Don Bradman Cricket 14 PC PLAYABLE NOW!

[Chief]

Are there genuinely people clamouring for games to not include content out of the box in return for selling it piece by piece to us later, especially after paying full price for the game?

Does anyone want to go online to play against people who have paid for skill/equipment upgrades that make them better than you without playing better?

I've brought it up a few times - I was really looking forward to the new Sim City, it's always been a favourite game of mine - but EA have managed to combine almost every reason for me to not support their business model into one game.

There is a very tiny portion of users who benefit from an ability to buy your way better - but whenever you add that kind of component into a game, there's automatically an incentive to make it very hard to earn your way to that point through normal gameplay.

That's not a model that's consumer friendly.

No. Not these examples. But "micro-transactions" and payments go way beyond this: these are poor models.

Is it wrong to sell a game level by level? So instead of ?40 for a game, you pay ?20 for half and ?20 for the other half if you want it?
Like is it poor to sell individual tracks off an album, OR the whole album?

I've made my particular feelings about the sort of paid DLC you're bringing up pretty clear before: I'm saying it's wrong to just black and white "we hate microtransations" without thinking about the grey area: it's a lot more varied than just the bad uses of it.

 

[MattW]

I've made my particular feelings about the sort of paid DLC you're bringing up pretty clear before: I'm saying it's wrong to just black and white "we hate microtransations" without thinking about the grey area: it's a lot more varied than just the bad uses of it.

In the context of a console Cricket game though - I can't think of many things that you would add that would be 'micro' addons that would benefit the game in a way that doesn't throw out game balance.

Say you could pay 99 cents to get a new item of kit - you would usually expect that there's a benefit to that in game - the paid kit helping your performance somewhat. It's certainly the obvious business model besides hoping people are fanatical enough about a brand to buy it on that alone.

Maybe new stadiums - but the cost of creating the assets for those would make the micro price very difficult to achieve.

New game modes - same thing - how do you make something that's objectively 'worth it' and then sell it at a tiny price?

If something is of demonstrable value, it can be sold for the traditional 'DLC' price range (~$10). A customer making an informed decision, not just being offered the chance to pay a small amount to get past a tough spot in a game or further your career a bit.

I think as an absolute, if something is at 'full price' - so your major disc based console release - you've bought a full game and should not be spending a cent to add things that are easy enough to implement that they can be sold for a 'micro' price.

I would rather pay up front a fair price for what a game costs to recover costs, than for the game to be made in such a way that it hopes I end up spending more than that on it to keep progressing. That model's already ruined PC Golf games for me, I don't want that happening to Cricket as well.

Is it wrong to sell a game level by level?

It is when I play a fantastic 'episode 1' and there's an indefinite wait for the next part!

 

[barmyarmy]

I can think of some ideas:
- a fourth stump when I'm bowling
- extra wide bat
- corrupt players/umpires
- Improved quality teas
- replacing "howzat?" with "does this guy get it?"

 

[isrararrafi]

Why do you think micropayments is "cool". I find it a turn-off and quit any game or app which tries to dime & nickel me. If you are in a charitable mood you can write Ross a check but I for one wouldn't want to see a game where popup comes up "To upgrade your bat to Grey Nicolls Viper, pay $.99". When I pay for a game, especially on consoles, I expect the game to be fully functional and complete. I can understand patches or DLC in some cases, but micropayments is a big no no in my book.

I am okay with micropayments as long as it says..."To upgrade to Grey Nicolls Viper, pay $0.99 or Score 5000 runs with this batsman"

 

[Punk_Sk8r]

Yeah I find them a turn off to a degree but I should have been more clear. I meant more in a way to sustain, grow and give longevity to BA and the bradman brand, also not implying they don't have any plans to do that without the micropayment or that it won't happen without micropayment, was just looking at it from a perspective that a lot of the games that do have this system seem to have a lot of longevity and a big base of players regardless of what people on reddit think. I'll use the example of FIFA just for the sake of it, but the only reason that game is so big is because of the FUT.

 

[Chief]

All good points.

Yes, in the context of a console cricket game it's tricky. Personally I wouldn't want things that might affect the balancing.

