A few days ago I published an article talking about the impact of used game sales and rentals on developers. The piece revolved around comments made by Frontier Developments’ founder, David Braben and his idea to create two price points/versions of a game — a model he compares to the film industry.

I really disagreed with the idea as well as the notion that the used game market is the root of the problem. Instead, I discussed an alternative solution which involved DLC content or “additional incentive” to buy a game new. That said, never in a million years did I think devs would be willing to consider making a vital part of a game — such as a final boss fight — accessible only via DLC.

Well, if you believe the comment made by Epic Games president, Dr Michael Capps, it seems that this concept has its share of supporters:

“I’ve talked to some developers who are saying ‘If you want to fight the final boss you go online and pay USD 20, but if you bought the retail version you got it for free‘. We don’t make any money when someone rents it, and we don’t make any money when someone buys it used – way more than twice as many people played Gears than bought it…”

Are you shitting me? A game that ships with no accessible ending? That is the best solution these assholes can come up with? Screw over the gamer? When I said that I supported DLC content as added value — I meant it. Added value doesn’t mean you strip away a game’s ending.

What a shame. If it ever comes to the point where large corporations start utilizing these types of tactics to improve their bottom line — I have one wish. I hope the greedy SOBs at the top all find themselves sick in a hospital bed at some point. Desperately in need of an organ transplant to live, they are greeted by a good doctor who walks in and utters the following words:

Sorry, organ donors are impossible to come by these days. Dr. Phil had a show on it. It seems that the lack of used products available to consumers has made people bitter. The overwhelming feeling is, if we can’t benefit from another person’s used stuff, then they won’t benefit from ours either. It’s a shame really — I wish there was more I could do.

Call me a sick fuck, but it would serve them right, and I sure as hell wouldn’t feel sorry for them. The moral o the story, be careful what you wish for.

Source: GI.biz

We recently reported a Wii bundle that Toys”R”Us is selling to consumers via their website, which consists of ten games that you must purchase at a cost of $700 in order to get the Nintendo Wii.

If you check out the aggregated review scores for the games in this bundle, you can see that most of the games rank in the fair-to-good range, with the lowest scoring a 5.4 (Soulcaliber Legends) and the highest ranking in at 8.6 (Zack and Wiki).

They’re not the triple-A Wii titles that would sell very well on their own, like Resident Evil 4, Trauma Center 2, Zelda, Metriod, or any Mario game, however as you can see below, there are a few standouts on this list that any Wii owner would be happy to have, if they don’t mind dishing out $700 all at once.

Gamestats

Spiderman: Friend or Foe – 6.0

Transformers: The Game – 6.0

Bee Movie Game – 6.8

Crash of the Titans 07 – 6.7

Dewey’s Adventure – 6.7

Zak and Wiki – 8.6

Raving Rabbids 2 – 6.9

Geometry Wars: Galaxies – 8.1

Petz Dogz 2 – NA

Soulcaliber Legends – 5.4

AVERAGE: 6.8

GameRankings

Spiderman: Friend or Foe – 62%

Transformers: The Game – 56%

Bee Movie Game – 70%

Crash of the Titans 07 – 70%

Dewey’s Adventure – 68%

Zak and Wiki – 86%

Raving Rabbids 2 – 68%

Geometry Wars: Galaxies – 80%

Petz Dogz 2 – NA

Soulcaliber Legends – 59%

AVERAGE: 68.8%

Toys”R”Us has just gone above and beyond the call of corporate greed, in an effort to take advantage of every consumer interested in purchasing the popular Nintendo Wii console.

The retailer is offering what is perhaps the worst next-gen console “bundle” in the history of gaming: a Nintendo Wii and 10 games (no first party titles and all but one or two are total crap), all for the low, low bargain price of $700 (exactly what you would pay if you purchased everything individually).

“This Bundle includes: Wii Console, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, Transformers: The Game, Bee Movie Game, Crash of the Titans 07, Dewey’s Adventure, Zak & Wiki: Quest for Barbaro’s Treasure, Raving Rabbids 2, Geometry Wars: Galaxies, Petz Dogz 2, and Soulcaliber Legends”

People buy the Value Meal at McDonald’s because they are essentially getting the fries for free. You sign up for the bundle from your local internet, phone, and cable providers, because it ultimately saves you money.

In general, consumers think they are saving money when they purchase a bundle, because that’s the way it usually works. Toys”R”Us is utilizing that mindset in an effort to trick consumers into helping them clear merchandise at a feverish pace.

Toys”R”Us is not bundling, they are banking — banking on the fact that consumers want the Wii console, and will be willing to buy all the crap sitting in their warehouse as well just to get it. No Mario, no Zelda, no Metriod — just pure greed from a retailer who is clearly banking on your dedication and devotion.

They firmly believe that you will do everything humanly possible to find a Wii for your child or loved one, and see no harm in screwing you in the process. As a parent and a consumer, you need to stand your ground and say no, or retailers like Toys”R”Us will continue to stockpile highly demanded merchandise and force consumers to buy items they normally would not.

This blatant act of pure evil preys on both unsuspecting and desperate consumers alike. The sad part is that this bundle is actually (according to the site) one of their best-sellers, and also (according to the comments left by consumers who purchased it via their site) nothing short of a ripoff.

Good system, bad bundle.
“Okay the Wii itself is fun, for a while at least. It has a few notable titles, although the games included in this bundle are rather low quality…your much better off buying the system by itself.”
- h4rdc0r3 from MI

Horrible Value
“All the games that come with it except for Zack and Wiki and and Geometry Wars are a bunch of horrible games no one wants. And this bundle is just a way to try to get rid of stuff that isn’t selling.

If you don’t like mediocre games, don’t buy this bundle, just buy a regular Wii.”
- blargh from New York, NY

Console fun; games – not so much
“I purchased this product because I couldn’t find another Wii available anywhere. The biggest downside is the games that come with it. I know other stores with online sites allow buyers to select from a list of games to include with the bundle. If that were the case, I would be more apt to recommend it. As it is, though, I wouldn’t suggest it…”
- Game Lovin’ Grad from Pittsburgh, PA

Note the next quote from user “Disappointed“, as he believes that the overpriced and poorly packaged bundles are being forced on consumers by Nintendo.

Tacky
“I have only played on the wii at a friends house. I would like to buy a system. I am disappointed with nintendo’s decision to limit the amount of systems in the stores, and force people to buy an overpriced bundle package. I will be patient, but the longer I wait the more I am considering the XBOX 360…”
- Disappointed from USA

Update: I have seen comments floating around about certain games in the bundle being unfairly called “crap”, and I apologize if I offended fans of one or all of the games being offered in this bundle.

That said, I am still disappointed in the retailers decision to force consumers to pony up $700 all at once to purchase the console plus ten games (regardless of the titles), with no discount, and no choice being given to the consumer regarding the games they will be forced to purchase.

If you are interested in knowing the scores for the games included in this bundle, check out Andrew’s breakdown here.

Source: toysrus.com