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I'm Sick of Companies Trying to Scam Players

Cryptic with Champions Online and Star Trek Online and their stupid, stupid item shops. Blizzard and their ridiculous $10 vanity pets ( but, hey, HALF of that goes to a charity... yeah, real great ). EQII and it's itemshop and trading card game. Etc etc etc.

Why do we have to put up with this? Why do we get lied to about every game in development and how it's going to pan out? Why do we have to put up with ridiculous business practices that exist for the sole purpose of nickel and diming us out of our money CONSTANTLY?

Really, people saying, "IT'S A BUSINESS AND IT'S TRYING TO MAKE MONEY" doesn't really cut it anymore. There is a line between "trying to make money" and "f*cking over your customers in an attempt to make as much cash in the shortest time possible", and most of these companies are already crossing it.

An example of this is Cryptic's lifetime subscription, which - at the very least - implies that you get content updates. I mean, that's what your subscription is for, not just maintenance, isn't it? Turns out no: Cryptic have already announced their first "paid content pack". This is ridiculous. Hell, this is pretty much equal to a scam.

The worst thing is, this is happening in the gaming industry as a whole. Look at Bethesda. After releasing free updates to Morrowind etc ( along with expansions, but expansions are a different matter altogether ) they eventually decide that it's a good idea to make people pay for features TAKEN OUT OF OBLIVION BEFORE RELEASE. Hell, I won't deny it, a few of the Fallout 3 DLC packs were decent, but most were rubbish.

So, what I'm trying to ask is: Why are the companies allowed to get away with this? DLC, item shops, paid "mini-adventure packs". It's like that guy on the street who asks you to play the coconut game, hiding the ball in his pocket and promising you that it's there, you just have to keep forking out cash to get it. How is any of this less of a scam?

Maybe I should quit playing games, because sadly - unless we get a miracle - I can't see it getting any better.

- Devour

( This is probably a bit long and rambling, but for those TL;DR folks: I'm pissed because games companies are being twats. ALL THE TIME. )

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Comments

  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    Originally posted by Devour


    Cryptic with Champions Online and Star Trek Online and their stupid, stupid item shops. Blizzard and their ridiculous $10 vanity pets ( but, hey, HALF of that goes to a charity... yeah, real great ). EQII and it's itemshop and trading card game. Etc etc etc.
    Why do we have to put up with this? Why do we get lied to about every game in development and how it's going to pan out? Why do we have to put up with ridiculous business practices that exist for the sole purpose of nickel and diming us out of our money CONSTANTLY?
    Really, people saying, "IT'S A BUSINESS AND IT'S TRYING TO MAKE MONEY" doesn't really cut it anymore. There is a line between "trying to make money" and "f*cking over your customers in an attempt to make as much cash in the shortest time possible", and most of these companies are already crossing it.
    An example of this is Cryptic's lifetime subscription, which - at the very least - implies that you get content updates. I mean, that's what your subscription is for, not just maintenance, isn't it? Turns out no: Cryptic have already announced their first "paid content pack". This is ridiculous. Hell, this is pretty much equal to a scam.
    The worst thing is, this is happening in the gaming industry as a whole. Look at Bethesda. After releasing free updates to Morrowind etc ( along with expansions, but expansions are a different matter altogether ) they eventually decide that it's a good idea to make people pay for features TAKEN OUT OF OBLIVION BEFORE RELEASE. Hell, I won't deny it, a few of the Fallout 3 DLC packs were decent, but most were rubbish.
    So, what I'm trying to ask is: Why are the companies allowed to get away with this? DLC, item shops, paid "mini-adventure packs". It's like that guy on the street who asks you to play the coconut game, hiding the ball in his pocket and promising you that it's there, you just have to keep forking out cash to get it. How is any of this less of a scam?
    Maybe I should quit playing games, because sadly - unless we get a miracle - I can't see it getting any better.
    - Devour
    ( This is probably a bit long and rambling, but for those TL;DR folks: I'm pissed because games companies are being twats. ALL THE TIME. )

     

    I'll agree with you on cryptic but not so much on bethesda.  Cryptic planned all this and clearly laid out there plans before the game even launched.  They said they were launching with a regular priced game, with a monthly sub, a cash shop, and two expansions on the way. This was all premeditated on their end.. and there was no two ways or arguing about it.  Bethesda and oblivion was a different story. They never planned on charging  monthly for anything. There was also a ton of player developed content for oblivion shortly after release which was pretty prevalent in the replay value of morrowind as well and was completely expected.  Morrowind also had "expansions".  

