Poll: Since when did developers stop caring about the players?

[northeast rower]

Okay, so no one likes piracy. We get it. However, that doesn't mean that supremely dicking the audience you're aiming at is the best idea.

This mini-rant comes with the announcement that "Rage" (which I was hoping to buy until I saw the 22 gig save space) will lock the single-player if it is bought used. This isn't the first time this has happened. Mass Effect 2 charged you $15 dollars extra for a used game, Diablo 3 will only work if it has an online connection, and Battlefield 3 requires a connection to Origin, a not-so-cleverly implemented ploy to have people rally behind Origin to gain some ground on Steam.

Like I said, piracy sucks. But this is the wrong way to combat it. Arkham Asylum did it right, glitching pirated copies so that the cape wouldn't work.

Imagine this: you buy Halo: Reach used. Then you find out that half of the multiplayer playlists are locked because you didn't have the access codes. You borrow Red Dead Redemption from a friend and find that because you don't have an account with Rockstar, you can't mount horses. Pretty exciting future, right?

And it's all thanks to the developers who forgot their audiences. I believe, personally, that piracy has to stop, and that devs are justified in implementing security in their games. In my opinion, though, this is the wrong way to do it.

EDIT: Just now I noticed that quote at the bottom of the Rage article stating that the sewer levels were not mandatory. I thought they were. My point still stands.

 

[Broady Brio]

Developers stopped caring bout 2008-2009 when they implement any type of DRM on their games.

By all means fuck up the pirated versions, but not used games.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

Well, i'd say when EA had a good grip on the game economy. They are the dicks of the industry, taking over our computers with limited downloads, pay to play online, day one dlc, and let's not forget their terrible add campaigns.

I'd say EA are the peers of the other devolpers making them take precaution in their titles. EA hates player. They are just money grubbing bastards.

 

[Mark Flanagan]

Why should they care? Both a pirated copy and a second hand copy net the designers and publishers zero money. It's as simple as that. It's pure business.

Sure Project 10 Dollar had mixed success but really why should they pander to an audience that doesn't pay them for their work?
These types of promotions(BF:BC'S VIP pass and ME:2's Cerebus Network in particular) aren't bad, merely giving the player that supports the company by buying their product something for their trouble.

99% is Publisher rather than Developer lead and to be frank they never cared about us, at least this way there is an incentive for people not to pirate games. Yes it sucks and certain publishers (EA) are exploiting this for all it's worth but will that stop me buying Mass Effect 3? No.

Edit: Also Rage doesn't lock the single player if bought second hand, merely locking a certain non-story area (The Sewers).

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Like I said, piracy sucks. But this is the wrong way to combat it. Arkham Asylum did it right, glitching pirated copies so that the cape wouldn't work.

You are talking about two entirely different issues. A pirated game is simply one that a user acquired without paying any amount of money to a legtimate game channel. One could easily make the argument that these people do not represent a lost sales opportunity (or that they are), but that isn't in the scope of this discussion. Attacking this group generally results in trying to somehow ensure it takes longer for them to get to play the game (and the longer you can make this process take the more likely that you will gain some number of sales from some portion of the pirates).

The example given however refers to the parallel used market. Developers are not attacking anything in this market but rather trying to monetize it. Currently, a publisher makes money only the first time the game is sold. When a game is sold used, especially when it is sold used at only a mild discount from the new version of the game, the developer is being entirely cut out of the loop but the customer demonstrates a willingness to actually buy the game. As such, many publishers have tried various strategies to ensure that some money is made off of used sales. These include things like regular map packs and other DLC, which generate money regardless if the base game was purchased new or used. Other attempts include offering additional content or access to game modes.

In general, people tend to find the latter offensive largely because they are under the impression that, because they bought the game, they were owed the complete game. Of course, this assumption utterly ignores the fact that in purchasing the game through a used channel, they are customers of some retail chain rather than customers of the people who made the game and therefore the people who made the game owe you absolutely nothing.

