[Alexandra Louise Taylor]

you had to or else you could not play skyrim without being on xbox live.

Perhaps I'm misinterpretting, but you seem to be stating that without this last patch, it isn't possible to play disconnected from the internet. Again, maybe that's not what you mean, but it is very blatantly wrong. I and many others have played with the store bought disc since launch without ever going online. And I did so only fairly recently to fix the Insightful Enchanting bug that prevented it from working. Only had an ethernet cable plugged in it for the time it took to download, and I've played it offline ever since.

Even the Steam infected PC version doesn't force online play, regardless of all the complaints about not being able to get true offline mode working. The fact is, I bought it as a present for my niece since my brother already had Call of Duty on his PC and had Steam, and I followed the directions (which I found to be fairly straightforward and simple mind you) and confirmed that it did NOT need a connection to internet by playing it without the router plugged in.

I can't speak for PS3 but I doubt it requires a connection to play when the other two platforms do not. If I'm missing something here, my apologies.

[Markie Mark]

That's what happens when dudes that make speakers make consoles.

I jest.. but I argee that is a bit odd.

[SexyPimpAss]

hmm

[CSar L]

Haters are going to hate; yeah, I believe that's how it goes.

[Max Van Morrison]

I suppose i would have been annoyed if i did not have an xbox. But look at it this way, gives them a chance to see how it is received, where its buggy and glitchy and hopefully gives them a chance to sort it out before its released to other systems. I am excited about what mods will add to make the dlc a lil beefier... any word on an oscuro "skyrim" overhaul? the only reason i have not picked it up for pc yet...that an i like playin on the big screen tv

[Rachyroo]

I don't mind that Bethesda made a DLC deal.

I do mind that they won't communicate a release date for when the rest of us can expect it.

[Breautiful]

I don't mind that Bethesda made a DLC deal.

I do mind that they won't communicate a release date for when the rest of us can expect it.

Perhaps they don't even know when it will be released for the other systems. They're probably waiting to learn of as many glitches and bugs they can, that way they will be repaired in the version the other systems recieve. This is total speculation and just a thought.

[sally R]

Perhaps I'm misinterpretting, but you seem to be stating that without this last patch, it isn't possible to play disconnected from the internet. Again, maybe that's not what you mean, but it is very blatantly wrong. I and many others have played with the store bought disc since launch without ever going online. And I did so only fairly recently to fix the Insightful Enchanting bug that prevented it from working. Only had an ethernet cable plugged in it for the time it took to download, and I've played it offline ever since.

Even the Steam infected PC version doesn't force online play, regardless of all the complaints about not being able to get true offline mode working. The fact is, I bought it as a present for my niece since my brother already had Call of Duty on his PC and had Steam, and I followed the directions (which I found to be fairly straightforward and simple mind you) and confirmed that it did NOT need a connection to internet by playing it without the router plugged in.

I can't speak for PS3 but I doubt it requires a connection to play when the other two platforms do not. If I'm missing something here, my apologies.

Whoa, slow down man. He's not insulting you or anything. He was saying, when you launch Skyrim, or any Xbox game, while connected to Live and there is an available update, a window will pop up prompting you to download the current update or the game will automatically sign you out of Xbox Live and you won't be able to connect to Live while playing the game until the said patch is downloaded on to that console. The game is obviously playable offline and it will have to be played that way unless you've downloaded all of the available patches.

[Tyrone Haywood]

Maybe one day a video game producer will stand up for the customer. These exclusive deals punisher customers.

Depends on what you're a customer of. And "standing up for the customer" is pretty much what Microsoft is doing signing these exclusive deals. Xbox Live subscribers pay a hefty annual fee of $50-$60 a year for online services while PS3 and PC users play for free. To keep members subscribing and signing up for their service, Microsoft looks for deals in which it's users get things entirely exclusive or in this case, temporarily exclusive. It's just Microsoft spending extra money to give back to it's paying customers.

Neither Microsoft nor Bethesda are really at fault here because given the chance, Sony would throw down some extra cash for exclusivity of a product for it's customers. Sony has infact done this sort of thing but just not as often nor for as many things because their customers do not pay a yearly fee for online service.

[Timara White]

I suppose i would have been annoyed if i did not have an xbox. But look at it this way, gives them a chance to see how it is received, where its buggy and glitchy and hopefully gives them a chance to sort it out before its released to other systems. I am excited about what mods will add to make the dlc a lil beefier... any word on an oscuro "skyrim" overhaul? the only reason i have not picked it up for pc yet...that an i like playin on the big screen tv

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/9286

It's not OOO but it does so many amazing things.

Fixes all the exploits, makes humanoid enemy AI much smarter, splits archery into shortbow and longbow trees, adds tons of LF weapons (based on Morrowind weapons), has plugins for tons of other mods, you name it. I've been playing with it for a while and it's terrific.

P.S. OP, please delete that link.

