In our continuing effort to bring you fresh and interesting content, X3F presents Would You Rather ... a weekly feature that asks you the hard questions. The point? If you had to choose one or the other, which would you go for?
This week for WUR we're talking episodic content. With games like Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness on the horizon for XBLA we're wondering what your opinion is on distribution and pricing.
Assuming that when it's all said and done you'd spend the same amount on an entire season of content, which would you prefer? Purchase an entire season of content for a final total price and download each episode when they are available (akin to one of the purchase models of Sam & Max from GameTap) or purchase each episode/content pack separately like the current Xbox Live Marketplace model?
Feel free to share the reasons for your vote in the comments. We'll share the results of the poll during the next edition of Would You Rather ... which hits X3F every Wednesday.
Last weeks WUR results can be find after the jump ... steal this info!
Last week we asked which other open-world game you were looking forward to more, and the majority of voters decided to pick THQ's Saints Row 2 over 2K's Mafia 2. Both games have potential, but only one the backing of powerhouse actor Gary Busey.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-07-2008 @ 4:04PM
mcwattersm said...
Both?
Reply
5-07-2008 @ 4:06PM
JAKEJAX said...
I chose the latter. What if it sucks?
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5-08-2008 @ 12:28PM
jaybird1905 said...
Douche.
5-07-2008 @ 4:10PM
joey said...
Unless I'm getting a discount I don't see why anyone would pay upfront.
What about inflation?
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5-07-2008 @ 4:21PM
zach said...
last time i checked 49%+50%= 99%. 1% is missing
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5-07-2008 @ 4:51PM
Kevin Gass said...
it doesnt show it as %49.8 and %50.2
5-07-2008 @ 4:24PM
ZaVaZ said...
Add another plan called Platinum membership. $120/year. Now everything on Live is free. If the User wants to keep a game / download then they should get it at a 10% discount.
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5-07-2008 @ 4:41PM
PrivateBurke said...
Episode are a dangerous game in gaming because shadier developers coughEAcough would not only charge hefty amounts for the episode but would probably try to offer other incentives that you could purchase to further complete the game. Single finished games are a must in my book. So if the game sucks I don't play it. If it's mediocre I can rent it and still play it. I doubt there will be an option to rent episodes.
Look at half life 2. EP 1 was just ok but EP 2 could have one a GOTY. What if EP 1 was horrible and didn't sell. EP 2 wouldn't have been made.
Games are on the scale of movies. And movies aren't split into episodes.
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5-07-2008 @ 5:00PM
ZaVaZ said...
yes and no. Star Wars, LoTR, Spiderman, etc. All of these are "Episodes". We still have yet to see a good Episodic game. Sam and Max so far is one only one that is good besides Half-Life 2. If one episode fails to deliver a good addon story they will come out with another episode if its planed. By the time we get episode 1 they are already 1/3 of the way into episode 2. They will learn what failed and rework the second episode. Look at another series that failed at episodic story line... Shenmue (I and II). I personally Loved that game and was sad to hear that they were stopping the series (Episodes).
5-07-2008 @ 4:46PM
8complex said...
Depends on what it is and how likely I feel I am going to like it.
Obviously buying your rights into a group of episodes should make the average price lesser, however you are taking the risk that the content either isn't good, or is much less than you think it should be.
In terms of episodistic content for games... I just don't like it. It's leading developers into a position where they are going to start releasing less and less in terms of an initial release, and depend on people downloading/purchasing more and more of episodes. Thanks, but no thanks, when I buy a full game, I want the whole game.
Now in terms of games like Rock Band/Guitar Hero where licensing is involved for each new track added, I can see where downloadable portions would work best. This would REALLY work well for developers to release a game with even less content, but include a credit towards "x" number of downloads. Then, not only do you know how many tracks you're getting, but you get to pick and choose, and ignore those that you don't like.
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5-08-2008 @ 8:41AM
thisguyrighthere said...
Whichever is the better deal at the time.
Like if I had to pay for HL2: Episode 1 I would have been really pissed. What was that? 2 hours of gameplay? But I wouldn't have been so pissed to pay for Episode 2. In the end I'm not happy with having to wait so long to play them but I am much happier getting them both in one package for less than had I bought them individually.
I'm afraid that for most developers episodic content would give them license to produce a product of lesser quality and charge more for it because players would be eager to get on to the next chapter. They would be more likely to continue to pay up for less this way than if they had to wait 2, 4, 6 years for the next installment like they do now.
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5-08-2008 @ 9:30PM
refinedsugar said...
This scenario is worrisome because there isn't much of a middle ground. It either succeeds or fails. Whatever thoughts you have of saving by buying in "bulk" has to be negated by the possibility of eventually getting something you don't like for your money or worse, somehow getting nothing and losing it.
If you pay for something up front it better be because you know you want it, you know you're going to like the end product or service and you know you're going to get it. Anything less and you're gambling.
I'd be hesitant to pay for something that far in advance that I can't even see, touch, feel, or play yet. Not even knowing if I'm going to like it all and it's months off down the road and my money is already gone. There better be a reputable name or some honking guarantee attached to this one way deal to get me to buy in.
Pay as you go - all the way.
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