[360] Market forces and you or "Why popular stuff costs lots" for beginners

Just like boycotting rarely works, voting with one's wallet rarely works either. If anything, there seems to be an ironic twist to sales-based results. If only a few people buy a good game (Front Mission 4), then it's fairly likely that other good games won't be made, or at least won't be released in the territory the previous game didn't sell well in (Front Mission 5, widely regarded as the best in the series, not released in U.S.) However, if only a few people buy a shitty game...well, nothing changes, companies still keep putting out shitty games constantly (Sonic). Same principle seems to apply to films. I realize that's completely beside the scope of this argument, but it just goes to show you there is no balanced force at work in game economics. DLC costs the game companies next to nothing to make (maps are probably the only things that do), and cost Microsoft (or Sony) next to nothing to host. They're almost completely profit. So if you don't buy their DLC, they don't care, they're not losing out on anything. And let's say no single gamer buys a particularly BS piece of DLC. So what? They'll just find something more appetizing, but just as cheap to produce, that will lure gamers in.

What really burns me is thinking about general price discrepancies in everything we buy anyway. It costs $4 to give Cammy a sexy jacket and Zangief some pants. Seems quite overpriced (as being such a small percentage of the game's overall content). But then you think...well, what else can I get for $4? A basic cheeseburger meal at McDonald's. Hmm, a few months of gameplay staring at Cammy's ass, or 5 min. of an unsatisfying "burger product". When you think about it that way, the DLC seems like a better deal doesn't it? But no, it's still a shitty deal! ARGH *BRAINSPLODE* Don't even get me started on the fact that a pair of women's jeans costs as much as a PS2 game.

Look, the system is never gonna change unless you go work for "X" game company yourself (or more importantly, M$) and bring some honest business practices into the works. That isn't going to happen, so really, take a look at what's being offered and decide whether or not you can buy something better than 48 new BlazBlue character colors for $5. That's the only way it can be justified.


I myself have bought 2 Street Fighter IV costume packs, the BlazBlue color palettes, 9 Soul Calibur IV helmets, and the RE5 versus mode. All ripoffs, of course, but really...what the hell else was I gonna do with $5? Drive through a random toll booth? Buy 2 pairs of socks?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I wish they'd make an adapter to use the Steel Battalion "controller" with the 360 and maybe release a revamped version of the game on XBL. My SB has been sitting in a box for 3 years.


I know, I have a better chance of wishing for world peace, regular flights to the moon, and $100 million and it coming true than this happening.


But really, would anything else in the world rock harder than playing Steel Battalion in HD in front of a 46+" Samsung? Besides piloting an actual mech, of course.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'm not really sure how this is an issue of drivers when I'm talking about a) the ports on X-Box controllers not being USB, b) wanting a new/remade SB game in High Def, and c) playing on 360, not PC.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Alright, and you didn't just say that the first time, why? I mean, if I were a little bit psychic "PC Drivers" might stand as an in-depth answer, but otherwise it just seems completely out of context.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?