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Ubi to Charge for Xbox Downloadable Content

Posted by Zonk on from the join-the-party dept.

bippy writes "Ubisoft just announced that a four map pack for Rainbow Six 3 Black Arrow will cost $5. This comes on the heels of THQ's announcement that they will be charging $4.95 for a downloadable mission on Full Spectrum Warrior."

16 of 43 comments (clear)

  1. How these publishers see consumers. by Goosey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    *pull string* The consumer says: "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Keep milking.. >_

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    --- "End Of Line" - MCP
  2. knew it was coming. by prankfurter · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I just find it funny. One of the big things they touted about XBox Live was that you only had to pay one fee. Now with all these extras costing Its just getting more and more expensive. But I can't honestly say I didn't see it coming.

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    -Dan
  3. Not really new news by neverkevin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This isn't new, PG2 has been charging for new content for a while now.

    1. Re:Not really new news by andman42 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Same with Links 2004. As early as last Christmas (2003), Links was charging to download a new courses.

      Besides, since the beginning, part of the Xbox live business model was to charge for some of the downloads. That way consumers could get small, incremental additions to their games without having to shell out $40 for a whole new game. Likewise, game companies would have the incentive ($$) to provide the new content. There were even rumors in the Official Xbox Magazine about adding new Halo 2 missions serial style, like once every few weeks (for a price, of course).

      I'm not sure why this story or the story about THQ are surprising or inflamatory, let alone news.

  4. They have the same thing for PC's... by vasqzr · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Don't complain. What's making this different from 'additional missions' you could buy for a PC game?

    This is a good thing. People can release a game engine, and you can just download free or cheap games to play with that engine.

    Garage developers can start doing total conversions on Halo etc now.

    1. Re:They have the same thing for PC's... by igrp · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Yes, in theory, it is indeed a good thing.

      You just won't really see third party developers releasing cheap mods on XBox Live though. Microsoft exclusively controls all MoD (means of distribution). These days, the big developers only have two distributors to chose from (MS and Sony) but they still have a lot of leverage. Both companies desperately need one great game to bundle the consoles with to push sales. In Microsoft's case, that's Halo (they basically bought Bungie just to have that one great title). For Sony, it's probably still the GTA franchise. Yes, they eventually release it on other platforms but if you want to play a new GTA game now, and not just in a year and a half, you still need to fork over the cash for a PS2.

      And with the next-generation consoles just around the corner, MS just won't piss off any major developers (and encouraging competition and cutting into a developer's bottom line is one good way to piss someone off - probably not enough to make them go, abandom a lot of their know-how and switch to the PS2/PS3 but you never know).

      Then there's the legal side: you not only need to have a legal editor of some sort (how long before we see shrink-wrap licenses in video games) but you also need to be able to legally distribute derivative works.

      And even if you could, you'd still need Microsoft's cooperation. Sure, you could distribute your modified maps and what not over the Internet. However, that kinda defies the point of having a console in the first place (which is to work out-of-the-box, always, no setup required). And with Internet-only, non-Live distribution, only people with modified XBox's would benefit.

    2. Re:They have the same thing for PC's... by hollismb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I can spot what's missing: A friends list consistent across all games. Standardized interface/features for all games. Continued implementation of new features like Voicemail and clan support. Voice chat in every game. Dedicated servers for most games. A reliable and monitored network.

    3. Re:They have the same thing for PC's... by FiDooDa · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I wrote my previous post only to point out the missing argumentation from your post.

      I was not following the marketing annoucements (or promises) when the Xbox was launched, so I'm assuming what you are stating is true. I bought my xbox late last year when it became a lot cheaper and I was not following any announcements prior to my purchase. This also means that I had no expectation of getting free downloadable content. On the other hand.

      Last month, I came across a new downloadable map in Splinter Cell (well it wasn't that new, but I don't play too often). They were asking 5$ for it. In my book 5$ for a map is not a good deal and would of liked to get it for free. So I decided not to buy it. Case closed.

      I would like to state one thing, if they are willing to inform us that the game is capable of downloading content on xbox live, they should then also be forced to tell us (on the package) if they will be asking money for that content.

  5. WOW by VendingMenace · · Score: 2, Insightful

    considering that the WHOLE game costs $50. Charging 10% of that for 4 maps or 1 mission (which is basically a bunch of scrips and design) is a great freaking way for companies to make money hand over fist.

