'Boycott' of Battlefield: Bad Company spreads through internet
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Apr 8th 2008 at 8:45PM }
Many gamers have called e-mailed in about Sarcastic Gamer's "boycott" of the upcoming FPS game, Battlefield: Bad Company. Many are furious about the game's questionable DLC practices. Gamers will need to pay extra money to unlock five additional weapons, which can be used in online games. Although EA promises that it will not unbalance the game, it is a distressing misuse of DLC. We always thought that DLC extended the life of a product after it releases. For example, EA's own Rock Band serves terrific DLC long after the original's release. Unreal Tournament III adds tons of maps and does so at a terrific price: free. Heck, even Kane & Lynch is offering free post-release DLC.
So, undoubtedly it's angering to a lot of gamers when they know that certain features are simply being locked out for gamers who don't want to pay an extra premium. Considering the game already costs $60 for the consumer, shouldn't they get everything the developers have made, instead of being forced to receive an intentionally-gimped product? You decide.
[Via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BornToBurn @ Apr 8th 2008 8:51PM
It's already bad enough that a console version of a game is 60 bucks and it's PC counterpart is 50.
wicko @ Apr 8th 2008 9:07PM
PC counterpart? Last I heard, there isn't one... :(
benny boy @ Apr 9th 2008 6:03AM
I think he is just referring to games in general.
SSG @ Apr 8th 2008 8:59PM
This is why i did not buy ace combat 6. When will game companies realize that games are $60 plus tax. I can understand some games have DLC (Maps, Songs, etc.), but those items increase a games playability instead of just demanding money from the "get-go" for something that should have been in the core game. Overall, I think DLC has done more harm than good for video games. Now if you will excuse me, I have to pwn some noobs in COD4.
P-dub @ Apr 8th 2008 9:15PM
This is stupid. I think DLC works great for maps, skins and the like, but WEAPONS? I don't care what EA says; this will make the game massively unbalanced...
Though, I doubt this boycott will work. Internet ones rarely do lol
mccomber @ Apr 8th 2008 8:59PM
You had me at "EA promises"... should have known that would be the company behind this one. Hope they change their minds, but if not there are plenty of other great games to be played...
stargateheaven @ Apr 8th 2008 9:00PM
I knew this would happen. Misuse of DLC. Good idea, but it's already getting abused.
Reckoning @ Apr 8th 2008 9:00PM
That is a shame, the game actually looked like it had potential. If this stays in game as planned I'm not even going to touch this game and promote this kind of DLC practice.
yakkity @ Apr 8th 2008 9:15PM
PS3 and 360 owners should band together and boycott this crap. If we as gamers let EA getaway with this then whats next from them? Will we have to pay for each level, story, physics, and unlockables after we "unlocked" it.
EA has gone over board on this and it is not acceptable at all. We don't need Ubisoft or Activision to get any ideas from EA on this crap.
Also wasn't EA Sports old slogon used be "if it's in the game, then it's in the game"
Popfrogs @ Apr 8th 2008 9:39PM
Yeah, that's the idea of a boycott. Nobody buy it if they're going to try and abuse us like this, regardless of what game console you own. In EA's perfect world, you pay by the minute.
adolson @ Apr 8th 2008 11:15PM
Their new slogan should be "EA: Bad Company."
LJ @ Apr 9th 2008 1:12AM
Im with you man! The game looks really good, but all DLC should be free, or at least they should charge you if its upon gamers request, meaning making polls to see what gamers want and developers doing it, for example requesting a certain type of map or something like that... i really dont know how profitable that woulf be, but they should do it.
::::::::EXAMPLES::::::
GAMERS: "We want a snow map"
EA: "OK, it will be 2 dollars"
GAMERS: "cool"
other way:
EA: "Look at this concepts... which one do you guys prefer?"
GAMERS: "The third one looks good"
EA: "OK, it will be FREE"
GAMERS: "Awesome!!! We'll even buy an extra copy of the game!!!!!"
stirlo @ Apr 8th 2008 9:02PM
i don't think many people were gonna buy it anyway :D
but that just pushes us even further away...
Maestro @ Apr 8th 2008 9:18PM
It's their game...they can do what they want. If the game is good enough, people will play...if it sucks, they won't. Very simple equation.
SOCOMRAIDER @ Apr 8th 2008 9:21PM
EA needs the extra cash flow for Take-Two. Hey, every penny counts..
BowserUSC @ Apr 8th 2008 9:36PM
I've said it in previous posts about EA and I'll say it again. EA is doing evil things.
sw @ Apr 8th 2008 9:38PM
This is no surprise. When you have people who are stupid enough to buy DLC as trivial as extra characters, companies are only going to get brasher in what they charge for.
Popfrogs @ Apr 8th 2008 9:40PM
That makes me wonder how many suckers paid for unlocked cars in the Need for Speed game.
christopher.dare @ Apr 8th 2008 9:40PM
This is just as bad as them charging for cars in Need for Speed that you can unlock yourself simply by playing the game.
anthonyjh @ Apr 8th 2008 9:53PM
I'm already signed up. Hopefully enough people will get on board and make this thing a reality. We as a community need to band together and show EA that this sort of consumer bashing will not be accepted.
RALLY AMIGOS!
