Have you been surveyed by EA recently? Looks like EA is trying to sell maps and mods

[llenod]

I know a lot of you want this stuff for free, but seriously - we live in a capatilistic society, and that is wonderful. You have the game and you paid your $50 for the content it contains, if you want more, pay a little more. If you are satisfied, don't buy. If you say no in the survey, but you really would, then you are just cheating yourself. Don't expect EA to say, well everyone said no so lets go ahead and build them and give it away. They just won't do it. Actually the smart thing to do would be to say yes, and then you can decide when it comes out whether or not you really want to purchase it.

[Seahawk1]

If they are adding cosmetic objects to the game (like skins, etc) then that is fine to pay for it (if you want it), but if they are adding objets to the game that give someone an advantage over the other guy, then it's not really fair. If they create a new weapon that dominates the game and you have to pay for it...that wouldn't be right (not everyone has the $ to throw out there for new stuff). Of course, I would probably buy it anyway (which is what EA would be counting on).

[shadow_wolf]

sounds like they want more money to put in what should have been there in the first place. Its not that im opposed as much to paying for more stuff, as that they want more money to add things to a game that already has things that need to be fixed.

[Praetorian145]

Personally, I will not buy a subscription based game. That's why I play BF2 but I dont play WWII Online, even through WWIIO looks cool. Why? Because I think subscription based games are too expensive for what they are (note I dont say rip off). Paying a subscription fee for BF2 would be a ripoff and I dont think that the majority of the public are stupid enough not to realise that.

Now, with all due respect to the EA chap, but making BF2 subsciption based would make no economic sense whatsoever. I for one dont think that a large number of people would pay a monthly subscription on top of the £30 box price for skins, or maps, or whatever, especially seeing EA's somewhat minimal and rather embarassing levels of customer service.

As the ex-EA gentlemen so aptly points out, communism doesnt work and we live in a free market. In a free market, people cannot be forced to buy things and when they are presented with something they think it a rip off they wont pay for it. You can already see the backlash against EA starting with regards to this expansion pack, and be perfectly frank I dont think the expansion pack is a very big deal.

People are already annoyed at EA seemingly porting the "Sims" model of gimmicky themed expansion packs into games that are played by serious gamers as opposed to 13 year olds. Im not sure if the Battlefield franchise would survive subscription fees, and Im not sure if EA will survive if it keeps pushing it with its customers.

[BarkingSquirrel]

With the release of the mod software the horse is already out of the gate. It would be PR suicide.

And releasing a game that half the people can't use without constant crashing, then turning around and asking them to pay for new stuff isn't PR suicide? Face it, EA doesn't give two shits about PR, they've proven it hundreds of times over.

[shadow_wolf]

I was kinda liking the expansion pack already, mostly because of the lack of vehicles...but heck, for free I could download a mod that does the same thing. There wont be fancy gizmos and new maps but hey, someone will just make a mod.

[Swanston]

I got 2 emails from EA for a survey. The 1st email, I was too late, and they were done surveying. The second one I opened it up as soon as it was sent to me and it said they were done surveying .

[Kronos]

Not surprising. I used to work for EA and trying to identify "subscription" models for incremental content was a big deal. We would talk about how to create incremental sales opportunities through content or access.

Don't be surprised to see this everywhere real soon. MS has already announced that additional content for 360 games will cost money, SOE has put up an auction for EQ, hell if you play any MMORPG you already pay for both the right to play and for any incremental content (expansions), Sony is looking at this option for PS3.

Expect that this will be the norm in the future for games like BF2 or any game where the publisher/developer creates additional content. Pay to play is the future.

Every village has its lemming, there may be people that are willing to go along with that kind of a model, I am not. I remember when you used to be able to play games and NOT immediately have to look for patches before you could even play it, I remember when games used to have tons of content, I remember when expansion packs used to add more than a couple of hours of playing time and when they used to come out substantially after the release of the original game.

EA can call it an expansion pack all they want, I see it for what it is, a blatant attempt to get more out of the BF2 than they could have by charging for it up front (ie, who would have paid 75 dollars for this game?). EA has every right to do it, but I have every right to not buy it (and every right to hold EA accountable for this kind of gimmick by refusing to buy any of their products). Its the attitudes of companies like Microsoft that have lead to things like Open Source becoming so popular, and it is those attitudes that will eventually lead to a backlash against them...well by everyone except lemmings :)

[Coderedpl]

wtf pay for skins?
ill make my own

[Handy388]

at least you are not paying $900 USD for a f**king sword in a MMORPG

[-{DFA}-Brak710]

next we will pay per min of game use

No, no! They will charge us for ammo, and for free with the expansion packs will come a free (with a hidden activaion fee!) credit card reader.

$.50 for 200 rounds!
$1.00 for 500 rounds! (OMFG, L4WL, R4WFULL, WHAT A ST3AL FOR A FR33 100 r0undz!)

I can't wait!

</sarcasm> :laugh:

[Praetorian145]

Kronos the difference is that Microsoft has a virtual monopoly. EA doesnt. You need to use microsoft products to use a PC, unless you buy a Mac or are prepared to spend a long time learning about Linux. You dont need to play games, and if you want to you dont need to play EA Games. If EA insists on screwing its customers, then it will lose business and inevitably go out of business.

[-{DFA}-Brak710]

On a more serious note than my last post, I'd say give them a price you would be willing to pay, because at least that may actally make more content that you have the option to get.

</seriousness>

LAWL, EA IZ TEH_GH34Y! RAWFULL!!!11!1one!!onehunderedandeleven!!1

Sending all emotions the TERM signal............................................ ...
Sending all emotions the KILL signal............................................ ....
-{DFA}-Brak710-emotion-OS halted.

[Kronos]

Kronos the difference is that Microsoft has a virtual monopoly. EA doesnt. You need to use microsoft products to use a PC, unless you buy a Mac or are prepared to spend a long time learning about Linux. You dont need to play games, and if you want to you dont need to play EA Games. If EA insists on screwing its customers, then it will lose business and inevitably go out of business.

Really? Huh... Been happily running Fedora/Red Hat for years :) My point was that IMHO, some of the things Microsoft has pulled in the last couple of years is directly related to the growing popularity of Linux (and others like Mac) based operating systems...funny thing is I read Bill Gates book The Road Ahead and he blamed IBM's downfall on the same practices that Microsoft is currently engaging...

Anyway, EA can charge for it all they want, I ain't buyin...and if they make it to where people that bought it get unfair advantages on normal BF2 servers, then I am done with BF2 and I am done with EA games. Plain and simple.

[Praetorian145]

I know someone who used to program Unix (which is for people who dont know, Im guessing this doesnt apply to you, what linux is based on) spent about a week getting open office to install. It all works fine now, but most people just dont have the knowledge, time or inclination to take advantage of open source.

And I completely agree with what you say in the second paragraph. I dont really care if everyone else does it. I have friends, stuff I do outside games etc. I dont [i]need[/]i to play games and if I get presented with exorbitant prices I just wont pay them.