First, the numbers come from VGChartz. VGChartz numbers do not include digital, and VGChartz often fabricates or innocently fails at PC sales. Their PC numbers for several big name titles are incredibly wrong.

[Camden Unglesbee]

Depends on what you're a customer of. And "standing up for the customer" is pretty much what Microsoft is doing signing these exclusive deals. Xbox Live subscribers pay a hefty annual fee of $50-$60 a year for online services while PS3 and PC users play for free. To keep members subscribing and signing up for their service, Microsoft looks for deals in which it's users get things entirely exclusive or in this case, temporarily exclusive. It's just Microsoft spending extra money to give back to it's paying customers.

Neither Microsoft nor Bethesda are really at fault here because given the chance, Sony would throw down some extra cash for exclusivity of a product for it's customers. Sony has infact done this sort of thing but just not as often nor for as many things because their customers do not pay a yearly fee for online service.

But Microsoft isn't giving back anything to their customers. The XBL subscribers get literally nothing except mandatory updates that plaster more ads onto the dashboard every few months. Dawnguard's released, which means it's considered finished. Without MS it would've launched on or very near the same date, only for everybody. What MS really did was take away from everyone else.

[Len swann]

hmm

[Emily Shackleton]

But Microsoft isn't giving back anything to their customers. The XBL subscribers get literally nothing except mandatory updates that plaster more ads onto the dashboard every few months. Dawnguard's released, which means it's considered finished. Without MS it would've launched on or very near the same date, only for everybody. What MS really did was take away from everyone else.

Yes, they took away from everyone else because everyone else is their competiton. It's Business 101. Sony and Microsoft are competing companies both gunning for the same outcome. They want consumers to purchase their systems and everything that includes. Therefore by signing exclusive deals with game developers it grants their paying customers an early chance to play the DLC before anyone else. Ir's a great opportunity for Microsoft because it garners interest in their product. It makes current subscribers happy and at the same time brings in new ones. People see that Xbox gets things early and people want that. Just look at how upset users of the other systems are over this and see how conent Xbox users are.

I guess I wouldn't say they're giving back to their users but they are definitely giving them something, even if it's just temporary exclusivity.

[Brιonα Renae]

hmm

Yes, hmm indeed.

Lol

[Rex Help]

hmm

Reminder: Linking VGChartz statistics is basically trolling. A lot of people instantly eye roll when they see the name.

[Charlotte Lloyd-Jones]

Depends on what you're a customer of. And "standing up for the customer" is pretty much what Microsoft is doing signing these exclusive deals. Xbox Live subscribers pay a hefty annual fee of $50-$60 a year for online services while PS3 and PC users play for free. To keep members subscribing and signing up for their service, Microsoft looks for deals in which it's users get things entirely exclusive or in this case, temporarily exclusive. It's just Microsoft spending extra money to give back to it's paying customers.

Neither Microsoft nor Bethesda are really at fault here because given the chance, Sony would throw down some extra cash for exclusivity of a product for it's customers. Sony has infact done this sort of thing but just not as often nor for as many things because their customers do not pay a yearly fee for online service.

I understand this, but why not allow XBox 360 users either pay $5.00 dollars for the DLC or even let them get it for free. Allow the DLC to release to all platforms at the same time, but PC & PS3 people pay the $20.00 price.

[FLYBOYLEAK]

The XBL subscribers get literally nothing except mandatory updates

False. Do your research before making such a claim.

What MS really did was take away from everyone else.

True, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's business. And it's only temporary.

[Facebook me]

I understand this, but why not allow XBox 360 users either pay $5.00 dollars for the DLC or even let them get it for free. Allow the DLC to release to all platforms at the same time, but PC & PS3 people pay the $20.00 price.

Because doing it with the different prices per platform would be considered "Price Gouging/Fixing" in the U.S., and that is a type of business fraud that's punished particularly harshly by the U.S. Government. Even Microsoft can't beat that wrap, so we get exclusivity deals.

No, like everything Xurts said, this isn't an industry of fairness. This is a very blood-thirsty business, and deals are cut in order to reward your loyal customer base while at the same time drawing new interest in your product, and it works. I've seen many post on these Forums since Dawnguard released for the Xbox about how people were "still going to play it on their PC once it comes out for Steam, but they're so excited for the DLC that they bought an Xbox for Skyrim and the DLC so that they could play it now.". I've seen this plenty of times on the Forums here, and that's proof that Microsoft's gamble to give something back to their customers has worked. It's even bringing in new customers, new Gamers, to their console which is how a business stays viable for years upon years. If Sony had wanted to, they could have easily thrown some cash at Bethesda in a sort of bidding war for the exclusivity.

But they didn't.

Also like Xurts said, throwing around cash like that is Microsoft's way of giving something back to its paying customer base. Something that Microsoft can say is just for us, even though the exclusivity is only for 30 days.

