New GTA 4 screens

[scooby_dooby]

It's not a failed model if you make it a monopoly like MS and R* are with the GTA4 content. There is zero competition from disc versions, so we are being milked and most of us are taking it with a smile, sad.

So yes, I will vote with my money. I will either play the original content only or buy a disc based director's cut much later.

We're only being milked if the content is not worth the price, and that's TBD.

 

[Todd33]

However, $40 softcopy doesn't equal $40 hardcopy because of the reasons stated by you and Todd33 in previous posts.

You are right, you might have a $40 DLC version and a $30 disc version. I like having BB, Fry's, CC, etc. fighting for my money. What's to fight if it's only on Live? DLC almost never goes on sale or clearance, unlike physical media.

Nevertheless, most of us would overlook the inability to purchase a hardcopy if the core experience is deemed worthy. Very few would pick a $60.00 crappy game with a $30.00 resale value over a great game that cost $60.00 with no resale value.

Benefits provided by a hardcopy are just the icing on the cake its the game experience that serves as the cake itself.

I'll take the great $60 game with the $30 resale value, as would most.

 

[dobwal]

I have no issue with DLC, as in whole games like Geometry Wars, Calling All Cars, etc. They are discounted titles that would never show up on disc anyhow.

The only difference between GW, CAC and the GTA episodes is that the episodes aren't standalone titles. The episodes are discounted and GTA has never had episodic content on consoles before.

To me they are killing the free market, take HL2: EP1, it is on Steam for $20, but you could often finds it in the store, on disc for $10-$15. Why would I relish in losing that choice which ultimately saved me money?

Killing the free market? How? The circumstance where the hardcopy is cheaper than the softcopy is a very poor example of "killing the market". Episodic content on consoles has never been a well used avenue for software distribution. If episodic content becomes a standard on consoles it will be because of DLC, where the profit per software sold is higher then the normal model.

 

[dobwal]

You are right, you might have a $40 DLC version and a $30 disc version. I like having BB, Fry's, CC, etc. fighting for my money. What's to fight if it's only on Live? DLC almost never goes on sale or clearance, unlike physical media.



I'll take the great $60 game with the $30 resale value, as would most.

That not the point. The point is most gamers place most of a game's proposed value on the core experience that it provides and not benefits such as resale value or the ability to lend it to someone.

 

[scooby_dooby]

I'm very dubious about the financial sense of $50 million to secure episodic content, when the episodic content is so staggered from the game.

If played right, this could be a brilliant move for MS. In terms of increasing your brand equity in the US, there is no game as powerful as GTA.

If MS can advertise this properly, the announcement of this additional expansion packs, combined with the already lower pricepoint for the console, could make 360 the console of choice for GTA, the majority of people playing GTA would be doing so on the 360.

This is huge, a complete 180 from last generation.

In terms of bringing their console more towards the mainstream, in terms of making it a household name, or capturing that elusive casual gamer, there's no game as effective as GTA.

Really, if it has the desired affect, $50million is a very small price to pay for the brand equity they will gain, and considering they will get repaid, it's almost brilliant.

 

[iceberg187]

Really, if it has the desired affect, $50million is a very small price to pay for the brand equity they will gain, and considering they will get repaid, it's almost brilliant.

Microsoft is treating GTA4 like a first party game in terms of marketing and such. You will see the Jump In after every GTA4 commercial. Probably near what Halo 3 will get.

 

[expletive]

Microsoft is treating GTA4 like a first party game in terms of marketing and such. You will see the Jump In after every GTA4 commercial. Probably near what Halo 3 will get.

I think it will go even further around the holidays and they will actually co-market the titles. Something to the effect of "Wheres the only place you can play Halo 3 and GTA IV (with exclusive content blurb)? Xbox 360"

This is such a critical holiday for microsoft, they really need to get the most out of it. They've set themselves up for a AAA software lineup and hopefully poised for a relevant price drop. If they dont mop up this holiday it will surely be a missed opportunity. I think they sold something like 1.8 million last holiday season? I think they need to top that by 50% to have 'cashed in'.

