Infinity Ward
One of the things I frequently hear on this blog is that gamers are tired of getting ripped off by game companies. They feel that companies like Infinity Ward are being just plain greedy by selling a new game for $60, only to release additional map packs and downloadable content (DLC) a couple of months, if not weeks, after a game’s release. Since I am gamer just like you, I completely understand where this outrage is coming from. However, there are some major developments in the gaming community that you need to be aware off that is largely responsible for some of these changes.
By far the factor most responsible for the sudden influx of paid DLC is a name that you probably know all to well: GameStop. The leading retailer in computer and console games has made an absolute killing in the used games business as cash strapped gamers buy used in an effort to save a little cash. Unfortunately, this major cash source has come at the expense of game development companies and publishers.
The best explanation I have heard of the situation would be to compare it to the movie industry. When a new movie is released, cinemas like Regal and AMC pay a portion of each movie ticket sold to the actual movie studio. Likewise, when a new game is sold, retailers like Gamestop pass on a portion of the sales to the actual game developers. However, in the used game market, Gamestop keeps all of the profits. It’s litteraly like having a movie theater like AMC sell the same physical movie ticket to consumers over and over again. Movie studios would make a profit from the original ticket sale but be cut out of any future profits.
That’s exactly what’s going on in the gaming industry right now. When you take into consideration that the used game market accounts for an ever increasing portion of total game sales, it’s easy to see why studios like Infinity Ward are a little bit upset. This situation is even worse on games released on the PS3. That’s because studios who release games on the PS3, also maintain the servers needed to support multiplayer. So you have the situation where a studio gets the profit from 2 million physical copies sold, but has to maintain the servers for 4 million users. As you can imagine, this isn’t something that studios very happy about.
So what are companies like Infinity Ward to do when faced with declining profits? Release more DLC!!! More and more studios are starting to view DLC as not a way of ripping off gamers, but rather getting profits to previous levels. That levels customers like us footing the bill.
12 comments
isaias says:
November 6, 2011 at 9:47 pm (UTC 0)
thats b.s. because by doing this they make more money . for example i own the game i buy the add ons. then i sell the game and the next person buys the add ons. then that person sells the game and so on……these add ons are not cheap either. a decent add on is goin to be the elite xp add on. but even then i preatty much just bought the game twice……
mwf3fan says:
November 7, 2011 at 3:06 am (UTC 0)
Valid point. Remember, I am a gamer just like you. However, I was just trying to explain the other side of the equation.
battlefield gamer says:
November 7, 2011 at 3:46 am (UTC 0)
so who gets the money when u buy used game and they make u buy an online pass
Terrence says:
November 8, 2011 at 2:28 am (UTC 0)
True…but Gamestop highly undercuts the developers if the profits go solely to Gamestop…dlc is a neccesary evil dude.
Terrence says:
November 8, 2011 at 2:31 am (UTC 0)
Especially when you consider the tens of thousands of people who solely buy used titles.
wtf? says:
November 10, 2011 at 2:57 pm (UTC 0)
So, what do you mean with “gets the profit from 2 million physical copies sold, but has to maintain the servers for 4 million users”. That makes no sense at all. After you sell your game, you’re not supposed to be playing anymore. Yes, your record might remain at their servers but that doesn’t require any extra effort from their side… It’s not like all the 4M keep playing and using the servers bandwidth…
chris says:
November 17, 2011 at 5:53 am (UTC 0)
That is exactly what I was thinking. You can only ever have the total number of new copies sold occupying the servers at any given time. Considering how many copies of a used game each gamestop has sitting on its shelves, the number of people on the servers is probably closer to half than it is double (which is impossible). We pay for map packs because people have to get paid to make them. It’s business. People should quit crying and expecting handouts.
Robert says:
November 17, 2011 at 6:35 pm (UTC 0)
I see your point but the companies are truly after money…If they just wanted to pay for operating costs then they would give out the dlc to people that bought the game new, and people that buy it used would have to pay. Sorta like what Dice is doing with Back to Karkand.
Awesome dude says:
November 21, 2011 at 4:44 am (UTC 0)
Dear infinity ward,
I thought mw3 was a wonderful game and it keeps me entertained,BUT I ,really am starting to get bored with survival mode. dont get me wronge its great, but it needs a prestige mode otherwise theres almost no point to it. All in all though great game
Thanks!
Teh Wii says:
December 21, 2011 at 5:52 pm (UTC 0)
Lolz, skyward sword is so much better MW3, lolz, you peop;le have no life.
scottla hotdog says:
January 5, 2012 at 1:50 pm (UTC 0)
Its all b.s…..im no game developer but i think the maps that are already made…they leave afew out for the dlc’s the first couple of dlc’s most certainly..youre telling me they creat 3.4.5 new maps plus the extra bits and bobs in a couple of months sometimes weeks…pull the other one..the way i see it thayve been paid the day of release…im a loyal cod fan,im just peeved about all the extra cash i got to splash out..uf they must charge why not make it cheaper?because im sure i remeber earlier mw dlc became free after time..(not 100% sure on that)..anyway thats my two pence worth…im out.. SCOTTLA HOTDOG..
Meeeeee says:
January 29, 2012 at 8:01 pm (UTC 0)
This would be right, if every other sentence wasn’t completely wrong.