Xbox marketplace abuse is reaching epidemic levels

Written by Dan Zuccarelli

Thursday, 26 April 2007 04:09

Horse Armor.
Need for Speed Carbon.
Guitar Hero II songs.

All great examples of Microsoft abusing their users taking advantage of the consumer. Now we have another we can add to that list, Bradygames' COG location videos for Gears of War.

That's right people, now for the low price of $1.25 you can buy a video that shows you where all the COG tags are in 1 act (so if you really needed to see where all the tags in the game are it'll cost you $6.25). Of course there's about a hundred places online you could get the info for free, so one has to wonder who would really buy this (besides the stupid of course).

For the most part I've been a HUGE fan of the Xbox live service, but then this crap falls out of someone marketing person's ass and all the sudden they remind me of what huge pricks they can be.

Please please please send them the message by not buying these. This is a total rip-off and I'll never speak to you again if you buy these. Yes, I'm talking to you.

Comments (6) Add Comment

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written by nrxia, April 26, 2007

Let's not forget what they're charging for Daily Show and Colbert Report episodes. Why would I buy them on XBox Live when I can watch them on TV and YouTube for free?

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written by OPT1MUSPR1ME, April 26, 2007

It has been said a thousand times but I have to be devil's advocate here. You are by no means obligated to buy any of this content, just continue to vote with your wallet. I don't know why every gaming blog thinks this is marketplace abuse. You don't have to buy this crap, like you said, you can just go find it online if you are smart enough. The stuff that worries me is forcing me to buy stuff to continue playing a game online. For example, to continue to play in Halo 2 Team Slayer, you have to buy the new maps. That to me is marketplace abuse, not this.

Just for the record, I by no means like having to pay for any content, but I think people are making too big of a deal out of this COG tag locations video. I also hate the fact that Microsoft is requiring game makers (Epic comes to mind) to force customer to pay for content against the their wishes. That worries me a whole lot more than a COG tag location video.

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written by Dan Zuccarelli, April 26, 2007

"I also hate the fact that Microsoft is requiring game makers (Epic comes to mind) to force customer to pay for content against the their wishes."

That right there is the main problem Opt1musPrime...

I couldn't agree more with the vote with your wallet manta BTW.

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written by greshkov, April 26, 2007

i'mma bout to buy dat shit dis week yo.

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written by TheBBPS.com (Bits, Bytes, Pixe, January 16, 2009

[...] parts of games so they can cash in on them as DLC down the road while others are blatantly screwing the gamer. Gamers pay for completed products, so should we stand for this treatment by game [...]

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written by Rev, January 16, 2009

People will complain about having to pay for anything on XBLM, especially when having to shell out £40 a year for a gold subscription. Some stuff you're willing to pay for...extra Halo 3 maps, Gears of War 2 maps (which were a bit lacking for 800 MS points), Rockband & GH DLC. But MS charge for the most ridiculous things...they choose the price of community made games and force it on the creator and the COG tag videos are a perfect example. While not everything can come for free, those marketing people really need a reality check...