[Alkira rose Nankivell]

But Microsoft isn't giving back anything to their customers. The XBL subscribers get literally nothing except mandatory updates that plaster more ads onto the dashboard every few months. Dawnguard's released, which means it's considered finished. Without MS it would've launched on or very near the same date, only for everybody. What MS really did was take away from everyone else.

Isn't that the point of exclusivity, and what platform exclusive games do? And isn't that a practise that any and all games companies have indulged in?

More to the point, if the versions of DG were ready to rock n roll, wouldn't Bethesda have said 'they will be out 30 days from the xbox launch' instead of 'errr don't know'?

[Dezzeh]

Because doing it with the different prices per platform would be considered "Price Gouging/Fixing" in the U.S., and that is a type of business fraud that's punished particularly harshly by the U.S. Government. Even Microsoft can't beat that wrap, so we get exclusivity deals.

No, like everything Xurts said, this isn't an industry of fairness. This is a very blood-thirsty business, and deals are cut in order to reward your loyal customer base while at the same time drawing new interest in your product, and it works. I've seen many post on these Forums since Dawnguard released for the Xbox about how people were "still going to play it on their PC once it comes out for Steam, but they're so excited for the DLC that they bought an Xbox for Skyrim and the DLC so that they could play it now.". I've seen this plenty of times on the Forums here, and that's proof that Microsoft's gamble to give something back to their customers has worked. It's even bringing in new customers, new Gamers, to their console which is how a business stays viable for years upon years. If Sony had wanted to, they could have easily thrown some cash at Bethesda in a sort of bidding war for the exclusivity.

But they didn't.

Also like Xurts said, throwing around cash like that is Microsoft's way of giving something back to its paying customer base. Something that Microsoft can say is just for us, even though the exclusivity is only for 30 days.

Price Fixing/Gouging would be as follows: "Look at all the hype for our DLC! It's only worth $20.00, but let's sell it for $80.00 and bring in all those hardcoe gamers who want it now!".

If you got it for $5.00 it would still be priced the same, just either Microsoft would give each buyer $15 dollars worth of MS pts or pay Bethesda $15 dollars per XBox download.

[Eric Hayes]

Price Fixing/Gouging would be as follows: "Look at all the hype for our DLC! It's only worth $20.00, but let's sell it for $80.00 and bring in all those hardcoe gamers who want it now!".

If you got it for $5.00 it would still be priced the same, just either Microsoft would give each buyer $15 dollars worth of MS pts or pay Bethesda $15 dollars per XBox download.

Still isn't in either parties' interest. Why sell the game at a quarter of what they could sell it to you on other platforms? Your deal has either Bethesda or Microsoft taking a loss, and neither is going to do that. The 30 day exclusivity deal is a way of making a console manufacturer appear to be looking out for you, but really, it's just to try and persuade you to give them more of your money.

[SEXY QUEEN]

Usually Beth tells us when the patch has been sent to Sony. I haven't seen this yet. Was there an announcement made?

[Lisa Robb]

Price Fixing/Gouging would be as follows: "Look at all the hype for our DLC! It's only worth $20.00, but let's sell it for $80.00 and bring in all those hardcoe gamers who want it now!".

If you got it for $5.00 it would still be priced the same, just either Microsoft would give each buyer $15 dollars worth of MS pts or pay Bethesda $15 dollars per XBox download.

No. Price Fixing is like it was explained earlier.

It would be where all of the companies involved enter into secret agreements to charge a certain price for the product, regardless of said product's actual value, but doing so in order to eliminate any market competitiveness thus allowing them to charge as they wish for more of the product in the future.

Price gouging would be if they said; "Here's Bethesda's $20 DLC, but since it's an exclusive, and the only way you can get it is through us (Xbox LIVE), we're going to charge you $40 and you're going to like it." That's Price Gouging.

[M!KkI]

Usually Beth tells us when the patch has been sent to Sony. I haven't seen this yet. Was there an announcement made?

There've been two actually. They roughly amount to "We have no information regarding Patch 1.6 at this time."

That's why I don't think the fact Patch 1.6 isn't out for the PS3 yet isn't Sony's fault. The radio silence and deviation from Bethesda's usual behavior points to something on their end holding up the process.

[GEo LIme]

No. Price Fixing is like it was explained earlier.

It would be where all of the companies involved enter into secret agreements to charge a certain price for the product, regardless of said product's actual value, but doing so in order to eliminate any market competitiveness thus allowing them to charge as they wish for more of the product in the future.

Price gouging would be if they said; "Here's Bethesda's $20 DLC, but since it's an exclusive, and the only way you can get it is through us (Xbox LIVE), we're going to charge you $40 and you're going to like it." That's Price Gouging.

Well, there is a lot of price fixing/gouging out there. I recently bought my mobile phone from AT&T because they would pay the extra $100 dollars to the manufacturer because I was a special customer. Where as Verizon wanted me to pay $200.00 for the phone. This has been going on for years. It's the reason I stay with AT&T because I get a new phone cheaper. My reward for being a loyal customer.