 

[22psi]

This is pretty huge. GTA4 will give the 360 a huge advantage all the way through end of 08. Good job MS.

 

[rabidrabbit]

What's the limit of dlc on xb360 marketplace today?
Or is there a cap any more?
How much space would an episode with possibly some new "maps" need?
Would the 20GB HDD get too small if you already have years of content downloaded there?
Would I need the 120 Gig HDD?

 

[Vic]

I guess as a consumer I like the choice. I got $25 for my copy of Oblivion from EB which went toward another game. I also like the option of giving my old games to my Nephew. What good is a game on my HD that I never want to play again? The same goes for music and movies, I want a disc, but with games it's even more important since they have a huge resale market.

The better question is why are you hostile toward choice, you just roll over when a company tries to milk you for cash?

LOL. Has the price been confirmed?

 

[wco81]

Sony should have paid for exclusive content on the disc. Missed opportunity for them.

Actually, more than episodic content (and who knows how much it will cost), I'd rather hear about online play modes.

If it's just singleplayer, it's a big meh for me.

 

[22psi]

What's the limit of dlc on xb360 marketplace today?
Or is there a cap any more?
How much space would an episode with possibly some new "maps" need?
Would the 20GB HDD get too small if you already have years of content downloaded there?
Would I need the 120 Gig HDD?

There isn't really a limit on DLC I believe, there is a limit on XBLA games of 250MB IIRC.

 

[expletive]

What's the limit of dlc on xb360 marketplace today?
Or is there a cap any more?
How much space would an episode with possibly some new "maps" need?
Would the 20GB HDD get too small if you already have years of content downloaded there?
Would I need the 120 Gig HDD?

There is a limit on XBLA games but AFAIK, no evidence of a hard limit on DLC so far. For reference, and i'm speaking stricly from memory here, the shivering isle oblivion expansion was about 1G for roughly 30 additional hours of gameplay, for $30. Assuming they achieve similar synergy with existing assets on the disc, 1G per 30 hours isnt so bad. (I wouldnt be surprised if they made some effort for the packs to fit on a 512MB memory card tho in .5gb chunks).

If the projections of 70 million in DLC revenue are correct (70 million) they expect a LOT of people to download this stuff. If each pack is $15, they're anticipating an aggregate of about 4.6 million purchases between the two packs, wow.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

I guess as a consumer I like the choice. I got $25 for my copy of Oblivion from EB which went toward another game. I also like the option of giving my old games to my Nephew. What good is a game on my HD that I never want to play again?

I wonder what you think about full games available through the Playstation network only. Will you criticizeh Sony as well?

 

[Todd33]

I wonder what you think about full games available through the Playstation network only. Will you criticizeh Sony as well?

Yes, maybe you should visit the Tekken 5 thread where I'm getting attacked for a similar stance.

 

[LogisticX]

I think Microsoft is being smart with this, but overall I doubt that the average public will care if there is some additions to the 360 title. Smarter consumers who own both systems will undoubtably pick the version with greater content all else being equal, HOWEVER, I don't think that it would sway the average joe to pick up another console or even to choose the 360 if they have deeper interest in other PS3 games.

I was kind of hoping there would be unique content for both systems. Maybe it wouldn't be a popular decision but I still think it'd be sort of neat to do that.

 

[crazygambit]

I wonder what you think about full games available through the Playstation network only. Will you criticizeh Sony as well?

I actually kind of like Sony's approach to DLC. You can share it with as much as 5 people concurrently (and it's perfectly legal, even encouraged by Sony). Which means you're essentially buying 5 copies of the game, that's pretty cool in my book. With a disc I can't lend it to a friend and they play against him online. So in that respect DLC has some advantages.

 

[nintenho]

I heard that these were 2 new screens.

there's supposed to be a new trailer released tomorrow.

 

[Gamington]

why do I see blury textures?????

 

[SugarCoat]

looks like some kinda garbage depth of field effect, smaller versions please.