NFS ProStreet in 'cash for upgrades' shame

[Zeus]

According to a gaming website, EA's upcoming Need for Speed ProStreet enables gamers to pimp up their virtual cars using real cash. When purchasing an upgrade, owners of the game will be given the opportunity to use either in-game cash or MS points. However, this is reportedly not the first time EA have done something like this.


EA’s forthcoming mod-heavy racer Need For Speed ProStreet enables players to pimp their virtual rides using real cash, Gamer can reveal.

When purchasing upgrades, players will be given the choice to use either in-game cash or Microsoft Points (in the 360 version at least – we’ve not been able to check whether other versions will follow suit with their own currencies at this time) to buy the items in question. How much each pack will cost is currently unknown. It’s unlikely to be very much, but this is still the continuation of a rather worrying trend to make games cost even more.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen something like this from EA, of course. Tiger Woods allowed players to spend Microsoft Points on maxing out their character’s stats, avoiding all the hard work it would normally entail.


News Source: <a href="http://www.gamer.tm/news.asp?id=1649&filtr=360" target="_blank">Gamer.tm</a>

[miserabillis]

if its official then it suks :( !!! WTF taking money for upgrading in-game car? now i know why every1 hates EA >:]

[Emu9x]

That would be a total joke! charging money for virtual car upgrades. Sad, Sad, Times!

[uzi]

these upgrades better upgrade my real car

[blade47167]

Do you people just read the thread title and make comments on that?

You can earn everything that you can buy in game if you want to work for it. It just gives lazy people a way to skip all that. Its no different than downloading someones 100% save file.

However all this in game advertising and cash for upgrades income needs to start spreading to the consumer. Maybe free map packs or cars.

[dennis872007]

whats the big deal. the people don't have to spend real money if they don't want to.

[SSChevy2001]

Nothing wrong with this at all. For people that don't have the time they'll spend some extra cash and for others it's going to just take some extra time. Now if EA only charged for upgrades, then there would be a problem.

[Mikeyy]

Nothing wrong with this at all. For people that don't have the time they'll spend some extra cash and for others it's going to just take some extra time. Now if EA only charged for upgrades, then there would be a problem.

Because companies get used to using these kind of things, and before you know it, Everything costs money.


EA isnt doing this out of the goodness of there hearts, they are testing to see if people are stuid enough to buy this stuff, which people ARE. You will see the future become more and more exclusive purchaseable content for games because of it.

Companies are always testing you.

[SSChevy2001]

Because companies get used to using these kind of things, and before you know it, Everything costs money.


EA isnt doing this out of the goodness of there hearts, they are testing to see if people are stuid enough to buy this stuff, which people ARE. You will see the future become more and more exclusive purchaseable content for games because of it.

Companies are always testing you.I hate to see things go that way, and trust me I'm not going to give them the cash for it. It's kind of like putting DLC on our disc, which I'm also against. Even releasing DLC right after a release is also BS. As long as they don't cross the line, there's not much we can say though.

[slayne]

Imagine this on world of warcraft or back then everquest. I bet so many people would of been pisssed off. I guess this is moral issue or value but what ea is doing its capitalism at it's best or worst depending on your view.

[russcarr]

OH so its not actually the only way, you can upgrade normally by earning points in game. If it was cash only upgrade then there would be an uproar but if people are daft enough to pay then let them.

The game will be a load of sh!t as usual anyway

[untime]

That's the only way EA is innovative, when it's time to squeeze more cash from a game.

[The_Eggman_1972]

EA have no shame they are the cancer of the gaming industry.

[cokemusic1]

I think this is similar to the cash shop system that MMORGP's use offering a free game with optionable cash shop items such as magical scrolls , special weapons or whatever the main problem with Cash shop in MMORPG's is that many elements of a game that you'd expect to be in the game would then be changed into cash shop items to maximise profits.

This is what I see EA atempting to do although the same results can be achieved for free with more work , if this idea of premium upgrades does get a good response ( which i'm hoping it won't) then EA will definetley follow the trend by taking things out of the game that you'd expect and changing them into premium items.

In many MMORPG's this is seen as fair to some extent because the actual game is free I can see this causing an issue in the console market because people buy console games expecting a full package , not paying $60 for half a game and then buying premium items to get the full experience.


My advice , don't buy it . If EA start the cash shop system then other developers are bound to follow .(imagine buying weapons and cars with real money for GTA , that would suck)

[ammmmn]

would be only fare if EA pays you real money when you win that 100million race.

[MadonnaProject]

you think this is bad? try playing jericho. where if you go into the codes section youll be given a phone number to call to get the codes. the worst part is, this number costs 1 pound sterling to call. thats about 2 dollars PER MINUTE.

