Microsoft won't let Epic Games release new Gears maps for free
In an interview with Shawn Elliott on this week's 1up Yours podcast, Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney confirmed that Microsoft is attempting to force Epic to charge for the next batch of maps for Gears of War.
Quote:
We already released two (maps) and we have four more maps that we've built. We've been wanting to give them but actually Microsoft has been pushing back on us. They're trying to build this business model around selling additonal content for games and that's a valid idea, but we would definitely like to release more stuff for free, and we haven't been able to do so yet.
If Epic wants to give away free content to their customers, I don't think Microsoft should have a say in the matter. MS gets a cut of every microtransaction, so they have a vested interest in making sure that all developers charge for their downloadable content.
Last edited by Food Nipple; 04-06-2007 at 08:48 PM..
Yeah, I don't see why Epic doesn't tell MS to go screw themselves and release the maps for free anyway. It isn't like MS is going to tell them to take Gears of War to another console or something.
Publishers often have quite a bit of say(i.e. TOTAL CONTROL) when it comes to what the developer can and can't do with a game. It all depends on the contract that the developer worked in the beginning.
Also, MS (and Sony) has complete control over everything that ends up on it's console. They can and will give feedback about the quality of games that MUST be addressed before they ship. This often leads to a lot of negotiation between publisher/developer/console manufacturer. Bugs get the same kind of treatment.
Yeah, I don't see why Epic doesn't tell MS to go screw themselves and release the maps for free anyway. It isn't like MS is going to tell them to take Gears of War to another console or something.
Edit: Oh yeah! Lawsuits, but on what grounds?
Gyah! Beaten to the point. Epic needs to push back and threaten the same. That's it. Doesn't MS get enough from subscribers?
I am immediately boycotting all forms of XBOX Live transactions, and will no longer purchase XBOX 360 games. This is exactly the kind of bullshit that people were worried about when the idea was first brought up.
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Yeah, I don't see why Epic doesn't tell MS to go screw themselves and release the maps for free anyway. It isn't like MS is going to tell them to take Gears of War to another console or something.
Edit: Oh yeah! Lawsuits, but on what grounds?
Umm... except, the service and hardware is controlled by Microsoft, so Epic can say, "screw yourself," and Microsoft can say, "Okay, you don't have a platform to release your content."
Now, of course that's incredibly childish and it's not in either party's interest to go that route.
I'm just surprised by 2 things;
1. Epic wants to release them for free.
2. Microsoft & Epic have allowed this little internal squabble to become public.
These types of things happen all the time and we never know about them. I know in today's world of; I want it ALL NOW and FOR FREE and full-disclosure, people are saying, "yeah, we should know everything, so we can hate and bitch about it," but you really don't want to know everything and bitch about it. People don't know how streetlights work, they just do...
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I am immediately boycotting all forms of XBOX Live transactions, and will no longer purchase XBOX 360 games. This is exactly the kind of bullshit that people were worried about when the idea was first brought up.
Huh? Why is it that no one wants to pay for content? Do you have any idea what it costs to build and test a single level for a game like this? Seriously, WTF, when did we all move to communist Russia?
Umm... except, the service and hardware is controlled by Microsoft, so Epic can say, "screw yourself," and Microsoft can say, "Okay, you don't have a platform to release your content."
Now, of course that's incredibly childish and it's not in either party's interest to go that route.
I'm just surprised by 2 things;
1. Epic wants to release them for free.
2. Microsoft & Epic have allowed this little internal squabble to become public.
These types of things happen all the time and we never know about them. I know in today's world of; I want it ALL NOW and FOR FREE and full-disclosure, people are saying, "yeah, we should know everything, so we can hate and bitch about it," but you really don't want to know everything and bitch about it. People don't know how streetlights work, they just do...
And yes, I do want to know about everything. Why wouldn't I? The more info about shit like this that's out there, the more companies like MS have to account for themselves in the public eye. I bet you that's why this came out. Epic is being stonewalled by MS and suddenly they turn around and tell the public about this shit. Now they've got consumers on their side.
Huh? Why is it that no one wants to pay for content? Do you have any idea what it costs to build and test a single level for a game like this? Seriously, WTF, when did we all move to communist Russia?
I have no problem with paying for content, I have bought many things through XBOX Live, including new content for my games. But I have a serious problem with MS cock-blocking people trying to release free content for their games.
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This is absolute horse shit, and now that the news is out that they're forcing developers to charge for these things it might change the way Microsoft does things. Epic treats their customers right and I'm glad that they're not letting Microsoft push them around and change that.
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I have no problem with paying for content, I have bought many things through XBOX Live, including new content for my games. But I have a serious problem with MS cock-blocking people trying to release free content for their games.
What makes you think it's free for Microsoft to host it and distribute it? In the end, someone has to pay for the storage, bandwidth, cpu time, etc.
I would assume that Microsoft doesn't charge developers or publishers for every free download that is out there.
What makes you think it's free for Microsoft to host it and distribute it? In the end, someone has to pay for the storage, bandwidth, cpu time, etc.
Someone who pays a $50 a year fee, maybe? Someone like that?
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Microsoft unfortunately has the upper hand because they run Xbox Live off of an old refurbished Xbox 360. They control the horizontal and the vertical.
They control the tubes.
...and that's why they have to bring the ENTIRE thing down periodically to maintain it like all best practice network admins do.
Come to think of it, the last downtime was because they were probably upgrading the Xbox that runs live from a Premium to an Elite.
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