Friday, June 29th 2012
Battlefield 3 Premium Sells Over 800K Since Launch
While many scoffed at Battlefield 3's late-arriving competitor to Call of Duty Elite, it seems to have worked quite splendidly for the publisher. More than 800,000 players have signed up for Premium in its first two weeks of availability, EA Games' Patrick Soderlund revealed. Although Premium less a "service" like Elite and more of a DLC Season Pass, the $50 asking price does include a lot of content. Namely, Premium includes access to over $75 worth of content, making it a "value" for hardcore fans of the series. Speaking to USA Today, Soderlund said that "we are very pleased with the performance so far." When asked if this strategy is something EA will pursue with future games, he said: "We're actually only two weeks into it, so it's a little early to tell how this is going to pay off. It certainly it looks very promising right now."
Call of Duty Elite currently has over two million paying subscribers, a number which took about six months to reach.
Source:
Shacknews
Call of Duty Elite currently has over two million paying subscribers, a number which took about six months to reach.
69 Comments on Battlefield 3 Premium Sells Over 800K Since Launch
Boy, you sure are teaching EA a lesson. "Hey, they can rip us off, not fix the game, provide crap maps and WE WILL STILL GIVE THEM MORE MONEY, yay"
Bravo. No complaining from anyone (that pays), ever, again about EA. Irrelevant...well, actually incredibly relevant. Why do you think it costs an arm and a leg to see a movie? PEOPLE KEEP PAYING. Not only are they forking over 10s of dollars to see a movie, but the movies are terrible! This is exactly why it costs so much (aside from price fixing). There's no incentive for them to change and none for EA, at the moment.
The only issue I have is the seemingly high prevalence of "cheaters", but then, while that's partially DICE's fault, it's also those that choose to play in that fashion. And with that, I have no issues leaving a server to try a new one.
However, when it comes to EA, EA didn't really have anything to do with this game, other than publishing it. DICE made the game, EA sells it. Blaming EA is like blaming the mailman for putting a bill in your mailbox...
But I truly get your point.
However, I got 350 hours and then some outta that $100 I gave EA. TOTALLY WORTH IT, IMHO. I don't see it that way. But, you are more than entitled to feel that way, for sure. DICE didn't neccesarily have to use EA in the first place...I'm pretty sure EA does not OWN DICE, but I could be wrong.
Exactly. That fact that "staycation" is even a "word" says it all.
Although ,you know, for me personally, say I paid fully for both BF3 and Premium, @ $100...and I've palyed 350+ hours...that's like 30 cents per hour of entertainment. That's a fantastic value.
OF course, there is also the thing that games now a days all cost that $50..some even $60, but give far less "time", with 8-12 hours being the average. But when I was a kid palying games, games for the Nintendo were $90...but the games I tended to paly gave me 6 0hours plus, like all the Final Fantasy games and such.
So for me, nothing has really changed. The addition of all the social aspects to games like BF3 keep people coming back, and developers realize that too...it's not just about "staycations" anymore...it's about creating experiences that become a big part of all your entertainment, and for me, BF3 has provided that entertainment since launch...which has been about 9 months now....
Even if we go by months...that's like $11 a month....how is that expensive?
I can also back up Dave's comment on 8 bit games costing $75-90 dollars. Hell i even remember when the Neo Geo came out. System was about $500 and games were $200 each. All this to be able to play arcade games at home. Let's not forget the very 1st CD based system ever, the 3DO en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3DO_Interactive_Multiplayer. $600 for that system.. maybe more depending on sources.
To sum it up, the gamer of the 2000s and up dont know how good they have it price wise compared to some of us older members.
The only reason I don't really care for BF3 and a few other games is when DLC feels more like an unfinished game, ala Back to Karkand felt like just that to my friends and myself. Only cause all the default maps were pretty much atrocious. As well as the fact that many things weren't even remotely balanced for about half a year, just felt eh.
I started playing with a controller; medical reasons. When I could finally use mouse and keyboard, my score, and average finishing position, really shot up. But I was used to playing within the confines of the controller, and I knew it wasn't optimal, and I needed to work at it to keep up with the guys I regularily play with. Without some osrt of challenge, whatever it is, I get bored quick. BF3 kept me going for a long time, but all DICE games do. I'm not sure why, but what they do really appeals to me.
