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Lack of discussion surrounding the business practice of a Battlefield 1 "Early Enlister Edition"? (self.Games)

BraveSerRobin が 投稿

I was wondering what the user of r/Games thought about the business practice behind an "Early Enlister" edition of BF1, which costs $20 more in Canada. I'm surprised I haven't seen backlash over this, which in my view is setting a worrying precedent. In North America the release dates for games are usually Tuesdays....so in the case of BF1 they pretty much just delayed the game 3 days and told people they have to pay $20 more ($99.99!!) to get it when it would normally be released . I understand this might not be the case for European residents.

In the current climate of microtransactions and other business practices which many gamers are calling publishers out on, in my view this is a worrying step that other publishers might follow. Delaying the release of a game by a few days to get those who are desperate to play early to fork out $20 is extortionate in my view, but I'd really like to hear what others think about this. Maybe I'm over reacting! (I realise you get some skins too, but $20 worth?!)

I've just been reading peoples views over in the Battlefield subreddit, specifically the thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/Battlefield/comments/580iaq/bf1_when_everyone_is_playing_the_early_enlister/) reading peoples thoughts over there.

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[–]chrispy145 9ポイント10ポイント  (2子コメント)

"A Fool and their money..."

Eh, no skin on my back. If people want to spend $20 to play a game 3 days earlier, who cares?

[–]BraveSerRobin[S] -4ポイント-3ポイント  (1子コメント)

That's a good point. I guess my thinking was that (in North America at least) I don't see it as paying $20 to play early, but rather not to play it late.

[–]chrispy145 -1ポイント0ポイント  (0子コメント)

Well, if it's like any of the previous Battlefield games, there's going to be some server issues. Might as well let others pay to playtest that for the rest of us!

[–]McSeptim 5ポイント6ポイント  (3子コメント)

I don't see the problem. 3 days is 3 days, they aren't "delaying" the release at all, they're giving people early access. And if you can't wait three days, then either pay the extra, or just man up and deal with waiting.

[–]BraveSerRobin[S] 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

I was just wondering what people's views were. I have no problem with people paying for this edition, but when games are released on Tuesday here in Canada the debate on whether the release is being delayed isn't that straight forward in my opinion.

If there was no "early enlister" edition, would it have released on Tuesday? Maybe, maybe not! But it's an interesting discussion in my view

[–]chrispy145 3ポイント4ポイント  (1子コメント)

Well, we have another high-profile game also being released on Friday -- Civilization 6. And they're not selling an early three-day access.

I don't think your theory holds up too well. I've been noticing that bigger PC-centric games (and Battlefield is a PC-centric title) tend to get released on Fridays. Nintendo also releases their big first-party games on Friday.

[–]BraveSerRobin[S] 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Good point, I hadn't thought about the PC centric issue. I suppose it makes a little more sense, but I still think $20 is overboard. Thanks!

[–]Rupperrt 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Considering the server problems of several big releases the recent years a fractured release makes sense to distribute the load a bit.

[–]Squadz 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

Business is essentially offering something that people are willing to pay for.

If someone is willing to pay for it early, someone will sell it to them.

I don't blame the business, I blame the people.

[–]the_catacombs [スコア非表示]  (0子コメント)

Eh. I paid for the ultimate edition including the season pass (10% off). To me it's been worth it, and I always end up buying all the DLC for Battlefield games anyway.

[–]meatador [スコア非表示]  (0子コメント)

The game is finished and anyone can buy it, so it's now released. Everyone else suffers a delay. Nice.

Hadn't heard of this. Seems shit and I fear we'll see a lot more of this going forward, what an easy and cynical way to get a load of extra money out of people.

[–]INDIANA_POTATOHEAD 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

Lots of people view some things as extortionate and not worth the money, and others do think it's worth it. Some people want to pay $20 to get something a bit early. The world keeps on turning.

[–]DrunkeNinja 0ポイント1ポイント  (8子コメント)

I was thinking this same thing the other day and was surprised I haven't seen many topics on it. I think it's a shitty practice, tbh. The game is obviously done and the servers are online and the game is shipped, yet only those paying extra get to play it today while everyone paying the normal price for the game have to wait a few days.

Now I personally don't mind waiting a few days to play the game, I'm not putting an extra $20 or whatever it is just to play a few days early, but there isn't really any valid reason for this that I can think of except to squeeze out extra money from the hardcore fans that want the game as soon as they can get it.

It would be one thing if is was some kind of early access where buyers would be playing on an unfinished version of the game sometime before launch(Not that I think an EA game needs this), but this edition just lets people paying a higher amount to access the finished game 3 days in advance. The Early Enlister Edition doesn't even have much else to it, from what I recall seeing in the description. I think a few pieces of trivial dlc, but the draw was to be able to play it day 1 while everyone else gets it day 4.