Bats would be an obvious one, but with sports games I've worked on in the past it's hard to do that sort of thing. No football boot manufacturer wants you to say that ANOTHER manufacturers product gives you an advantage over theirs. And indeed who is to judge?

People having stadiums other people don't is a bit odd as well. I suspect you wouldn't be able to play online against someone in a stadium you don't have.
Free DLC is, for me, the only way to go with console games: they are a reward for playing, for keeping hold of the game and not trading it in.


My point was that it's a pretty broad brushstroke to tar some of the other, ethical uses of IAPs, which is the only way a lot of other games find that they can get any money out of people.

 

[Punk_Sk8r]

All good points.

Yes, in the context of a console cricket game it's tricky. Personally I wouldn't want things that might affect the balancing.

Bats would be an obvious one, but with sports games I've worked on in the past it's hard to do that sort of thing. No football boot manufacturer wants you to say that ANOTHER manufacturers product gives you an advantage over theirs. And indeed who is to judge?

People having stadiums other people don't is a bit odd as well. I suspect you wouldn't be able to play online against someone in a stadium you don't have.
Free DLC is, for me, the only way to go with console games: they are a reward for playing, for keeping hold of the game and not trading it in.


My point was that it's a pretty broad brushstroke to tar some of the other, ethical uses of IAPs, which is the only way a lot of other games find that they can get any money out of people.

Yeah giving skill attributes and such wouldn't be the way to go. But a lot of PC games base their micropayment system on skins, guns skins like in cs I think LoL and dota have skins to plus other stuff (not sure as I don't play), so dbc could have bat manufactures if the licences allow them to.

All of this is just from a perspective of someone who wants to see cricket games do well of course and although many of us do think micropayments are stupid there are always people who spend huge amounts on this stuff. Sorry to bring it up again but I think the coolest thing would be something like a FUT mode in DBC with their own twist on it or however they would go about doing it, that imo would get enthusiasts hooked. So hopefully the game can grow and features like that will be worth implementing in the future!

 

[gudduthemaster]

Ultimate team for a cricket game without base license would be extremely tricky,since there is no 'fixed stats'/well known player cards.You have to balance each of those 'unknown' players and all.Also I personally dont prefer micro transaction in full retail game,for me it should have been in full game or just introduce a concept like fifa points where you can earn your cosmetics by playing.IF it is F2P i have no problem with paid cosmetics without any gameplay advantage(<3 valve's Model) but for full fledged retail meh!

 

[Punk_Sk8r]

Ultimate team for a cricket game without base license would be extremely tricky,since there is no 'fixed stats'/well known player cards.You have to balance each of those 'unknown' players and all.Also I personally dont prefer micro transaction in full retail game,for me it should have been in full game or just introduce a concept like fifa points where you can earn your cosmetics by playing.IF it is F2P i have no problem with paid cosmetics without any gameplay advantage(<3 valve's Model) but for full fledged retail meh!

Yeah I was merely speaking maybe in the future or something as licences are an issue in that department atm. In FIFA you can earn the points and grind your way through which is cool or what some people do is just buy packs of players. Obviously if DBC ever did do something like this I wouldn't expect them to copy FIFA idea for idea I just think the core idea and concept is good and you can present it however you like.

 

[mattk]

Pay $5 to get Tendulkar into the game.

Ross, I just made you billions

 

[Crossy333]

Why would I pay $5 for Tendulkar when I can get 71 versions of him straight from CA

 

[dadarocks]

Clearly off-topic, but still - I think the BigAnt team that brought in such a revolutionary change with the player creator, will hopefully do something like this for stadiums too. Hopefully in the third/fourth edition of DBC, I expect a comprehensive stadium maker - so that we can add new stadiums with some reasonable amount of realism, as with the CA players. Would love to hear Ross' take on this...

 

[BigAntStudios]

It's the last piece of the puzzle, it is on our list for future sports titles.

We see a shareable stadium creator as very important.

 

[Oregonian]

Hi Ross, is there any plan made by the Big Ant Studios to play with the custom or created teams on the premiere* day to reveal us the created teams game play. Have a peaceful sunday

 

[mattk]

Hi Ross, is there any plan made by the Big Ant Studios to play with the custom or created teams on the premiere* day to reveal us the created teams game play. Have a peaceful sunday

They'll be available to download so someone might happen to download them