[tralalawala]

the sad fact is that xboxlive using idiots are stupid enough to pay out money for game upgrades (I mean, they already pay to view adverts, pay to host their own matches etc) which means this will become commonplace across all consoles and we'll all be expected to fork out.

All because a few idiots just couldn't leave alone.

[harryisme]

This is nothing new, weren't EA selling cheats on NS:carbon? instead ofunlocking the cars through playing you could just but the unlock using M$ points.

[grapeape]

the sad fact is that xboxlive using idiots are stupid enough to pay out money for game upgrades (I mean, they already pay to view adverts, pay to host their own matches etc) which means this will become commonplace across all consoles and we'll all be expected to fork out.

All because a few idiots just couldn't leave alone.

Did you bother to actually read the article? You can unlock the same stuff just like normal by actually playing the game..how is is any different than WoW or Everquest where people have been buying and trading "upgrades" for years.

I swear the PS3 zealots remind me of the Hippies around Golden Gate...they go on and on about how stupid people are driving their cars and working 40 hours a week being "slaves to the man" then they beg for change eat out of trashcans, then go sleep under a bridge but at least their "free". Ever wonder why there are so few demos on PSN or why many games have fewer online features? Its because nothing is free, someone has to pay for them, MS chose to pass on a paltry sum to its users to cover the costs, many gladly accepted that and enjoy live every day. Sony decided to pass those costs to developers who sometime decide to absorb the cost and other times decide to skip it.

BTW isnt this idea the same thing that Polyphony Digital had planned for the GT series (except for the being able to earn and unlock part) before people whined it out of existence?

[tralalawala]

Did you bother to actually read the article? You can unlock the same stuff just like normal by actually playing the game..how is is any different than WoW or Everquest where people have been buying and trading "upgrades" for years.
Exactly - idiots, they get everywhere and **** everything up for everyone else.

I swear the PS3 zealots remind me of the Hippies around Golden Gate...
This shows far more about you than it does me. For the record I don't have a ps3, don't want a ps3 and I DO have a 360 (although I'm not idiotic enough to pay money for live).


they go on and on about how stupid people are driving their cars and working 40 hours a week being "slaves to the man" then they beg for change eat out of trashcans, then go sleep under a bridge but at least their "free".
Sounds really good to me - people doing as they want when they want.

Seems like you are an xboxlive freak, never mind darling - you'll get better with time.

BTW isnt this idea the same thing that Polyphony Digital had planned for the GT series (except for the being able to earn and unlock part) before people whined it out of existence?
It certainly is, and that was a pathetic money making scheme too. I'm glad that people got active and stopped it (or as a whiny little boy would label it: "whining it out of existence").

You see, those same people will (hopefully) whine this out of existence, whilst the sad apologists (wether they be gt/sony or microsoft fanboys) will still jabber on their pathetic little excuses for whichever company they want to be branded with.

[billysastard]

i'm sure there was a previous ea racing game where you could buy additional cars or you could earn them ingame, problem was that each add on car pack included 1 car you couldnt earn in game meaning that if you wanted the real supercars then you still had to pay to buy ALL the car packs even if you had earned everything in the game.

i can see that as the future, yes youu can earn pretty much everything if you play the game to death but it'll cost you if you want the "top" upgrades in every section so even if you earn everything you'll still have to buy all the upgrade packs if you want the best turbo, brakes, bodykits, paint jobs, tyres etc and thats just plain wrong.

[OmenLW]

if we can spend ms points on hooking up our cars, we should be able to win ms points in game

[danight]

Im not even sure i like this game. Nitrous is cool with rumble. But the games didnt feel like a NFS game.

[versatilias]

Because companies get used to using these kind of things, and before you know it, Everything costs money.


EA isnt doing this out of the goodness of there hearts, they are testing to see if people are stuid enough to buy this stuff, which people ARE. You will see the future become more and more exclusive purchaseable content for games because of it.

Companies are always testing you.

wasn't there a guitar game for the 360 that you had to purchase the extra music to play it??? you couldn't get it by doing anything ingame???

i think it was guitar heroes???

verse

[Sepioth]

wasn't there a guitar game for the 360 that you had to purchase the extra music to play it??? you couldn't get it by doing anything ingame???

i think it was guitar heroes???

verse

Yes they where new song packs. They ware an addition to the game. You paid to get new songs that where not on the disc. The songs on the disc where the same exact songs across all platforms. True download content. The way it was meant to be.

And if people want to pay to advance in the game let them. If I can play to unlock the same stuff for FREE then people who want to use the option to buy what I earned for free that is their choice.

[snipersnake]

allrightttttttt!!

another victory for capitalism!!!!!