I hope this isn't something that continues, because this doesn't benefit consumers in the slightest. I also don't consider this the same as the EA Access content that subscribers get. That's more of a timed trial and I think that's fine. What's going on here is a finished game is only available to those who will pay higher than the normal price and I don't like it.

[–]BraveSerRobin[S] [スコア非表示]  (7子コメント)

Pretty much my views exactly. It seems we might be in the minority according to this thread, but I still don't like the practice. As others have mentioned, it's a business and EA can do what it likes to make money. But that doesn't mean I have to like the method.

[–]DrunkeNinja [スコア非表示]  (6子コメント)

I think it's funny that more people on this sub haven't been complaining(from what I've seen) because this sub seems to bitch over the most trivial matters at times. Preorders are unethical, DLC is Satan, and map packs are destroying gaming, but apparently charging consumers $20 extra to play a finished version of a highly anticipated game a few days in advance is okay. This is done by EA because they know they can get extra money out of their hardcore fanbase so everyone else gets to play the game a few days late.

I guess it's not surprising since EA already does this with some of their DLC. Basically you buy their season pass, you get the dlc content early while everyone else has to await a week before the content is available to purchase separate and download. I never liked this practice either, but I guess it didn't bother me as much because at least everyone else could still play the game. Plus buying the season pass tends to give you better pricing compared to buying each piece separate. Still, I guess EA was testing the waters here.

This Early edition doesn't even give buyers much else other than the ability to play day1. Early edition buyers get 1 DLC pack that the base game doesn't get and 5 battlepacks, so it's not even a good deal on it's own since it's $20 more.

Yes, EA is a business and they can do this if they want to, but it's just pretty shitty, imo.

[–]Decoyrobot [スコア非表示]  (2子コメント)

Im surprised too, Gears of War 4 did it as well and people just shrugged their shoulders and carried on which i found some what funny given how much of a shit storm gets stirred if a game dare includes a preorder bonus of almost any other type.

Im always curious about season passes and those providing content early because i always assume that people buying the DLC end up buying the season pass for whatever potential savings and the fact it gets the purchase of DLC out of the way in a single shot. Although i could be incorrect and more people buy individual packs when released instead.

But anyway... I think its a pretty shitty thing i mean so far GoW4 and BF1 are the only 2 games im aware of and i'd say BF1 is more worse off since people getting in earlier lets them progress and unlock equipment sooner since they'd been playing earlier which might introduce balance issues.

Hopefully it never extends to any games that end up having a singleplayer campaign with spoilers people care about but it wouldnt surprise me, im guessing this is going to be the new flavour of money scrounging along with greater emphasis on microtransaction loot crates too (on top of the preexisting season passes and such), its pretty shitty all over.

[–]DrunkeNinja [スコア非表示]  (0子コメント)

I was unaware Gears did this, but I don't have an X-box and my PC can't run it(if it's on PC) so I don't pay much attention to Gears news. I did see someone post below that the NBA 2K games have been doing an early edition too.

Hopefully it never extends to any games that end up having a singleplayer campaign with spoilers people care about but it wouldn't surprise me

That would be pretty shitty too. I mean, none of this is the "end of gaming" to me, I can wait 3 days. I just think it's a practice that does nothing to benefit the consumers in the slightest and it's just another way to make money off a devoted fanbase.

[–]BraveSerRobin[S] [スコア非表示]  (0子コメント)

The single player issue is a very good point. I hadn't even considered that but I bet this will happen soon. I am forseeing a Mass Effect "early edition" which will have spoilers all over the internet weeks before release :P

[–]BraveSerRobin[S] [スコア非表示]  (1子コメント)

Yeah you're first paragraph hits the nail on the head for me. People are always up in arms about the smallest of things (some I agree with, some I disagree), yet this seems to be a non-issue to most people.

I get the impression some people see this as EA doing them a favour by allowing them to play "early" but in reality it's no such thing! It's just another money grabbing tactic that will probably become commonplace in the next few years.

[–]DrunkeNinja [スコア非表示]  (0子コメント)

Yeah, it's not really early. The game is done and it's shipped and you can even buy it at a store or download it, if you pay $20 more. That just means everyone else has to wait because we won't pay $20 more for 3 days. The tiny amount of DLC is a way to get potential buyers to justify the cost of paying $20 extra for the privilege of playing a few days before everyone else. What a nice scheme EA has implemented.

[–]jojotmagnifficent [スコア非表示]  (0子コメント)

Preorders are unethical, DLC is Satan, and map packs are destroying gaming, but apparently charging consumers $20 extra to play a finished version of a highly anticipated game a few days in advance is okay.

