Microsoft holding back free content from its customers

[VanCitySportsGuy]

I'm surprised this isn't big news on the videogame sites/blogs.

In this new Game Informer, there's a blurb about how publishers want to give free DLC through Live but Microsoft has rejected them. All Publishers that develop for the 360 sign a contract that states Microsoft has the final say over pricing for content that is on the marketplace.

New online content for Gears is already finished (it's great by the way) and Epic wanted to give this away for free to its customers but Microsoft said no. Epic has always taken care of its customers and now they are forced into a situation where they will likely have to lie to the media/fans. When contacted, Microsoft denied they have rejected content that would have been free but several publishers have said the opposite.

I would love to hear from Microsoft how this benefits the consumer.

[luv_mist]

Do you have a site or link for this? Definitely a problem when they're being grimy like that. This is worse than the freaking EA micros. Sometimes, I wish that Sega would come back into the world of game consoles again or at least a company with more integrity and morality.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Quote: Originally Posted by luv_mist

Do you have a site or link for this? Definitely a problem when they're being grimy like that. This is worse than the freaking EA micros. Sometimes, I wish that Sega would come back into the world of game consoles again or at least a company with more integrity and morality.

Edit:

"But is there something that Microsoft isn't telling us? Could there be significant free content available in the Market place that the company is withholding?

Game Informer spoke with multiple contacts within the industry about the process that publishers and developers have to go through to get their content on Xbox Live Marketplace. We also found out that there is free content that companies want to offer, but Microsoft's mandating that consumers pay for it.

When a publisher has goods it wants to put up for sale, those prices must first be
submitted to Microsoft. As part of an agreement with the company, publishers have signed a document that hands over final say to Microsoft regarding Market place pricing. From here, Microsoft takes a look at the marktet and prices items to maintain a balance among items of similiar value.

Game Informer talked to Aron Greenburg, Xbox Live/Xbox 360 group product manager who denied that Microsoft has final say over Market place pricing. "It's ultimitaly up to the publisher," he told us.

However, according to our sources, it's not up to publishers, and free content is being with held from consumers under the speculated motive of Microsoft wanting to make gamers accustomed to paying money for goods above and beyond wallpapers. Said one industry insider we talked to, "they want you in the store and they want you buying stuff that is at full price. "We've even been told that the rules of the game may vary depending on how much clout your company has with Microsoft.

Greenberg denied knowledge of any motive to restrict free content, but admitted that the company does indeed adjust download prices. "there may be some situation or unusual case where there's content that's significant in nature and it would make other content look out of line, but I'm not aware of any case where we've told them that they couldn't offer it for free."

Here are 2 threads discussing it:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=17720

http://boards.1up.com/zd/board/messa...=136425&page=1

[Rodster]

1up.com referred to this in last weeks podcast.

[ExtremeGamer]

Personally I feel it's a rumor that has spread out of control.

[SLAYER]

The bigger news to me is that the new Gears DLC is finished. Bring it on!!

[Triggerfish]

Read the same article earlier this week..it's big business..MS is no different then Sony or any other company..not that hard to believe.

[cjonesfan921]

Quote: Originally Posted by Triggerfish

Read the same article earlier this week..it's big business..MS is no different then Sony or any other company..not that hard to believe.

If this article/rumor was about Sony though, this thread would be about 10 pages long with Sony ripping.