I'm stuck to using just a controller again, and I won't even bother playing the Close Quarters maps. Thank god for the two week preview with Premium, so I know to not waste my time. By the time my shoulder is healed, the next map pack will be out...I can't wait.:laugh:
Liek any game, not everyone is gonna like it. Thankfully there's a tonne of other options out there.
The total lack of functional anti-cheat and administrative tools for BF is a joke too that kills the fun for a lot of people.
I understand why BF3 is so popular, in a way, and it's a love-hate relationship for many, for sure. I count myself as part of that crowd...
But let me just say this. The news article says 800k sales since launch. I live in a city of about 1.3 million. It's not liek BF3 Premium is really all that successful. That number, globally, nevermind locally, is so tiny, it's laughable. Clearly many people are not impressed.
The question remains, from my perspective, is just how, exactly, does that 800K compare to the number of sales of the original game?;)
Its easy to say 'should've come with the game' and all, but games nowadays cost millions to make, and I doubt any of us would do anything different if we were the publisher/developer. We expect photo realistic graphics, many weapons, vehicles, maps, etc As fas as we know, its not even possible to release the game at the same time with all the content.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying all DLCs are worth it, but this one is, at least for me. This is actually the first time I even bought a DLC pack, if other publishers had similar content, I would've gladly bought those too.
BF3...its alright. It gets some things right but if you only play in Normal mode, you'll never see them.
Figure I'll get Premium soon. Waiting on money. Really looking forward to the upcoming armored warfare maps they are adding. Hoping for some epic tank battles again. Haven't had them since BC1, with some ok ones in BC2. Trouble with BF3, they get disabled too easily. Like all the armor means nothing.
i dont like that i have paid for b2k twice now and am unable to gift it to a friend, i mean if we was able to gift the 2nd b2k pack there would be more playing the dlc and maybe they would be more inclined to buy more too but no, ea doesnt think that.
fyi bf3 has cost me under £75 and i have over 600 hours racked up so it is well worth my money, i mean my next fave thing charges £50 an hour so its saved me about £30000 :)
(thing is, most BF3 players bought B2K DLC, but its also included in Premium, which means you will pay 2x times for one DLC, EA is apparently incapable of doing some deal for B2K owners, well I guess they dont want to.. more money for them)
Its nice that BF3 is better selling than current CoD, but truth is, both games are from gaming point of view pure crap.. Games for no skill, half-wit idiots. Most of today gamers would be just pwned and owned in games like UT99 or Q3..
So for all of you people saying games are over priced.......I'm sorry but you don't know WTF you are talking about. Oh cool! 48 bucks for an hour and a half of entertainment and crappy food.......or 59 bones for 300+ hours of entertainment in BF3. You sir are an economic GENIUS!
Dude posted above that it's $12...for me, it's $12.99, plus tax(5%), or 3D is $15.99...making games @ $50 CHEAPER.
Both are regular forms of entertainment that people enjoy. Of the people I talk to locally, those that go to the movies regularily, don't play video games, and vice-versa. EasyRHino said it surprised him how readily some people drop cash on certain franchises, and to me, it's no differnt than the people i know that go to movies weekly. I cannot understand how people can do THAT...although I do understand needing entertainment. Games and movies are jsut differnt forms of entertainment, and for me, a big part of my personal justification for the money I spend on video games is that other forms of entertainment are actaully more expensive.
I mean, I've got 4 kids, so going to the movie theatre isn't just $50...more like $150. So buying Premium is a no-brainer, given my own circumstances.
I only have 2 kids but movies are def more than $50 ( i mean who just buys a ticket and then ONLY popcorn for the 2+ hour movie, theres drinks, nachos, chocolate or sugar candies etc.) That right there; especially for my kids, makes it more expensive. AND movies are about the cheapest thing a family can do together... camping is just crazy expensive ( lot fees, booze for adults and food and munchies for everyone.... not to mention gas costs associated with getting there and back and runs into town for the odd thing u forgot to bring).