 

[DarkRyter]

It's not the developers. It's the publishers.

 

[Kingsman]

Why would they care even slightly about someone who's not their customer by definition?

Look, its incredibly simple. If you buy the game used, you are not the devs customer, or the publishers - you are Gamestops customer. The dev and the publisher don't see a single dollar from your sale. Thus, the dev has absolutely no reason whatsoever to care about you. Realistically, this is them offering a higher quality product than their competitors - the used market. Thats business 101.

Using that logic, they should call buying used books stealing and burn libraries where they stand. :/

 

[Miggiwoo]

Why should they care? Both a pirated copy and a second hand copy net the designers and publishers zero money. It's as simple as that. It's pure business.

Sure Project 10 Dollar had mixed success but really why should they pander to an audience that doesn't pay them for their work?
These types of promotions(BF:BC'S VIP pass and ME:2's Cerebus Network in particular) aren't bad, merely giving the player that supports the company by buying their product something for their trouble.

99% is Publisher rather than Developer lead and to be frank they never cared about us, at least this way there is an incentive for people not to pirate games. Yes it sucks and certain publishers (EA) are exploiting this for all it's worth but will that stop me buying Mass Effect 3? No.

Edit: Also Rage doesn't lock the single player if bought second hand, merely locking a certain non-story area (The Sewers).

This! Extra Credits talked about this. The problem exists between publishers (not developers, there is a big difference) and retailers, specifically, that for some reason it is totally acceptable for retailers to resell the license to a video game. I think publishers are more than entitled to protect their revenue stream from the legal piracy utilized by retailers. Blaming developers for this is hardly appropriate.

 

[Total LOLige]

This mini-rant comes with the announcement that "Rage" (which I was hoping to buy until I saw the 22 gig save space) will lock the single-player if it is bought used. This isn't the first time this has happened. Mass Effect 2 charged you $15 dollars extra for a used game, Diablo 3 will only work if it has an online connection, and Battlefield 3 requires a connection to Origin, a not-so-cleverly implemented ploy to have people rally behind Origin to gain some ground on Steam.


Imagine this: you buy Halo: Reach used. Then you find out that half of the multiplayer playlists are locked because you didn't have the access codes. You borrow Red Dead Redemption from a friend and find that because you don't have an account with Rockstar, you can't mount horses. Pretty exciting future, right?

Are those charges just for the PC?

 

[Mark Flanagan]

Yes it sucks and certain publishers (EA) are exploiting this for all it's worth but will that stop me buying Mass Effect 3? No.

And as long as players wont have the will to stand up and say "NO!" what will stop them?

The gaming industry needs a ombudsman and a set of guide lines that benefit both the consumer and a companies profit margin but thats not going to happen in any meaningful way anytime soon.
If you wish to personally boycott certain publishers thats up to you. I wont be.

 

[shrekfan246]

It's not the -

It's not the developers. It's the publishers.

Ninja'd.

From what I've seen, game developers don't care about used game sales (and sometimes piracy) nearly as much as the publishers care. And some publishers (EA) are willing to sink entirely too much money into DRM and restrictive DLC to try and combat aforementioned "lost sales" as they appear to think they are. Personally, I think publishers need to drum up legally binding contracts with retail stores so that they get cuts from used game sales; then they can stop screwing the customers.

 

[Total LOLige]

That's just it, they aren't going after piracy with these content cuts. They're after the used game market. That hurts them just as much as piracy, and it's far more widespread because of its accessibility.

Are those charges just for the PC?

The PC hasn't had a used game market for a long time. No, the charges are for used console games.

I was thinking of buying mass effect 2 what does the $15 charge for exactly?

 

[Something Amyss]

Okay, so no one likes piracy. We get it. However, that doesn't mean that supremely dicking the audience you're aiming at is the best idea.

