17 réponses à ce sujet

[Knight of Dane]

I don't know if I'm overreacting, but that announcment about timed exclusive DLC made me extremely disappointed in Bioware despite my love for the series and the great footage at the conference.

 

I thought that after the Skyrim mess up no one would make such a backhanded deal with microsoft again, especially now that no one cares about Xbox any more.

 

*sigh* I needed to vent. Sorry if you use Xbox, I have nothing against it. I just hope I won't have to wait half a f'ing year just because I chose to play the game on PC.

[Allan Schumacher]

But it would show EA that fans aren't happy, but when have they cared about that before?

 

You're right.  Letting them know is better than doing nothing.

[Allan Schumacher]

Haven't they confirmed there won't be any companions as DLC for DA:I?

 

We will not have Day One DLC.  While I couldn't speak definitively I would bet large sums of money against there being companion DLC, since stuff like that is best served as Day One DLC (due to prerelease hooks that go in as well as the nature of companions being most interesting if available for the whole game).

[Allan Schumacher]

Me: "Hello. I'm in need of your services."

Plumber: "Okay. What do you need and where does it need done?"

Me: "The toilet is backed up. I'm in Bayshore."

Plumber: "****."

Me: "Exactly."

Plumber: "Well yeah, heh, but I mean it looks like I can't get out to you for two weeks."

Me: "Why?"

Plumber: "You're in Bayshore. I give priority service to Oceanview."

Me: "Oh. So like you're all booked up?"

Plumber: "No... But they might call, never know."

Me: "Wait. So you have nothing booked right now?"

Plumber: "Nope. Just waiting on Oceanview to need me."

Me: "Umm. You realize I'm trying to pay for your services right now."

Plumper: "Yeah. But see I give priority service to Oceanview and you're in Bayshore. So..."

 

 

A better analogy would probably be more akin to:

 

 

City: We want to upgrade our parks

 

Investor: I can invest in it.  The only stipulation is that you upgrade the parks in this list first.

 

 

It's important to remember that an influx of cash prerelease that can be used to justify and create post-release content.  I don't know the numbers, so I don't know how big of a chunk it'd make in a budget.  But I wouldn't be surprised if it also gave DAI additional exposure via the Microsoft press conference that basically opened up E3 today.  Depending on how much commitment Microsoft has to have for marketing the game if that helps bring in additional players, the larger install base can also justify further post release content (since the tail innately becomes longer).

 

I do understand that it's sucky to read this as it comes across as "I'm not as important of a fan."  I'm not going to try to tell you you shouldn't feel that way because it's not for me to tell you how you should or shouldn't feel.  If you feel strongly enough about it, I won't begrudge you from passing on the game altogether (because I think that's what a responsible consumer should do.  I wouldn't even buy it used).

 

 

I literally do not know what the DLC will even be at this point, so hopefully as more information comes down people can make better informed decisions and decide whether or not it's significant enough to make any changes to their plan.

 

 

Do they really think because they are favouring XBOX, anyone is going to be like "oooh let me change to XBOX!"??? Nope.

 

It's more likely something that would draw in people that don't follow the game that closely (remember, there's probably a lot more non-hardcore fans than hardcore fans) that will see it associated with Microsoft ads, and it may provide an impetus for someone to choose the Xbox One version if they happen to own both it and the PS4.

 

But I don't have the numbers, and I certainly have no visibility into Microsoft's business, so I can't really state if this is or is not a good decision.  But I'm sorry for those that feel bummed by this.  Hopefully that doesn't remain the case with more information.

 

 

Cheers.

[Allan Schumacher]

Well, I appreciate the candor, and hopefully more info will come our way soon, I think I speak for all of us when I say please keep us informed, especially when it comes to the nature (story, costume pack, etc. not necessarily specifics) and length of exclusivity of this "premiere DLC" (premiere is an.... interesting word. I have no idea what to make of it).

 

Those two things are probably the most crucial pieces of info we need to make an informed decision. Anyway, thanks for what you've already revealed.

 

I don't know if I'd read too much into the "premiere" or not.  I know Ray Muzyka always referred to DLC as "PDLC" and when I asked what the P meant, he said "Premium" and it denoted "not free" stuff.

[Allan Schumacher]

You know for some reason posts like this always make me wanna ask one thing, what system do the devs perfer to play on?

Know it most likely won't get answered but was so curious had to ask.

 

I'm a PC gamer.

[Allan Schumacher]

As far as I understand people are more angry at the DLC delay because they won't be able to talk about the game here without getting spoiled by the X-BOX folks.

 

I don't think so.  I think people are much more upset because it feels unfair that one platform gets access to content sooner than other platforms.

 

 

 

 

Secondly, this might not be the first time it has happened, but it's the first time it has been so obviously blatant. EA went where the money is again. They constantly bang on about how gamers are important  to them and yet side with a company who doesnt give a **** about them.

 

It's funny because we *could* have hidden the fact and released the information later (we'd probably get more money from it as well), but we're being rather up front about it, and now getting chastized about it for being "blatant."  I remember exclusive access to *full games* for a certain duration of time.  I remember having to hope that KOTOR would be a PC release, and having to pass on Jade Empire because it wasn't a paid release.

 

If you feel that this is just us being even more blatant with being greedy jerks, I'll simply conclude "at least you now have the time to make an informed decision rather than learning about it after you've already bought the game.  If being open about this stuff is being blatantly greedy, then I'll take blatantly greedy because it stops people from being ripped off.

