Simply a business tactic. Microsoft wants to make sure people buy games for THEIR console, instead of a competitor's console. This doesn't really imply Microsoft expects people to go out and buy an Xbox 360 just for a single DLC, but rather a multitude of timed exclusive DLCs from various games that could attract new customers to the Xbox 360 because it's getting all this stuff first. Another thing worth of note, people who own multiple consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360) would likely pick it up for Microsoft's machine due to early DLC.

It's not that annoying, don't mind paying... especially for the features Xbox Live gives you.

I own two consoles... A pc and a ps3

I hope more people decide to start supporting indie development and dinosaurs like EA and Blizzard ... see Diablo 3 ... get their comeuppance and/or collapse.

Not really. Petrol costs are annoying though.

(deleted because I realized how idiotic that would be)

If it's about my post, I meant a PS3 and Xbox 360. I made the edit.

But then you have to account for the fact that the stated amounts cover ALL pc sales of all games, and that percentage could vary greatly from game to game.

Until Steam decides to stop sitting on figures for no currently obvious reason, we can only speculate on total PC sales.

Oh, most definitely. And as I recall, it set a sales record on Steam.

EA and BIOWARE are the same company. It's EA that had the idea to start a preventative measure against used games.


Your numbers also don't count in used sales for PS3 and Xbox 360, so the numbers could quite literally be higher for them as well.


You might be thinking of the number of unique players logged on at once. Which was 5,012,468. With Team Fortress 2 in second place.

As for the OP's original question, Bethesda and Microsoft have had this deal for years, since Fallout 3. With the Xbox being the lead in game sales for the last few years, it makes sense. Bethesda and Sony have a bit of an issue, and DLC requires more coding as the Ps3's code varies quite a bit compared to the 360's and PC's. (Makes sense that the xbox and pc would have similar code.)

Used sales are irrelevant, as none of that money makes it back to Bethesda. Not to mention I'd argue that high used sales for a game is a bad thing.

More people play on Xbox 360 alone then on PS3 but stil PS3 got exclusive content for Assassin's Creed III. Not just temporarily but exclusive DLC that will remain exclusive. Just like Sony paid Rockstar for exclusive DLC in Red Dead Redemption.

This is just the way these companies play the game today. In the past they could even buy the exclusivity of a whole game. This is nothing new. Just be happy that Microsoft didn't go all the way and bought an exclusive that will remain exclusive.

It's unfair that it comes on Xbox first, but hey I'm not complaining, I've got it on Xbox.

I have a PS3, but rarely play it.

Everything I have ever read says that PC gamers represent roughly 15% of the market, give or take a few points. That is why companies cater to consoles. PC gamers swear this can't be true, but have not ever been able to debunk it.

And if you think gaming companies like Bethesda doesn't have access to Steam's numbers, you are fooling yourselves. If PC gaming was the dominant chunk of gaming as a whole, then you would see companies cater to them.

I know. We are so lucky we have to pay for it. Can you imagine what live would be like if it was free? I bet that dashboard would be covered in ads.

Thank you


TC, your card:

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Because PC gamers already have enough with mods, and no one likes PS3.

Hhaha. No, i think it is a real dike move. Microsoft just wanted the money quicker, i guess.
If a DLC is released, it should be released. Full stop.
Its PS3 users i feel the most sorry for, and the PC users who dont bully us poor little console users.

As far as I'm concerned, they got paid for the game once ... end of story.

Most games I bought are used and in most cases, I wouldn't have purchased the game if I had to pay full price.

However, in some cases a used game I've bought has encouraged me to buy ... at full price ... a publisher's newer game.

So to my mind, used games sales don't hurt a publisher ... on the contrary, these sales may help them by attracting players who decide to buy a newer title at full price based on their experience with the used game.

It's just greed ... and I think eventually this will be the downfall of some of these companies ... and the sooner, the better.

well lets put it this way.

Cons
PS3/PC gets it later


Pros
PS3/PC is free to be online
PS3/PC gets more time to be developed
PS3/PC doesn't have as many issues, IMO

Microsoft owns most of the market, so instead of making 360 users wait an extra 30 days they did us a favour

Wha...? You have to be taking something good, because you do know how PS3 and Bethesda games works right? Or should I say doesn't work

Well I thought we were strictly discussing numbers, not necessarily the amount that would go back to Bethesda. However, as the economy is at the moment, it's understandable as to why people would relegate themselves to purchasing a used game. Especially in the scenario where they had purchased it before, but traded it in haphazardly, though regretted it and purchased it again. Though to mitigate the amount of loss to themselves, they purchased used. Especially games with online passes. Why purchase a game at full price for a second round, when you already have that pass and could get it for almost half the price?

Understandably you're a PC player, so that situation may not pertain to you.

As for the first link in your signature, I believe Intel did a bit of information rigging. As they broke down a few genres for PC while they gave singular notations for the consoles. As PC isn't the only platform to have exclusivity to those genres. In technicality on any console a game is 'free-to-play', as the requirements are noted as being, "A game that doesn't require a monthly fee to access servers, or content." You purchase a game on a console, and you're free to play it. MMOG's, that could sway either way, as there are some massive multiplayer online-games for consoles, though not as many as PC. As for, "PC traditional game SW", it notes lower in the page that these are games that are in essence, "Pre-ordered". Though as any platform can have games that are pre-ordered, only thing exclusive to the PC in that regard is the pre-loaded game titles, that are installed prior to the release date, but unlocked at midnight on release.

Bethesda will have more time to work out the problems for the Xbox version but once you switch platform you get new bugs.

I wouldn't count on too much improvement if I were you.

Biowere did not start out as part of EA it was bought as a subseueay...
But yes now there are one ,,,Ea allowes biowere to keep there name

I understand that, however it wasn't Bioware that chose to use the online code. That was an EA choice as they make the publishing decisions. With Mass Effect being such a seller, it made sense to them to utilize the online pass.