Yesterday we discussed the Black Friday deals planned for the Xbox Live Marketplace. In case you did not notice, these Thanksgiving deals are US-only, just like most good stuff. According to Microsoft's Major Nelson, however, extending these discounts to other regions just isn't possible. Why? Uh ... issues ... that's why.
"I gave the feedback about having this available for other regions," explains Nelson. "but due to a lot of issues it was not possible. :("
Yes, that's incredibly informative and completely explains why Europe and other territories are getting the shaft. Let's face it, the only "issue" here is that Microsoft likes charging extra money for its fake currency in non-US regions, and doesn't want all that nickel n' diming to go to waste.
Now tell me, Microsoft, why should a European gamer pay 800 points for Rez when he knows damn well that others are getting it for 500? Please remember the Internet is global, and people find out about this stuff roughly three seconds before it's announced. Bullsh*t of this nature kind of upsets people.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
8:19 AM on 11.27.2008
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MS doesn't care about PAL people.
Another Microshaft.
You'll most likely need a US-based credit card to buy it. I know I can't even buy stuff on my UK account with a UK credit card on a US console.
worst of all: there is no gears of war 2 in germany!
at least we got the 20 GB HD upgrade with a 3 month xbox live gold subscription for 25€.
America Fanboy.
Have you tried reedem vouchers? If they are region specific just buy them off amercian ebay as they only email you the code...
There are ways, have to crack the system, well thats what i tell myself...
Right im gonna listen to Rage Agaisnt the Machine...
Just wait. I'm sure you'll get some deals on some uniquely European holiday like French Deodorant Rebellion Day or British Dental Hygiene Day... and then I promise we yanks won't bitch about the disparity at all.
Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick, Jim... you're like the whiny kid who catches someone chewing gum in class and says, "Did you bring enough for everyone?" SHUT UP AND LET US CHEW OUR FUCKING GUM!
wow dude, mental rant.....
wow dude, mental problems...
Lol. That's all I can say.
You do realise these sales are for Black Friday, not Thanksgiving, right? Changes things a bit.
Anyway, its the Internet. Global Community and all that. Rather silly that in this day and age that anything is region locked. Even more frustrating when people aren't told why this is happening.
You do realize that "Black Friday" is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, and is a term coined in the state of Philadelphia. So no, it doesn't change things a bit. It's still a uniquely American holiday, and expecting every country to get a sale for an American holiday is retarded. We're talkin' Corky from Life Goes On retarded.
If you go to a kid's birthday party, do all the kids gets gifts just because they're kids? Nope! Only the kid who's actually celebrating his birthday should get the freakin' gifts! So to the rest of the world... Sit back, relax, watch us open these paltry gifts that Microsoft has bestowed upon us (Arkadian Warriors? Oh, joy!), and wait until it's your turn.
Other territories don't *get* a turn, that's the thing. US and Japan gets incentives, Europe and Australia gets fuck all.
My point is this -- Rez HD is 500 Points in the US. It's 800 in Europe. How can MS justifiably suggest that a European should spend the extra money, knowing full well it's cheaper for other people? It can't.
Global market is global.
I know maybe we in Europe should get equal treatment when it comes to full on price cuts, but we don't celebrate any of the American holidays, exceot maybe Halloween.
Further, as Jim pointed out, we don't get a turn. We Brits didn't get a sale for Bonfire Night, or any of our other holidays. The Aussie's don't get one for Australia Day. The French don't get one for Bastille Day. This is just further proof that Xbox Live is sadly now a two tier system. The US and everyone else.
I've no problem with special events to celebrate actual holidays, but sales should be global. Heck, Apple can manage it.
Go figure that you cynical fucks have turned a nice holiday gesture into some bizarre xenophobic Microsoft conspiracy. Y'know what? If you want Rez HD, PAY THE 800 POINTS. It's a great game and the developers deserve the money. U.S. or not, if you wanted to play Rez HD, the chances are pretty damn good that you already threw down your magical spacebucks. The rest of the games in this deal are utter dreck anyway.
But Microsoft the should do similar stuff that is related to the other nations culture. e.g. they could offer a special deal on every countries national holiday.
But by all means, keep whining and crying like children. Most of the stuff that sucks except for Rez anyway.
When we finally get a nice homogeneous global internet marketplace type dealio like Xbox Live, we expect it to work in our advantage. We're optimists, sue us.
We don't have the Video Marketplace or Inside Xbox section or a very watered down version of it, no Community Playdate, no Verizon Family Nights, no nothing. Free Xbox Weekends that are advertised but appear nonexistent. AND we pay more money for our points AND for the Xbox Live service. The content that we see as equal on XBLA is the content that's available everywhere like REZ, Worms, etc. I'd like to see Microsoft treat the customers of those products equally. It wouldn't be that hard to extend a price cut globally, they've done it before.
But since that's not gonna happen, thanks for the Black Friday sale, Microsoft! I'm not going to buy any of the stuff on sale, but thanks for helping us celebrate the biggest illicit land grab in world history through rank consumerism! YAY!
P.S. - If you want holiday sales geared toward your cultural events, please feel free to contact Microsoft Europe and Microsoft Australia. I'm sure each of them probably have some Major Nelson-like PR figure for you to direct your ire towards. In the meantime, let us have Thanksgiving and any holiday-related sales that result from it. Kudos to Microsoft for trying, despite all this nonsense.
You're a dick.
Huzzah!
You're a dick.
Huzzah!
Reposted due to wireless keyboard = shit at being wireless and keyboardlike. (Typos).
Also @ Cube's point wasn't there a recent study showing that we spend more on games in Europe than Americans? (Although this is probably down to the huge gaping price difference.)
as i sit feeling sleepy on a cold london evening i cannot help but shed a solitary tear.
Also, when I made my account I listed myself as in the US. I still can't access a lot of stuff, is it because my console is a Korean Region 3 console?
Now, I just watched Wall-E, but I"m not going to go off half cocked about consumerism. You are a gamer. You are one of the worst consumer whores and you know it, so don't even start unless you want to give up your highly advertised brick of petroleum-derived plastic and sand. You are no better, and now you're worse for being hypocritical.
Now, will someone please take out the euro-trash before our collective brains melt from ill-advised, socialist soap-boxing?
I mean its the same thing.
This said as a UK Gamer we've been shafted since the dawn of pong to my knowledge. and its been that way for generations now. But sadly M$ owns the decent adult gaming market and we've gotta pretty much sit there and take it if these are the games we want to play.