This mini-rant comes with the announcement that "Rage" (which I was hoping to buy until I saw the 22 gig save space) will lock the single-player if it is bought used. This isn't the first time this has happened. Mass Effect 2 charged you $15 dollars extra for a used game, Diablo 3 will only work if it has an online connection, and Battlefield 3 requires a connection to Origin, a not-so-cleverly implemented ploy to have people rally behind Origin to gain some ground on Steam.

Like I said, piracy sucks. But this is the wrong way to combat it. Arkham Asylum did it right, glitching pirated copies so that the cape wouldn't work.

Imagine this: you buy Halo: Reach used. Then you find out that half of the multiplayer playlists are locked because you didn't have the access codes. You borrow Red Dead Redemption from a friend and find that because you don't have an account with Rockstar, you can't mount horses. Pretty exciting future, right?

And it's all thanks to the developers who forgot their audiences. I believe, personally, that piracy has to stop, and that devs are justified in implementing security in their games. In my opinion, though, this is the wrong way to do it.

Just to be fair, DRM was such a dick in the 80s that you could find your game unplayable if your manual became lost or damaged. Nintendo was aggressivly anti-"piracy" at the time.

What's changed is the means. With online functionality, they have a better way of accessing the content and making sure you can't play it.

But that's not all. DRM isn't just about piracy. Like you said, you get gouged if you buy the game used. That's because, to them, buying used is just as bad.

In the end, though, gamers need their latest fix. They'll buy this, like every other scheme that comes along. Hell, a lot of people make excuses for the guys who are making these choices.

 

[manythings]

Well, i'd say when EA had a good grip on the game economy. They are the dicks of the industry, taking over our computers with limited downloads, pay to play online, day one dlc, and let's not forget their terrible add campaigns.

I'd say EA are the peers of the other devolpers making them take precaution in their titles. EA hates player. They are just money grubbing bastards.

As oppose to valve and steam? Who love the consumer so much that you have to use their platform not only for their games but the games of several developers? Blizzard are no nicer to their customers. DRM existed in the fucking 80's so please so acting like this some magic new issue.

That's just it, they aren't going after piracy with these content cuts. They're after the used game market. That hurts them just as much as piracy, and it's far more widespread because of its accessibility.

Are those charges just for the PC?

The PC hasn't had a used game market for a long time. No, the charges are for used console games.

I was thinking of buying mass effect 2 what does the $15 charge for exactly?

Correction you can buy it used and there is no "$15 to play" charge. Either the OP is misinformed or just lying. You do have to pay to get access to the Cerberus network and he project ten dollar stuff. If you buy new, and at this point it seriously must be in the $20 region if you shop around, buying used will cost more overall. If used games wasn't a billion dollar secondary industry things like this wouldn't exist, Gamestop hates the consumer AND the developer.

Why would they care even slightly about someone who's not their customer by definition?

Look, its incredibly simple. If you buy the game used, you are not the devs customer, or the publishers - you are Gamestops customer. The dev and the publisher don't see a single dollar from your sale. Thus, the dev has absolutely no reason whatsoever to care about you. Realistically, this is them offering a higher quality product than their competitors - the used market. Thats business 101.

Using that logic, they should call buying used books stealing and burn libraries where they stand. :/

Except that's an analogy so bad and incorrect it's insane to try and present it.
Used games = Multi-billion (currency of choice) global industry
Used books = Not even a blip on the radar

Not to mention the costs and resources for making a game dwarf the literary process it take thousands of times less to show a profit.

OT: The OP clearly didn't read the story he is basing his mini-rant about since (but the title was also misleadingly worded) you don't get access a part of the game world called the sewers that attaches to a set of areas with different enemies and such. Apparently not playing this area won't affect the story in any way. I'll let people who play it decide, not interesting to me.

 

[Booze Zombie]

They should do it in Arkam Asylum style. "Hey, my guns make enemies get better guns when I shoot them!" "Yeah, that's our DRM. You only get that if you've got a pirated copy."