Friday, June 29th 2012

Battlefield 3 Premium Sells Over 800K Since Launch

While many scoffed at Battlefield 3's late-arriving competitor to Call of Duty Elite, it seems to have worked quite splendidly for the publisher. More than 800,000 players have signed up for Premium in its first two weeks of availability, EA Games' Patrick Soderlund revealed. Although Premium less a "service" like Elite and more of a DLC Season Pass, the $50 asking price does include a lot of content. Namely, Premium includes access to over $75 worth of content, making it a "value" for hardcore fans of the series. Speaking to USA Today, Soderlund said that "we are very pleased with the performance so far." When asked if this strategy is something EA will pursue with future games, he said: "We're actually only two weeks into it, so it's a little early to tell how this is going to pay off. It certainly it looks very promising right now."

Call of Duty Elite currently has over two million paying subscribers, a number which took about six months to reach.
Source: Shacknews
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69 Comments on Battlefield 3 Premium Sells Over 800K Since Launch

#51
hrvoje
back in the days maps used to be free...
Posted on Reply
#52
Black Haru
cadavecaBecause locally, for me, going to the threatre is MORE expensive. I have plain ol' stopped going, period, becuase I get far more out of buying a game, even if the game is ultra crappy.

Dude posted above that it's $12...for me, it's $12.99, plus tax(5%), or 3D is $15.99...making games @ $50 CHEAPER.

Both are regular forms of entertainment that people enjoy. Of the people I talk to locally, those that go to the movies regularily, don't play video games, and vice-versa. EasyRHino said it surprised him how readily some people drop cash on certain franchises, and to me, it's no differnt than the people i know that go to movies weekly. I cannot understand how people can do THAT...although I do understand needing entertainment. Games and movies are jsut differnt forms of entertainment, and for me, a big part of my personal justification for the money I spend on video games is that other forms of entertainment are actaully more expensive.

I mean, I've got 4 kids, so going to the movie theatre isn't just $50...more like $150. So buying Premium is a no-brainer, given my own circumstances.
bro, you gotta get out of there. the Canadia is sucking you dry man. I can see a matinee for 5 bucks (yeah, even a movie that just came out) and 3d for 10 (imax is 12). I do agree with the analogy. even at 5 bucks, its still not nearly the deal a good game is.
AlienIsGODand thats the problem. the ppl against it assume its a bad deal compared to spending on other things yet the prolly have no kids or live at home w/ parents. Just about ALL of us older members have families and thats why it makes the $50 a good deal, we HAVE to spend more on other forms of entertainment.

I only have 2 kids but movies are def more than $50 ( i mean who just buys a ticket and then ONLY popcorn for the 2+ hour movie, theres drinks, nachos, chocolate or sugar candies etc.) That right there; especially for my kids, makes it more expensive. AND movies are about the cheapest thing a family can do together... camping is just crazy expensive ( lot fees, booze for adults and food and munchies for everyone.... not to mention gas costs associated with getting there and back and runs into town for the odd thing u forgot to bring).
your spending too much on camping too. (this is excluding the initial cost of equipment, which can get high very quick)
hrvojeback in the days maps used to be free...
when was this? I don't seem to recall. In fact, what I do recall is special forces expansion (aka DLC) costing 39.99 some time back...
Posted on Reply
#53
cadaveca
My name is Dave
hrvojeback in the days maps used to be free...
Not in the Battlefield Franchise.

BF2 had special forces, first. Then two or three other map packs.

BF2142 had Northern Strike.

BF: BC2 had Vietnam...


:D
Posted on Reply
#54
Crap Daddy
Each to their own. I have Karkand with Limited Ed, pre-buy, not interested in Close Q, that leaves three more expansions which will be had for 15 Euro each during the following 8 months.
I would have payed 50 Euro for new content that I'm interested in and not already own but this is not the case.
Posted on Reply
#55
tacosRcool
cadavecaWith everything else in life costing so much more than it used to, but games staying at relatively the same price, I can understand it.


$50 for a PC game has been the norm for hmm..5-6 years?


Can you even go to movie and buy popcorn for that cost?