    I wonder if this will become a trend. Instead of releasing large expansion packs, will companies start just releasing smaller cheaper "mini packs" at more frequent intervals? I wonder if that would be more effective. It seems like you might be able to sell more $$$ amount of stuff that way. I mean, that way, you could gradually see the gaming geography of your game change -- requiring EVERYONE to buy the expansions.

    Right now, it seems like for many games that have expansions, there are still servers that play the non-expansion game. But if you release a few maps at a time, those maps might just be incorparated into the map rotaion of more existing servers and then people would have to buy the expansion to keep up. OH man.

    Anyways, i am really impressed (an irritated) that companies have found yet another way to more efficeintly milk the consumer. Too bad that enough people will pay this rediculous price/content ratio -- and it will probably stick around. :(

    Yeah, just my random ramblings :D

    1. Re:WOW by jjhlk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So vote with your wallet. But most people probably think it's worthwhile and will pay, so don't blame the companies.

  6. Gaming group by wift · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Informal survey in a gaming group I belong to (200 members) shows that a slim majority will buy it eventually. The sticking point is that since this is a closed group, the normal hosts need buy this map otherwise why bother?

    Horrible timing since Halo 2 is out in 33 days. The last map they issued for Black Arrow was good but not worth .01 more. Nice plain ordinary map but nothing to get excited about.

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    ....... Thus ends my attempt at wit or whatever
  7. Ubi Soft and THQ by aztektum · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Ubi should try diversifying their game selection in order to expand their audience instead of milking the Tom Clancy license.

    Beyond Good & Evil and Prince of Persia are the only two Ubi games I've been interested in years.

    THQ hasn't put out a game I've wanted to play since either the NES or SNES days I can't really remember.

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    :: aztek ::
    No sig for you!!
  8. Not new by hollismb · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Microsoft already had the idea of 'premium content' well-established even before the Live service launched. It's part of while you have to have a valid credit card associated with your account, and is also part of the parental/protected controls, in that you can have a password associated with accessing a live account.

    Like I said when talking about the Full Spectrum Warrior content, I definitely wouldn't pay five bucks for one map, but I have no problem paying five bucks for four. Can't wait for it to come out, along with the spawn-camping patch.

  9. Re:One fee to rule them... by alatesystems · · Score: 4, Informative

    There was no hiding or deception. There has always been an option to "allow downloading of premium content". I don't understand why this is news. It is free to play all the games on xbox live, that's why EA and MS fought so much. However if you want to download additional maps/players/vehicles on many games you have to pay a small one-time fee. I downloaded an additional course for Links2k4 and it was the best 5 bucks I've ever spent.

    It's just like buying an expansion pack in a store, except it's delivered instantly with a button press from your recliner.

    Once again, why is this news? "Evil company follows through with allowing publishers to publish software and then charge for it online." OH NO!!! Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?!?

    Chris

  10. Ubi needs a new pair of shoes by slumpy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Oh man am I mad......seriously. Rainbow Six 3 is the absolute best game on Xbox live. I'd say it's one of the best games I've played in years. When Black Arrow came out it was seen as an expansion. It cost $40 instead of the regular 50 and they weren't reinventing the wheel as far as graphics or gameplay were concerned. Black Arrow added clans through the game itself instead of having to go through an outside site like teamcompete.

    Sadly, Black Arrow has felt like a failure to me, the maps aren't as fun and the clan portion of it is just silly and creates an unbalanced dynamic that wasn't as heavy in the first RS3. I see it as such a disappointment that I've stopped playing Black Arrow altogether and gone back into RS3 despite it's glitches...lean walking, grenade tricks, etc...I've noticed a lot people I play against were let down with Black Arrow as well.

    To be a little more on topic, the $5 for a few maps reinforces my belief that Black Arrow doesn't share the same fun factor as the previous iteration. If they offered the first RS3 maps, unaltered, for download for $5, then I might consider it. But in the meantime I'm gonna put that $5 on a preorder of Halo 2, and I suggest you do the same.

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    http://www.commaecho.com
  11. Charging isn't the problem - problem is storage! by larsoncc · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Giving up mod points here, cause I think this is an important point.

    I think we're missing one of the BIG points here, and one of the big negatives of the Infinium Labs Phantom console...

    It's the lack of any long term storage options for things you've purchased. What happens 5-10 years from now when your XBox hard drive breaks? What happens 2 years from now, when the XBox is all but abandoned?

    Do you have any recourse for getting these levels that you've paid for BACK?

    PC expansion packs come on DISC, or you can back them up to disc, at very least. What responsibility will these companies take to customers that lose their info, in the long run or even short run?

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