No more unlocking cars in games, on 360 you have to buy them.

I knew some sort of shit like this would happen. First Nintendo with "You must buy all versions of the game plus all the cards and them something else!!" to access the games secrets and now you have to pay This is really sad. Hidden extras in games are there as a bonus or a nice little surprise if you will. Not to be bought !

Yakumo

 

(sighs)........

 

Well we have the choice to buy them, but still it really pisses me off nethertheless. It is like what they have done with mobile phones and turned them into proverbial cash cows. I just have this horrible feeling that they will do it to DOA and make me pay for costumes they damn well should have put in the original game. Looking at the Ridge racer thing, they will have already worked out this add-on content, so why isn't it in the final package?

Ho hum, I guess my Jap 360 (future tense) will probably not work online from england, so this is off limits to me anyway.

 

Well, i dont really see any nice extras, the trailers are nice, but they are free? why the hell do i want an nfl theme/avatar?

 

nothing to add...

 

So, how long before a Gameshark-type device allows access to them all without paying? Or are there preventative methods in place for that?

 

The idea would be good itself, if Microsoft wouldn't surely push the developers into cutting unlockables. The advantage of PC gaming always was the (theorically) unlimited expansion capabilities - new cars tracks, teams, characters, items, etc. could be added if the developer programmed the game to accept them. Now consoles finally have such ability, but these paid downloadables will harm the longevity of the games will replace unlockable materials - after the main goal is completed, what else to do? Unless there is free stuff if the player hits 24 hours of gameplay or wins championships, for instance - Doesn't the XBLive logs time played on each game?

 

OK guys, MAJOR overreaction here.

Fonr one the topic is greatly misleading.

None of the racing games have "buyable" cars that I saw on the list.

Trailers are free.

Custom themes and avatars for Live cost money, but they *are* optional things.

And *gasp* they charge a couple bucks for full downloadable games!? The nerve!

Feel free to panic if that list had had "Unlock Uber l33t PGR3 car - 5000 Points!" but it doesn't.
They seem only to be charging for custom themes and actual games downloaded to your HDD.
This isn't the conspiracy you're looking for.....
*waives hand


*EDIT* OK, I see now that Ridge Racers has "6 cars - TBA" though i'm half tempted to think it's likely not exclusive cars but somthing like custom skins or somthing. We'l see. For the most part I still have no problem with the things on that list. Hell, i'll gladly pay a few bucks for Robotron and SmashTV!

 

Extras and things for the 360 are quite alright as far as I'm concerned, as our the cheap games. But as for extra content in games that you have already purchased, I really don't like where this could possibly lead to.

 

Mmm, download content on Xbox wasn't worth anything really (Halo 2, but you could get the maps through a DVD)... Seems like they got their act together this time, I wonder how Nintendo's and Sony's 'content' will look like. Demo's would sure be nice.

 

If devs want to keep supporting a game after its been released with downloadable content that they didn't have the time to put into the final build of the game, then thats fine. But excluding content that was ready to go just so people have to pay extra for it when the game is released is BS. Its things like this that make me sometimes wish I was a part of the gaming press so I could help cause a public outcry against such things (that and write 'good' reviews, something I very rarly see these days).

 

actually, MS has every single Halo 2 multiplayer map for free on xbox live now. I paid exactly $0.00 for them by using a free two month signup card that came with a game.

I seriously doubt MS will hold extra levels for cash or anything like that. It's just the dumb shit like buying avatars for your Live profile or new skins for game characters/cars. MS probably, or at least should, realize that doing this is so damn niche that they won't make that much money off the retards that want the stuff.

 

Warakia is absolutley right about video games going the way of the cell phone. If you have telecom experience you can definately see the writing is on the wall. At this point only consumers can reject the possibility. But I'll bet xbox 360 customers are the same ones that waste $1 a day on useless cell phone downloads etc. So there really is no hope. We will be paying for extras that used to be unlockable, at this point its just a matter of time.

I must be getting old. Every year I get less and less excited or interested in new products. I kind of fed up with tiered pricing and "pay later" add-ons. I feel almost like none of it is worth anything.

 

People will eventually just nickel and dime themselves to death. Such is today's society.

 

OMG...So does this mean that if Bungie makes new maps, or new vehicles, or decides to put bots in the game after Halo 3 is released for a profit? I can see it happening. It would really suck if multiplayer on it started out with just a pistol, and maybe one map. Then you had to shell it out for everything else. OH: The only good thing about this is that they would have a better incentive to better the game this time around, but at a price.

 

They will be plenty sneaky about the whole thing.

Marketing says "nex gen graphics, fun etc" people then go out and get a potentially great product. Then a few months later (maybe longer) you NEED to get internet service hooked up to your $400+ investment to play some "new flashy fun" realease and very few games or no games at all come out that do not need internet. Not wanting to have wasted that money you give in and then are slapped with $$$ downloadable/unlockable items. Then the cycle never ends. Your friends get it, you need to get some also to join in on the fun etc. Parents "might" be the unkown factor here. Hopefully they will put thier foot down and prevent thier kids from fully untilizing the service due to nickle and diming. But still thier are enough older people playing video games today that parents along won't be able to stop this future trend.

I have been truly dreading the day when I play mostly pc games, but that day will be here soon.

 

They sell games to people for $50, of course they'll do this. :lol: