I recently found out Fallout 3's downloadable content is not going to be available on PS3. I don't have a PS3 but this still makes me angry.
When (more like 'if', the way it's going) I buy Fallout 3, I'm going to be buying the PC Collector's version. I really enjoyed playing Fallout 2, and though the game will obviously be different, what with it being made by a different development crew from a different company with different technology and to target a different audience (hope they don't Bioshock it and retard it up so that xbots can understand it), but at the end of the day Bethesda have apparently tried to keep the feel of the original games.
So anyway, exclusive content. I'm trying to think of a good analogy and I can't, so I'll just say it straight.
Exclusive content is punishing your players for making a decision that they're happy with. Especially if you're bringing out the game months after the console's release, you're basically telling people 'ha ha you screwed up by making a purchase that you're happy with but which we've arbitrarily decided is a bad one'.
But of course they don't arbitrarily decide that a certain console is a bad one, they get paid a ton of cash to develop and release that exclusive content exclusively for an exclusive group of exclusive people.
Or rather, the game's publisher gets paid a ton of cash. Of course, this doesn't apply to Bethesda since they publish their own games so basically what they've done, by announcing exclusive content, is let everyone know in advance how they're concerned about raking in extra cash rather than actually producing a decent game.
Good work, Bethesda, unless I'm convinced otherwise, Fallout 3 has been added to the 'List of games which I'm going to download from Bittorrent just to strike another one up against you'.
Bethesda have stated, in a video demo trailer conference thing of Fallout 3, that there will be content exclusive to PC and XBox 360. Whether or not the PS3 gets other content is beside the point.
I don't hate the content itself, I'm sure it will be great, but the fact that it's exclusive to anything shows that the game developers are in the pockets of their publishers. It means that game developers look for quick cash from publishers rather than holding out and producing a better game overall - a trend reflected in a lot of games. Bioshock would have been a much deeper, richer game if it had been designed sololey for PC. It's a classic lean-forward vs. lean-back situation. | |
Hazman wrote:
Bethesda have stated, in a video demo trailer conference thing of Fallout 3, that there will be content exclusive to PC and XBox 360. Whether or not the PS3 gets other content is beside the point. How exactly would it be a much deeper, richer game if it was designed exclusively for the PC? Also, baaaaaawing about companies trying to make money. I find exclusive content a much better alternative to a completely exclusive game. At least this way many-more people are able to experience and enjoy the game. | |
Maggeh wrote:
How exactly would it be a much deeper, richer game if it was designed exclusively for the PC? As I said, it's a lean-forward vs. lean-back situation. PC game players lean foward onto the desk and into their activities and are more drawn into the game world. Console game players lean back into the sofa and play a game for the sake of gaming. EA recently announced that they would stop producing sports games for the PC because a PC gamer has a different attitude to the game than a console gamer, and the games were more geared towards lean-back gaming. Also, baaaaaawing about companies trying to make money. I find exclusive content a much better alternative to a completely exclusive game. At least this way many-more people are able to experience and enjoy the game. But why have the content exclusive at all? It's not going to sell any additional copies of the game. A PS3 owner isn't going to say 'ooh, exclusive content for the 360? I'd better buy a PS3 copy and a 360 copy!'. It's selling out in the worst way. A games company should be making money by providing a high quality game, not by ripping off half their players by denying them game content. | |
The thing you need to realize though is that these people DO need to make money. There's a tighter margin of profit than you would think for each game release, and given the PS3's overall performance, it makes sense that Bethesda would want to put more of its' support in to the platforms that clearly have a wider audience.
Also, BioShock was programmed for the 360 and then ported over to PC, not the other way around. | |
Hazman wrote:
But why have the content exclusive at all? It's not going to sell any additional copies of the game. A PS3 owner isn't going to say 'ooh, exclusive content for the 360? I'd better buy a PS3 copy and a 360 copy!'. It's selling out in the worst way. A games company should be making money by providing a high quality game, not by ripping off half their players by denying them game content. Say a gamer has two consoles. They see exclusive content for one version on one of their consoles. They're probably going to get the version with more bang for their buck. The reason they sell things with exclusive content is because of deals made with the console manufacturers. You do realize they get money for sales too, right? | |
A game isn't inherently deeper or more interesting when made for a PC market. That feeble argument can be countered with four words: Beyond Good & Evil (okay, three words and an ampersand, but that's just short for "and"). Losing depth comes from appealing to a casual audience.
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It will probably be like the GTA IV exclusive content. Currently doesn't exist and I've yet to hear a single word on it. Microsoft has deep pockets, and it isn't afraid to spend them to try to keep/put their name on top. It's stupid and annoying, but that's the way these things work. If they tried the same thing in the PC OS space, they'd have anti-trust people on their ass so fast you wouldn't believe. But in the console market they are actually second to Nintendo, and third to Sony if you count hand-helds, so they can get away with it.
Consoles are a competitive market, and they are just competing in the most jackass way. | |
Fallout 3 is going to suck anyway. No loss there.
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Also as for the whole 'retarding up' for consoles I hate to break it to you, but Fallout 3 seems to be designed more for consoles (much like bioshock! which is a great game, so what if you don't have an inventory you can't click to view?) than PCs.
Edit: Also this exclusive content is probably similar to that horse armor crap they had for Oblivion. Dogmeat armor perhaps?