What is Digg?34 Comments
- wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -4/+19AMEN. Im not exactly pro-corporation in general (feel in the USA, they are given to much access to legislature/legislation and are generally anti-democratic). Why all the Anti-MS hate i dont know. There are companies that pollute, poison and kill (military industrial complex) - actual real-world problems. Microsoft on the other hand does much real world innovation, driving competition, building markets that dont have big carbon/space footprints. etc etc. This anti-MS stuff is just far to disconnected from reality.
Look at the XBox for instance. Real, concrete innovation -- no one can possibly say otherwise. MS's XBox 360 does things no console has ever done - they are keeping their competition on their toes (to say the least) yet, for some reason, articles like this need to try and brand MS some anti-consumer(citizen) exploitation machine.
Yes, they were overly aggressive against their competitors at some point -- classic behaviour in the corporate world really -- but MS really has been doing terrific stuff the last 10ish years. This isnt 1994.
I dont personally see a problem with MS saying "hey, we are building a new kind of content business -- it cant be free". I agree! They are trying to create a marketplace, that marketplace cant have $0.00 cost. IN the future, I promise you'll see the prices fall (or, really, i'll bet they'll just keep these prices very stagnant allowing them to fall via inflation).
No serious technology professional or hobbyist can say that Microsoft *isnt* one of the most innovative and capable software companies on the planet. They *really* do deliver seriously good product. - GawtMilk, on 10/12/2007, -9/+23The anti-Microsoft bias is pathetic.
"Of course, Microsoft’s cash cow hungry ways"
Do people forget Microsoft is composed of developers, artists and other engineers?
"In order to capitalize in extorting gamers of their hard earned cash."
Wha?! You give Microsoft money. Microsoft gives you a product. How is that at all extortion? The author doesn't know the definition of the word.
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The Virtual Console games are games that have sat untouched by Nintendo for more than fifteen years. Suddenly deciding, "let's charge $5 a pop!" seems a lot more evil than saying, "let's release new content in the form of a booster pack. we could charge maybe $10 per pack" and then actually creating something new.
I think many Diggers forget that these big companies are comprised of people. Microsoft earning money just means that some robot stores the money in a vault somewhere, they don't realize that there are game developers who work hard to let you blow an hour of time a day. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13It seems as though they found a compromise. Epic will initially release the maps for a fee, then after a couple months make them a free download... I'll see if I can find a link...
edit: found the link:
"Epic thinks the way to maximize the return on Gears of War is to give the maps away for free and Microsoft thinks the way to maximize the return on Gears of War is to sell the maps. So what we’ve agreed to do is to put these maps on sale at a reasonable price then make them free a few months later. They did this with the original Halo2 map pack and it was a huge success. Lots of people bought the maps and lots of people downloaded them when they became free. That’s what is going to happen and it seems like a fair compromise for both companies and a win-win for Gears players."
http://gearsforums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=567201&page=2
Second post down. - mrASSMAN, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13I stopped being anti-microsoft once I hit puberty and realized that all companies are in it for the money. Yes, even Apple. Even Google.
We need to give special support to non-profit organizations like Mozilla. - mrASSMAN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8A few months? Luckily I'm cheap enough to wait that long..
- jacksons98, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Interesting for Epic to come out with this. There is an article in GameInformer magazine (April 2007 issue) this month entitled: "The Content Microsoft Doesn't Want You To Have" It's basically a write up about publishers and developers wanting to offer free content to customers, but Microsoft mandating that consumers pay for it. "... it's not up to the publishers, and free content is being witheld from consumers under the speculated motive of Microsoft wanting to make gamers accustomed to paying money for goods above and beyond wallpapers."
I guess the $60 per game isn't enough for Microshaft. - BillDoE, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Bizzare also tried to give away Geometry Wars. MS wouldn't have it.
