As humans, it’s natural to feel disappointed, upset or even angry over certain decisions. We’re all guilty of this. However, there is a point where some people take it too far. A rather popular way of voicing your opinion lately is by boycotting a game, meaning not buying it. While game companies do make some questionable decisions at times, the only person you’re harming is yourself.
By not buying the game, you don’t get to enjoy it like the people who didn’t boycott do. You anticipate the game, and wonder what it’s like, while the rest of us play, enjoy discuss and do it all over again.
A popular reason to boycott is the online pass system. If you don’t know, an online pass is a code that comes with all new copies of the game. Inputting this once-only code allows you to access online multiplayer or extra content. The boycott’s happen because people are against the system, so don’t buy the game.
Hold on. You don’t buy the game because of this? Most big fans of a series will pre-order, or buy on launch day. Doing so grants you and online pass anyway, meaning the system doesn’t affect you past when you input the code once and once only. So buy not having any different happen, and you don’t get to play the game.
EA’s Battlefield 3 came with an online pass that granted extra content in Mass Effect 3, as well as early multiplayer access during the demo.
The other major cause of fan outbursts is Origin, EA’s new digital download service. Steam’s loyal fans were disappointed to know that Battlefield 3 would not be available on Steam. Instead, you would either have to buy a copy at retail or download via Origin. People complained about not being able to use Steam, and that they didn’t want to install another client. While I have been accused of being an Origin fanboy, it simply doesn’t bother me. Origin is not broken, merely plain and lacking features. This is much more preferable than a broken product that constantly interfere’s with gameplay.
Complaints like “I need to log in every time a game launches” and “I need to install more software” were thrown around. What people forgot is that Steam requires a log in as well. Last week I downloaded L.A. Noire from Steam and it installed Games for Windows LIVE without asking me. So it’s not just EA who is guilty of making you install more “unnecessary” programs, but Valve as well. I would like to add that Games for Windows required and update immediately- it didn’t even install the latest version!
Another great recent case of boycott’s is Mass Effect 3′s From Ashes launch day content. Fans who bought the N7 Collector’s Edition of ME3 were given free access to this Prothean-based mission. Bioware loyals grabbed their pitch forks and ran for Edmonton, angry over “BiowEAr’s” decision to do this. Rather than, and understandably, not buying the DLC, they simply refused to purchase the game.
Guess what? If you don’t buy the game, you don’t get to play it, DLC or not. So people in flames about a 15 minute mission are now missing out on a 30 hour game. While I understand their decision, low sales figures for From Ashes would indicate to EA that fans are not happy. No statements were made other than “ The content in “From Ashes” was developed by a separate team (after the core game was finished) and not completed until well after the main game went into certification.” (Michael Gamble, Bioware employee via Bioware Social Network). They raise a valid point. The on-disc files were for integration to be seamless into the base game without massive download sizes and were likely not cut from the game. People called this “vital story content that should have been standard with all copies of the game.”
I own the Collector’s Edition. While Javik was interesting, he is not what I consider vital. The vitals are in the game. Judging from Mass Effect 2′s track record, we all know ME3 would get story DLC at some point. Does it really matter when the new content is available? Don’t people want things now, not in six months time? By releasing it now, fans are unhappy. By releasing it later, fans would be unhappy. Just because it’s “day one DLC” people assume it is cut from the game. What happens when the gameplay designers, writers, audio designers and almost everyone except the testers are done with the game? Are they supposed to sit there twiddling their thumbs? No. They saw an opportunity and went for it, to fill in time and to start the ME3 content flow sooner. I would also like to remind people of the, at the time of writing, three FREE multiplayer expansions. And they contain a serious amount of content for a lite download.
Javik: You were interesting, you were also unnecessary.
While fans of Mass Effect missed out, the fans who didn’t let these issues disturb them got one of the best games of this generation, minus the ending, in some people’s opinions anyway. While Battlefield 3 fans missed played a technological revolution disguised as an awesome game, boycotters still sit there, on Steam, waiting for something slightly less impressive. The simple fact is: you boycott, you lose. EA isn’t going to care about that one sale, and they aren’t going to regret you not enjoying yourself even though they provided the means for you to do so. So next time you refuse to buy something, ask yourself, does it really matter?
