EA begins offering Battlefield 2: Special Forces as a download

[Everlost_MI]

Gamecloud (http://www.gamecloud.com/) has the scoop (http://www.gamecloud.com/omg.wtf?lolz=2257) on Electronic Arts offering the full version of Battlefield 2: Special Forces as a download. The download will cost $29.99, the same price the standard retail package will run. The title will be activated for users on November 22 at 1 p.m. EST.

Click here (https://account.ea.com/commerce/product-info.jsp?ipath=15&locale=en_US&sls=2&site=eaco&prodid=BF2-MAP&skin=bf2map&app=commerce) for the Electronic Arts Battlefield 2: Special Forces download page.

Anyone planning on using this route to get the expansion pack?

[Goronmon]

If its the same price I'd rather just go pick up the media.

Edit: Hmm...its being made available the day the 360 launches. Methinks it won't break any records that day. ;)

[Knite]

I agree with Goronmon.
If it's the same price, I'd rather get the media, jewel case, any documentation

Otherwise, EA gets the extra profit, and I have to spend more on paper, CDs, cases, and my time.
Horseshit if you ask me =)

[bapenguin]

Retarded. Make it cheaper if it's downloadable...bandwidth is dirt cheap now a days.

[Morratut]

I can't believe this expansion is 29.99. Even over download :(

I won't be playing this i don't think. I am glad the infantry combat is better in BF2 but i want BF2 to swing back more to the big battles of Desert Combat also. Special Ops in the dark won't give me that.

I still want to kill someone by shooting a zip line at them though then riding down towards his corpse pinned to a wall. That move would make me buy the game ;)

Hell nothing else will get a look in with anyways with the 360 so close.

[Steve_Erhardt]

Agreed with the above. If the download is going to be the SAME price as the media, and not even ACTIVE until the same day I can grab it off the shelf anyways, EA can blow. There's exactly ZERO benefit in downloading it with that scheme unless you want to get really anal and figure in the trip to the store, but since I'm out that way all the time ANYWAYS, even THAT argument won't work. Screw 'em.

[Syl]

I'm curious how long it'll be for a Battlefield 2 + Special Forces combo pack. Thats what I'm going to be wanting to pick up whenever I get the ability to play online games again...

[Edlud]

I will. Last time I went to EBX I got pimples from the clerk :D

Seriously, It has been depressing going to a game store. PC games have the smallest display area, at a gamestop it takes an extra week for the game to show up, and many expansion packs don't have jeweled cases. The manual is a bummer, but this is not combat mission. If they used the valve-steam model and make the game cheaper, it would be a no brainer.

[Offworlder]

Although I'm all about being able to purchase and download games online rather than deal with countless CDs and CD keys, I'm a bit wary of this kind of a service coming from EA.

Nevertheless, I'm sure the urge to play at the very instant the game is released will have overcome my silly fears by the 22nd. Unless I'm in the mood to try to wait in line for a 360.

[dartt]

yeah, I would if it weren't cheaper to order it online and have a physical copy.

[DigitalFirefly]

I'm gonna buy it in the store.

[Thenetcase]

I remember paying $19.95 for Joint Ops: Escallation... and that was a MUCH better expansion pack AND it came on CD.
No way I'd pay $30 for an expansion pack for a game that isn't even as good as Joint Ops, which was released over a year before.

-TNC-

[PantherModern]

It would be a different story if there was some type of INCENTIVE to do so. But no, EA is exploring an online distribution model by being morons. If you can't play it until you buy it in the store anyway, then who gives a crap? And it is the same price as the one that comes with a book and a cd? Are they kidding?

The whole reason I bought HL2 on Steam was because I could play CS:S early and I got the back catalog of Valve games. If it just would have been a straight "download it or wait for the boxed version," I would have bought the box.

Stupid EA.

[Dabombpizza]

With the number of times I have to reformat my machine, I'll just stick to buying it in the box. Why the hell are they charging full price?

[Averic]

Seems like someone is trying to copy Valve. But at least valve makes their expansions cheap over the intenet.

