NCAA Football 12 News Post

New Features Aren’t All Free in NCAA Football 12

08:13 AM - May 26, 2011 by Steve_OS

Kotaku's Owen Good chimes in with some of his thoughts surrounding the latest micro-transactions to make their way into NCAA Football 12.

Quote:


	There may not be any optimal time to tell gamers about all the microtransactions and DLC for which they can expect to pay extra in an upcoming release. But the official reveal of a game's main features -- the stuff folks expect to come with the $59.99 retail price -- would probably be the least optimal.

Game: NCAA Football 12Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 104 - View All

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Member Comments

# 101 kevj349 @ 05/27/11 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by It Must Be The Shoes


	Games now are all graphics (expensive, but not risky to develop). Give me ep.ic 100+ hour open gameplay experiences like Fallout (1 & 2), Planescape, Doom, Deus Ex, X-Com, Jagged Alliance, etc. over the no-risk taking development culture now, which is: flashy cut scenes and graphics (that cost millions alone), with the same regurgitated "on rails" gameplay -- that feels more like watching an action moving than actually playing a game.

Again have you played Oblivion or the new Fallout?

# 102 poopoop @ 05/27/11 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senator Stone


	Granted, the only EA games I play are NCAA and occasionally Tiger Woods, but it doesn't seem that EA has a "history" of microtransactions...and I completely understand charging extra for additional golf courses released on Tiger Woods. To my knowledge the only "microtransactions" ever incorporated into NCAA came in the form of extra recruiting points last year (essentially cheat-codes in my mind) and charging to access extras from a PS3/360 game on the PC....in no way, shape or form game-making features (that's why they're extras). I completely agree that competition would do wonders for the NCAA series, but that would come in the form of a better and more innovative game and doesn't necessarily eliminate the potential of DLC.

We're talking about a company that once sold AFL jerseys as DLC for Madden. Yeah they don't have a history. I'm gonna laugh if/when they release the gamestop pre-order uniforms as DLC this year. I'm sure there'll be a line of people telling me why that's ok too though.

And no competition wouldn't eliminate DLC, but we'd be much more likely to get the most value for our money. That's the whole point. EA has it made, they don't have to worry about any comp and like the article points out they can charge for DLC with little to no backlash from the consumers. Again props to Kotaku for at least trying to change this.

# 103 boritter @ 05/27/11 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kotaku


	Playing games in the Super Sim mode from the Web is a breakthrough, and the decision to charge for it is more defensible. But slapping a $3 charge to enable the advance-week option over the web is charging users to access an administrative feature. I've never heard of anything like that before.

I agree. It is lame that EA is charging $ to advance the week.

I'll vote with my money and rent NCAA 12 (just like I rented the lackluster NCAA 09, 10, and 11 games).

# 104 poopoop @ 05/27/11 02:22 AM

And you guys want to talk about rising dev costs? What about the money EA spent acquiring NCAA exclusivity and ESPN exclusivity. Those costs are the result of actions they took to kill competition. Costs EA ultimately has to recoup somehow.

As 1UP points our in regards to the Madden deal:

Quote:


	Third, there's the question of higher game prices. While nothing has been officially announced, industry insiders say the final cost of the NFL deal is somewhere north of $300 million, a whopping sum that consumers will ultimately pay for.

http://www.1up.com/features/killing-the-competition

EA dropped 750-850 million for the ESPN deal (per New York Times). No idea how much they spent for college but it's probably less than the 300-500 million they spent for the NFL deal.

I'm not quick to throw a pity party for them and their need to increase revenue thru DLC when they spent a ton of money that wasn't necessary. More about their own greed.

# 105 ODogg @ 05/27/11 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poopoop


	So then basically, according to no one. And you're just arbitrarily making up numbers llike $64.99.

If you think it's no one indicating DLC and pay to play are an alternative to simply raising all game prices then you're not paying attention to the industry. OXM covered micro transactions and the need for them just a few months ago in regards to the Call of Duty games making multiplayer pay to play in the upcoming title (the issue is being explored).

As for $64.99, that's based on my 30 years or so of playing and buying video games. Yes it's not set in stone, maybe it will be $63.99 or $65.99 but what difference does it make as to the exact amount? The point is the price will go up if alternate revenue streams such as DLC are not fruitful for publishers.

And you cite EA as if they are the only company doing this because they have some "monopoly" on the market. Guess what? They are, by far, not the only ones going down this road..a lot of games today have pay for DLC. Again,if you don't realize that then I question how much you really know abot what's going on in this regards..