- Clearz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9"After a googling, it looks like Epic also did Unreal"
Wow you really are out of touch. Please leave this thread immediately and never show your face in the gaming section again. - GawtMilk, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10Sigh. Why are some Diggers so full of themselves? You read a funny comment that was anti-Microsoft. That doesn't mean that all anti-Microsoft comments are funny. Not even ones that 20% or more of the words spelled wrong.
- samdu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Isn't it kind of tacky to use the original source in the summary, but link to a secondary source like a blog?
- AmishRefugee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If Microsoft can't make the most money possible on every little thing, then they throw a fit. Stop being so god damn greedy!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I don't know why people think it's perfectly okay for these companies to charge for MAPS.
Are you people dumb? Do you realize how little effort goes into making a map? Have you ever even toyed around in the old Quake/Doom/Unreal map editors to find out just HOW easy it is?
God, because of these morons who think it's okay, everyone else now has to suffer. Yeah, I'm really gonna pay $10 for 3 ***** maps, which, by the way is NOT "additional content". Additional content is a few more acts, or an extension of the actual game itself... but some maps? Give me a goddamn break. This is why the anti-MS rant in the article, and it's perfectly valid. Epic is kind in not wanting to charge, because they have their heads on straight and don't feel it's right to dupe customers.
I feel as if I'm seriously one of the few smart people left. - Dgrimes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I'm definitely not anti-Microsoft, it's just frustrating how they're going about purchasing additional content. The Xbox 360 has been practically the only console I play anymore, and they're definitely doing many things right...but this isn't one of them. The bottom line is Epic wants to give us content for free, but Microsoft isn't down with supporting their decisions.
- wilf_brim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Kind of sucks. Epic's model has been (from back in the original UT days) was to make a good game, then keep sales up by release scads of free content. UT 2k4 has map packs, bonus packs (with new game play modes and mods not included in the original), skins, etc. And this doesn't include all of the user mods that exist due because Epic supports and encourages the mod community,
Yes, I realize that some other pubs have a different model of trying to wring every last penny out of the gamer *cough*EAyoubastards!*cough*cough* but if Epic doesn't want to follow that model, I don't see why MS should make them. - Rickler, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4The problem is that this is going to become more and more prevalent. Games will be released with content cut, but will be available for download for a fee. DDR:U has 10 extra songs for 1.25 each. When you buy the songs you don't even download them; the songs are already on the disc and are just unlocked. It's not like DDR is an expensive game to make were they need to recoup the costs of development. They're just being greedy bastards.
- DiggDagger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That game is way too simple to be sold at that price.
- thomasprebble, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3While I enjoyed it, Gears of War was short. I should be getting these maps free because of that!
- estvir, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3rickler, Microsoft is forcing companies to release games with content cut, that's the developer/publisher.
shadowmagic, I really hope you're being sarcastic. Really, for your own sake. - liquidboy2006, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Im not anit-microsoft but i dissagree with the first two microsoft-supporting comments.
If epic want to give away there maps then they should!! Who is Microsoft to dictate how Epic should run there business! Epic themselves have said that they feel that its right for there business model to do just that, give away the maps for free!!
Someone needs to create a new marketplace that competes with Microsofts otherwise we'll head down the path of iTunes!! - SSCrow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Here is what I am wondering.
Obviously it costs money to host that new content on XBL.
So does Microsoft charge the publisher per download if its free?
Or does Microsoft take some of the Profit when you spend your Microsoft Points?
Honestly, I would like to see the publisher have the final word.
Maybe they will do what Bungie did, Pay now and play, or wait and it will be free. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My grammar is just fine, you ***** moron. Nothing at all wrong with it. In fact, I challenge you to point out exactly what was wrong, but since you can't, I'll just wish you a nice try at a desperate attempt to troll.
Keep in mind they do have a map editor. Granted if one of us were to try and make a map, it would take some time and skill to make a quality map, but we're talking about level designers.