     

    SP DLC is a way to extend the playability, but I wouldnt call it greed in every aspect.  Borderlands has only been out a short while but they've come out with 2 DLCs and have another large DLC planned very soon.  One reason that these DLC plans work so well is because theres a market for them.  Cryptic will learn quickly there just isn't a market for the crap they're trying to pull because the games just not good enough for the way their gouging with the MTs and expansions.  If everyone payed close attention at launch, with the lifetime subs beforehand, the false advertising of game features, and the mention of stat based MTs and planned expansions, maybe cryptic would've gotten the message long ago.  Now, with the launch of another game on the horizon for them,  and more MTs planned... playable races only available to lifetime subbers ...we're about to see another train wreck.. and it looks like if people don't pay attention now to what cryptic is doing.. we'll be hearing this all over again in another 6 months.



  • Kaisen_DexxKaisen_Dexx Member UncommonPosts: 326
    Originally posted by maskedweasel

    Originally posted by Devour


    ...

     SP DLC is a way to extend the playability, but I wouldnt call it greed in every aspect.  

    So how about DLC on launch day (Dragon Age). Is that Greed?

  • Agricola1Agricola1 Member UncommonPosts: 4,977

    I agree, and I find those companies usually produce a bad product and lose subscriptions and that's why they go into "squeeze blood from a stone mode". That and they are just plain greedy wankers that are doing it only because they can get away with it, and usually do.

    I don't make purchases from those companies, they do that to one game and they're on my blacklist. Over stepping the mark in my opinion is item malls along side subscription fees. Expansion packs, I feel that the subscription fee I pay entitles me to have any content they have created for the game post launch. Selling me an expansion pack I have already paid for (in my opinion) is just disgusting. Trading cards, purchasing in game currency from the company along side paying for a subscription.

    There's a few more in there but I find once these companys set upon this dark path their future games are forever tainted by the darkside!

    "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"

    CS Lewis

  • tehikktehikk Member Posts: 497

    Right, right...

    So... these games suck... in your opinion... so they must be scams!

    Right, right...

    "The question that sometimes drives me hazy: Am I, or the others crazy?" - Albert Einstein

  • AxehiltAxehilt Member RarePosts: 10,504

    Paying for content!?!?  This is an outrage!

    "What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver

  • JeroKaneJeroKane Member EpicPosts: 6,959
    Originally posted by Axehilt


    Paying for content!?!?  This is an outrage!



     

    It's the fact, that Cryptic released CO unfinished (and now again STO wich is even in a worse state).

    The least curtesy Cryptic could have is to at least finish the game with free updates first.  It's not a F2P game. People are still paying their monthly fee!!

    When the game comes to a state that it actually feels finished and polished. Then I am perfectly fine to pay for an expansion that significantly expands the game. No one would argue then.

    It's the fact, that Cryptic is going to launch a tiny content update, to fill up a 3 level gap of content (wich they themselves created at launch with the panic XP nerf) and want people to pay for it!! 

    We can all bash companies like Funcom all we want. At least Funcom has continiously released big content updates for FREE to get it to the point today, that it has reach a state that it's finished and more polished and ripe for a paid expansion. Wich is coming later this year.  And a big one that is.

    Turbine took the exact same approach with LOTRO with the massive amount of free book updates till they released the paid expansion Mines of Moria (Wich was huge).

    Cheers

    [Mod Edit]

  • EvasiaEvasia Member Posts: 2,827

    Why this wine about it here?

    Dont play game then or quit when they scam you.

    I dont play games with what you mentioned like item shops and if i play an mmo that introduce item shops i cancle my sub, but its mainly a themepark problem or those free to play mmo's so i dont realy have thise problem sandbox games still are not that poluted with item shops and fluff.

    Majority of mmo community want this thats why most put itemshops in there games becouse people are willing to pay for it it seems and those company's make even more money like blizzard that need the money it seems there poor company, and need to feed there familiy.

    Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009.....
    In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.

  • WyluliWyluli Member Posts: 80
    Originally posted by Axehilt


    Paying for content!?!?  This is an outrage!

     

    What if you've already paid for content (by buying the game) and you don't get any?  Marketers love to play word games - nowadays "content" is passed off as an "expansion" and we are asked to pay again for something we should have gotten in the first place. :P

  • AxehiltAxehilt Member RarePosts: 10,504
    Originally posted by Guillermo197

    Originally posted by Axehilt


    Paying for content!?!?  This is an outrage!

    It's not about that. But you probably trolling anyway.

    It's the fact, that Cryptic released CO unfinished (and now again STO wich is even in a worse state).

    The least curtesy Cryptic could have is to at least finish the game with free updates first.



     

    They're under no obligation to finish the game or provide free updates.

    However if they release a lackluster product whose design isn't enjoyable (Champions), they can expect some customers to not be interested in their future products.  (The design's enjoyability is the result of many factors, including free updates.) Star Trek Online was an interesting IP to me, but I've avoided it specifically because Champions was so disatisfying.

    Basing the complaint around charging for content is the main mistake of the OP.  Had he simply called Champions a completely lackluster design, I'd have agreed.

    His comments on lifetime subscription don't garner sympathy either.  I've always paid month-to-month for games because I know they may become boring at some point and who knows how long that'll take.  Paying for a lifetime subscription to anything is basically putting a ton of trust in whatever company you're investing that money in, so be damn sure you trust them first.

    "What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver

  • hanshotfirsthanshotfirst Member UncommonPosts: 712

    And I'm sick of the sense of entitlement many (if not most) people appear to have these days—which as a registered Democrat is really saying something.

    You kids need to get a job already.

  • nikoliathnikoliath Member UncommonPosts: 1,154
    Originally posted by Devour


    Cryptic with Champions Online and Star Trek Online and their stupid, stupid item shops. Blizzard and their ridiculous $10 vanity pets ( but, hey, HALF of that goes to a charity... yeah, real great ). EQII and it's itemshop and trading card game. Etc etc etc.
    Why do we have to put up with this? Why do we get lied to about every game in development and how it's going to pan out? Why do we have to put up with ridiculous business practices that exist for the sole purpose of nickel and diming us out of our money CONSTANTLY?
    Really, people saying, "IT'S A BUSINESS AND IT'S TRYING TO MAKE MONEY" doesn't really cut it anymore. There is a line between "trying to make money" and "f*cking over your customers in an attempt to make as much cash in the shortest time possible", and most of these companies are already crossing it.
    An example of this is Cryptic's lifetime subscription, which - at the very least - implies that you get content updates. I mean, that's what your subscription is for, not just maintenance, isn't it? Turns out no: Cryptic have already announced their first "paid content pack". This is ridiculous. Hell, this is pretty much equal to a scam.
    The worst thing is, this is happening in the gaming industry as a whole. Look at Bethesda. After releasing free updates to Morrowind etc ( along with expansions, but expansions are a different matter altogether ) they eventually decide that it's a good idea to make people pay for features TAKEN OUT OF OBLIVION BEFORE RELEASE. Hell, I won't deny it, a few of the Fallout 3 DLC packs were decent, but most were rubbish.
    So, what I'm trying to ask is: Why are the companies allowed to get away with this? DLC, item shops, paid "mini-adventure packs". It's like that guy on the street who asks you to play the coconut game, hiding the ball in his pocket and promising you that it's there, you just have to keep forking out cash to get it. How is any of this less of a scam?
    Maybe I should quit playing games, because sadly - unless we get a miracle - I can't see it getting any better.
    - Devour
    ( This is probably a bit long and rambling, but for those TL;DR folks: I'm pissed because games companies are being twats. ALL THE TIME. )

    I think you are complaining about one of the main driving forces of a capitalist society. Larger business main driving force is to remove as much of your money as possible, end of.

    You have exercised your right to voice your annoyance of this, and as it is part of a democratic, capitalist system you are FREE not to partake. If by agreeing to a subscription you were unwittingly agreeing to purchase all and any further content automatically then yes you would be dead right to kick and scream. Thing is DLC, X-pacs, pets, transfers etc are all voluntary purchases.

    Big developers backed by bigger publishers, indeed any BIG business really, don't do real ethics, they try to hide behind a facade of ethics, caring and being generous in order to appeal to customers.

  • DevourDevour Member Posts: 902
    Originally posted by nikoliath


    I think you are complaining about one of the main driving forces of a capitalist society. Larger business main driving force is to remove as much of your money as possible, end of.
    You have exercised your right to voice your annoyance of this, and as it is part of a democratic, capitalist system you are FREE not to partake. If by agreeing to a subscription you were unwittingly agreeing to purchase all and any further content automatically then yes you would be dead right to kick and scream. Thing is DLC, X-pacs, pets, transfers etc are all voluntary purchases.
    Big developers backed by bigger publishers, indeed any BIG business really, don't do real ethics, they try to hide behind a facade of ethics, caring and being generous in order to appeal to customers.

    Then it is my right, as a scam artist, to remove as much money from your bank as possible, end of. I mean, after all, it's your own fault for leaving your credit card details hanging around, isn't it? You've exercised your right to voice an annoyance about it, but you don't deserve anything else.

    -----

    Originally posted by hanshotfirst

    And I'm sick of the sense of entitlement many (if not most) people appear to have these days—which as a registered Democrat is really saying something.

    You kids need to get a job already.

    -----

    God, I find this hilarious. "I AM A DEMOCRAT, YOU KIDS ARE JOBLESS LOWLIFES WHO SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF OUR COUNTRY." American socialists my arse.

    It's not ABOUT "entitlement", it's about the lack of ethics by gaming companies and how the governments in many countries are unwilling to force sanctions on companies that do shit like sell a lifetime subscription and then try and hand over content which should have been in game in the first place.

    Imagine you had a car that you were paying monthly for, and each month you got a new piece. You can pay for all of it in one go, if you like. If you did, you'd expect to be able to have it at all together at SOME point in time. However, in the terms of service, it doesn't explicitly say that you will get your brakes fitted. You have to hand over more cash for the breaks. Would you count this as fair?

    image

  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    Originally posted by Devour

    Originally posted by nikoliath


    I think you are complaining about one of the main driving forces of a capitalist society. Larger business main driving force is to remove as much of your money as possible, end of.
    You have exercised your right to voice your annoyance of this, and as it is part of a democratic, capitalist system you are FREE not to partake. If by agreeing to a subscription you were unwittingly agreeing to purchase all and any further content automatically then yes you would be dead right to kick and scream. Thing is DLC, X-pacs, pets, transfers etc are all voluntary purchases.
    Big developers backed by bigger publishers, indeed any BIG business really, don't do real ethics, they try to hide behind a facade of ethics, caring and being generous in order to appeal to customers.

    Then it is my right, as a scam artist, to remove as much money from your bank as possible, end of. I mean, after all, it's your own fault for leaving your credit card details hanging around, isn't it? You've exercised your right to voice an annoyance about it, but you don't deserve anything else.

    -----

    Originally posted by hanshotfirst

    And I'm sick of the sense of entitlement many (if not most) people appear to have these days—which as a registered Democrat is really saying something.

    You kids need to get a job already.

    -----

    God, I find this hilarious. "I AM A DEMOCRAT, YOU KIDS ARE JOBLESS LOWLIFES WHO SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF OUR COUNTRY." American socialists my arse.

    It's not ABOUT "entitlement", it's about the lack of ethics by gaming companies and how the governments in many countries are unwilling to force sanctions on companies that do shit like sell a lifetime subscription and then try and hand over content which should have been in game in the first place.

    Imagine you had a car that you were paying monthly for, and each month you got a new piece. You can pay for all of it in one go, if you like. If you did, you'd expect to be able to have it at all together at SOME point in time. However, in the terms of service, it doesn't explicitly say that you will get your brakes fitted. You have to hand over more cash for the breaks. Would you count this as fair?

