Is this the future of game sales? Microsoft will be offering Fable2 in 5 episodic parts. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/microsoft-releases-fable-ii-episodes Good thing, people don't have to drop $60 on a game that might get boring quickly to them. Gamestop will be forced to stop charging people for the promise of a game. Bad thing, companies like EA will somehow turn it into an evil entity to try and rule the world.
They're just coming out with another means of digitally distributing a game. I'm looking at it as a market test. Think of the married guys who have kids and don't get too much tome to game. These guys might want to play Fable2, but only at bits at a time. It's tough to justify a $60 game to your wife when you play 2 hours a week. But a $15 chapter every few weeks isn't so bad. You pay for what you play. If mid-game you realized it's not as fun as you'd hoped, you stop. If we aren't screwed on the pricing, I really like the idea. Also, If Microsoft wants people to be serious about this stuff, they need to offer huge hard drives for very cheap.
And at the end of the day, you've blown $75 bucks instead of $60. Hey, it worked for Square Enix with the Final Fantasy VI sequel.
Didn't Sony do this with their Siren:Blood Curse game on PSN? I'm not sure but either way I'm not a huge fan of this method but it has its upside.
well.... Part 1 is free... So the 4 additional parts at $15 each gives it to you for $60 with no sales tax PLUS you get to play 1/5th the game for free.
but when you're done you have no box, no manual, and you can't resell or trade it. I don't understand why anyone would buy a game online when it's the same price in the store. Just another way to get fleeced by the man
I disagree. It is a horrible idea. This is going to inevitably lead to the soap-operaization of video games, just you watch. Wait 'till damn near every game out there strings you along and gives you an "ending" a la Soul Reaver and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Poop, I say. Give me a full game in it's entirety. The only good that could come of this is that a certain seedy second-hand retailer (GameStop) would lose an UNGODLY amount of business. Man, I would LOVE to see those bastards sink! They would no longer be able to screw kids out of their money, buying a game from them for $20, and then "kindly" re-selling it for a whopping $5 less than new.
Kid could sell it on craigslist or ebay if they wanted more money. Gamestop isn't making anyone sell their game so cheap, or buy their used game at a slight discount. If the kid is willing to part with the game at such a low cost, it is their own fault, not GameStop's.
What you say is true (and it just goes to show you how dumb people are), but I still hate GameStop and what they stand for.
So you're saying that it just proves how LAZY people are. Personally, I think 90% of people are both lazy AND stupid. Present company excluded, of course...
Really? Because I can sit on my couch and list something on ebay but if I want to sell something at Gamestop I actually have to get off the couch, walk to and get in my car, drive to Gamestop, walk into the store, and then actually sell the game. Actually Gamestop would be more work. Also I agree with Stitches about Gamestop...no one forces you to sell your game for cheap so if you do it its your fault. Although I think we all agree on that I don't hold Gamestop responsible for it...it's basic capitalism.
What are you talking about? With ebay i have to list it, take a picture, post the picture, wait a week for the bids, walk get in my car, and ship it after waiting for payment. It isn't just sitting on my couch and allowing the magic ebay fairies to do all the work. If all I had to do was post on ebay and that was it, I would sell everything on ebay. With Gamespot, I go in my car, sell it the game, either get money or a game I want to trade it in for. Myself, my time is worth the extra 10 or 20 dollars I would get on ebay. Plus the hassle of shipping, which I have found to be annoying when I have a job and have to do so before or after work. It is basic capitalism and Gamespot does provide a service.
Thank you. About once a day i have to explain this to an upset customer. Worst part is, they act like im the one benefiting. HA!