Was BioWare’s release of the Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut a good thing? Depending on who you ask, maybe not. That probably also includes those gamers who thought the Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut wasn’t what they’d wanted, anyway, but the point is, BioWare’s relenting to fans’ demands may present problems for other publishers and developers.
Asked about the controversy in a Q&A hosted by Kotaku, an anonymous employee at a “large gaming publisher” said that fan outrage and BioWare’s decision to create additional finale content for the game is a matter of some concern, but that the whole culture of gamer entitlement can be blamed on the high price of games in the first place.
“Gamers are absurdly entitled, but I think they got there because we ask so much money from them every step of the way,” the mystery source said. “No one’s demanding re-shoots for the final Matrix, because it only cost you 10 bucks to see it. Sometimes I think we in the industry lose sight of what it’s like to pay $60 for a piece of entertainment.”
“We’re worried about the precedent that BioWare set here. Will it fan the flames on future titles? No one knows for sure.”
Later, the insider responded to a question about launch day DLC, or basically a suggestion that publishers stop releasing it.
“Stop buying it,” he or she said. “Look, it’s simple. One team puts together a rough estimate on how much they expect the company to make from DLC. Let’s call that ‘A’. Then another team puts together an estimate on how much it will cost to develop that DLC. Let’s call that ‘B’.
“If A > B, you get Day One DLC.”
Business, people. This is how it works.
Source: Kotaku
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I shun that word “entitled”.. ever increasing levels of what the fuckery are attached to this catch phrase and its just turning out to be a verbal blood bath on forums and support email addresses. If a gamer is entitled, how is it that the same demands are being requested on free to play models? I mean really, we are not asking for any developer to know exactly what every single person on the planet wants to play, but if we cite that your efforts are not worth the 700 odd rand we spend, surely that choice is ours to make? our responsibility to spread that word? Entitled to an opinion yes, not entitled as an entity.
Whether they wish to attend to the issue is a choice they can make, irrelevant of what kind of out cry it is. This is the “power” essentially they have. I dont agree with the events surrounding ME3, but then again its not a game I particularly enjoy. Again an opinion of my own. Whether the developer takes it as an insult is there own parogative.
This all being said, I am pretty sure if these AAA publishers give the power back to the developers and away from the accountants there will be much less of this cut throat linguistic battles going on. Then again, that new beach side 19 bedroom condo in LA does need its bond to be paid… 0.o
On a side note, why dont we coin the term:
“HYPERSENSITIVE PUBLISHERS”
assholes.