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[GifGafIsTheBestGaf]

well i heard of early access first on pc indie games (ks, gl, etc)

 

[packy34]

That's you choosing to accept yet another poor practice by the industry, that will surely evolve into something worse in time.

Tell me why Deus EX deserved a shitstorm and not this?

Deus Ex didn't deserve a shitstorm.

 

[Trup1aya]

I see no issue with it. If someone wants to spend extra to play a game early, so be it. It has no effect on me whatsoever.

A lot of people that but these versions aren't even doing it for the early access. They are doing it for the extra content.

Any way a company can make more revenue to counteract the ballooning cost of AAA gane development w/o harming MY experience, I'm all for it.

 

[Kintaro]

paying 20 for a few days is stupid. i dont do it. but this is an industry driven by a lot of first adpoters, even for software. this is a forum for the biggest fans of gaming. i'd say ALL of us would like to play the games we are looking foward to most as early as possible. how is charging extra money to do that NOT a dick move? i mean if the game is ready and able to make it to the market in some form (digital or otherwise), thats the launch. its a shitty practice because they are purposely trying to squeeze people for extra money. it can still be a shitty practice even if they arent squeezing me.

They are not charging extra money to release it early. That Ultimate Edition was going to exist. Early release or not. It was going to be 99.99. Like a ton of other deluxe or ultimate or SE or CEs. That price was not going to change. So, if a fan is going to buy that version anyway, why not reward them by giving it to them early? Especially if they pre-order.

Your argument is pretty weak here. How does this hurt anyone? Do the person arguing here even know what's in the Ultimate Edition of Forza or Gears? And why you think they charge more for earlier releases? Hell, all you had to do to get NBA 2k17 early (for the past THREE YEARS) is pre-order.

 

[jem0208]

I don't really see how this is all that different than price drops.

You can choose to pay $60 and get the game on release or you could wait a few months and buy it cheaper.

 

[chrominance]

I have a novel idea, it might sound totally insane but I'm going to throw it out there anyways:

Wait the four days. Your life will not fall apart if you don't get to play Forza Horizon 3 on Friday. If people can just exercise some self-control and not buy the shiny thing that's more expensive because they get to play it a measly four days earlier, this would no longer be an issue. If we start seeing games delayed by a month or two unless you pay the extra $30? Then maybe that's an issue.

 

[gamechanger87]

You realise the way companies work is they release things people want, right? People want sprawling AAA titles, which are extraordinarily capital heavy. Microtransactions are a way of recouping these costs.

Companies actually need to make money to continue making games. You should like these things because they make it easier for companies to make games that you might like.

I've come to realize that a segment of the population will rail against DLC while at the same time refuse to pay more than $60 for a game. Games are incredibly expensive to make and for the most part you get one shot at revenue every few years. Taking into account inflation, this is the cheapest games have ever been. Some people would rather watch developers go under than pay a dime more for their game.

 

[jem0208]

I have a novel idea, it might sound totally insane but I'm going to throw it out there anyways:

Wait the four days. Your life will not fall apart if you don't get to play Forza Horizon 3 on Friday. If people can just exercise some self-control and not buy the shiny thing that's more expensive because they get to play it a measly four days earlier, this would no longer be an issue. If we start seeing games delayed by a month or two unless you pay the extra $30? Then maybe that's an issue.

That’s not delaying a games release, that’s just a price increase.

 

[T.O.P]

Tell me why Deus EX deserved a shitstorm and not this?

...have you actually followed the Deus Ex thing or what?

People were told to pre-order the game, if enough did the game would unlock more rewards, higher one was early access

Can you see the difference or are you just trying to stir shit up?

 

[Mikeside]

It's a pretty crappy thing to do.
It's not going to convince me to pay more money for a game, but I'm no so annoyed about it that I'll feel the need to whine about it either.


I guess at least we'll have impressions before us suckers buy cheaper

 

[DirtyLarry]

Again, technically speaking no one paid extra money for the early access.
Whether they chose to pay the extra money just for the early access I cannot say, but technically, the bundle that includes the early access costs no more (or no less which I would say if there is a problem this is it) then if they purchased the base game and passes seperately.

Here is the pricing for this game.

Base Standard Game - $59.99
VIP Pass - $20
Car Pass - $20

Here are the bundles.
Deluxe Bundle which Includes VIP - $79.99

Ultimate Bundle which includes VIP, Car Pass, and 3 Day Early Access - $99.99

Again, factually speaking, no one paid additional money to get the 3 Day Early Access. They just preordered the VIP Pass and Car Pass in addition to the base game.
Which for those who play the Forza series, a lot of players usually pick up. There is no real "risk" in picking up either. Those who play the game know this.

 

[score01]

It's a slippery slope. A couple of days is fine but what's to stop there being a longer time frame? Premium uber edition with all the dlc and season passes out now but standard edition four weeks later.

