Windows BF3 boycott due to preorder DLC in Full swing

The only problem I have with this is that it means I can't read reviews before they buy the game (something I almost did with homefront; so glad I waited for the reviews). I'll be pre-ordering this though, just based on how good BC 2 was and what we've seen so far of it.

 

That's more or less the idea, it helps push to adopt early. MMOs really started the trend from what I can tell. Rift recently was a big offender that I noticed with special early adopter subscription pricing and special edition items. In a mainly multiplayer game it's essential that players feel like the game is alive, particularly when starting out. However, many people rightly wait to see how a game is before buying. Unfortunately if too many people "wait and see" the game feels dead and the early reviews reflect that and it all snowballs.

Personally I've decided to join now. I can easily live without the extras and don't feel like showing that this is a trend I agree with. If I want to pre-order it's because I have faith in the game and want to help the developer make the best game they can, not because they're bribing me with exclusives and free DLC that I don't agree with charging for in the first place.

 

One thing that everyone needs to remember, is that there is the "BETA" (aka, Demo) out in September. Try it, play it, furrow your brow in deciding if you're going to pre-order or not then.

Get hands on, then decide what you want to do.

 

Are you sure the beta wont be available to pre-orderers only? That seems to be the in-thing these days.

 

People can make their own decisions on what they will or will not pay for, I don't mean to sound like my opinion is hard fact that everyone must follow, but I still won't pre-order even if the beta is amazing (which it likely will be). There's always the option to simply not pre-order and just grab the game on release. With Steam the only downside to buying on release, bar pre-order gimmicks, is having to download the game rather than pre-load. A couple hours playing something else while it background downloads is nothing.

 

So you won't preorder even if you want the game and think the beta is amazing just to spite EA? Who will no doubt be gutted if you later decide you want to get in on the Back to Karkand action and are forced to hand over cash for it.

 

I have yet to see Steam downloading something in background while playing other game on Steam.

 

Quite often in the piracy threads I point out that this is a free market and that we as consumers have the power to vote with our currency. Just as I often tell pirates to boycott games with DRM they don't like rather than pirate it I will be boycotting the pre-order and DLC content. With pre-orders being a normal price and being so easily available it's quite a clear message when people buy the normal version on release day.

I don't have much particular desire to get the extra items, being a fan of open opportunity I likely wouldn't use them anyway, and pre-ordering doesn't offer much benefit in and of itself since Steam has unlimited supply and I'm willing to wait a few hours for it to download. Back to Karkand sounds nifty but I'm a 2142 fan more, they'd have to release Back to Gibraltar to get me.

It automatically pauses when you launch a game, but you simply have to manually resume the download after you've launched the game. There may be a setting to turn off the automatic pause but I'm not sure.

 

iirc you need medal of honor to play the beta

 

That's fair enough, if you want to try and send a message (which I very much doubt EA will get) then fair play to you. As it is I still think it's a load of nonsense over nothing. After the apparent success of BC2:Vietnam it was always going to be the case that Back to Karkand was going to be a fully paid for expansion rather than a simple map pack and it's no more part of the core game than BC2:Vietnam was part of the core BC2 game. There doesn't seem to be any indication that it was ever meant to be part of the game but was cut out so they could sell it as DLC. It doesn't even appear that it will be released until sometime after BF3's release and I will be suprised if it's available as Day 1 DLC. I wonder how much of an outcry there would be if they'd not announced and/or started work on Back to Karkand till after BF3's release and then charged everyone for access like they did with BC2:Vietnam.

 

No, the Demo (let's face it, it is a demo. Who the hell goes to Beta a month before release?) is an open public "beta" in September. There will more than likely be early access to it for MoH players.

I going to stop reading this thread, you're all welcome to make up your own decisions on what you want to do.

I'll be pre-ordering the limited edition without the physical warfare pack through the ZiiP Gamestore. I won't have it on day of release as I have to wait for it to be shipped to me and the post between Ireland and England is crap, but I am not paying €45 for a game over here, when I can order it from ZiiP for ~€30.

For me that's it. I get the Karkand expansion, no interest in the Pack and I want to earn my glorious, death-dealing DAO-12. Enjoy.

 

To be honest the Back to Karkand business is the least of my complaints, it's a legitimate incentive for a planned expansion, I'm more about giving out items which others can't get without pre-ordering. I complained a bit when Bad Company 2 Limited Edition came with already unlocked weapons but at least that was just by passing the need for ranks, everyone could eventually unlock all of the limited edition gear. This is taking it to the critical next step of offering things which are actually limited to the pre-ordered version. I'm sick of MMOs doing it and don't want FPS games to catch on, those kinds of things are for free to play model games.

As an aside, you really think that after BF2's expansions, Northern Strike and Vietnam they'd realize that when you release expansions with maps that only expansion owners can play on you get a rift between those that buy and those that don't. They need to rework their expansion model, who divides the player base of their own game? Surely they can make more money and make more players happy with a different solution.

 

EDIT: Oops, double post

 

Meh I'll join a boycott, simply because I never pre-order any game. I'll pick up BF3 in the next steam crimbo sale no doubt.

 

It's do-able.. Launch other game, steam stops download, alt+Tab back to steam, unpause.. Download continues, alt+tab back to your game.

 

Ah niceee...Will make sure i use this in the future.

 

Sad they've chosen to go down this route , but keep in mind, this game will probably make or break big budget AAA PC gaming. It'll decide whether it's worth the Studio hassle or not .

Another thing worth considering is the current price, they're asking £35.99 for Cod 3 vs £29.99 for BF3 Ltd ed on Play.

 

So it seems that boycotts do work:

http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/bat...available-to-all-battlefield-3-players.aspx##

Congratulations!

 

Actually all that proves to me is that people got their knickers in a twist over nothing (at least, those adamantly trying to state the EA was the devil spawn or something similar).

They haven't stated that they're changing it to a Time Based Exclusive due to the boycott, more that they've had to announce it early due to QQ.

Also they're still stating that Karkand will be free for pre-orders only.

So ultimately nothing's changed, just that now they've told you their won't be a difference (in the long run). Something most of us not boycotting had either assumed or not cared about.

 

They just happened to have pointed out that key little bit after there's been such a fuss? Their literature so far has pretty conveniently not mentioned that fact and the vague time frame sounds like a last minute change.

EDIT: Or maybe they really were just FUBAR on their initial PR and didn't think it'd be useful to point out such a critical bit, suppose that isn't too unlikely either.