Usually I get angry or dismayed when one of Electronic Arts' shenanigans come to light, but when it comes to the downloadable content for Need for Speed World, I can't help but laugh. The free-to-play PC racer is offering cars for cash, and you need to spend obscene amounts of money for "premium elite" vehicles.
The first car to demand a ludicrous price tag is Koenigsegg CCX "Elite" Edition, which hopes to cost users $100. Yes, that's a hundo in exchange for a single virtual racing car, more than most games in their completion cost. Fortunately, it's discounted until December 21, only costing $75 at the moment. How generous!
EA recently instituted a subscription fee for Tetris, and is offering rides in Theme Park for $60. It's a shame, because I always thought free-to-play was an interesting model with serious potential. More fool me for not guessing the locusts would tear into it and ruin the whole thing before it ever gained serious ground.
EA rolls out $100 car for Need for Speed World [GameSpot]
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Contest:
8:40 AM on 12.16.2011 | 
But on topic, $100 dollars is ridiculous, and whoever decided this was a good idea should be drawn and quartered.
if they do, they'll get this done en masse. A la modern warfare
Wait, WHAT?
I don't even
Want to get mad? Get mad with people that will buy it. Because I am sure such person exists, and he will validate EA test...
I think they're missing the point. Just blows my mind that these guys are so disillusioned that they think people will spend $100 on a virtual car for a free to play game that honestly might not be around in a year or two (with the way EA shuts down servers).
EA's actions are just bringning to light the truth of the scenario with their ridiculous antics. Ask someone who pays a free2play game how much they spend a month on the title. The answer is usually going to be more than the standard 15 fee. Also, not that F2P games have gotten even greedier as of late, making it near impossible to play and progress in their games without micro transactions the trend is worsening.
All of this is more evidence of the monetization mindset currently festering in the industry. Consumers, rather than valued and sought after are now a simple commodity to be squeezed of every possible cent. This move is little different that the current DLC trends where features and content are withheld for sale later making games cost 80-100 dollars rather than the 60 listed.
The big question however is if every studio is so hell bent on scrambling up every last cent though, let's be honest, sleezeball tactics how do they expect to survive? By that I mean, I only have so many discretionary dollars, and if my money gets me less and less I therefor have less to spend on games as a whole so somewhere a studio is going to make less or nothing off me because of the money grubbing methods of the industry as a whole. They are quite literally shooting themselves in the foot for the long term as they scramble for instant financial gratification.
Getting upset about this is ridiculous and shows that you either don't fully understand the concept of business, or you are just mad because you want to be mad. The car is available, Its priced highly, but you don't have to buy it. Nobody is forcing you to buy this car. EA isn't making it so you need this car to win the game.
Seriously why are people upset about this? Is it because they really wanted that car but dont have $100? I really want to fuck Bar Refaeli but i'm not rich so its not going to happen, should i post about how bullshit she is because I can afford the life style that's required to be with her?
EA provides a service, that service is free, and anyone can get it without spending a single penny. In order for this service to work, there needs to be a way for EA to make money in order to a.)recoup dev costs and b.)maintain the servers and staff involved with running an mmo game. In order for that to happen premium items need to be available for people to buy.
These things work in concept because you still want to make a profit on the development and publishing of a game. But anything you ask your customers to buy needs to provide no edge at all in game, and just offer neat visual customizations. As soon as the people with more disposable money are able to gain an advantage against other people in game ("pay to win") then the game is broken and you've fucked up.
That cost like $1500 and literally was nothing more than a diamond icon on your screen...... and people bought it.... because people are stupid.
So EA will probably be rolling in the dough and you can look forward to more overpriced crap, however if people raise enough of a stink (unlikely) they will just drop the price to $1 and claim it was an oversight.
I've got most of the new champs and numerous, guess how much real world money i have spent on league of legends over the 2 years(including beta)?
Zero dollars, Zero cents. You can earn the champions through playtime, And the skins are purely a superficial luxury item that doesnt in any way affect play.
Basically, Stop acting like entitled little fucking assclowns. The game is free, The luxury items are not, buy them if you want, or dont, its your choice mother fucker, red pill or blue pill
But is the car that Jim is reporting on just a superficial addition or is it faster than the other cars? Even if it's also available for free by making in-game achievements or whatever, you're still rewarding people who have more money to spend with a competitive edge.
From what i gather, no it's stats are not vastly superior to the other cars available in its tier. They have a tier system so someone with a tier-1 car wont have to race against someone in a tier-3 car.
This is free publicity for the Game, if someone really buys this its just a bonus.
Cause a lot of people will check out the game, just to see if u need the 100dollar car to win.
If they keep it sim-y, then as fast as that car is it takes insane skill to drive, so it doesn't make much sense to sell it anyway. it should be a tournament reward or something.
if they wanted to sell a prestige car, Thu shoulda went with the Bugatti Veyron or a super-rare Ferrari.
I think DC Universe Online nailed it - make the base games totally free with a few fair restrictions (two character slots, limited inventory). Spend $5 and you're upgraded to premium member and can create six characters with a bit more inventory. You have to pay for the expansions as they come, but no monthly fees.
If you want access to making a guild and expansions to be free, however, you have to pay out monthly fees to which I say "fair enough." Its a feature I don't need and I'd spend less on expansions than i would subscribing.
It's certainly not the "pay your way through" approach which is generally what people fear from the free-to-play model since Aeria games perpetuated that image.
The fact that EA could turn the model into something absolutely repulsive, however, should come as no surprise given we're talking about the masters of withheld content and online passes here.