     

    Its not the same thing. Software is a different animal. You could go out and buy the new microsoft office and still have to pay for certain templates if you wanted to use them.  Lets ask, what is the purpose of DLC and Expansions.  Well in a SPG you are extending the gameplay from the original story. DA released a DLC on launch of the product.. but that didn't stop you from completing the game in its entirety.  Borderlands released 2 packs, both of which were meant to extend the gameplay aside from the original storyline.  Would I have liked those packs to be included with the purchase of the game? Of course I would have.  The thing is.. where do you draw the line between what they can charge for and what they can't?  We as consumers don't get to make that line... because if it were up to the consumer, they would never get anything out of us.  

     

    Now the difference with an expansion so close after release for champions, is that they built the game to a certain point, riddles it with payments, and they knew they only had enough content for a single months worth of play.  The expansion will come out, and undoubtedly have features in it, such as items, areas.. new levels, etc.. that will make it so in order to progress at all, you need to buy the expansion.    That means they are literally releasing content you need to pay for, 2 months out, with the rest of the progression tools you need to get to the new tier of gameplay. Its a way for the company to try and bait you.  In the difference between a SP game with DLC and CO with expansions.. the SPG at least gave you a finished game with the box sale.  CO didn't.



  • CeridithCeridith Member UncommonPosts: 2,980

    I'll just pop in and say that I was interested in trying STO, until I heard about their whole "pre-purchase a lifetime account and get a borg" nonsense.

    Sorry, but that's just sleazy, and I don't want to play a game run by a sleazy, untrustworthy company.

  • DevourDevour Member Posts: 902
    Originally posted by maskedweasel


    Its not the same thing. Software is a different animal.

    Why?

    image

  • RoninSzakyRoninSzaky Member UncommonPosts: 63
    Originally posted by Psythos


    It must have really set your ass on fire that darkfall didnt have a free trial. Seen you bitching about them a minute ago and now this new thread bitching about something else.

     

    Of course, you can't blame a company for not wanting a wider, bigger player base and you also can't blame them for crap marketing, can you?

    "Ad astra per aspera."

  • jonezi92jonezi92 Member Posts: 224

    I Agree with the OP

    After getting Screwed once with Champions Online, i am hardly considering Star trek online,

    I cant see anything out there atm that wants to love their customers more then making a quick buck.

    MMO's are starting to become like these crappy "computerised" singers you hear on the radio and they all sound the same, (Mainstream). and that is what i think is happening to our mmo games.

    Im not a fanboi or a hater of  any mmo, i just want a good game to play.

    The only game i actually look forward to playing 2010 / 2011 is from BioWare. Simply because they only ask their customers to simply enjoy the game. and i've enjoyed other Bioware titles and i trust in their ability to deliver a descent game.

    Sure there will be a monthly fee, the servers wont pay for themselves, right?

     

     

  • CeridithCeridith Member UncommonPosts: 2,980
    Originally posted by Devour

    Originally posted by maskedweasel


    Its not the same thing. Software is a different animal.

    Why?

     

    Because some developers choose to make it that way, and they can apparently get away with it because people seem to keep falling for it.

    It's a growing trend for developers to try to nickel and dime their customers in every way possible. They think that because they're charging us smaller amounts of fees, that we won't notice that we're ending up paying significantly more for the same amount of content. Well, a growing number of us are noticing, and we're not happy about it.

  • nikoliathnikoliath Member UncommonPosts: 1,154
    Originally posted by Ceridith


    I'll just pop in and say that I was interested in trying STO, until I heard about their whole "pre-purchase a lifetime account and get a borg" nonsense.
    Sorry, but that's just sleazy, and I don't want to play a game run by a sleazy, untrustworthy company.

    riiiiiight. So you've never heard of incentivising then. Do you eat food from those sleazy stores that off buy 1 get 1 free? Or those sleazy companies that offer 30% free. I guess you would never holiday with a travel agent offering free full board upgrade if you book now and pay in full? 5p off every litre of fuel when shopping in Tesco / Walmart......not you sir, that's just sleazy!  :P

    Some of you people talk as if you have lived in a bubble for the last 2000 years. Business is, by it's very nature, competitive. With a market to compete with companies need to incentivise their products. What is so wrong about obtaining a superficial token item when showing some faith or greed and paying a years sub up front? boohoo normal subscribers wont get item "x", so what? They had the same choice.

