Chuck
posted the video of Extraction mode a few days ago but did you know that you won't be able to play it for a month unless you pre-order
Army of Two: The 40th Day? It's right under the video but I didn't notice it until today (I know my bad.) How crazy is that? Here's EA advertising a feature for a game that you won't get to experience unless you pluck down some money for a pre-order.
I'm hoping, hoping that this turns out to be some misunderstanding or EA reconsiders their position but to limit a feature for a game just because you didn't pre-order sounds pretty harsh to me. In today's age, a lot of folks have moved on after a month with your game as Army of Two is one those in my library that I stopped playing after a month.
As much as I love Horde mode type games like in
Left 4 Dead and
Gears of War 2, I think EA's position to limit this feature is a pretty bad move. I mean did anyone in the marketing department think this would be a good idea in a public perspective?
BTW: Here's a
response on VE3D from independent developer, Tripwire:
I guess they'll just have to leave it to independent developers/publishers such as Tripwire (us, obviously - I am biased) to do the "right thing". Pre-order Killing Floor, you get the game cheaper. No gimmicks. No penalty for buying later (like after the reviews come out). Release a FREE content pack a bit after the game is released, along with a character pack that people don't NEED but can CHOSE to buy, as it makes no difference to game-play, other than how other plays get to see you. Later on (like today), release a second FREE content pack, with a ton of new material, plus another character pack for people to buy (if they feel like it).
Then run a free weekend so everyone can try-before-you-buy. This weekend. It kinda works like this: if the game is fun, people buy it. If we add more content, more people buy it. Any for-pay DLC should NOT affect gameplay in any form, so people can genuinely chose whether or not to buy it.
Maybe we are just living in the clouds and will never make any money this way. EA and friends have it right, we have it all wrong. Oh, wait, EA lost a large chunk of change in Q1. Oops, careless - "it is the economic downturn". And we are making money, allowing us to add new content AND work on the sequel to Red Orchestra (due out next year - maybe we should let you pre-order it now?!). Not to mention publish Zeno Clash at Retail in US/Canada.
Silly me. I'm biased. I must be wrong... judging by the reactions to various "big game company" pronouncements this week, I'd have to say we're pretty happy with our take on the world!
Cheers,
Alan Wilson
VP, Tripwire Interactive