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9 Comments
That is one bad sentiment. To the point of silly really. If people want to refrain from purchasing anything that they have difficulties with – for whatever reason – then it’s a damned well perfect thing to do just that. It’s how it works, and how it should work, silly whining included. Because the only thing worse than people whining, ranting about something as trivial as games, is the people whining, ranting about aforementioned people.
One thing I forgot to mention is people who are saying they’re going to boycott GTAV due to lack of info. I guess they’re going to still lacking long after the game releases.
You seem to fail to grasp the point of a boycott. It’s not merely following a principle (though that alone is reason enough); boycotts also discourage companies from trying to circumvent right of first-sale and other such underhanded tactics.
The people who give up these games are doing YOU a favor by putting healthy pressure on big companies (whose only moral compass is the $$, naturally) to be more consumer-oriented. You should be thanking them, not criticizing them for following their own principles.
You do understand that it isn’t actually putting pressure on anyone right the companies don’t care they still sell millions of copies they don’t actually miss a few people who generally come off like entitled whiners who just complain because they seem to have the mindset that they should get everything for free…Maybe not all of them are like that but I would actually bet money that a good chunk are
Moon: How are people boycotting and hating good game (which leads to fewer good games being developed) doing us a favor? Online Pass only requires you to type a cd-key, that is something games used at least since new milenium.
That idea is flawed , of course most of us will compromise and budge sometimes , but there are times you’d be too annoyed to be enjoy such games . In such cases you wouldnt be missing much .
There is no point if you end up constantly angry while playing
I love how you act as if the fans that bought the game werent in turn negatively affected as well . They took a once upon a time pivotal element of their plot and mythos and turned into some fast food dlc junk . So of course you were affected , you are just drinking the koolaid , and trying to justify it to yourself via some painful attempt at rationalisation .
The few guys that didnt want the game spared themselves some ulcer and headache , moved on to games they felt deserved their money and certainly arent feeling they missed much . Hell they most likely werent whining about the ending of ME3 like everyone else that followed like sheeps
Javik (in spite of the fact that he is a DLC character) has more relevance to the main story arc than any other squadmate or supporting character besides Liara. Through him, you get the only dialogue concerning his supposed views on organics vs. synthetics, a view which has otherwise been shown to be outright false in all three games.
The real problem is that Javik was very distinctly developed alongside the main game – we know this because of several key facts. For one, he is heavily featured and a key character in the early script that was leaked in November of last year (where he was The Catalyst, the role that was later changed to the entity aboard the Citadel). His voice files, and the reactions of other squadmates to his character, were completed by the time the game was certified – we know this because his voice files are on the leaked demo from last year. His finished character model, skill tree and several lines are present on-disc, even though he never shows up in the Normandy. The only piece of the DLC that might have been completed after certification was Javik’s recruitment mission (which blatantly uses several reused animations and a locale from ME2).
(By the way, a surprising amount of pre-order/CE content, including the N7 Collector’s Edition weapons and all of the pre-order bonuses are on-disc, hidden behind unlock keys.)
From Ashes cost $10, twice as much as ME2′s Stolen Memory (featuring a character who also had on-disc files, and more content throughout the base game). That smacks of a cash grab to me, and I understand why people boycotted the DLC.
On a side note, ME3 had many more problems than just the endings. People are trying to whitewash the mediocrity of the entire game in order to trump their hatred towards the last mission, while ignoring a litany of gameplay and story problems.
Online Pass is the demon of the gaming industry. It needs to be stopped and killed effectively. I’m all for anyone that wants to boycott because of this. It makes ZERO sense other than to line up the pockets of execs and publishers. “Hey, we have this used car, however it doesn’t come with a steering wheel. You have to buy it from the manufacturer because it is used”.