Out of Principle: Why Money Speaks Louder Than Words

Chris Mrkvicka: “Gamers always say they're going to boycott something or other. Nine times out of ten, they don't. So I really don't take the internet, especially forums very seriously. If they were a good reflection Modern Warfare 3 would have tanked horribly.

     Gamers have a lot of power and say in the industry when we know how to use our influence. It’s easy for us to preach things like the evils of pumping out yearly Call of Duty titles and decry the lack of core titles for the Wii on forums, blogs, Facebook fan pages and gaming articles. All this criticism, unless it is reviewers’ low scores that impact the sales of a game, usually doesn’t accomplish anything. The only case in which fans were actually able to impact something they didn’t like was the Mass Effect 3 ending. The discussion over whether BioWare should have come out with the Extended Cut DLC or if that DLC was enough to quell fans’ anger was enough is not the topic at hand. I don’t think BioWare would have listened to fans at all if the game hadn’t sold well. With millions of copies sold and a majority of those customers very unsatisfied with the ending, if BioWare wanted to make future games in the Mass Effect universe they had to try and appease those customers as much as they could so they didn’t lose them as customers for future games.
     Money does the real talking in the industry. Even if a groundbreaking game receives critical acclaim, the only things a publisher/developer will see are the sales figures on the quarterly results. This is why despite the criticisms from gamers of yearly sequels being pumped out, expensive DLC, and other types of things they frown upon, they make money. This is where as consumers, gamers have enormous power. Your money decides what trends and business models succeed and fail in the game industry. If you want something to succeed, buy it. If you don’t approve of a practice, don’t buy into it. I have made many sacrifices and investments out of principle.

   
     I was a huge fan of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. My friends and I used to play that all the time online and at each other’s homes. Some of the best multiplayer games I’ve had I will always remember as no-scoping the last kill for my team or hearing people laugh and cry when I released a tactical nuke, prematurely ending a game. When it was announced that Modern Warfare 2 would not have dedicated servers for the PC, I was appalled. Dedicated servers have always been a staple of PC gaming for me and I am not willing to give those up in the name of weeding out cheaters when dedicated servers run by Activision or myself can do just as well. I was the only one of my friends who stuck with the Modern Warfare 2 boycott. It hurt not being able to play with my friends online, but I didn’t give in to peer-pressure. I know that people found ways to have dedicated servers for Modern Warfare 2 but even if I did use a workaround for them why would I give money to support the people who I felt made a terrible decision? I was ecstatic when I heard that Black Ops and future Call of Duty titles supported dedicated servers, but now my problem with the series was that it was coming out yearly. The updates and changes were not enough for me to warrant a purchase each year, especially when all I usually played was multiplayer. Assassin’s Creed has engrossed me in its developing story and evolving gameplay. That has kept me buying the major releases each year so I am not against yearly sequels when they improve significantly upon their predecessors. To this day I have not bought a Call of Duty title past the first Modern Warfare.

     I also have not invested money in any game that has a free to play model. Team Fortress 2 (TF2) and League of Legends (LoL) are great fun but I will never buy anything from the Mann Store or buy skins and characters in League of Legends when I can just get it by just playing. I do not mind paying for these types of games; I bought TF2 for $20 and have greatly enjoyed it. I am glad that I am not forced to buy anything from these two games but I will stop playing these games if I am ever forced to buy characters or weapons just to keep up with everyone. I would rather watch a minute ad before each time I play than spend a dime on content I should be able to earn through playing.    

     Another thing I will never pay for is on disc DLC or day one DLC. DLC should never be on the disc already. If DLC is made while the main game is still in development it should be included with the full game and available to all. Bioshock 2 and Street Fighter x Tekken have both been guilty of locked content in retail games for multiplayer content and fully playable characters. I like DLC and don’t mind paying for more content when it is developed after the main game and set at a reasonable price for the content provided, such as Mortal Kombat’s new characters and new stories for Fallout 3. The “To Ashes” DLC for Mass Effect 3 is a prime example of day one DLC gone wrong, with playable code already on the disc and when reviewers have said that it is an integral part of the story that feels is was cut out of the main game. As much as I want to play it, I will not part with ten dollars for something I feel should have been in the game already.

 

     The biggest sacrifice I feel I have made out of principle yet is not buying Diablo III. As much as I loved Diablo II and enjoyed the open beta for III, it baffles me why I am forced to play online. If there was an option to play offline I would not mind. Options are good and the free to play model shows that can work; people can either pay for content or earn it the old fashioned way. I use my laptop to play all of my PC games. I am on the road a lot and the internet where I stay at most of the year is not reliable so this makes playing Diablo III frustrating because I’m not allowed to play what I would pay $60 for wherever and whenever I wanted. I also don’t like being online all the time; the ability to disconnect and get lost in my own world is precious to me. I don’t want any other games to follow this model. I know I am in the minority but I will never buy Diablo III for this reason alone.
     I’m in the minority of other things I do support as well. I paid to see Scott Pilgrim on opening day but it didn’t end up doing well in the box office. I bought games such as No More Heroes, MadWorld and the Resident Evil games for the Wii but those companies ended pulling their support for core games because of disappointing sales. Unless a game is only available as a digital download I will go to the store or order from Amazon a physical copy. I always show my support in hopes that others will follow and stand by it even when what I supported fails.
     Show your support to trends and companies with your money. Protest exploitation and unfair practices online and withhold your wallet no matter how it hurts so companies will think and be aware what they can do to improve. It is not my choice what you support, but if you’re one of those people that complains about something but pony up the cash for it every time it releases in hopes it will be different this time without reading reviews or doing your homework, you’re insane.

Thank you all for reading. What are practices in the gaming industry that you agree or don't agree with? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Don't be afraid to give critique.