Haiddasalami @ Apr 8th 2008 10:00PM
Somehow I pictured Leonidas kicking the Persian shouting this is sparta.
salvador_dog @ Apr 8th 2008 10:01PM
yea thank you PS3fanboy we've been trying to spread the word around, its stupid that we pay for a game that makes you pay again for guns or any other content that has already been made but dont allow you to use. DLC is, as you stated, for game longevity NOT to scam gamers on (supossibly) non-important items.
thanks again for the post
Davedrastic @ Apr 8th 2008 10:08PM
Seems like a good game to boycott as it doesnt appear to be a COD4 beater.
I actually think a boycott is a good idea and I hope it works.
EA are experimenting with charges, which is fair enough, but personally i think the cost of gaming is going up and up, even if it is getting better and better.
To play this game i would need to pay for:-
Cost of console and accessories, internet access (presuming i have a modem), the game (+ additional charges if you're outside of US), access to MSN Live or whatever its called if i had the 360, then additional costs for the incremental transactions. It's getting too much.
Pay for quality, sure, pay on an ongoing basis for every little thing - stick it where the sun don't shine.
adolson @ Apr 8th 2008 11:19PM
What the hell? Boycott the game - but only if it isn't better than Call of Duty 4? "No to DLC!! Unless the game is better than COD4, then ok, I'll suck it in and swallow!" Some crazy-ass double standards you have.
Paul Svoboda @ Apr 8th 2008 10:30PM
really happy that this was posted on the site...hope this boycott picks up some more steam and ea listens for once...thanks
killerbee @ Apr 9th 2008 4:32PM
its not that surprising that they would do that with guns since they did the exact same thing for nps:prostreet
charging 2.99 for cars you could unlock for free later
XanthouS @ Apr 8th 2008 10:48PM
It's an EA game, I was already boycotting it.
*pops in ESPN NFL 2k5*
WAcky @ Apr 8th 2008 10:55PM
LOL exactly
DrunkRaba @ Apr 8th 2008 11:16PM
After how horrible Battlefield Modern Combat was on my former 360, EA just needs to give that franchise to someone who gives a damn. Their online was broken, at best and was never patched. EA just said, "Buy the next one" Screw them.
JAH75157 @ Apr 9th 2008 12:00AM
if it was like you could unlock the guns in the game, or pay for them now and get them it wouldn't be so bad. because only the non skilled impatient people would buy the guns. but the fact that these guns have to be coded on the original disc since i'm seeing you shoot that weapon it's on my disc too, it b.s. it's paying for content that the game already has had made for it. i was going to get this game, but i already changed my plans once i had heard this announcement originally. ea can suck it.
sorry for the rambling there's a coherent point in there somewhere, just kinda tired.
Free Lono @ Apr 9th 2008 12:43AM
thank you Mr. Yoon from the guys at Sarcasticgamer.com
For those of you that want to make your voices heard and participate in the boycott, check out Sarcasticgamer.com/boycott
Thanks for the support ps3fanboy! This thing is growing by the day. We are Legion!
Lono,
Editor
Sarcasticgamer.com
recon @ Apr 9th 2008 1:06AM
Come on Slant Six, come on S.O.C.O.M: Confrontation, come on Sept. 19th.....
leiwei @ Apr 9th 2008 1:27AM
*throws on flame shield*
The day companies started abusing DLC prices began when Microsoft created XBL Marketplace and started charging people 300-500 ms points for Gamertag pics, themes, and/or to unlock misc. game content that was already present in disc (e.g. some of the cars in PGR3)
Organic_Shadow @ Apr 9th 2008 1:31AM
Wake me up when an internet boycott actually works.
Last I heard boycotts rarely, if ever, do work or achieve their intended goal.
chillski @ Apr 9th 2008 2:56AM
too all of u who think an internet boycott wont work, congratulations for missing the point.
if there is a large enough internet out cry they will get the messages from tens of thousands of people THIS IS DLC ABUSE, and if u fk us we fk you !!! regardless of what u might believe EA does have a vested intrest in what gamers think, and what u say and do DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
never$$hort @ Apr 9th 2008 2:59AM
DLC can be a great thing if it is not abused.. Thanks EA for crossing that line. Someone really needs to put an end to EA's gaming superpower because now they think they can just do whatever they want.
koehler83 @ Apr 9th 2008 11:31AM
It's almost a shame I support this. I would have been curious to see just how massively the PS3 online features would be crippled at launch due to ONCE AGAIN having no beta.
Anyone who doesn't support this, should probably just turn in your PS3, cause you're only adding to our misery via EA. If you don't wanna do that, by all means just go spend $60 and pick up the game and see how huge the online communities won't be.
Farmer_Steve @ Apr 9th 2008 11:26AM
Wow, I was thinking about buying this one. Forget that now LOL! EA is retarded. They'll need everyone to buy these weapons now to balance out for all the people that aren't going to buy it.
nick @ Apr 9th 2008 10:34PM
I don't know if I would boycott the game simply because of they may be charging for DLC content. If I don't like the content or don't agree with how the content is handled, then I simply won't buy the content.
There's a lot of DLC content that I simply refuse to buy.
But why should I be stopped from enjoying the game just because of how they're offering extra content?
For the record, I'm in the closed test for BC, and I'm really enjoying the game thus far.
If there was ONE issue I have with any game is that I think too many games sell for $60, when not all games are worth $60. I'd like to see more flexible pricing.
playcrackthesky @ Apr 9th 2008 8:11PM
The dev's have even said that anyone can get the all the guns. Apparently there are 5 guns that have to be unlocked, either that or you buy the gold edition of the game and get them from the beginning. But in the end all should have them. I dont see the big deal in that.
If what ive heard is true, then this boycott is total BS and should be made void.