New maps are additional content, yes, but not content to be charged for. I don't know which generation of gamers you came from, but maps have always been free. No reason to change now. The only reason they do is because they know morons will plop down the cash for it. - modifiedbears, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2welcome to nickel and dime live! microsoft is slipping like sony started to last year with all these stupid little things.
- IamTheProfessor, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3"Have you ever even toyed around in the old Quake/Doom/Unreal map editors to find out just HOW easy it is?"
-You act like they're taking Gridlock and moving some cars around, and adding an extra set of grenades. I highly doubt Epic has established a simple "map editor" so they can just build a map in 30 minutes. Not to mention, with players these days - you have to make your maps are perfectly watertight or people will tear them apart. People falling into maps, running out of maps, walking through walls etc...
"Yeah, I'm really gonna pay $10 for 3 ***** maps, which, by the way is NOT "additional content". Additional content is a few more acts, or an extension of the actual game itself... but some maps? Give me a goddamn break."
-How is a map NOT additional content? The multiplayer base of Gears of War is the sole reason the game is so popular. People aren't buying this game to play the campaign, they buy it for the massive online multiplayer community.
"I feel as if I'm seriously one of the few smart people left."
-Judging by your poor grammar, lopsided and didactic rant, I'd have to say that we are all screwed if you count yourself amongst the "few smart people left."
http://www.digg.com/design/How_to_punctuate_a_sentence - Juntistik, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2too bad the multiplayer sucks on gears.
- Eleo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Damn, I didn't even know Epic was Epic Megagames, I thought they were totally separate. I remember playing a few Epic adventure games when I was about 7. Good times.
- daveisfera, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I agree that purchasing/marketing options would be nice for developers/publishers, but Microsoft gets to dictate how things are done because the XBox Live Marketplace is their service and their doing the hosting. You don't want someone telling you how to live your life and spend your money, and likewise, Microsoft gets the same right with XBox Live Marketplace.
- knodi, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Seems fair, I know I don't like to work over time for free. So I don't mind waiting month or 2 to get the maps for free.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Uh, because buying maps is ***** stupid? As are the people who think it's okay for these companies to charge for simple content.
Get your head out of your ass. You shouldn't have to pay for content unless it's a significant ***** addition, as in an expansion pack.
Seriously, anyone who bought those halo maps are morons and are part of the reason MS is trying to charge to begin with. The rest of us who are smart enough to say, "No, give me more actual content, not just a ***** map, then I'll pay" are becoming fewer and fewer.. - ricerfuel, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1Even your mum.
Damn Microsoft maybe thats why they charge you a quid for a little crappy logo next to your name. They an take a hike if they think i will buy advertising. That doesnt make ANY sense WHATSOEVER! Advertising is a big business, consumers shouldnt have to pay for it. Like when google sent us some free google t-shirts a few years back. Its advertising! - TheCash, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1More maps? Whoopty cr*p, you can keep em.
When they originally talked up 'new content' last year, they mentioned new levels, weapons, etc... and now it seems like all they mean by new content are new maps on which to play their buggy multiplayer.
I'd rather have the company focus on new games then crummy little maps that extend the life of the weakest part of an old game. - Tangaroa, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3That's a name I haven't heard in years. Epic Megagames was one of the great shareware companies of the early 1990s. They didn't have big hits like Apogee (Commander Keen, Duke Nukem), but their games were fun and entertaining. I've heard a lot of chatter about Gears of War but I had no idea Epic was behind it.
After a googling, it looks like Epic also did Unreal. I guess they did have a big hit. - ShadowMagic, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2its extortion because when a party enters a map that you refuse to pay for you are booted from the party you were playing with, thus forcing you to buy the maps so you can continue playing with friends...i.e. extortion
- Clearz, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1I wish he would just STFU about gears and hurry up to ***** with UT3. Talk about selling out on the PC or what!
- asif5th, on 10/12/2007, -42/+6***** Godamn Microsoft piece of ***** mofo. Sorry had to let that out.
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