7 réponses à ce sujet

[My Squid]

Why?

For your sake, let's pretend ME2's launch went off without a hitch.
Let's pretend everyone recieved their proper DLC, no connection timeouts, and everything's just peachy.

* Why create/use the Cerberus Network as a model for DLC distribution?

* Microsoft already set up the Marketplace for relatively easy access to new game content. Why didn't you use that?
 All you did was create a seperate system that does exactly what current system already does.

* Why not just give us code to download content straight from the
Marketplace like other developers? Heck, I can purchase access to the Cerberus Network through the XBLM. Inputting a code there is what most XBL users are used to doing, why change it up?

* Why make us sign up for an EA master account to access the content?

Now that that's out of the way: the Cerberus Network doesn't work as intended. The instructions were confusing to many people, making them sit through customer service to get everything worked out. And others DLC isn't working properly (armor but no weapon) or DRM issues (unable to access Normady Crashsite while offline).

So I ask again: Why?

Modifié par My Squid, 28 janvier 2010 - 07:02 .

[rahf226]

The main reason they created the cerberus network is that microsoft hates free DLC. Unless the DLC is something very simple like a new costume or something they want to make you buy points for it.

[MeesterJojo]

My Squid wrote...
* Why create/use the Cerberus Network as a model for DLC distribution?

* Microsoft already set up the Marketplace for relatively easy access to new game content. Why didn't you use that?
 All you did was create a seperate system that does exactly what current system already does.

* Why not just give us code to download content straight from the
Marketplace like other developers? Heck, I can purchase access to the Cerberus Network through the XBLM. Inputting a code there is what most XBL users are used to doing, why change it up?

* Why make us sign up for an EA master account to access the content?

1- Immersion, but the reality of the Cerebus Network is that it turns out to be another anti-consumer antic propigated by EA.

2- Again,immersion.

3- Because while BioWare probably doesn't care, EA wants your info/email: it's a marketing ploy. This should have been obvious. Hopefully you didn't opt-in on any emails.

4- See 3- marketing ploy. They want to expose people to their website (which is bad), and sign them up for spam emails. By doing this they can also garner some idea of who is "buying" $15 DLC compared to how many were sold. They have your email and you probably didn't uncheck any boxes offering to send you product updates. So now they have demographic data on their consumers, but a way to market their products to them, and you paid $15 for it.

Syccophants- you can say I'm wrong, but you'd be hard pressed to deny #4.

[My Squid]

rahf226 wrote...
The main reason they created the cerberus network is that microsoft hates free DLC. Unless the DLC is something very simple like a new costume or something they want to make you buy points for it.

Uh, we're still downloading content through XBL, the CN isn't some magic portal that bypasses that. Not to mention it IS possible to buy the CN through the Marketplace.

So at the very least, they could have given us an XBL code, let us skip the BS and be on our merry way.

MeesterJojo wrote...
1- Immersion, but the reality of the
Cerebus Network is that it turns out to be another anti-consumer antic
propigated by EA.

2- Again,immersion.

3- Because while
BioWare probably doesn't care, EA wants your info/email: it's a
marketing ploy. This should have been obvious. Hopefully you didn't
opt-in on any emails.

4- See 3- marketing ploy. They want to
expose people to their website (which is bad), and sign them up for spam
emails. By doing this they can also garner some idea of who is "buying"
$15 DLC compared to how many were sold. They have your email and you
probably didn't uncheck any boxes offering to send you product updates.
So now they have demographic data on their consumers, but a way to
market their products to them, and you paid $15 for it.

Syccophants-
you can say I'm wrong, but you'd be hard pressed to deny #4.

Immersion is a non-answer. Neither Fable II nor Fallout 3 lost
their "Immersion" by buying the content through the standard Marketplace.

As for it being a marketing ploy, there's no doubt in my mind that it is. I'd rather them (BioWare) just come out and admit it, or at least try and put some kind or "real" rational behind it.

Modifié par My Squid, 28 janvier 2010 - 07:55 .

[masterthehero]

There are some partially correct answers, but previous research suggests that EA is creating this system to create their own version of "Steam".



EA has been making a strong push into creating it's own little marketplace where users can purchase all of their products through their own digital distribution service. This way they don't have to deal with Microsoft's rules and can have users download either free or premium content through their own service without having to ask for MS permission.



The Cerberus network card was created by marketing for immersion yes. But it was also intended to prevent second hand sales from gamestop, piracy, and served as the starting block to getting people started with the EA account system.



EA as a publisher wants to set their own rules on how they can distribute their games and their DLC, they can't do that if they are stuck under the thumb of the marketplace. Poor planning on EA's part, but what's done is done. If they had jumped in on these things a few years earlier this mess probably wouldn't have happened.

[GreenNinja87]

Well, if they're doing that to have their own little online shop I will accept it as long as it leads to DLC for EA games being available in Germany even if the game got banned.

[My Squid]

masterthehero wrote...

There are some partially correct answers, but previous research suggests that EA is creating this system to create their own version of "Steam".

EA has been making a strong push into creating it's own little marketplace where users can purchase all of their products through their own digital distribution service. This way they don't have to deal with Microsoft's rules and can have users download either free or premium content through their own service without having to ask for MS permission.

The Cerberus network card was created by marketing for immersion yes. But it was also intended to prevent second hand sales from gamestop, piracy, and served as the starting block to getting people started with the EA account system.

EA as a publisher wants to set their own rules on how they can distribute their games and their DLC, they can't do that if they are stuck under the thumb of the marketplace. Poor planning on EA's part, but what's done is done. If they had jumped in on these things a few years earlier this mess probably wouldn't have happened.

I'm all for small bonuses for original buyers (i rarely buy used games anyway). Epic did a similar thing with Gears 2 by giving away the Flashback Map pack, while buying the map pack from the Marketplace was $10. I have nothing against this at all. The problem is BioWare isn't sticking to the well established standard of doing this.

Like I said, "immersion," to me at least, is not a legitimate answer. I fail to see how it's more "immersive" to download content ingame versus how everyone else does it.

As for EA creating their own distribution method to get out from under Microsoft is, from what I can tell, flat out wrong. Every single piece of extra content for Mass Effect 2 is downloaded from the XBLM (or did you miss Microsoft's snafu that let some people download everything before the game was even released). Not to mention the fact that you can buy access to the CN by using MS points on the Marketplace.

I know MS can be a real pain in the tuckus with prices (Bungie, Valve, and Epic were all forced to put prices on content that they wanted free). But when it comes down to it, anything and everything having to do with XBL has to go through Microsoft.

Modifié par My Squid, 28 janvier 2010 - 08:31 .

[exboomer]

The official line from EA is that CN is for free DLC while DLC that they want people to pay for is going thru XBL. I think this is just a smokescreen and I think that eventually we will have to get all DLC for this game thru CN.