I can already see the bean counters rubbing their hands.

 

[DeputyVanHalen]

That's you choosing to accept yet another poor practice by the industry, that will surely evolve into something worse in time.

Tell me why Deus EX deserved a shitstorm and not this?

I was always under the impression that the Deus Ex thing was because that only unlocked as a preorder bonus if they hit some undisclosed number of preorders. In this case, early access is a guaranteed bonus for everyone that buys the ultimate edition, which would still exist anyway.

 

[Kacho]

I didn't just pay for early access. I enjoy the series and was going to buy the dlc anyway, so I see it as a nice bonus. I'm not even sure how much I'll get to play this weekend anyway, so it would've been really stupid for me to spend the extra money just for that. With Gears, given that I don't play much MP, the extras weren't enough to make the ultimate edition worth it to me, so I'm fine with the standard and waiting a few days doesn't bother me.

Im in exactly the same boat

 

[Anth0ny]

this is the future

 

[Lady Siara]

well i heard of early access first on pc indie games (ks, gl, etc)

These are usually the same price at launch, sometimes they're even discounted in early access too.

 

[chrominance]

That’s not delaying a games release, that’s just a price increase.

Exactly. And we should treat it as such.

 

[Yoday]

As someone who has never bought the early Ultimate edition of a game (BF1 will be the first) I really don't have a problem with it. If people want to buy the most expensive version of a game to play it early then more power to them. Those are probably the folks most anticipating a game, and I am fine with them having an option to get in early.

What I do have a problem with is the new standard in movies of digital releasing earlier than Blu-ray. In that case it is the people paying the most that have to wait, and it can be a two week wait rather than three days.

 

[GifGafIsTheBestGaf]

These are the usually the same price at launch, sometimes they're even discounted in early access too.

well yeah but that;s where i heard of early access first for games though, obviously it is easier to ask for more money for a proven IP than just hopes and dreams

fake edit: only of course early access to map packs count too, those were from last gen and COD i think set the trend?

 

[DOWN]

Ok but I hate the term early access for these aaa games which are clearly just final release games that could have release on the "early" date but decided to have a delayed full release date just to call one early

 

[outunderthestars]

I don't see how this is much worse than selling games at launch that are unfinished and charging $20 more than they will for the game by the time they finish patching it.


I continue to maintain that buying games at launch is foolish.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I see nothing wrong with this whatsoever.

 

[op_ivy]

They are not charging extra money to release it early. That Ultimate Edition was going to exist. Early release or not. It was going to be 99.99. Like a ton of other deluxe or ultimate or SE or CEs. That price was not going to change. So, if a fan is going to buy that version anyway, why not reward them by giving it to them early? Especially if they pre-order.

Your argument is pretty weak here. How does this hurt anyone? Do the person arguing here even know what's in the Ultimate Edition of Forza or Gears? And why you think they charge more for earlier releases? Hell, all you had to do to get NBA 2k17 early (for the past THREE YEARS) is pre-order.

forza horizon 3, $99
"Forza Horizon 3 Ultimate Edition includes the full game of Forza Horizon 3, Early Access, the Forza Horizon 3 Car Pass, VIP Membership and cars, and the Motorsport All-Stars Car Pack, which gives you the chance to take 10 of the hottest modern race cars off the track and out on the open road!"

early access is not a thank you. it is not just an added "freebie". its a bullet point for selling the UE. the entire concept behind its addition is to drive more sales of the 99$ game. there are people who will now buy this version because of that perk. to say no one buys these LE versions for early access is totally false. this is a move 100% made to take advantage of early adopters. its also a move in the direction of potentially raising launch day prices. i guess we should all be ok with that though, cause you know "we can just wait for price drops"

 

[ambar_hitman]

It's a slippery slope. A couple of days is fine but what's to stop there being a longer time frame? Premium uber edition with all the dlc and season passes out now but standard edition four weeks later.

I can already see the bean counters rubbing their hands.

It definitely is. This seems like a beginning.

 

[Link1110]

I guess its sorta like when GotY editions of games started coming out soon after, i was pretty happy cause i thought id get the original game for like 5 as soon as the GotY edition came pit. Never panned out once.

Businesses are always lookong for any way to squeeze money from customers

 

[hooijdonk17]

I don't give a shit about or spend a penny on these kind of games until the Complete/Ultimate/GOTY/Whatever editions come out anyway. The industry's whole sales model has gone to shit since the dawn of the DLC age so fuck it all.

 

[Ryuuga]

A trend sure to capture the heart of Canadian consumers.

 

[jesu]

I'm not bothered by it.
I'm buying the Forza Horizon 3 Ultimate edition because I wanted the VIP and the Car pass, getting the game early was a bonus.
In Gears of Wars case I'll just buy the regular edition and play on the regular release day.

