Star Wars: Battlefront Will Have a $50 Season Pass

[Erttheking]

Nice going EA! That game was actually looking fun for half a second! Waiting for the GOTY edition now cuz I ain't paying that much for this bullshit!

In total seriousness, anyone who didn't see this coming the moment EA got the Star Wars licensing deal, never mind when they announced Battlefront, either doesn't pay much attention or is hopelessly naive.

It's EA, they charge you the extra $50 and then they decide if they're going to make any actual content (see Titanfall, Battlefield Hardline). Eighteen months after release a 'Premium Edition' will come out anyway, it's how I got Battlefield 3 and it was more than worth it for £40.

They've been getting the heat off of them via a combination of doing a couple of actually nice things (Humble Bundle + their customer support apparently actually being rather good now) and generally keeping their more obiously greedy urges...maybe not in check, but out of obvious view.

They seem to be falling off the wagon now.

 

[Valkrex]

And yet Evolve got WAAAAAY more shit for something that wasn't even half as bad, especially since its paid DLC doesn't split the community and there's been a good amount of free content added in... (yes I will shill for this game)

Way to give me even more reason to wait on buying this game, if I ever decide to get it at all. What's even more depressing is that I'm not even surprised at this point...

 

[ShakerSilver]

This is really par for the course for EA. I half expect that all the new content in their XPacs will be watered-down and half-assed implementations of features from the previous Battlefronts. Although even that may be too hopeful - they'll probably just release more heroes and maps, maybe one new game mode.

See, this is why you don't ever get excited for AAA games, movie-licensed games, and especially not EA games. It feel so good to not support this cancerous company - haven't bought an EA game in 7 years.

 

[MiskWisk]

So what's everyone surprised about or laughing at here? That the same thing that has been happening for years happened again? Huh. Okay...

I personally think this is more to do with the fact that they just shit on what was an already unappealing dish. Battlefront fans are generally disappointed that this isn't the game we've waited years for. But I suppose you could say we had hope that they would at least show some restraint. Instead, it seems more like they've just slapped a sign on themselves saying "we're going to milk you for all your worth." I'm taking marketing this year at uni, and the second lecture was literally to not send this message. I suppose it could be called a refuge in audacity because this is so wrong it is surprising they managed it. Only problem is people (hopefully) won't buy into this.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

$120:
-2 weeks worth of food between two people
-Good headphones with a good amount of music to go with them
-A concert ticket for that really popular band you like
-Go see a few theatre productions
-A shit-ton of good games during a Steam Sale

Or

-Star Wars Battlefront with all the maps

No.

That puts things in perspective and then some. No game is worth that much. Especially not just another EA/DICE shooter.

 

[The Real Sandman]

So the sensible approach of buying the base game and seeing if it remains fun when the DLCs start dropping in remains. If I am still playing and enjoying at that point, I might consider investing more, if not, no skin off my back. Personally, I don't see the problem with lots of DLC as long as it provides good content. Let me remind people that the Fallout: New Vegas DLC clocked in at over 60 USD, but was well worth the money.

Whether or not the content is worth while is uncertain sure, but the fact remains that this iteration of Battlefront has considerably less content than the previous games; No space battles, no single player, vehicles are on rails and cannot drive freely, and the game will only use content from the original film trilogy (as lousy as the prequel movies were, the characters, levels, and vehicles from those films were still fun to play with in the first 2 BF games).

The fact that EA/DICE have admitted to selling its audience a less substantial product for a full $60 USD, and then announce that they're selling content that traditionally would be included on the disc for an additional $50 USD, well of course people are going to be upset, and they have absolutely every right to be.

You can't compare EA and similar DLC hawking companies to the practices of Bethesda. Fallout: New Vegas by itself is already a HUGE game packed with content that buying the extra bits aren't really necessary in order to get the "full" experience.
On top of that, it is not just simple DLC New Vegas has for that matter (Gun Runner's Arsenal and Courier's Stash not withstanding), they are true expansion packs, adding many hours worth of content, including new quests, characters, story lines, areas, enemies, perks and hundreds of weapons and items. Rarely have Bethesda tried to sell individual quests and items for extra dollars. They did that with Oblivion, but the negative feed back from their audience convinced them to stop it.

Because there are companies like Bethesda, CD Projekt RED, From Software, Rockstar et al that are making AAA games that are packed with content, that are also dishing out additional content for free, and selling genuine expansion packs for (mostly) decent prices are among the reasons why people get incredibly annoyed when EA, WB, Ubi, Acti, and the like keep trying to hustle people by selling one half of a game for full price with the other half sectioned off by a pay wall.

TL;DR

DLC ≠ Expansion Pack

 

[Deathfish15]

From what everyone is saying, the game is utter crap. It is pure multiplayer (unlike 1 or 2) and requires playing with a bunch of .....well, assholes. Then you have the issue with it being made under EA's directive, which basically turned Battlefront into a Battlefield, but with Star Wars as the main theme. It is just totally not worth it for the initial $50-60 (whatever it costs). But now they want to charge a full game price yet again for it for extra maps? Um...how to I put this politely?

Hell to the f*** NO!

 

[Alma Mare]

So the sensible approach of buying the base game and seeing if it remains fun when the DLCs start dropping in remains. If I am still playing and enjoying at that point, I might consider investing more, if not, no skin off my back. Personally, I don't see the problem with lots of DLC as long as it provides good content. Let me remind people that the Fallout: New Vegas DLC clocked in at over 60 USD, but was well worth the money.

Difference here being that DLC is already out and reviewed, so it's easy to decide wether it's worth the cost. A Season Pass is basically pre-ordering the DLC without having a clue wether you'll like it. Asking $50 for a blind purchase is insane.

