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General discussion

X360 Marketplace and it's abusers

Nov 26, 2006 8:29AM PST

Hi,

I wonder what the opinions of users are about the Marketplace and the potential for a good thing being abused by companies.
It is of course a great tool since it would be possible for game makers to increase the tilt of a game by releasing additional content after a game is out for a few months or weeks. So people put the game back into the console to play the new chapters and content and all are happy.
The problem is of course that some companies that put profit on top of all, have a huge potential to abuse this technology. The worst is of course Electronics Arts EA that started to sell games with half the content than on other consoles to sell the full content later on the Market place. I do not mean the unlockables for the lazy or casual player that likes to have the levels unlocked but actual content that was withheld from Xbox 360 users to suck out more money from their wallets. See for example Tiger Woods 07 where they released some 10 courses that the game on other consoles did have standard. This means you pay $59 and then need to spend another $15 or more to have the full game. Same of course with Need for Speed Carbon where you have to buy the additional tracks that come standard for other consoles or NBA Hoops where you have to buy the teams extra. I am shocked that all people playing the EA games on the X360 take this without a boycott or a mass outcry so that that this does not keep on going. Now the latest that they plan is consumables in the marketplace that actually get used up. Imagine have to buy racing tires that are worn after 10 races or swords that get blunt after a few fights. I think this is abusing the technology and I decided on my part to boycott EA games until they stop abusing us the gamers that made the company what it is. If no one does do anything they will continue this and you will get empty games in the future where you have to buy everything to make up the game and before you look you have to spend thousands of MS$ on top of the already expensive price of the game.

I think it is a disgrace to have this company buying out all innovative software firms to establish an almost monopolist structure in which they can force gamers to pay for content that is standard for all other consoles. On top of this is that the online experience is weak, so you pay all this money and they can not even install servers to facilitate the online play as advertised. I guess this is their way to make bullions by releasing substandard games with huge advertisement campaigns to brainwash the users into buying their chunk. Sadly only a few reviewers even mention this at all since they get their money from huge companies like this and if they try to be neutral and do not say what companies like EA want they will lose huge $$$. What is the world coming to?

Anyone have thoughts about this topic? I would like to know if I am the only one that is pretty angry about this.

Thom

Discussion is locked

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Here here
Nov 26, 2006 2:52PM PST

I agree 100%.

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yup
Nov 26, 2006 7:01PM PST

I have been a xbox fan the first day the original hit the market. Before that it was playstation. Sad to think about it but gaming has turned into my hobby of choice. I agree with you about the monopoly that these companies have. My biggest issue is not only the extra content that you have to buy but the "patches" that come thru the marketplace on the online games. I have made it a rule of mine that i dont by a game until it out at least for 2 weeks. Buy that time they useualy fix the problems. My oppinion is that Micrsoft are shooting them in thereselves in the foot. This is an argument that I have with alot of people. The 360 is suppose to be able to handle so much more info than previos consouls, and which it does. But, there are alot of manhours involved when producing games this big. So in order to keep costs down they decided to put out a little now and give you more later. Do the math, original xbox games 50 bucks, 360 games 60 bucks + 10 to 15 =75. Your average consumer is not going to pay that much for a video game. Plus not everyone has high-speed internet to take advantage of things like this. Everyone talks about the ps3 on how much more it can handle. Well guees what, the same thing is going to happen to the ps3 cause if they put as much stuff on a game as it can handle the games will be 80 bucks. I think its just a matter of time before this all comes to a halt. Just hang in there

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agree as well
Nov 27, 2006 3:57AM PST

I don't have any curr nor nex-gen consoles, but it does seem deplorable to do this. It is a nifty trick though. Like how retailers sell something for $38.95 to give the illusion that it's "about" $30 since it's less than $40, they sell games now competitively and charge more later. I can understand how difficult and cut throat it is to get solid games out on time, but in the end, only actual content and not bug fixes should be charged.