A lot of people will get hundreds of hours out of the $50, vs a couple at the theatre for the same cost...
Here is a nice article detailing the price of video games by Ars technica:

arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/10/an-inconvenient-truth-game-prices-have-come-down-with-time/

I remember when Ocarina of Time came out for the N64 and it cost $79.99! I picked up later on Majora's Mask and it was $60. So why is everybody complaining?
Posted on Reply
#56
RejZoR
Console games were always more expensive than PC games...
Posted on Reply
#57
FreedomEclipse
~Technological Technocrat~
RejZoRConsole games were always more expensive than PC games...
that kinda changed when Pc games turned into PC ports...publishers wanted to charge people the same price. but yeah, back in the day when PC games were PC games it was different
Posted on Reply
#58
Totally
tacosRcoolHere is a nice article detailing the price of video games by Ars technica:

arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/10/an-inconvenient-truth-game-prices-have-come-down-with-time/

I remember when Ocarina of Time came out for the N64 and it cost $79.99! I picked up later on Majora's Mask and it was $60. So why is everybody complaining?
n64 games cost that much because they were on carts which were much more expensive that cd, the price drop was due to pressure from the much cheaper $40-50 PS1 titles.
Posted on Reply
#59
Black Haru
Totallyn64 games cost that much because they were on carts which were much more expensive that cd, the price drop was due to pressure from the much cheaper $40-50 PS1 titles.
Yeah, and the development costs were still a fraction of any modern AAA title.
Posted on Reply
#60
reverze
well it shows you guys are young if you dont remember whole armies ( canadian ) being added to BF1942 in patches
Posted on Reply
#61
1Kurgan1
The Knife in your Back
reverzewell it shows you guys are young if you dont remember whole armies ( canadian ) being added to BF1942 in patches
I don't think age has much to do with it. I'm 26, I just barely started driving with 1942 came out, and my family never had a computer. When I got my first job I finally built a comp and 1942 was one of the games I built it for. It's crazy to think that was 10 years ago now. But I played the DC mod almost exclusively. Back in the BC2 Clubhouse people would always flap their gums about BF3 this and BF3 that, simply because they felt BC2 wasn't a spiritual successor (and it seemed mostly because it wasn't just BF"insert X number here"). Now that BF3 is out, I feel honestly that BC2 was a better successor to the family than BF3 is. Not saying I'm not enjoying BF3, because I am, I just had a lot more fun on BC2 and it felt more like the BF3 I remember.

Now getting past that rant, everytime I mentioned 1942 in the past when people were talking BF2 this and BF2 that, almost never was an eye batted. I don't think many here played 1942, most seemed to have jumped in at BF2, which makes me a bit sad :( I want to see El Alamein brought back in the next DLC. I know it never will be, but man that map was epic. That map was so large it's Flags were like little towns. I remember getting tanks destroyed out in the desert and just committing suicide, simply because the run to any base was too far to even consider.
Posted on Reply
#62
Liquid Cool
I gave up on COD after COD4, I have BF2(with the Vietnam DLC) and I'm waiting to purchase BF3 when I can get it for 9.99. I'm not too sure about the Premium Service. Not for me unless it's cheap.

I'm actually thinking of starting my own club and I got the idea from this thread. "The Great Unwashed". There will be only one rule for membership. You never purchase a game from The Great Unwashed for more than 9.99 per video game. I've been able to purchase every single title that has come out in the last year(sans COD and BF3) without hassle. You don't even have to look very hard.

I started this rule when TGU changed their format from $49.99 and the whole game to $59.99 and 1/2(or less) of a game. I figured I'd just wait and pay them the difference.

:),

LC

P.S. We're heading into a Depression. Games will be cheap.
Posted on Reply
#63
Deo Domuique
I'm staying purposely out of this. I don't want to support the 'NoSupportAnymore'.

Since the release we receive only balance adjustments which yes, they're necessary, but require no real work and even these came untested. DICE has to release so many DLCs that literally they don't have time to fix the countless glitches and bugs.

I got the game 34.9€, the Limited Edition, Box with B2K and now they ask 49.9€ for premium, digital content... Europeans and Aussies have to pay the most expensive price in the whole world.

Most of the 800k had already B2K which means they repaid it. Many of them won't even play CQ and some both... But somehow they still 'save' money. I won't even mention about the last 2 DLCs which no one knows what they'll be about...

I stronly believe all of us ( gamers ) lose in long term.

What about the CoD-like, fully recoil-less, fully spread-less CQ weapons? I bet they'll be nerfed after 2-3 patches for obvious reasons... It's like they're saying "buy CQ/premium" to get these OP guns.
Posted on Reply
#64
TheMailMan78
Big Member
Deo DomuiqueI'm staying purposely out of this. I don't want to support the 'NoSupportAnymore'.

Since the release we receive only balance adjustments which yes, they're necessary, but require no real work and even these came untested. DICE has to release so many DLCs that literally they don't have time to fix the countless glitches and bugs.

I got the game 34.9€, the Limited Edition, Box with B2K and now they ask 49.9€ for premium, digital content... Europeans and Aussies have to pay the most expensive price in the whole world.

