Dragon Age -- BOYCOTT THIS GAME

[Tessera]

The following message has been copied over to the public area of this board. It was originally posted in one of our members-only areas. This message concerns the shameful decision by Electronic Arts and BioWare to deliberately withhold a chapter of their new game entitled "Dragon Age - Origins." Instead of releasing the complete game, EA has instead elected to offer one of the quests in the game as optional, downloadable content (for an added fee, of course). This is a clear example of exploitation of the consumer... and if we all just lie down and accept this type of greedy and unethical scam, then it is entirely possible that the industry will take this sort of behavior even further in the near future.

The following post, which has been copied over from one of our members-only areas, sums up my reasons for refusing to purchase Dragon Age... no matter how good (or bad) it might be. Original post follows:


I'm gonna butt in here one more time to make a point...

It's one thing if they release a game and then several months later, they release some downloadable content (DLC) for it. I happen to be opposed to DLC in general... but if it was released significantly later than the original game was, then I suppose I can live with it.

But when they release a new game and if they already have DLC in the can for it, ready to go... then why didn't they simply incorporate the DLC into the original game..? Can't you people see the difference here..? Talk about ripping off the consumer.

Let's illustrate my point with an analogy:

How would you feel if you purchased a brand-new album by your favorite band... and after you played it, there was a message inside that said "We have deliberately withheld three kick-ass songs from this album. If you want to listen to those three songs, then you must send us an additional $12.00 immediately."

You would be FURIOUS. As you should be. And it wouldn't matter to you if the album was excellent or not. You would still resent the way that you were misled and ripped-off.

BioWare/EA are pulling a similar stunt here, peeps. They already finished the game... they already finished the add-on content... but instead of doing the right thing and releasing a complete package, they have deliberately busted up the game into chunks. And now, they intend to sell those chunks separately. There is no warning about this on the product's packaging... and no mention of it in any of the promotional material that I have seen, either.

In short, the publisher is saying "Hah hah, fooled ya. We've deliberately held back on a chapter of this game. If you want it, then you gotta pay us MORE money to get it."

Well, fuck that. It reminds me of the way Flagship Studios handled Hellgate: London after its release. They deliberately withheld bug fixes and intended content from the single-player version of that game, in a sleazy effort to induce everyone to give them MORE money for the multi-player version. And interestingly... the publisher for that game was none other than the very same Electronic Arts (EA) that is likewise publishing Dragon Age.

This type of manipulative and greedy scam ultimately forced Flagship out of business, after they were bombarded by a tidal wave of consumer resentment and hostility. Don't be surprised if the same thing happens to BioWare now. This is why my lip twitched, when you guys told me who the publisher was. This kind of disgusting scam has EA written all over it. Do you know how many good studios have been undermined and destroyed by the slimy pricks at EA..? Their greed is unmatched in the software industry.

Well I'm sorry, but I won't pay to be exploited.

Okay... I'll shut up again. But I needed to get that off my chest.

[perez007usa]

I have been seeing it also all along. You buy the game, and its what? not complete ? and you want more money to complete it? Thanks but, No thanks.

   In these here times of trouble, every penny counts to the consumer, but not to these #$%%$ bastards, they want to take it all. Sell them some cheap game, or utility program, because they think we are some dumb yahoos, that won't know the difference. Then they come along and say, you know what we forgot to put this part in, you can have it for a fee. That's why I wait for the game to be played until the the gamers will say "yea or nay".
   
   Sometimes I will buy it, but its in the discount bin, and if the game is crappy, I lose  5 bucks, still 5 bucks is a lot of money in these trying  times.

    And no matter what, they will continue their practices, on selling to the public,  faulty items.

[Recon Ranger]

Yup, good old EA, the same assholes who year after year ripoff the gaming world with their football game. That is good for ! year. The next year, if you want to stay current; you have to buy that edition as well. I second the motion; SCREW E/A! 

[anariel]

Yup, good old EA, the same assholes who year after year ripoff the gaming world with their football game. That is good for ! year. The next year, if you want to stay current; you have to buy that edition as well. I second the motion; SCREW E/A! 

The best part, I once mentioned about that "pro evolution soccer" "scam" (every year the same game, with different graphics and sounds,,, if you are lucky). They said me that I don't know what I'm talking about,  every year is a new game...
Yeah sure, you need to see the face of the pixel kicking the ball to look like some drunkard football player...

EA's only worthwile policy are the cheap "obsolete" games you can buy for 10$ or less, because they are a year old or something like that...

[Cat]

This is worse then fallout 3's DLC.

I hope people pirate the shit of this game.

[perez007usa]

What ever happen to the good old days, where companies, when they sell their stuff they stand behind it. If it needs fixing they go out of their way to do it, no charge. Man! do I miss those days. But we are not in those days. Instead, we have a bunch of money hungry corprates, who like nothing better to do than rip our VERY HARD EARNED money from us. They even have the gull to rip off the government .

[zrix]

I haven't pirated anything since my Amiga days... but this is also the most dissatissfied I have been with a game in ages.  I like the game, but buying a game and finding out that from day 1 there is additional material they expect you to pay for makes me feel REALLY ripped off.  If you are going to play the "book club" model game at least have a cheap price of entry.  Bad move on EA's part, you don't want to alienate the people who actually pay.

