How much is 30 hours of game time worth to you? According to EA's latest Xbox Live Marketplace items, it's around 1140 Microsoft Points. That's the total for the current downloadable items available for Tiger Woods 07. That nets you all the courses, golfers, a maxed out statistically player character, and the Sunday Tiger character which has previously been available only to the best players.
Of course, hidden codes in other versions (Xbox, PS2, PSP) of the game are included on the disc you paid for. It's not yet known whether or not these cheats can be had outside of paying for them on the Xbox 360. If they are, the situation becomes even more bizarre, but that's another editorial.
There's a very logical standpoint to those who support this. They don't have time to play the single player game and want to jump online and be competitive. A lot of people don't like the concept of anything being "locked" when they buy a game. They paid for the disc; everything should be available.
Normally, that's fine. It's your $60. However, the extra cash spent for you to unlock everything from the start is beginning to infringe on my experience. As a legitimate player, one who pours way more hours into this series that I'd ever be willing to admit, the single player experience is actually the soul of this series. Leveling up your golfer as he grows in a PGA Tour career is addictive. The formula has worked since 2003, and they've improved it every year.
This is where the problem begins. On day one (and a few weeks after), if I want to play a quick game online and some user has decided to spend money to level up their character with the epic "+2 club shaft of power," what chance do I have of winning? If you're willing to destroy the single player experience, that's your problem. Destroying the multi-player becomes everybody's problem. When the codes are on the disc, it takes time to find them. By the time they get out, the hardcore crowd is ready for the flood of new players.
Article comments
1 - Rich Frankel
Nice article, I'll be really upset when you can buy achievements, or worst yet, the inevitable day when we get:
"Cash Cow 100 pts: Awarded for purchasing 3 pieces of downloadable content from Marketplace"
btw, the slug for this story reads as: "Matt Paprocki Says Xbox 360 Live Marketplace Is Paying Cheaters" - slightly different meaning.
2 - oggt
Blame the companies it's all this guy do.
You don't want it, don't buy it. Stop blame the companies for trying different business aproaches.
This is the online gaming era, they are trying new things to make money. I won't buy it...
3 - tolkien kitty
everyone should be maxed out in online games already, to create the level playing field. EA is setting up a divide between the haves, i.e. those that have ms points, and the have nots. shame on you EA for making us poor folks work for our golfers.
4 - Briffic
I must agree that this is in fact the gaming era. But then explain to me when the era became an error? Remember when you had to master a jump to beat a level? Now you dont even have to master a shot in a golf game. Just pay and you are better than n e one who pours the time into it. I believe that EA has become so money hungry, they no longer have any actual gamers working for them. Just a bunch of business man cheaters.