailers such as GameStop and Best Buy have had pre-order exclusives. Hell, they have enough purchasing power, that they can demand special prices and favors from game publishers. I mean it is their job to squeeze out the Mom and Pop game shops because they can then demand higher prices from consumers and control the publishers better.
Up to this point, the items have been costumes or special weapons for single player mode, they haven't limited the game play. Yes it affects the few of us who absolutely must have everything, the fanatics but for the general player, meh. But as Bob Dylan said, "The times, they are a changing".
GameStop, Best Buy and their pre-ordering system represents an immediate threat to gamers. Not because it is causing people in your community to loose their jobs. Not because they charge obscene prices and give back a pittance in trade in. It is because we have already given these companies far too much power in our entertainment and our lives.
Take for example the pre-order system. Let's say I pre-order BFBC2, from GameStop. Now I'm locked into buying from them, even if my local game shop comes up with a better deal.
Some gamers may not be too keen on that idea. So, instead of competing with the local game shop, GameStop went to the publisher to limit competition. And like the little kid bullied by for his lunch money, the publishers relent. I mean if GameStop won't carry their game, imagine the loss of audience. And just like a bully, once they get a little bit, they start asking for more. I expect in the not too distant future GameStop to demand that multiplayer mode on new games only be for GameStop pre-orders.
Let me be clear, I do not begrudge the workers at GameStop, but the management is trying to harm all of us.
This has to stop. And the best way to stop it is to vote with your money. If you've pre-ordered BFBC2 from GameStop, cancel it. If someone offers you an invite to the 'Squad Rush Mode' reject it. Not only boycott the store, but the game mode as well. Support your local game shop. Take a stand now, because if you don't you won't have a leg to stand on later.
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I am unsure on exactly how to approach my response to this post. I do think that limiting a Mode to pre-orders or which store you bought a game from is completely Stupid. I also know that throughout history it has been survival of the fitest. If the mom and pop shops fall by the way side because Best Buy or Game Stop or some other Super store has a bigger pocket, well so be it. I am not saying that I wish for this to happen, but I am also not saying I will lose any sleep over it. If Gaming gets to a point where I have to buy a game from Best buy to play that game with my Online buddies ... then I guess I'll buy it from there. The progression of Companies will always leave smaller stores broken and falling to pieces ... even in a Recession the World still works the same way
ReplyDeleteSo I should make it clear, there's a fine line between sponsoring creativity and hindering it.
ReplyDeleteIf the story was: "GameStop paid Dice to develop this extra mode and they selling it separately or as a bundle." I wouldn't have a problem. That's improving the gaming community and I fully support anyone who does that.
Instead, the story reads more like a mobster's "oops insurance" policy. While we may never know what GameStop did to get this exclusive mode (for a month only) I can only describe my reaction as a result of sensing "a disturbance in the force" of gaming.
Yes and No once again from me. If gamestop put up serious Coinage to have an exclusive Month of Game Stop only patron Mode play ..then good job Game Stop on coming up with a way to benifit people that shop at Game Stop. I don't care for Game Stop inparticular .. I am not for or against the store of their way of doing buisness... I see no real difference in This as I do in Beta Testing .. The game developers and/or Console company are the ones the make the choices ..and they are always and forever going to be Money based choices - Exclusive access to a certain game or map or mode or character .. Money is needed to get this .. Someone is paying for it ... and to guarantee that the Payer becomes the payee at some point, The product must be able to be leveraged
ReplyDeleteInteresting points guys. I personally don't think we will see this go past temporary exclusivity for the most major contents.
ReplyDeleteI think it's time for Amazon and Newegg to step up to the plate and compete in this way if its gonna be the mainstay though.
However, I think that these "exclusive" pre-order deals are weaker and weaker. Multiplayer mode for 1 month, Beta access for 1 week right before Mag went FULL OPEN Beta on PSN Store as a demo, and in Infamous you got Gigawatt blades which could be unlocked just by playing the game towards the end, and now are offered free in PSN Store for all.
I am on Bob's side as far as I do not like Gamestop and I do not like when I hear about these little pre-order blackmail scams.
However I think they are all talk if they think they can go without carrying games like God of War 3. In the case a game company refuses to make a pre-order bonus I think Gamestop will still sell that game.
They basically have to or their customers will start to worry that they don't have presence in the gaming world anymore.
Probable to believe that with or without exclusive content they would still have the game .. but Knowing that out of the thousands of potential customers at least a small percentage that would have just bought it from Amazon or Some other Online site .. Why not be one of the First 40k people to have access to a special zone ... If it's a game you were gunna buy anyways .. and it isn't gunna actually cost you more ? ..
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