 

[ObserverStatus]

HAHAHA! Wow, I haven't seen some half-assed sci-fi reskin of a better game get milked this hard since Civilization: Beyond Earth.

 

[42]

I honestly stopped caring about it, I'll pick up the season pass at some point, I'm honestly looking forward to just hopping back into the game after enjoying the beta. Yes I have accepted season passes are a thing, and nothing i can do about them. Yes I am buying them which encourages them. Yes this also does mean I'm reading your comments with a bucket of popcorn. because honestly, there were so many opportunities when BF3 came out to complain but it did not happen. alas such is life. bring on Battlefront.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Wow, I went to considering picking this up because I had fun with the beta to noe. Not going to bother now, such a shame.

 

[Lightspeaker]

HAHAHA! Wow, I haven't seen some half-assed sci-fi reskin of a better game get milked this hard since Civilization: Beyond Earth.

Actually its funny you mention Civilization: Beyond Earth. Civ Beyond Earth was on a steam free weekend not too long back.

In both cases (Battlefront and Civ:BE) I played it for a while. Had some fun with it but quickly lost interest and decided they were asking way, way too much for the product. Uninstalled and largely forgot about it.

Almost a perfect match of my experience for both.

 

[Mad World]

I can't help but imagine EA planning the content (for the Season Pass/DLC) while Dice was still developing the game (or even before). Of course, if they really didn't - and the extra content really is extra content - then I wouldn't consider it to be greedy. The problem is that DLC/expansions/whatever isn't/aren't what it/they used to be. Expansions used to come out months and months (or even a year plus, if I recall) after a game's initial release date; it really was extra content that people were happy to pay for. But when companies such as Dice or EA discuss DLC BEFORE the game is even out, you can't really blame people who take issue with that business practice.

Honestly, I don't trust EA (and who does?). I bet that they deliberately omitted specific content with respect to the vanilla game in order that they can charge more. I would most definitely not put it past them.

As for the beta, it was meh. Graphics, animation, and sound are amazing. But I can see the game getting boring soon. I see it being a less-epic Battlefield. Dice and EA (and many Battlefront fans) were so obsessed with making sure that it wasn't a clone of Battlefield; it doesn't have 64 players, classes, or spawn points (spawn points could come in at a later date, though). And while the notion of these features being positive is subjective, their exclusion is still noteworthy. I don't know what the vehicles are going to be like. Walker Assault didn't have that many (and even less for the Rebels). Will there be any tank-type vehicles? How about carrier-type ones? Also, I'm not too into the tokens which you need in order to use vehicles, heroes, etc.

Also, no server browser. Seriously? Apparently, dedicated servers are confirmed. Great, but how will that work that well without a server browser?

 

[Something Amyss]

Consumerism. Free-market. Capitalism. Guzzle and squander, people. Give back to society what you so wrongfully stole, don't question why or who benefits the most here, just open your wallets and be grateful for the damn privelidge of being a mandatory consumer.

If only people would just stop buying the games they objected to so much.

So the sensible approach of buying the base game and seeing if it remains fun when the DLCs start dropping in remains.

I would say this is the sensible approach almost every time. Maybe literally every time. Though I admit that I pre-ordered the Black Ops 3 season pass because all my (usual MP) friends will be playing it and I'm otherwise going to be stuck out in the cold. So basically, I need better friends. >.> But this is about the only reason I can justify essentially pre-ordering unannounced content. It's even worse when you consider that the season pass doesn't go away when the game comes out. If there looks to be a huge amount of DLC, or content you want, you can still order the season pass.

They're really trying to hook people with the Ultimate Edition, which gives early access to all the new packs as they come out. But unless you're going to buy the stuff as it comes out (or buy the pass anyway), I'm not sure this is worth it, either.

But yes, in general, this is what I would consider a good consumer practice.

Well if it wasn't going to be around for more than a year, I wouldn't have much interest in buying it anyway.

I imagine this one will be around for more than a year. But I could be absolutely wrong. Either way, waiting sounds win-win in your case.

 

[Lightspeaker]

If only people would just stop buying the games they objected to so much.

I quite agree. Sadly I can't help but have that famous quote from Men in Black going through my head: "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it."

In the case of consumers its more like...A consumer is savvy, consumers as a group will eat up whatever is served to them if its pretty enough, nostalgic enough or addictive enough.

 

[Nazulu]

Brilliant EA. I thought you were trying to turn over a new leaf, but instead all the good will you tried to generate means fucking nothing because you're the greedy piece of shit everyone still expected you to be. Well done.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

You know what, I feel especially sorry for DICE in all this. I'm sure they worked really hard on this only for EA to crap up all their hard work. I'm calling it right now. EA is going to close down the studio.

 

[mysecondlife]

Well, it IS for Star Wars fans.

 

[Dragonlayer]

So I'm guessing every single person whose commentated in this thread so far does not live in Australia then, where this is the default price for new and often second-hand titles as well. As Yatzhee once said, "WELCOME TO MY WORLD MOTHERFUCKERS!"

But yeah, without actually detailing what the DLC promised by the pass is, that's a very hefty investment.

 

[JemothSkarii]

Aw hell no, I already made the mistake of buying the Super-Ultra-Awesome $150 edition of Duke Nukem Forever (I was young, stupid, and had too much disposable income).

Well, to be fair I lost interest in this when they mentioned there'd no longer be single player battles and such. That and DICE game.

BUT STILL, paying for a 'full' game then a promise of more content for almost the same amount of money? Absolutely disgusting.

But It's a Star Wars DICE game, it will sell MILLIONS, not to mention MERCHANDISING.