    To the poster I quoted last time... Are you for real? Since when is theft from a mislaid credit card the same as choosing whether or not to buy DLC or x-packs?

  • nikoliathnikoliath Member UncommonPosts: 1,154
    Originally posted by Ceridith

    Originally posted by Devour

    Originally posted by maskedweasel


    Its not the same thing. Software is a different animal.

    Why?

     

    Because some developers choose to make it that way, and they can apparently get away with it because people seem to keep falling for it.

    It's a growing trend for developers to try to nickel and dime their customers in every way possible. They think that because they're charging us smaller amounts of fees, that we won't notice that we're ending up paying significantly more for the same amount of content. Well, a growing number of us are noticing, and we're not happy about it.

    I think you need some more tinfoil. Where the hell do some people get the notion that companies ~ developers etc are all rainbows and peace, only doing what is ethical and fair. Hmm it's outrageous for us to charge $15 a month, it only costs us $5 to run this business, lets charge only what we need to break even!

    It's your complete choice to buy or not. I wish you great luck with your growing number of awakened brethren in showing these immoral money making companies the error of their ways.

    Question, do you work? If so you are part of the same machine, smaller perhaps but there all the same. Industry is key to our civilisation, providing food, shelter, education etc. Again, don't buy, it's your choice, but dont act surprised by the very nature of business and enterprise.

  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    Originally posted by Devour

    Originally posted by maskedweasel


    Its not the same thing. Software is a different animal.

    Why?

     

     You can't sell a brand new car that isn't running.  They don't sell cars piecemeal.  You don't buy a seat here and a wheel there when you go in to buy a car... and they don't send you the pieces monthly.  They have regulations on what passes as a registered motor vehicle so if they don't pass certain standards, you can't drive it. (at least not on roads).   If you really think about it, cars sap your money in other ways that I'm sure when they started coming out people felt the same way.  "I have to pay monthly for the gas, AND the car AND they expect me to pay for oilchanges and MAINTENANCE now?"    Not to mention when your software crashes, people don't usually get injured...

     

     



  • DevourDevour Member Posts: 902
    Originally posted by nikoliath


    riiiiiight. So you've never heard of incentivising then. Do you eat food from those sleazy stores that off buy 1 get 1 free? Or those sleazy companies that offer 30% free. I guess you would never holiday with a travel agent offering free full board upgrade if you book now and pay in full? 5p off every litre of fuel when shopping in Tesco / Walmart......not you sir, that's just sleazy!  :P
    Some of you people talk as if you have lived in a bubble for the last 2000 years. Business is, by it's very nature, competitive. With a market to compete with companies need to incentivise their products. What is so wrong about obtaining a superficial token item when showing some faith or greed and paying a years sub up front? boohoo normal subscribers wont get item "x", so what? They had the same choice.
    To the poster I quoted last time... Are you for real? Since when is theft from a mislaid credit card the same as choosing whether or not to buy DLC or x-packs?

    The borg is a whole new race of which there are... One? Two if you count the Klingon, which is just monsterplay by a different name? Without having the lifetime subscription. An incentive is having a decent game, not adding replayability that only lifetime subscribers can get.

    Hurr. Durr. That's the point of a government. They're meant to apply some control to people trying to scam people out of their cash. What's the point in a government that doesn't protect it's people?

    Well, you have no rights other than the right to complain, so why should you try and exercise any rights? I mean, it's not like the government protects you in either of those situations, is it? It's not like the government tries to enforce control on one or the other?

    -----

    Originally posted by maskedweasel

    You can't sell a brand new car that isn't running. They don't sell cars piecemeal. You don't buy a seat here and a wheel there when you go in to buy a car... and they don't send you the pieces monthly. They have regulations on what passes as a registered motor vehicle so if they don't pass certain standards, you can't drive it. (at least not on roads). If you really think about it, cars sap your money in other ways that I'm sure when they started coming out people felt the same way. "I have to pay monthly for the gas, AND the car AND they expect me to pay for oilchanges and MAINTENANCE now?" Not to mention when your software crashes, people don't usually get injured...

    -----

    Italic: That's the point. Game companies are unregulated masses, despite being a multibillion dollar industry.

    Bold: And that's where the subscription fee lies in MMOs.