# 106 ODogg @ 05/27/11 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by It Must Be The Shoes


	The gaming industry is going down (or has gone down) the toilet quick. It used to be an industry full of talented developers making games they thought people would love to play. When the timing was right, or the game was amazing (or both), they would make millions of dollars in profit. The consumer got a great, full-featured game, and the developer/publisher earned enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives without working another day. Now, the industry is owned by less than a handful of publishers, all of which have bought up many development studios, and IPs, while strong arming virtually any competition out of the industry. Gaming publishers are now billion dollar companies, who make billions in revenue. The barrier of entry is higher than it has ever been. There used to be a lot of innovation in the industry, because 3 man teams in a garage used to be financially viable. That isn't the case anymore, but not by accident. The people running game development studios aren't leading a team of gaming-nerds to code a fantastic gaming experience, with great new ideas, coding games they themselves would love to play; the people at the top now, are people with the same skills/background used to run a fortune 500 billion-dollar company, like Proctor & Gamble. It's all about investing the least amount of money, to the least common denominator in terms of demographic, for the greatest return in profit. People like us, gaming enthusiasts/hardcores, should be educating people and boycotting the industry, not sitting idle and watching it go to crap. Instead, we have shills (like the many on this site, including the people who run it), lubing up their own backsides so that these monopolistic-game-publishers can more easily pack their fudge.

I completely disagree. I've been gaming since the Atari 2600 and gaming is better now than ever IMO.

# 107 ODogg @ 05/27/11 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poopoop


	We're talking about a company that once sold AFL jerseys as DLC for Madden. Yeah they don't have a history.

And in the "good old days" before DLC I remember actually playing football games without the real NFL teams OR players period. What is wrong with EA charging for the AFL uniforms? It's an EXTRA, you didnt have to have those to play the regular, traditional NFL game.

I guess my question to you is this, why does EA owe you the throwback AFL uniforms free of charge?

# 108 ODogg @ 05/27/11 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poopoop


	And you guys want to talk about rising dev costs? What about the money EA spent acquiring NCAA exclusivity and ESPN exclusivity. Those costs are the result of actions they took to kill competition. Costs EA ultimately has to recoup somehow. As 1UP points our in regards to the Madden deal: http://www.1up.com/features/killing-the-competition EA dropped 750-850 million for the ESPN deal (per New York Times). No idea how much they spent for college but it's probably less than the 300-500 million they spent for the NFL deal. I'm not quick to throw a pity party for them and their need to increase revenue thru DLC when they spent a ton of money that wasn't necessary. More about their own greed.

You're barking up the wrong tree there, EA had to pay for the exclusive agreements because the NFL and NCAA were selling them. If EA hadn't then another developer would have. And we would be having the exact same discussion as we are right now about DLC to recoup costs like this.

# 109 MrJ2006 @ 05/27/11 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boritter


	I agree. It is lame that EA is charging $ to advance the week. I'll vote with my money and rent NCAA 12 (just like I rented the lackluster NCAA 09, 10, and 11 games).

They are not charging money to advance the week, you can still do that for the money you spent on the game. They are charging you to access the web functions to do this. It's not like you CAN'T advance the week if you don't spend the extra money. Is it REALLY that hard for people to comprehend this?

# 110 MrJ2006 @ 05/27/11 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ODogg


	And in the "good old days" before DLC I remember actually playing football games without the real NFL teams OR players period. What is wrong with EA charging for the AFL uniforms? It's an EXTRA, you didnt have to have those to play the regular, traditional NFL game. I guess my question to you is this, why does EA owe you the throwback AFL uniforms free of charge?

This one is hard to defend, as throwback uni's were included in past Madden games

# 111 ODogg @ 05/27/11 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrJ2006


	They are not charging money to advance the week, you can still do that for the money you spent on the game. They are charging you to access the web functions to do this. It's not like you CAN'T advance the week if you don't spend the extra money. Is it REALLY that hard for people to comprehend this?

Exactly, it's the very definition of BONUS content.

# 112 poopoop @ 05/27/11 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrJ2006


	This one is hard to defend, as throwback uni's were included in past Madden games

lol. it's past "hard to defend" nonetheless some people will try

Quote:

Originally Posted by ODogg


	You're barking up the wrong tree there, EA had to pay for the exclusive agreements because the NFL and NCAA were selling them. If EA hadn't then another developer would have. And we would be having the exact same discussion as we are right now about DLC to recoup costs like this.

# 113 hurricanefootball4 @ 05/27/11 05:29 AM

I'm big on cost-per-use.

The type of gamer that is going to use features like this is going to end up playing this game so much that he will spend pennies per hour used of this game.

Some features go above and beyond what a casual gamer would use and this is one of them.

I'm aware of the slippery slope of having to pay extra for EVERY new feature, but this isn't one of those situations. This feature caters to a specific niche.

# 114 poopoop @ 05/27/11 05:47 AM

yeah I know right

Quote:


	The deal, one EA admits to having lobbied for over the past few years, is an exclusive five-year licensing deal granting EA the sole rights to the NFL's teams, stadiums, and players. H

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6114977...sing-agreement

Gonna go out on a short limb and say the same was true for the NCAA/ESPN deals.