 

 

Yes, we make decisions to help mitigate risk.  Yes, we make decisions because we think that the benefits will outweigh the costs.  I'm not particularly a fan of stuff like this because of the perception it gives.  But I'm also not equipped to say that I'd never do it, because I don't know the details.  I can't say that there's no price point, because I know that even if I was independent that there'd be a price point where I'd go "this ultimately lets me do more of the fans of the game, even if it's something that makes them upset in the short term."

 

But if you're going to get upset with us because we're being open and upfront about it then what I'm now reading is "I would prefer that you had kept this information from us so it would look as bad."  Except that I'm pretty sure people would still be quite angry (and probably more so, and probably with better reason) if we did that.

[Allan Schumacher]

What I do have a problem with is additional paid content that was developed before the game went gold and never was intended to be part of the final game; I'd honestly prefer to just pay $10.00 more for a complete product at launch than having the publisher attempt to sell it to me in pieces.

 

You're making an assumption that "additional content has been made."

 

By this metric, however, I'm guessing you're equally upset with Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age: Awakening?

 

 

If you mandate that we cannot consider future content during development of the current game, you basically are saying that BioWare has historically being exploitative towards its gamers with all of its games that had content created for it.  You're effectively saying "I never want any sort of DLC or expansion ever."

[Allan Schumacher]

You have a good point. However, having a plot-crucial character developed a long with the other plot-crucial characters and then removed for first-day DLC seems a little OTT. Shale, Javik and Sebastian. I think those arguments are fair to make. They are fab DLC, but I think the main game would be lacking without them. Those ones I irk at, tbh.

 

We're definitely not planning on doing anything like that this time around.  I understand it's a contentious issue and it makes people upset, but it's not really related to this situation though.

[Allan Schumacher]

Well, I will concede you have a lot of consumers these days who will blatantly abuse that line of though, but the spirit of it remains true, if something costs money, that does afford a customer with rights as much as there is a push nowadays to suppress peoples rights and voice.

 

I don't think we'll have any mechanism in place to pay for the DLC before they have access to it though.  I'm not sure how this analogy holds up.

 

Or are you saying that you feel the non Microsoft products are inferior because of this?  (in this case I think I can see where you're coming from).

[Allan Schumacher]

After this announcement I started thinking about buying an Xbox One, even though I already own a PS4.

 

Said no one ever.

 

I doubt that this is to be seen as that much of a system mover, particularly over those that already have a PS4.

 

It may factor in for someone who doesn't have a console at all, but I figure it'd probably see the biggest impact by those that happen to own both.

[Derek French]

So I didn't know about this. What DLC am I missing out on for getting the Sony console version?

None.

[Bryan Johnson]

Every company does it.  Sony actually does it a lot more, especially with exclusive game titles altogether.
Don't focus all hate on Microsoft for an industry-wide problem.

And that is definitely what exclusives are.  A problem.

I am also not a huge fan of exclusivity, but I would argue it is not a problem it is a business decision. Its purpose is to make you spend your money on something over something else, essentially it is the very foundation of marketing. 

[Derek French]

I have read some of the comments on the lack of response from BioWare and I did want to clarify something. Deals like this are done at very high levels and sometimes do not involved the developer at all. That said, because this involves legal and business dealings of two large, publicly traded companies, it is not really our place to comment on the business and legal dealings of others. Sometimes there is nothing that we can say.

 

There are times when I feel like John Turturro in Transformers when he first meets the Autobots.

 

http://youtu.be/v7SLvoRuXjg?t=1m23s

[Derek French]

Whelp Mr French "GET OUT OF THE CAR"

Wouldn't be the first time that was yelled at me.

[Allan Schumacher]

I have sought clarification multiple times now from DA team members and I have been stonewalled each time.

 

As a reference, right now is the first time I've been in this thread since I last posted in it, so a lack of response from someone like me is that I'm oblivious towards it.  Of note, in the twitter space even I rarely get responses from someone like Mark or Mike.  I can't imagine how many tweets they get.

 

 

 

 

The least they could do in such a situation is explain why they are withholding that information but they continue failing to do even that.

 

I know the answer, but I don't share it because I have zero clue as to the details of the arrangement and as such am oblivious to any stipulations that may exist that detail communicating it.  I don't want to get myself, or anyone else, in trouble by speaking on something like this without those details.  And it's unlikely I ever get them.

 

EDIT: This is sort of touching on Derek's post which was posted as I wrote this up.

[Allan Schumacher]

Just so I am better understanding, it is discriminatory to not release games on various platforms too? (I am a P gamer and have never felt like a 2nd class citizen) Does this also include not releasing across the world? The term is being applied much more liberally than I am used to. What about thing like early access and crowd funding pledges?

[Allan Schumacher]

I am using it liberally and the DLC policy is a minor form of it to me, it is my perception and my line in the sand which I have drawn and I gave my reasoning behind that line in earlier posts. The definition of the word fits the example I gave in my opinion. You have to decide where your own line in the sand is drawn. I am not a dictator, I cannot dictate what you believe but I gave my reasoning and explained my logic about this DLC policy on multiple levels across multiple posts in here already and it should be taken as customer feedback. What you do with that feedback is up to you.

 

If you're going to call me an immoral person, I'm going to need to be pretty clear on your position.  So lets keep this short and brief in our responses if possible to prevent me from getting lost in the explanations.

 

EDIT: Lets take this to PM actually.