[Recon Ranger]

They don't give a rat's ass, they figure that people are entirely too stupid to ignore the next big ad campaign for the next trash they turn out and will buy it even if it IS from the same company that ripped them off before.

[Tessera]

They don't give a rat's ass...

Guess what...? Flagship Studios didn't give a rat's ass either, back when people bitched about the unfair business practices that they and EA were guilty of (regarding Hellgate: London).

Well, they give a rat's ass NOW... because the very understandable public outrage forced them out of business. Bill Roper and Co. have since tried to start up again under a different name, but they will never recover from the ENORMOUS monetary losses that they suffered. Forevermore, their name is mud.

Don't start thinking that you can't have an effect upon the industry. Oh yes... yes you can. You just need to stand up for what's right -- and hit these greedy, slimy bastards in their wallets. Without our money, they have NOTHING.

If you agree with my opinions, then just spread the word. Information is power. The far-reaching effects of YouGotFlagshipped.com have already proven this to be true. Just keep pushing until it gives.  

[Kandid]

Sad thing is, people can easily be convinced with irrelevant stuff like 60 second trailers which have nothing to do with the game. Sure we can spread the word about Dragon Age, but most of the people will just say "It's a BioWare RPG with sex!!!!!!!! Game of the year!!!!" or "Why complain when the DLC costs less than a pack of cigarettes!!!!!!!" EA and BioWare are fully aware of this hopeless community, otherwise they wouldn't dare to do any of these.

No matter what we say, Dragon Age and its DLC are already selling like crazy for all three platforms, and this will lead to more companies copying EA's behavior like selling extra content from day one.

[Tessera]

And I will remind you again that people were saying the exact same things about Hellgate when it was released.

Nothing is gained by adopting a defeatist attitude. If it worked once, then it can work again. It just takes balls.

[anariel]

Don't start thinking that you can't have an effect upon the industry. Oh yes... yes you can. You just need to stand up for what's right -- and hit these greedy, slimy bastards in their wallets. Without our money, they have NOTHING.

Yes, we have the effect of killing the study with the idea. Meanwhile, EA keeps beign EA and exploting companies and gamers. Also, EA is so spread, they really don't care if a game is sabotaged by the gaming community; it will be the studio which created the game the one paying the prize.

What I fear most of DLC materialized las week when Blizzard began to sell 2 vanity pets 10$ (or 10 euros... they seem to forget 1$ =/= 1 euro... Also, the monthly fee is cheaper in england... :S) and the same day I began to see people in-game showing them (well, at least the one with 50% of the money going to a foundation called "make a wish"... an american foundation without any effect in Europe, I think...).
There is already MMORPG with DLC content, but until now that content was completely optional, and those MMORPG were FREE. WoW has a monthly fee, and now they add DLC... I hope they won't add DLC equipment, but I seriously doubt they wont.

[Tessera]

it will be the studio which created the game the one paying

Good. And then in the future, other studios will think twice about signing on with EA.

Which in turn will mean that EA has less and less products to sell and exploit. It all comes full-circle, eventually.

[Kandid]

they seem to forget 1$ =/= 1 euro... Also, the monthly fee is cheaper in england... :S)

Yeah, Steam has the same 1$ = 1 € problem and it's unfair. And I've never understood why England was allowed to use its own currency in EU.

[anariel]

they seem to forget 1$ =/= 1 euro... Also, the monthly fee is cheaper in england... :S)

Yeah, Steam has the same 1$ = 1 € problem and it's unfair. And I've never understood why England was allowed to use its own currency in EU.

They refused to when they sigend for EU. Negotiation goes a long way... if you have something to negotiate with.

And Tess, EA has nearly a monopoly over gaming distribution. It's like the windows... at least in the stores I can go here in spain (Media Markt, Saturn, Game...). True, there are some other games, but they are supported by other strong companies unrelated to the PC gaming directly (Dawn of War and  Games Workshop are an example), or they have minor impact in the stores (worst places and the like).

[Recon Ranger]

Even so, bite them in the pocket everytime they try to rip us off and eventually they will tire of throwing money into projects that DO NOT give them adequate return on their investment.

[perez007usa]

Even so, bite them in the pocket everytime they try to rip us off and eventually they will tire of throwing money into projects that DO NOT give them adequate return on their investment.

  They will still do it no matter what!! Its called the "BUDGET " your alloted, so much money, to spend, and you are NOT allowed to get more until you spend what you have already have. So they throw it away on some awful  game. Big companies does it and even our government does it.( you know, those projects, that don't make a hill of beans of sense.)

[Recon Ranger]

Unfortunately for us, our government iIS NOT REQUIRED to operate under the same budgetary constraints as a corporation. Corporations are all about MAKING MONEY, when any division of it goes from profitable to NONPROFITABLE; changes get made. Sometimes it's policy, sometimes personnel. Once they realize that a policy (ripping off the consumer) is the source of the problem they either change the policy or unload the division.