EA sells Tiger Woods cheats on XBL

[Mendicant]

I came across an article at Gamespot describing EA's decision to um.... "market" cheats/unlockables for Tiger Woods PGA 2007, posted at : http://au.gamespot.com/news/6159881....881&msg_sort=1

To make a long story short, you can either manually play through the game unlocking the bits; or you can cough up roughly $10 ($2.50 for extra courses, $3.75 for player stat. modifications and $3 for a "download exclusive" ability to be able to play as Tiger Woods wearing a red shirt) and have things instantly unlocked for you.

WTF?!? I mean, really...

Since Tiger Woods PGA 2007 retails for $ 60, why not just skip the hassle of downloading all together and release TWPGA2K7 "Easy-Type" for $70?

Inevitably the first thing to come to mind after reading the article was the aforementioned "WTF?!? I mean, really..." The second thing to come to mind was Nintendo's case against Galoob on grounds that the GameGenie hindered a gamer's experience by modifying/altering the game.

For me, the biggest problem with it is not the actual contents (extra courses, red shirt, etc.) but the precedent it tries to set. First and foremost...$10?!? Hardcore TWPGA2K7 will probably be thrilled to know that they're looking at another $10 when the next installment arrives for the "full" game. Furthermore, once money becomes involved, distribution suddenly becomes an "Issue". Should the consumers be able to swap Save-Files with each other? Should sites like GameFAQs.com be allowed to post Save-Files containing unlocked content? If EA's charging $10 a pop for the "Complete" TWPGA2K7 experience, chances are they won't be embracing free sites like GameFAQs.com

The second biggest problem, IMHO, lies with the "Download Only" type unlockables. In essence, it's like EA saying "You can buy the game, but you have to pay us even more money for the Full Game." With TWPGA2K7, it's a Red Shirt. So far. Imagine buying games and then having to pay up again for the the "Full" Story, or the "Full" missions, or the "Full" roster of characters. This just might be the a thinly veiled cosmetically altered version of the Demo Disk.

Last, and on slightly personal note, unlockable extras are meant to be reward for the dedicated. It's a way of the publishers rewarding gamers who spent a buttload of time playing through their games. It's what separates the people who breeze through a title, and the people who meticulously seek out and complete each and every single side quest, secret, or what-not the game has to offer. Cheating originated as a way for the programmers/game testers to breeze through the game in as little time as possible. (Usually to meet deadlines ) While Cheating became an accepted part of gaming, it was assumed that atleast the publisher wanted the player to play through the game as it was, and reward the dedicated player with unlockable extras. For a company to charge money for instant unlockables is a blatantly shameless request for money, along the lines of "Gimme some Money" by Spinal Tap...

...either that, or I'm just pissed at the the possibility of not being able to download free cheats from GameFAQs.com :P

[TheGZeus]

I never liked EA.
Sega wants to be the Japanese EA.
This does not bode well.

[16-bit pwnage]

OMG that's really greasy; now they're trying to zero in on sites that offer free cheats like the music companies did Napster a few years ago. Damn you to hell, EA!!

[Chris Marsh]

Agreed that it does mess with the fact that cheats are rewarded by skill and not wealth. Consumerism at it's finest is what I have to say about this one.

[Necrocheese]

EA never ceases to reach new lows. Sadly as Mendicant said, I can see this becoming much bigger than just a shirt and a few bonuses, but into actual major parts of the game. Hopefully other companies don't adopt this policy.

[Elusive]

No-one's forcing you to buy the 'upgrades'.

edit:

I never liked EA.
Sega wants to be the Japanese EA.
This does not bode well.

I think being a pro sports player would be cool.
I heard on the news the other day about a pro sports player doing lines of cocaine off the back of a prostitute, then going out and running over a kid with his car in a drug-fuelled brain-madness.
Being a pro sports player would not be cool.

It's like Mad-Libs!

[GeckoYamori]

This is hardly an isolated incident. Both Microsoft and Sony have/are leaning towards similiar things. In fact, Sony were planning on releasing a Gran Turismo for PSP which required you to buy each car separately.

[Dartagnan1083]

This news is hardly new.
I think it was originally hinted at in previews for EA games in mid-to-late '06.

[TheGZeus]

No-one's forcing you to buy the 'upgrades'.

edit:



I think being a pro sports player would be cool.
I heard on the news the other day about a pro sports player doing lines of cocaine off the back of a prostitute, then going out and running over a kid with his car in a drug-fuelled brain-madness.
Being a pro sports player would not be cool.

It's like Mad-Libs!

Being a pro sports player and being like a pro sports player are two different things.

These are the sort of things that EA has done to make money for decades. Shovel shit down out throaghts and tell us we like it. The part that amazes me is people believe it.

Tell me that's not the road Sega's been on for years.

[Mr Smith]

To be fair if you buy a golf game then you have too much money. If some moron wants to buy a new nine iron, change Tiger's shirt colour, or an extra few trees on a course then good for them.

The precident is slightly concerning as it could take us down the road of half completed games or paying for patches, etc.

I hate EA and golf.

[Elusive]

Being a pro sports player and being like a pro sports player are two different things.

These are the sort of things that EA has done to make money for decades. Shovel shit down out throaghts and tell us we like it. The part that amazes me is people believe it.

Tell me that's not the road Sega's been on for years.

To be honest, all I make out of the line was that some underling at SEGA-HQ saw EA's quarterly earnings, and promptly got an erection. I don't think they're going to be adding a Programmer Torture Dungon of Excrutiating Pain And Possibly Worse / ceremonial baby sacrifice altar any time soon.

[Flash1087]

Man, good thing the Wii doesn't support this kind of nonsense.

Truth be told, I only see this being a big problem for EA. I'm sure there's going to be an inevitable backlash to make everyone think twice, remember the horse armor in Oblivion?

[Mendicant]

The precident is slightly concerning as it could take us down the road of half completed games or paying for patches, etc.

Don't PC gamers already do that? :P

[GeckoYamori]

remember the horse armor in Oblivion?

Nobody's forcing you to buy the horse armor.

[Mr Smith]

Don't PC gamers already do that? :P

Do some companies charge for patches? I never knew that and am so shocked I am adding a shocked smiliey face.