JP publishers go for broke on XBMarketplace

[Jonnyram]

I just checked the Marketplace for updates and it seems Aquazone and A-Train have some major new DLC.

First off, Aquazone. This is infamous among Japanese gamers as only having 480 points of achievements built into the retail game. Until now, you haven't been able to get more than that (and it's been out half a year!). They've added 18 fish that can be purchased for a whopping sum of ~5000 MS points! And that will still only take the max up to 840 points, I believe. Yeah, you can see the fish are actually on the disc because the downloads are 108kB each. Thanks.

Next, A-Train. Thankfully this has no bearing on achievements, afaik, but there are now 21 new trains online for 50 MS points each. Again 108kB each, but at least the price is not extortionate this time.

[duckroll]

Awesome. And by awesome I mean, what the ****. :(

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Japan just doesn't understand.

[SnakeXs]

Ouch. That's horrible.

[The Faceless Master]

wait, MS actually allows companies to sell content that allows you to get achievements?

[Barnolde]

wait, MS actually allows companies to sell content that allows you to get achievements?

Why wouldn't they? It's essentially FREE money for MS.

[Diablohead]

Each train for 50msp isn't that bad imo, each car seperate for pgr3 was 60 each and you don't have to but the ones you don't like.

my 2 pence :)

[Kuran]

How is A-Train for 360? Is it any good?

[FoxSpirit]

How much are MS points in real $$$?

[arne]

wait, MS actually allows companies to sell content that allows you to get achievements?

Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.


I have a feeling this might be a mistake or something.

[SnakeXs]

How much are MS points in real $$$?

80 = 1USD.

The supposed 5,000 points one is over 60 bucks.

[Ceb]

I thought this was gonna be about Street Fighter Alpha.

[LakeEarth]

280 points a ****ing fish? And its already on the disk? The hell?

[Burai]

Each train for 50msp isn't that bad imo, each car seperate for pgr3 was 60 each and you don't have to but the ones you don't like. my 2 pence :)

Yeah, but those cars weren't already on the DVD. The trains are.

[a Master Ninja]

This ANGERS me.

[jarrod]

Yikes... about on par with Japan's XBLA commitment. :/

[Dot50Cal]

80 = 1USD. The supposed 5,000 points one is over 60 bucks.

FaithHillWHAT.gif

[Acosta]

All is part of the master plan to conquer the japanese market.

[VanMardigan]

Inexcusable. Content already on the disc? So just buying the disc isn't enough?

[DJ Sl4m]

wait, MS actually allows companies to sell content that allows you to get achievements?

Yea, I don't know what to think of this either.
I mean on one hand it's good the devs are looking ahead with stuff like this as it saves HD space, but then they have shitass's like EA taking the low road with ridiculous shit that should be stopped.

[Odysseus]

this is why microsoft can't be allowed to win a console war

their ideas suck

of course, sony can't win either, because their ideas also suck

that leaves nintendo

%$#@

:(

[arne]

this is why microsoft can't be allowed to win a console war their ideas suck of course, sony can't win either, because their ideas also suck that leaves nintendo %$#@ :(

why this THIS IS ALL MICROSOFT'S FAULT. clearly. :rolleyes

begone villain (at least until mass effect comes out).


i felt bad re-reading this, you know i'm kidding right? <3 all around

[Link316]

this is why microsoft can't be allowed to win a console war their ideas suck of course, sony can't win either, because their ideas also suck that leaves nintendo %$#@ :(

hehe, lets wait and see how they handle Animal Crossing

[PepsimanVsJoe]

hehe, lets wait and see how they handle Animal Crossing

Microtransactions are automatically deducted from your bank account for ingame house upgrades. Then you fish for 20 hours to earn it back so they can remodel your house to be even larger and thus take even more money out of your account.

Oh but there's no rush.

[Odysseus]

why this THIS IS ALL MICROSOFT'S FAULT. clearly. :rolleyes begone villain (at least until mass effect comesout).

we just have to have faith in the intelligence of the common man, that they'll reject this encroaching menace

....

%$#@

:(

[ShutEye]

I have to know who would buy the aquazone stuff. Any chance its just an error on the market place?

[PepsimanVsJoe]

I have to know who would buy the aquazone stuff. Any chance its just an error on the market place?

I dunno man real fish are pretty expensive. Plus the ones in this game will live forever. You could give them to your grandchildren or something. :)

[arne]

we just have to have faith in the intelligence of the common man, that they'll reject this encroaching menace .... %$#@ :(

well, you should also have faith that the powers that be most likely wouldn't endorse a pay for gamerscore scenario like this. while i do not know what goes on in Japan-land, i have to assume some miscommunication or mistake happened. we'll see what happens.