     

    image

  • EmhsterEmhster Member UncommonPosts: 913

    The main problem is Cryptic being very bad at building a good relationship with part of its customers. Their customers (at least those posting in here) feel like Cryptic is being dishonest into their offer, and I think it's a legit complain. I think it's also fair to give a proper warning to the other potential customers about companies like Cryptic, because it is certainly not the medias or the gaming news websites that are going to report such problems, since their (paying) customers are the game companies themselves.

     

    Sigh if more companies could use the motto "Don't be evil"...

     

    From my experience, DLC from DA:O was fair in my mind, as the single player game had enough content itself and the DLC is cheap enough.

    For WoW, the items are completely cosmetic, and most wont even notice when someone has a vanity item in game (I know I dont).

     

  • CodenakCodenak Member UncommonPosts: 418

    MMORPG's are an entertainment, they are not a necessity, they should be offering us entertainment before trying to grab our money. I have no problem paying for something that actually entertains me but trying to grab as much money off me as they can before i am even entertained?

  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    Originally posted by Devour

    Originally posted by nikoliath


    riiiiiight. So you've never heard of incentivising then. Do you eat food from those sleazy stores that off buy 1 get 1 free? Or those sleazy companies that offer 30% free. I guess you would never holiday with a travel agent offering free full board upgrade if you book now and pay in full? 5p off every litre of fuel when shopping in Tesco / Walmart......not you sir, that's just sleazy!  :P
    Some of you people talk as if you have lived in a bubble for the last 2000 years. Business is, by it's very nature, competitive. With a market to compete with companies need to incentivise their products. What is so wrong about obtaining a superficial token item when showing some faith or greed and paying a years sub up front? boohoo normal subscribers wont get item "x", so what? They had the same choice.
    To the poster I quoted last time... Are you for real? Since when is theft from a mislaid credit card the same as choosing whether or not to buy DLC or x-packs?

    The borg is a whole new race of which there are... One? Two if you count the Klingon, which is just monsterplay by a different name? Without having the lifetime subscription. An incentive is having a decent game, not adding replayability that only lifetime subscribers can get.

    Hurr. Durr. That's the point of a government. They're meant to apply some control to people trying to scam people out of their cash. What's the point in a government that doesn't protect it's people?

    Well, you have no rights other than the right to complain, so why should you try and exercise any rights? I mean, it's not like the government protects you in either of those situations, is it? It's not like the government tries to enforce control on one or the other?

    -----

    Originally posted by maskedweasel

    You can't sell a brand new car that isn't running. They don't sell cars piecemeal. You don't buy a seat here and a wheel there when you go in to buy a car... and they don't send you the pieces monthly. They have regulations on what passes as a registered motor vehicle so if they don't pass certain standards, you can't drive it. (at least not on roads). If you really think about it, cars sap your money in other ways that I'm sure when they started coming out people felt the same way. "I have to pay monthly for the gas, AND the car AND they expect me to pay for oilchanges and MAINTENANCE now?" Not to mention when your software crashes, people don't usually get injured...

    -----

    Italic: That's the point. Game companies are unregulated masses, despite being a multibillion dollar industry.

    Bold: And that's where the subscription fee lies in MMOs.

     

     

    But heres the rub,  what makes a game complete and what makes it a scam? When the CONSUMER says so?  When YOU say so?  Sure, thats the problem with games... I remember back in the day on my  old consoles.. all the way up to my N64 before I wised up a bit.. I would see something I liked, went out and picked it up.. played it for 6 hours.. beat it.. and then wondered why I spent my money on that game.  Theres a large review base out there to give you various opinions on whether a game is worth buying.. or at least they will give you what information they think you need to make your own decision.  

     

     People make bad games... people make bad cars too.  They make bad cars that still pass as cars eventhough they get terrible gas mileage and have a history of breakdowns.    

     

    Who are we to say what constitutes as a finished game?  We vote with our wallet (as tired as I am of hearing that)  and the only way these companies learn is when they flop entirely.   They aren't the only makers of an artificial heart or anything like that.. they just make a game...  if people didn't want to buy it, they wouldn't.  I hope people will wise up and not buy cryptics crap...   but I doubt that will happen.



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