It's been a long time since I've made a blog, and this begs for some kind of comment.
Ok, laying out the facts. On release day, March 6, Bioware and EA will be releasing their first expansion DLC with a playable character!
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/mass-effect-3/1219254p1.html?RSSwhen2012-02-22_161400
Now, this is nothing new to ME players. We had Zaeed and his bucket list revenge mission DLC expansion as a freebie with the Cerberus Network code included with new (as in not Gamestop used) games. They also made it available as a seperate purchase for those who bought the game used (as I did - AND I STILL SAVED $20 on the whole deal vs. buying it new - HA!)
The DLC can't be described too much, for it will entail a big storyline spoiler! So, I won't go into details on it - just click the link if you want to see the spoiler!
Oh, yes. I did say something about a boycott, didn't I. Well it seems there are some who think that this DLC is not just a big spoiler to the plotline, but another scam by EA by using a vital part of the game that was taken out of the game in order to make more money at the expense of loyal players.
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2012/02/mass-effect-3-dlc-triggers-fan-outrage-bioware-response/
Well, I've now had time to digest this and come up with my response.
A boycott? To quote ESPN: "C'MON, MAN!"
First of all, how are you so sure that this DLC is a big spoiler to the main storyline? The game is not out yet, or have all of you pre-judged it because the mention of a playable [Redacted for spoiler reason] character! You could be boycotting over nothing! If you watched "The Alamo" or the "Titanic," I'm pretty sure you know how they would end, but you still watched them anyway, right?
EA holding back game content already made for the purpose of making easy money via DLC? SO WHAT!
This is nothing new. How many toys have we wanted after seeing the commercials, where the commentator ended the commercial with the phrase "Vehicle and accessories sold seperately?" Man, that Luke Skywalker action figure was cool, but it was lame without that X-Wing! Ford and Chevy can put their own factory made bedliners, bug guards, and other accesories on every single truck they make - but they sell them seperately! Do we cry bloody murder over that? The consumer world is full of products that offer key components that make the product more valuable and useable - but still sell the add-on seperately at a high mark up. It's called the FREE MARKET!
Speaking of STORY SPOILERS! How about those Director's Cut releases of movies? No, George Lucas is not the only one that does it. We all know that the extended Lord of the Rings movies are loads better than the original theater releases, but we have to pay loads more for those versions. Same with the really cool longer version of Aliens! Should we be boycotting The Hobbit and the next Jame Cameron movie because they charge us more for to see scenes they cut out of their movies, then make us buy a second more expensive copy just to see what got cut out?
If EA and Bioware are taking game content out of a game and packaging it seperately so they can make more money - LET THEM! It's their game, their product, they have the right to sell it any way they want. No one is holding a Carnifax Hand Cannon to our heads and telling us to buy it. And if this is the price to pay in order to keep Bioware and EA in the business of making great games like Mass Effect, then I will gladly break traditiion and buy this game at full price AND buy the DLC with my saved up Bing rewarded MS points.
As for the boycott-ees! Feel free! You have that right, too. Plus, each person declaring their intentions of boycotting the game is probably one less attention seeking drama queen wasting the bandwidth on Xbox Live. God knows we have enough dipsticks to wear out the File Complaint button already.
Really, what do you think a boycott is going to accomplish here if it succeeds? Put EA and Bioware out of business? End day one DLC releases on ALL NEW games? Or worse yet, demand our idiotic government to step in and take more control over the video game industry, just because a bunch of Whineranians don't want to spend another extra $10 in their quest to be the first at something on a game?
If that lowsy $10 DLC is such a low blow to you, why not borrow a page from my book - play the game as normal and wait for a sale or look for special offers! Heaven forbid a gamer actually has to wait a little while to play something.