[Odysseus]

well, you should also have faith that the powers that be most likely wouldn't endorse a pay for gamerscore scenario like this. while i do not know what goes on in Japan-land, i have to assume some miscommunication or mistake happened. we'll see what happens.

who cares about gamerscore, achievements are such a lame concept anyway (at least the way they are presently implemented)

it's more about constant dlc, paying for items already on the disk (!), unfinished games and/or paying extra for things you used to get for free (or even got for free on another platform's version of the same game), etc

not exactly japan-centric, and the powers that be seem not to care

[Dr Zhivago]

well, you should also have faith that the powers that be most likely wouldn't endorse a pay for gamerscore scenario like this. while i do not know what goes on in Japan-land, i have to assume some miscommunication or mistake happened. we'll see what happens.

Well, Achievements as a part of DLC is mentioned in the SDK documentation as being possible. Don't think it specifies if it has to be free DLC.

[Dante]

Can you define "go for broke"?

[arne]

Here y'all go. the definitive word on this and how things work with achievements/gamerscore.

http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archi...01/540575.aspx

:)

[Kobold]

Each train for 50msp isn't that bad imo, each car seperate for pgr3 was 60 each and you don't have to but the ones you don't like.

The problem is not the price. it's the fact that they are already on the disk, ready to be used.

So developed are actively releasing less content for a game, although they already made it and shuip it on the disc you buy, to make available later through an unlockable file for which you pay too much.

This is basically the same as me selling you the cake in your fridge that was hidden by the bread you were eating.

And,

1. All regular disc-based games MUST have 1,000 Gamerscore in the base game. This means that any consumer who buys a retail game will have the opportunity to unlock the full 1,000 Gamerscore without having to pay for any add-on content. Note that a publisher may decide to deliver a portion of this Gamerscore via add-on content, but the add-on content will always be free to the consumer.

[Gowans007]

Owch not your 1000 GS for the price of the game.

paying extra for the ability to get the rest of your 1000 = Terrible.

Gamerscore post seems to counter that so who's right? did MS just not catch these? or jut being lax in Japan with developers to try and tempt more in?

/my head hurts.

[Safe Bet]

Japan just doesn't understand.

Some of them do...

[Kobold]

Owch not your 1000 GS for the price of the game. paying extra for the ability to get the rest of your 1000 = Terrible. Gamerscore post seems to counter that so who's right? did MS just not catch these? or jut being lax in Japan with developers to try and tempt more in? /my head hurts.

The answer:

I know that with this being a new system and with over 160 Xbox 360 titles in the market today, there have been a few inconsistencies about this in the past. Good news is that moving forward we have a clear policy that we all can count on when we purchase new retail games or Xbox Live Arcade titles. A perfect example of this is the recent release of Crackdown, which has delivered 900 Gamerscore today on the retail game disc. The remaining Gamerscore in Crackdown will be made available, for free, via a future content update. A number of the title's future Achievements will likely be based on some of the amazing feats executed through the streets of Pacific City, as well as the exciting additional content that Realtime Worlds currently has up its sleeve.

[Troidal]

Idolm@ster is just as guilty...

With freakin' 6800-7800yen for software, you still have to spend like the same, if not more for added contents? Fuck that shiiit.

[Jonnyram]

Idolm@ster is just as guilty... With freakin' 6800-7800yen for software, you still have to spend like the same, if not more for added contents? Fuck that shiiit.

As long as it doesn't break the game if you don't have it, it's not that bad. In Idolm@ster's case, the arcade has pretty much the same experience (keep paying/playing to get more items), so it's kind of expected. But the main problem with Aquazone is how the gamerscore of the retail product was so low. It should have been delivered as an arcade title or something.

[cvxfreak]

Just wondering, did Dead Rising and Lost Planet do microtransactions better than these guys?

Don't really feel like paying 1600 points for an infinite ammo rocket launcher in Bio5.

[bigswords]

Just wondering, did Dead Rising and Lost Planet do microtransactions better than these guys? Don't really feel like paying 1600 points for an infinite ammo rocket launcher in Bio5.

The only microtransactions for those games are gamerpics and theme packs.

Dead Raising has free costumes.

Lost Planet I dont recall any new MP maps and stuff.

Ahhh but COD3 is the most guilty of them all, pay 800 points for 5 maps, but in a ranked game if 1 person doesnt have the map, you cant play it LOL (u can still play those maps in player matches I guess).

[Troidal]

As long as it doesn't break the game if you don't have it, it's not that bad. In Idolm@ster's case, the arcade has pretty much the same experience (keep paying/playing to get more items), so it's kind of expected. But the main problem with Aquazone is how the gamerscore of the retail product was so low. It should have been delivered as an arcade title or something.

I dunno...that's debatable in my book because ultimately, a Gamerscore is just...a Gamerscore. I would probably put fishes, cars and costumes in the same category. They are additional contents (which may or may not exist in the disc itself) which doesn't hinder game experience, as long as the player is able to complete the game without resorting to these downloadables.

That's not to say I am against the idea (because I would go buy a character's swimsuit set in DOAX2 if I had the game ), it's just the pricing scheme in Japan can sometimes be so horrible, it's blatantly obvious they want to just take more of your money. It's all about balance.

RR6 was generous enough to allow extra car downloadables, I don't know why they didn't bother charging for those when other games do it rampantly (and the data is already in the disc, so you are essentially just paying to unlock them! grrr...).