[GodFather]

Absolutely not. I prefer to have a physical disc in my hand. If there going to save money with packaging and bypassing the retail part they should pass the savings on to the consumer.

[51|RandoM]

I don't understand people saying there is no incentive to getting it as a download at the same price.

hell, I LIVE within about 6 blocks of 4 or 5 places I can buy it in a store and i'd rather download it. No lines, no retards, no dumbass cd copy protection bullshit, etc.

[Chagrinful]

I hope this fails miserably so they'll figure out you need to make d/l shit cheaper.

Shit for a second when I read the headline you got my hopes up that the mediocre expansion would be freee.

[Maskatron]

I'm going to wait until EA pacthes BF2 some more.

[UnderHero5]

I'll buy it online if and only if my local WalMart doesn't have it on release day. It's the only place within an hours drive (one way) to buy games around here.

It should be at least 5 bucks cheaper though... at LEAST. (should be 10 bucks cheaper, really... there's no publishing costs.... other than bandwidth, and it'll probably download at 5kps if it's anything like the BF2 demo was when it came out).

[51|RandoM]

Do people really think online distribution costs are significantly cheaper than traditional costs? I don't.

Do people think that raw distribution cost is why Valve went with Steam? I don't. (HINT: it still costs significant money to distribute the titles, but they don't have to share the profit with a publisher and multiple retailers).

Do people think there are no inherent benefits to the customer in online distribution, benefits that are a value add? I don't.


half empty vs. half full, I suppose. :-)

Things don't get cheaper in this world just because you want them to or think they should, fyi.

[UnderHero5]

Do people really think online distribution costs are significantly cheaper than traditional costs? I don't.

Do people think that raw distribution cost is why Valve went with Steam? I don't. (HINT: it still costs significant money to distribute the titles, but they don't have to share the profit with a publisher and multiple retailers).

Do people think there are no inherent benefits to the customer in online distribution, benefits that are a value add? I don't.


half empty vs. half full, I suppose. :-)

Things don't get cheaper in this world just because you want them to or think they should, fyi.

It's a FACT that distributing online cuts costs. There are no manufacturing costs. Period.
How is that opinion? It's fact, fyi.

[TheKeck]

I won't be getting this one way or the other.

[Dabombpizza]

It's a FACT that distributing online cuts costs. There are no manufacturing costs. Period.
How is that opinion? It's fact, fyi.

In the case of steam there must be a ton of costs as far as server infrastructure and administration. I mean, they have a system that is running 24/7 and when it crashes people get pissed. That has to raise some sort of cost, although I doubt it's as much as printing and shipping to a retail outlet. Of course these are all speculations with no factual basis.

[UnderHero5]

In the case of steam there must be a ton of costs as far as server infrastructure and administration. I mean, they have a system that is running 24/7 and when it crashes people get pissed. That has to raise some sort of cost, although I doubt it's as much as printing and shipping to a retail outlet. Of course these are all speculations with no factual basis.


I agree with what you just said, but we're not talking about Steam anyway, we're talking about EA putting a file on their servers and distributing CD-Keys online. There's no huge infrastructure costs for them to worry about, no R&D going into an online distribution service... they're just hosting what is probably a 700mb file on their servers for download. Yes, bandwidth costs money, but I'm sure it doesn't costs as much as manufacturing/distributing the game would. Not to mention they are probably just going to host it on their existing servers.

With that said, there is no reason for it not being at least 5 bucks cheaper.
I'm buying it either way, I'm just saying.

Edit: Doh, nevermind. It's a 1.2gb file.
Big expansion size.

[The Iron Weasel]

I will. Last time I went to EBX I got pimples from the clerk :D

Seriously, It has been depressing going to a game store. PC games have the smallest display area, at a gamestop it takes an extra week for the game to show up, and many expansion packs don't have jeweled cases. The manual is a bummer, but this is not combat mission. If they used the valve-steam model and make the game cheaper, it would be a no brainer.

Wow, you get depressed really easy....

[The Iron Weasel]

I remember paying $19.95 for Joint Ops: Escallation... and that was a MUCH better expansion pack AND it came on CD.
No way I'd pay $30 for an expansion pack for a game that isn't even as good as Joint Ops, which was released over a year before.