 

[FlyinJ]

It's giving players choice

That is the most cynical bullshit corporate doublespeak, and it's pathetic that they've shit it out of their mouth so much that they have their customers repeating it back as if it was some kind of amazing benefit bestowed up them by the company.

Fucking hell.

 

[Trup1aya]

The game is done, they can release it.

And do you seriously think companies aren't going to be pushing their releases back a week to bleed free money out of people? Come on.

This is so wrong. Lol. Release dates are set for a number of reasons, most notably - logistics.

Pressing and shipping a physical game to thousands of retailers is no easy feat. Then there is coordination of advertisements , supporting materials and shelf space considerations. Games are usually finished a month before their street date. For retailer competition reasons, you have to give everyone enough time to get everything in place. You can't just release a game the moment it's finished.

with digital, there aren't the same logistical concerns, so early access can become a thing.

There's no way you can call this a delay. That's like saying a prerelease movie screening constitutes a delay.

 

[chrominance]

It's a slippery slope. A couple of days is fine but what's to stop there being a longer time frame? Premium uber edition with all the dlc and season passes out now but standard edition four weeks later.

I can already see the bean counters rubbing their hands.

YOU. You are the thing that stops this. There are plenty of times where I think the late-capitalist "let the market decide everything because it is smart" laissez-faire approach fails. This is not one of them. This kind of pay-for-early-access model will only work so long as people actually buy it, and you control whether you buy it or not. Other people will have different ideas about what is acceptable or what isn't, but I'm going to guess a delay of four weeks will endear the game/publisher to far, far fewer people than four days.

 

[Dan-o]

As I recall, the FH2 Ultimate bundle was $100, and did not include early access, but included VIP, exclusive car packs, the Season Pass, etc.

The FH3 Ultimate bundle is $100, and does include early access in addition to VIP, exclusive car packs, the Season Pass, etc.

I guess I don't see the problem.

Spoiler

I pre-ordered the Ultimate bundle yesterday, even though I can't play it until probably the end of the month.

 

[King_Moc]

This is so wrong. Lol. Release dates are set for a number of reasons, most notably - logistics.

Pressing and shipping a physical game to thousands of retailers is no easy feat. Then there is coordination of advertisements , supporting materials and shelf space considerations. Games are usually finished a month before their street date. For retailer competition reasons, you have to give everyone enough time to get everything in place. You can't just release a game the moment it's finished.

with digital, there aren't the same logistical concerns, so early access can become a thing.

There's no way you can call this a delay. That's like saying a prerelease movie screening constitutes a delay.

How come I get all of my physical games at least 2 days early then? In a country that is not the one that they were made in?

 

[darkace]

I've come to realize that a segment of the population will rail against DLC while at the same time refuse to pay more than $60 for a game. Games are incredibly expensive to make and for the most part you get one shot at revenue every few years. Taking into account inflation, this is the cheapest games have ever been. Some people would rather watch developers go under than pay a dime more for their game.

I never bought the gamers are entitled shtick until I read these sorts of threads. Literally all you need to do is not purchase these things. It's basic supply and demand. If you don't buy it they won't offer it.

It allows consumers choice and allows them to devote more resources to the game. The only downside is realising other people will get something you don't.

 

[packy34]

How come I get all of my physical games at least 2 days early then? In a country that is not the one that they were made in?

To account for any possible shipping delays. International shipping is still a tricky thing.

 

[T.O.P]

How come I get all of my physical games at least 2 days early then? In a country that is not the one that they were made in?

What?

 

[Whompa02]

Seems like Microsoft are early adopters of this practice. Shocked I tells ya.

 

[Justinh]

How come I get all of my physical games at least 2 days early then? In a country that is not the one that they were made in?

I would assume that most stores get their media stock in at least a few days early, and you just find stores that break the street date because they don't care.

 

[Oxirane]

What about companies getting people to play test games without paying them. Ubisoft just saved themselves paying out tens of millions of hours of wages by calling a build a closed alpha.

 

[Caayn]

This is so wrong. Lol. Release dates are set for a number of reasons, most notably - logistics.

Pressing and shipping a physical game to thousands of retailers is no easy feat. Then there is coordination of advertisements , supporting materials and shelf space considerations. Games are usually finished a month before their street date. For retailer competition reasons, you have to give everyone enough time to get everything in place. You can't just release a game the moment it's finished.

with digital, there aren't the same logistical concerns, so early access can become a thing.

There's no way you can call this a delay. That's like saying a prerelease movie screening constitutes a delay.

Shipping logistics is a real issue. However the physical ultimate edition also launches earlier, It's not just the digital edition.

And why not release the other digital versions earlier as well?

