Hasta La Gadget!

I’ve been a gamer for a long time, and I’ve never been a fan of micro-transactions in games. These are the little paid add-ons that allow you to buy upgrades and other items that you might not have access to at all or at least not until you achieve higher levels otherwise. I’ve always felt like micro-transactions were a bit like legalized cheating. I also don’t like how some games make in-game purchases almost a requirement to advance. I long for the days when you just bought a game and you got the whole game.

EA revealed this week that it would be putting micro-transactions into all of its video games going forward. EA says that consumers like in-game purchases and micro-transactions. However, a lot of gamers feel the same way I do, and don’t like micro-transactions. EA’s video game Dead Space 3 was criticized over its implementation of micro-transactions because the game seemed to some to be focused on pushing users to make these purchases.

The info came from EA Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen, who stated “The next and much bigger piece [of the business] is micro-transactions within games...  We’re building into all of our games the ability to pay for things along the way, either to get to a higher level to buy a new character, to buy a truck, a gun, whatever it might be.”

EA has offered in-game purchases and micro-transactions in the past, specifically on its driving game franchise Need for Speed. EA has allowed users to purchase car packs, providing them with vehicles earlier than they would normally be allowed to have them if they progress through the game naturally.

While this might be seen as a convenience to gamers who want to skip ahead, it’s also just a way for game developers to increase revenues by selling add-ons incrementally beyond the base price of a game.

[via EuroGamer]

EA has announced something that a lot of gamers out there will not appreciate. EA CFO Blake Jorgensen was recently at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference and noted during a speech he gave the EA would be building micro-transactions into all PC and console games it makes. While some gamers like micro transactions, others see it as a sort of legalized way to cheat.

Micro-transactions typically allow players to do things like upgrade weapons and buy better game items to help them compete without actually having to earn them in the game. A bit of controversy has been swirling around the game Dead Space 3 because it uses micro-transactions for upgrading weapons. Many gamers probably won’t have a problem with micro-transactions as long as you don’t have to spend money to be able to progress in the game.

Being able to pay real money to get a weapon earlier as long as you can still get the weapon by traditional means in the game might not be such a bad thing for gamers on single player titles. Much of the controversy around micro-transactions for EA has centered on Dead Space 3, but EA has offered micro-transactions on other titles in the past. Specifically, micro-transactions where offered in the Mass Effect 3 multiple player game.

The company has also offered the ability to purchase car packs in games like Need for Speed for a long time allowing players to unlock better vehicles well before they would be able to via game play alone. The problem many people have specifically with Dead Space 3 and the way micro-transactions are handled is that some feel the game is made to guide players towards spending real money on upgrades.

[via EuroGamer]

EA will bundle micro-transactions into all PC and console games is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

I’ve been a huge fan of the Mass Effect franchise since the original game launched years ago. Like many fans of the franchise, I didn’t particularly like the fact that my favorite characters were killed at the end of Mass Effect 3. The game was still a lot of fun though, and EA and BioWare have announced the launch dates for the last of the download content for the video game.

The download content pack Mass Effect 3: Citadel will be coming on March 5. Citadel is a single-player download pack that allows players to explore and discover new locations across the massive Citadel space station. The DLC pack will also allow players to play alongside of some of their favorite characters from all three of the Mass Effect video games.

Mass Effect 3: Reckoning is another download content pack aimed at multiple player gamers that will be available on February 26. This multiple player DLC pack includes new characters, new maps, and new weapons for players to enjoy. Mass Effects 3 developers will be streaming game play from Reckoning and taking questions from fans about this DLC pack on February 25 at 9:30 AM PST via Twitch.tv.

Citadel is the last single player DLC pack for Mass Effect 3 providing one last journey with Commander Shepard and his team. Citadel will cost $14.99 or 1200 MS Points. Reckoning is being offered at no cost and will be downloadable via Xbox Live, the PlayStation Store, or Origin software.

[via Mass Effect]

Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC coming March 5, Reckoning on February 26 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Want to know just who’s developing for the PlayStation 4? Sony just gave is a very good peek: it’s promising worldwide support for the console, and quickly flashed just which companies that entails. The cursory look shows us many familiar heavyweights, such as 2K, Activision, Capcom, EA, Konami and Ubisoft. We’ve also spotted Rockstar, Square Enix and other names that most would have hoped for with the new PlayStation. Suffice it to say that Sony hasn’t had any problems attracting the support it needs for a decent early lineup, although we don’t know how many of these developers will have something ready for launch day.

Update: A few exist that aren’t (directly) mentioned in the graphic above: Blizzard is porting Diablo III to the PS4, and Bungie will put its future MMO-like shooter, Destiny, on the game machine.

Check out our liveblog of Sony’s event to get the latest news as it happens!

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

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Today is 1st US president George Washington’s birthday, which also marks President’s Day in the US. To celebrate, Electronic Arts is discounting over 55 of its games, some of which you can grab for as much as 90% off their normal price. This means that every single one of their games on sale is only $0.99, even their iPad games.

Some workers have today off, since President’s Day is a national holiday, so if you’re one of those people, it seems like EA is giving you something to do on your day off. Games like Mass Effect Infiltrator, Dead Space 3, and a handful of Need for Speed titles are only $0.99 on the iPhone, while Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Mirror’s Edge, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 are on sale as well on the iPad.

Other iPhone that are receiving heavy discounts include Madden NFL 12, Monopoly Millionaire, Risk, The Sims 3 series, Shift 2 Unleashed, and a couple of Yahtzee titles. As for the iPad, many of the iPhone games are also on sale for the iOS tablet, but there are also a few exclusives, including Battleship, Command & Conquer Red Alert, NBA Jam, and SimCity Deluxe.

The sale ends today, so if you’ve been thinking about getting one of these games, be sure to hurry your way home from work (if you don’t happen to have the day off) and take advantage of these deals while they last. Electronic Arts didn’t say exactly when the sale will end, but we’re guessing that when the clock strikes midnight tonight, the sale will vanish into thin air.

EA discounting iOS Games for up to 90% off during President’s Day sale is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.