EA Will Charge Extra for Certain Weapons in Bad Company Beta
By Stephany on Friday, March 21st, 2008 at 12:09 PM PST In Electronic Arts, Game Companies, Game Consoles, Gamer Life, Games, Microsoft, Sony
Want proof that we live in a world filled with microtransactions? Then look no further than Electronic Arts because apparently they will be charging for additional weapons for the Battlefield: Bad Company Beta via XBL Marketplace.
Ten different weapons in the beta show up as locked and next to them is the message: “Available for purchase on Xbox Live Marketplace”. Five weapons of the weapons are listed as available for purchase, while the other five are listed as available via the gold edition or for purchase. This raises quite an issue with people, especially ones who play multiplayer games and who do not have the desire to download additional weaponry. What if these weapons give your opponent an major advantage over you because you do not have the same weapon? How would this be fair to the other players who either A) did not want to download the extra weapons, or B) cannot afford the MS points (yes, there are some out there). Plus, this is the beta, not the actual game so are they going to give credit to the beta testers towards said weapons when they purchase the full game?
Paying for extra content is fine when it is maps, new songs, skins, new characters, or something that helps enhance the overall gameplay. I do not have a problem with that because if it is extra content not included with the game originally, the developers and publishers should – by all means – get compensation for their product. My main concern with this is that while extra content should be paid for, extra guns, cannons, bows and arrows, shields, or anything else that would give you an unfair advantage over another player is just wrong; plus these items could easily have been included in the original game the first place. Why not make them unlockable by completing certain missions or earning achievements like all of the other games?
Personally, I think that EA is trying to nickle and dime the gamer to death in the day and age of downloadable content. It is bad enough that once we purchase the content we cannot play it unless we are “logged in”, but to start charging for things like weapons that should have been included in the game to being with is nothing short of exploitation and borders on the unethical. But look who I am talking about – since when has EA been considered “ethical”? Add to this equation the monopolistic Microsoft and you have yourself a New World Order so be prepared gamers, your wallets will be crying before too long.
The beta for Battlefield: Bad Company launches on March 25.
Source: Videogaming247
Ugh…why doesn’t EA wake up and see all of these things are further ruining their credibility. I’m surprised they didn’t charge to be able to play co-op in Army of Two. And I’m dead serious, I really did see that as something that they would totally do. If we’re going to be charged to unlock parts of a game that should be available already, then why are games still $60.00.
And I know this is only for the beta, but isn’t a beta supposed to be a way for the developers to learn information from us while we test out their product before it hits retail? So not only does the gaming community need to plop down a preorder at GameStop, but they need to also give up money to unlock weapons when they play the beta.
What’s the problem here? I mean EA needs that extra money
Bryce, I seriously hope that was sarcasm…
If they want to pull this bullshit, I just won’t buy the game in the first place.
^ i’m sure it was.
Seriously though, fuck EA everything they do now seems to be an attempt to perpetuate our already held belief that they are the Halliburton of the gaming industry. They get special treatment b/c of some of the licenses they own and even though everyone already hates them they can do whatever they want because they have the money.
i think ms has done a good job listening to the customers thus far into the console cycle so i wouldn’t be surprised if SOME restrictions were placed on the type of DL that can be released for a game, like stopping that BS from that one game where for 400 points you got a 45k key that opened up some data that was already on the disc. That sucked hardcore
Ok now this is bs..Just when I was looking forward to the Bad Company Beta on March 25, this crap gets thrown at me. EA WTF ARE YOU THINKING! I know you need the money to make up for the amount of bad games you make, but COME ON! Geez, they are going to be pissed when no one buys the game – but hey, who cares? Paying for something like this is retarded first of all. Seriously though, DICE shouldn’t of been bought up by EA. Not to mention most of the original DICE members left to make their own independent company, so I guess that goes to show you how much they liked EA. What’s worst is that THIS IS A BETA! For gods sake, I NEVER heard of anyone forcing a player to “PAY” for something during a BETA…I guess EA never looked up the terms of Beta Test and not “Enter Your Credit Card Information Here to Get More Demo Content!”. What’s worst is the fact that this is just a Closed Beta test, hopefully we can get this retarded idea pulled before EA actually thinks this will work.
Sigh, and I just paid 70 some odd bucks to pre-order the game on GameStop to get into the beta, and now this. I really hope that this turns out to be false.
psh i hope they crash and burn, i wanted to get this game but fuck it now. I love how they try to squeeze that last penny out of you every time. EA’s lucky i bought the games i did from them because they were the last ones ill ever buy.
I agree with the majority of peoples oppinion, Battlefeild was gonna be the next game to get, i also was planning to get it, but if EA is trying to milk the cow to death, well why buy the cow?. SCREW you EA, its not Rock Band. A few extra guns i wont waste my time on. Also by the way it sounds i wont waste my money on this if i could have a disavantage because i didnt spend points on guns. I can see spending points on extra maps, but not guns. EA you suck and now i hope the game flops. CALL OF DUTY 4 Rules.
I was looking forward to this game, but now, forget it. COD4 and Frontlines will keep me gaming anyway.
Just wait and see if people will put up cracked bad company servers and then download the shit from bittorrent