-TNC-

First of the x-pack isnt out, so you don't know if its better. And secondly, BF2 is far superior then JO (IMO). That said, I still play JO, but since I updated my drivers the gun models have a shit-ton of graphics errors on them, so I can't play it because it bothers the living shit outta me.

[Varsity]

Here are my thoughts (http://www.steamreview.org/?p=22), if anyone is interested. In short, they've taken away some of the advantages for customers and added a few for themselves. The positive thing is it's unlikely to have DRM, just CD checks (it only sells expansions).

[kickmybum]

It could be the same price because of a distribution agreement. Sort of the same reason Half-Life 2 through steam had to sell for the same price as retail.

But since that's the case, might as well just grab the box.

[TheKeck]

It could be the same price because of a distribution agreement. Sort of the same reason Half-Life 2 through steam had to sell for the same price as retail.

I think this is the case.

[Varsity]

Agreement with who? It's all EA.

[Thenetcase]

First of the x-pack isnt out, so you don't know if its better. And secondly, BF2 is far superior then JO (IMO). That said, I still play JO, but since I updated my drivers the gun models have a shit-ton of graphics errors on them, so I can't play it because it bothers the living shit outta me.

I know because the whole feel of BF2 is completely unrealistic. The bullet effects suck horribly and the vehicle physics are really nasty (like there isn't enough gravity).

Just my opinion, of course... but I don't see the xpack making any improvements.

-TNC-

[Dabombpizza]

I know because the whole feel of BF2 is completely unrealistic. The bullet effects suck horribly and the vehicle physics are really nasty (like there isn't enough gravity).


Personally I love the physics and I think the game mixes a good amount of realism and surrealism. I love flying helicopters and ground combat on foot is extremely intense. I've never wanted my physics to be perfect, just cool.

[The Iron Weasel]

I know because the whole feel of BF2 is completely unrealistic. The bullet effects suck horribly and the vehicle physics are really nasty (like there isn't enough gravity).

Just my opinion, of course... but I don't see the xpack making any improvements.

-TNC-

First off, I have to say, the vehicle physics arn't the most realistic in JO either, have you used the dirt bike in Escalation? And secondly, the thing that bugs me In JO is that the guns are like Laser accurate! But I still play JO on a regular basis. I love how absolutly fucking MASSIVE the maps are. But once again, theres some visual corruption on the guns that drives me up the wall, and I can't play it till its fixed.

[Varsity]

Do people really think online distribution costs are significantly cheaper than traditional costs? I don't.Valve have an 86% profit margin with Steam, up from around 50%. http://www.steamreview.org/?p=16

[Dabombpizza]

Valve have an 86% profit margin with Steam, up from around 50%. http://www.steamreview.org/?p=16

More power too them! Now...drop the prices...

[51|RandoM]

It's a FACT that distributing online cuts costs. There are no manufacturing costs. Period.
How is that opinion? It's fact, fyi.

it isn't a fact.

Do you think you just build an online distribution system, including secure transaction authorizations from scratch, for free? NO.

Do you think you run it on servers that magically fall from the sky and administer themselves for free? NO.

Do you think the datacenter they sit in is a bastion of Utopia, where land, electricity, property taxes, and building maintenance are free? NO.

Do you think their ISP gives them bandwidth for free, out of a spirit of goodwill? NO.

Some people are such fucking retards when it comes to money, you expect everything to be free, and if you don't know why it isn't free, you automatically assume you're being robbed. You need to grow up.

[51|RandoM]

Valve have an 86% profit margin with Steam, up from around 50%. http://www.steamreview.org/?p=16

The majority of that margin is from cutting out the retailer and the publisher, not from a transition from physical distribution to electronic.

At least ask for your discount for the right reasons, people.

[Shifteh]

Maybe if they fixed the game-crippling bugs, I'd check it out.

[Varsity]

The majority of that margin is from cutting out the retailer and the publisher, not from a transition from physical distribution to electronic.
So? That means nothing.