Most of the 800k had already B2K which means they repaid it. Many of them won't even play CQ and some both... But somehow they still 'save' money. I won't even mention about the last 2 DLCs which no one knows what they'll be about...

I stronly believe all of us ( gamers ) lose in long term.

What about the CoD-like, fully recoil-less, fully spread-less CQ weapons? I bet they'll be nerfed after 2-3 patches for obvious reasons... It's like they're saying "buy CQ/premium" to get these OP guns.
Its not DICE's fault you pay high prices. Blame your government.
Posted on Reply
#65
Deo Domuique
TheMailMan78Its not DICE's fault you pay high prices. Blame your government.
Uhm... Who mentioned that DICE is responsible for the price? Certainly not me. Also, what goverment? European and Australian? EA and every company from U.S.A. usually convert the relative European prices like this: 1$=1€, no matter if there are no transfer or other costs... They just do. This injustice doesn't concern only my country specifically. You can ask other Europeans, likewise...

When you buy transatlantic online products, few our different governments can do about.

I really hope it was just a wit and has nothing to do with the fact that you are American and the relative stereotypes that you do not know what is going on on other countries, outside the U.S.

Incidentally, I see that you purposely leave out all the serious reasons and you grapple with the most trivial, and even this mistakenly. I think you were ready to include the phrase 'poor peasant', right? :p
Posted on Reply
#66
TheMailMan78
Big Member
Deo DomuiqueUhm... Who mentioned that DICE is responsible for the price? Certainly not me. Also, what goverment? European and Australian? EA and every company from U.S.A. usually convert the relative European prices like this: 1$=1€, no matter if there are no transfer or other costs... They just do. This injustice doesn't concern only my country specifically. You can ask other Europeans, likewise...

When you buy transatlantic online products, few our different governments can do about.

I really hope it was just a wit and has nothing to do with the fact that you are American and the relative stereotypes that you do not know what is going on on other countries, outside the U.S.

Incidentally, I see that you purposely leave out all the serious reasons and you grapple with the most trivial, and even this mistakenly. I think you were ready to include the phrase 'poor peasant', right? :p
You said "Europeans and Aussies have to pay the most expensive price in the whole world." as if its DICE/EA fault. Its not. Blame import tariffs and such. To expensive? Vote for something else in your Parliament or whatever you have or just don't buy the game. Price isn't the issue here. The cost of the good is set by the market and sadly now government regulation.

As for the American comment Ill just chalk that up to the inferiority complex so many young people have these days. Most cannot even grasp their own issues so they blame "the big bad wolf" instead of owning up to there own short falls.
Posted on Reply
#67
DannibusX
A lot of things aren't considered when it comes to worldwide pricing. Tariffs and VAT are amongst those things that drive the cost of a product up, which is why many Americans are against a VAT in the US.
Posted on Reply
#68
Mr McC
TheMailMan78You said "Europeans and Aussies have to pay the most expensive price in the whole world." as if its DICE/EA fault. Its not. Blame import tariffs and such. To expensive? Vote for something else in your Parliament or whatever you have or just don't buy the game. Price isn't the issue here. The cost of the good is set by the market and sadly now government regulation.

As for the American comment Ill just chalk that up to the inferiority complex so many young people have these days. Most cannot even grasp their own issues so they blame "the big bad wolf" instead of owning up to there own short falls.
DERAIL:

Do you believe that the US has no part in shaping international trading to ensure that it maintains an advantage? To discuss the market is to discuss an invisable and unidentifiable force, but in many instances the US is the "market" you refer to and actively shapes the economic context around us. That is not to say that the US is at fault in this specific case, but I do not believe that we can or should speak of the US and "the market" as separate entities that operate according to different principles and with different aims - often, perhaps too often, they are one and the same.
Posted on Reply
#69
Sanhime
AlienIsGODman i have less than 50 hours played and I already feel that it was money well spent. Christ, im on a fixed income and can set aside the neccessary funds to build my comp, buy bf3 and karkand then Premium. If you don't wish to pay for something like this then don't, but don't slander us that did buy it because we feel its a good deal.

I can also back up Dave's comment on 8 bit games costing $75-90 dollars. Hell i even remember when the Neo Geo came out. System was about $500 and games were $200 each. All this to be able to play arcade games at home. Let's not forget the very 1st CD based system ever, the 3DO en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3DO_Interactive_Multiplayer. $600 for that system.. maybe more depending on sources.

To sum it up, the gamer of the 2000s and up dont know how good they have it price wise compared to some of us older members.
Actually, the first console to use CD (though was no CD based) was the PC Engine aka TG-16. (Ah those were the good ole days)
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