Now the cost of those deals get passed on to us, there's those "rising dev costs" that "force" EA to release DLC.

# 115 hurricanefootball4 @ 05/27/11 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by It Must Be The Shoes


	Whatever happened to 'new' (or 'bonus') features/tools being implemented in order to earn our new $60.00 on an annual basis?

You must have missed these...

High Dynamic Range Rendering (HDR) Lighting
More player equipment, Dreadlocks, and 3D Crowds
Bands in the stands, Coaches on the sidelines, and Cannons.
3D Grass and Particles
Improved Weather conditions(including fog)
Pylon Physics (pylons no longer static)
New Offensive and Defensive plays and Formations(more info below)
New/Updated Team Entrances and Traditions(more info below)
Bowl and Conference Championship game Patches on jerseys
Can Customize the music for team entrances(new Stadium Sound Events)
New/Updated Stadiums
New/Updated team uniforms
Coaches on the sidelines
Dynamic Attendance(play now games will always have 100% attendance)
New Conference alignments for the 2011 season are represented
Collision-Based Tackling, including double-hit tackles and three-man gang tackles
Improved Zone and Man Defensive coverages
Custom Playbooks(more info below)
New/Updated Presentational features Including: GameTrack, Between quarters highlights, score overlays, new stadium camera pans, special openings for BCS bowls and rivalry games, and more.
Variable Crowd noise, based on number of people in the stands.
New individual and Team Celebrations
User-controlled dive catches
New Bull Rush Animations
Coach mode, along with a broadcast cam
Fully Customizable Conferences(4-16 teams per conference) *5/19
Many Dynasty improvements, including Coaching Carousel(more info below) *5/19
Can create, edit, and even share coaches *5/19
Many Road to Glory Changes
Different Running Styles *5/26
Concussions added to the game, injures are now tunable via Live Tuner Sets *5/26
Custom Stadium Sound slots increased from 50 to 200 *5/26
Improved QB Scramble Logic *5/26

# 116 justblaze09 @ 05/27/11 08:43 AM

Some of you get it and some of you don't.

Like the some who do get it (and I'm not talking about people defending why EA is charging for a premium) vote with your money and don't pay for it. Period. If your running one OD, then let your OD know that I don't think it's worth my 3 or 7 dollars to advance from the computer. Then wash your hands with it.

Everyone who said something of the "I'll vote with my money" has said that and kept it moving.

# 117 kbmnm247 @ 05/27/11 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliefallstar


	my post from a different thread..... have you ever noticed that nobody ever complains about the price of BMWs? nobody ever says "that car costs 45 grand and is unfair to the consumer!!!" when you cant afford it, you dont buy it. Video games, just like cars are luxury items. The makers don't owe you any kind of break because you may or may not be able to afford their product. If you can justify buying it, do it. If not, don't. I don't play polo or go on expensive hunting trips because those hobbies are out of my budget. Its not "unfair" that I miss out on those kinds of things. If you can afford it (or want it bad enough) then buy it. If you can't, find another hobby.This is how capitalism works. If you think the pricetag is too much for the product/services offered, then you dont purchase it. The industry doesnt owe you anything.

Talk about a stretch and a total wack analogy.

BMW isn't the only car out there to buy, like Madden and NCAA are.
Also, I can afford the $60 game which should include all of the features they are boasting. I shouldn't have to pay extra for the windshield wipers or the stereo system that they say comes with the car. Terrible analogy this would be like you paying for an all features BMW and then having to pay extra to get windshield wipers on it.

# 118 4solo @ 05/27/11 09:54 AM

I'm tired of people talking about how they are getting taking advantage of. You can't be taken advantage of for things that are luxury. To not feel ripped off all you have to do is DON'T BUY THE GAME! No one forcing you to. Now if its something like gas prices, which can almost be consider something essential, then all these arguments would hold true but for something that you are choosing to buy.... C'mon Man.

# 119 4solo @ 05/27/11 10:03 AM

And another thing how are people saying they are being deceived when the game isn't even out yet and they wrote a blog on the subject. It would be different if they said, "hey new online features" then on release day you popped the game in only to find out you were being charged for the new features. A month and a half out from the release date is ample time to disclose this info. And they wrote the blog about having to pay for it within a day of saying it was a new feature. IDK seems like they did there job to me.

# 120 kbmnm247 @ 05/27/11 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerseySuave4


	They aren't charging any more for the game. The game comes with everything you need. ... controlling multiple online dynastys or whatever, those things are what costs extra.

So they aren't charging any more for the game and it comes with everything I need, but if I want to control more than one dynasty, I have to pay for it. That doesn't sound like charging more for the game to you? Why don't they charge me per dynasty and per franchise I play in single player too while they are at it since my $60 fee I paid for the game only covers one play of each mode.

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