There are so many holes in this theory for this practice that it doesn't hold up. Early access solely for the ultimate edition is nothing more than a way for MS to push people towards that edition.

 

[Demoskinos]

Whatever works. If you value getting in that early you pay some extra scratch for the convenience. With street dates getting broken more and more if developers just straight up offer it to you on a plate for a few extra bucks as opposed to having to try to hunt a leaked copy down early you could absolutely see an uptick in sales. A lot of people value being the first one in their friend circles with whatever the hot new game is. If i were a developer I'd totally seize this opportunity.

 

[Giftofgab24]

You see this with just CE bundles in general. 300 for a single game? I couldn't justify spending that kind of money on even something like FFXV. The only figures I'd consider worthwhile spending money on would be Amiibo or ones from Granblue Fantasy... Even then...

I can't justify spending 10 bucks on beer. How is that relevant? Different people like different things. I certainly wouldn't spend a dime on something like amiibo, but I'll happily spend it on digital cars. If people wanna pay $300 for some trinkets.....it's all good with me. They're helping finance what could possibly be the next best game ever. As long as the standard choice is available for cheaper I see no issues.

 

[Trup1aya]

How come I get all of my physical games at least 2 days early then? In a country that is not the one that they were made in?

Because someone is breaking the street date... Obviously...

Can you think of a logistical solution that would allow every retailer to recieve the games on the exact same day they are to be launched?

Also, how do you know which country your disc is being pressed in?

 

[ebullientprism]

If you are stupid enough to consider paying more just to play a few days early, you deserve to get ripped off.

A fool and his money.........

If you always wanted the DLC anyway, doesnt matter.

So its not a problem.

 

[Kintaro]

forza horizon 3, $99
"Forza Horizon 3 Ultimate Edition includes the full game of Forza Horizon 3, Early Access, the Forza Horizon 3 Car Pass, VIP Membership and cars, and the Motorsport All-Stars Car Pack, which gives you the chance to take 10 of the hottest modern race cars off the track and out on the open road!"

early access is not a thank you. it is not just an added "freebie". its a bullet point for selling the UE. the entire concept behind its addition is to drive more sales of the 99$ game. there are people who will now buy this version because of that perk. to say no one buys these LE versions for early access is totally false. this is a move 100% made to take advantage of early adopters. its also a move in the direction of potentially raising launch day prices. i guess we should all be ok with that though, cause you know "we can just wait for price drops"

There is ZERO price difference between Horizon 2's Ultimate Edition and Horizon 3's. The only difference? You get it earlier. Is it a move to hopefully get a few more sold? Sure. Did it affect the price? Nope. So, how is this bad again?

How is this a move to increase launch day prices? NBA has done this with preorders for three years. Last I checked, this didn't increase launch day prices? It just gave those a chance to play over a weekend. Fuck, even Call of Duty has done this in the past.

 

[ambar_hitman]

Shipping logistics is a real issue. However the physical ultimate edition also launches earlier, It's not just the digital edition.

And why not release the other digital versions earlier as well?

There are so many holes in this theory for this practice that it doesn't hold up. Early access solely for the ultimate edition is nothing more than a way for MS to push people towards that edition.

This. Physical release is also early.
So all this excuse about logistics goes out for a toss.

 

[Giftofgab24]

Thing with this is that you maybe right now pay to get the game earlier, this "earlier" will at some point just become the standard release and the people who don't pay that additional fee will get the game later instead. There is literally nothing good coming out of business decisions like this for the consumer.



It was supposed to cut they cancelled it after backlash.

Deus Ex was completely different. There's was "If we get X amount of preorders we'll release the game early for those that preordered." So not only was the early access not guaranteed, it was being used as a preorder bonus and taking full advantage of people that can't wait and causing them to bug their friends to preorder as well. I'm pretty sure there was more stuff too. Also, look at what happened with that. The outlash was immense and they immediately cancelled it. As long as nothing illegal is being done it's the job of the invisible hand to see whether this stays or not. It seems like the invisible hand isn't very upset about this at all

 

[NewDust]

I never bought the gamers are entitled shtick until I read these sorts of threads. Literally all you need to do is not purchase these things. It's basic supply and demand. If you don't buy it they won't offer it.

Though I tend to agree the way the early unlock for Forza Horizon 3 seems fair, I can see it be misused in the future. Therefore I can not agree with your statement that it's basic supply and demand and because of that it can't be bad. I don't feel entitled and can certainly wait a few days to play a game, but I find it a scary thought that a, by virtue of it's nature, reward, is locked to pre-orders, which are bad for consumers, and a lot of people (that pre-order) don't seem to care.

 

[packy34]

This. Physical release is also early.
So all this excuse about logistics goes out for a toss.

No it doesn't. They press and ship these versions a few days earlier as well.

 

[giancarlo123x]

I like it.