Fairness in game inter-platform releases and how petty I may myself be.

Fairness in game inter-platform releases and how petty I may myself be.
This is a subject that has bothered me since Black Ops. I was so mad when I opened up the playsation store on the set release date for the first map pack and it was nowhere to be found. I know it happens a lot, much more than I am aware of. But why do game developers take money from console manufacturers to give them digital content sooner than the next? What can this accomplish, other than making money. I do understand that money makes the world go 'round, but WE are the ones forking over the cash. Our hard earned money makes the world go 'round for game developers. I get concerned when this is forgotten.

Back to the point! Digital content downloads for Call of Duty. More specifically, the recent map packs released for Modern Warfare 3. And even more upsetting, the relation of this to Call of Duty Elite Premium members (a program for connecting outside of the game, users can pay a subscription and receive added benefits *Duh*). Why this is so upsetting for me, and MANY others is this: Microsoft has a contract with Activision to let Xbox Live users receive Downloadable Content one month sooner than Playstation 3 users. That in itself is frustrating. Gaming news sources and youtube commentators talking about and showing of these new maps, an now, not just one month, but five weeks before the average joe PS3 user. Yes, one of the perks of subscribing to Call of Duty Elite Premium is that you receive these DLC's one week before the other XBL users. The problem is not just this feeling of rejection, but that many PS3 users are premium subscribers as well. This whole perk, getting to play new maps a week early by paying $50 OUT THE WINDOW. Yeah, Xboxers got to use them four weeks before you. And for the rest of us who didn't subscribe, we get it five weeks after the XBL premium members did. We paid $60 for the game, on November 8th, and we are paying the same price for the DLC's. But we aren't treated the same.

I also know that there are games on Playstation 3 that recieve DLC's a month early. Most noticeably Battlefield 3. As much as I prosper from this deal, I don't like it any better. I don't own an Xbox 360, nor do I want to. But I wish ALL of my fellow gamers fairness in game releases. I want all of us to be able to recieve the same entertainment at the same time. No one should have to wait longer than others because of a contract between two behemoth companies.

As far as I have read on the Twitter, many, if not all PS3 users are outraged. Especially the COD Elite Premium members. What a waste of money to receive map packs earlier than everyone else, but still four weeks later than a privileged group. Does Activision or Call of Duty care? Probably not. We are still going to download all the maps. And they still suckered us into paying for premium. And many of us will still buy the next COD game, and download all of those overpriced map packs. But what if we didn't? If my own curiosity and need for a new experience in gaming every month wasn't so high, my bull headed self would not allow me to support such blatantly greedy gaming empire bull crap. But I am going to try really hard to keep THIS vow. If Activision announces that the next game in the franchise will support this same contract with Microsoft, I WILL NOT BE BUYING IT! Better yet, I will go to an independent used game store and pay $20 less than the suggested new retail price and they won't get a red cent! That'll really piss them off. (If you want to know my views on this "war on used games" please read my last blog post.) Tommy OUT