I can't speak for anyone else, but after a decade of trying to fight this shit I'm about ready to give up. It's not going away and idiot consumers are happy to be extorted and actively attack you for telling them it's stupid. They set the precedent and it's not going to get better at this stage, only worse.

[–]MapleHamwich -2ポイント-1ポイント  (5子コメント)

It's absolutely shady. I don't think this is the first time for EA to have done this though. Unfortunately, we're living in an age of gamers who grew up with shit like this, and it's been normalized for them, so we're left with worse and worse practices.

[–]tot22 2ポイント3ポイント  (4子コメント)

It's absolutely shady

Explain how it is.

[–]chrispy145 8ポイント9ポイント  (0子コメント)

They won't because it's not.

Nobody is forcing anybody to pay $20.

I am beyond excited for Battlefied 1. And I have enough self control that I don't need to plunk down $20 for three days extra.

[–]kirkby18 -2ポイント-1ポイント  (1子コメント)

There's no reason that people who dont get the early enlisters edition can't have access to the game apart from the fact that they werent willing to pay an additional $20, which is 1/4 of the full price for the game. This model only works because people are excited for their game and they're taking advantage of that. That to me is shady.

[–]vomitore [スコア非表示]  (0子コメント)

How is that shady? People are willing to pay for early access. Where is the dishonesty in that?

[–]Gamephasis 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

This isn't the first time or the first publisher to do it. It's become an annual event in NBA 2K for example. They have the early tip off edition of the game.

[–]mikecm1987 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

I like having games release on a Friday so my weekend can be something to look forward to. Having an early edition is cool as long as you get stuff for it. If it was just pay $20 to get the game early without extra stuff, more power to those who can't wait 3 days. I thought the stuff you get for the Early Deluxe version along with early access justified paying a bit more for it.

When it comes to Battlefield games in general, I'm sure to get way more than $60, $80 or $130 worth of enjoyment out of it.

[–]DrunkeNinja -1ポイント0ポイント  (0子コメント)

The Early edition only gets you a Lawrence of Arabia pack("containing themed weapons, vehicles and items") and 5 Battlepacks. It also includes the Harlem Hellfighters dlc, but so does preordering the regular edition.

I don't think many people would be paying $20 extra for 5 battlepacks and some themed items. But when you let those people play a few days early...

edit: From what I read, the LoA pack contains this: a horse skin, a new knife, a new gun(skin?), and an emblem.

[–]Fact154 0ポイント1ポイント  (3子コメント)

I don't see the issue. You pay $20 more for 3 days AND some skins and a few battle packs. I'm just waiting til Friday. It's not like the game is going to be going anywhere.

[–]BraveSerRobin[S] -1ポイント0ポイント  (2子コメント)

I agree to some extent, I do wonder if it will stretch further though. Say releasing weeks or months early.

[–]IHaveVariedInterests 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

That won't work because the hype train will have moved on to something else. The short lag between premium and regular editions is good to build up positive word of mouth for the game (assuming the game is good). See Forza and Gears as other examples of this.

[–]Fact154 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

That sounds like Early Access and would probably kill game release hype.

[–]Ideas966 -1ポイント0ポイント  (0子コメント)

I think it's sort of gross and just trying to squeeze an extra $20 out of people for almost no unique content(? it only includes some skins /unlocks besides early access?) It's hard to draw a line between "this is early access for players that pay more" and "the game is delayed for no technical reason for players that don't want to pay more". 3 days isn't a lot. But what if it was a week? A month? At some point the game is just the new price and then 60$ is the same as a price drop.

Even if it doesn't sell well I don't see them not doing this in the future just because it seems to cost them almost nothing to sell the early edition alongside the regular edition.

I mean pay what you think is fair for the game. $60 for a new game is actually the cheapest new AAA games have been almost ever, and yet they cost more than ever to make. If they just sold only the $80 version i think a lot of people who still say that is a fair price for a big game like this. But if you don't think it's worth waiting 3 more days to save 25%, then go for it.

edit - I guess I have a somewhat pessimistic view on the thing because I'm the type of person that would never pay money for skins or loot boxes or whatever. Especially in games that already have a base price. I just get no enjoyment from them or see any value in them (I have 100+ unopened loot boxes in Overwatch). I would only maybe be swayed to pay for something like that if it was a indie game from a small studio and I looked at it more like tipping the developer than actually paying for content that I wanted.

[–]usrevenge [スコア非表示]  (0子コメント)

I'm torn. It's a shitty practice, but it also helps split up the huge inrush of players so servers might actually work.

It's only a short time too and it isn't the first time it's happened so I don't mind it too much but I'm not spending $20 for a few days early.