Dead Space 3’s microtransactions have caused much discussion of late, but until now we didn’t know exactly how much they’d cost – you’ll probably want to sit down for this…Â We also didn’t know there’d be an online pass (there is, it’s $9.99) but that’s par for the course now anyway.
So, it looks like there’s a few in there – and tellingly, although EA were keen to demonstrate that scavenger bots could be used to pick up more resources, those bots can be boosted with, yes, real cash. For $4.99 you can add capacity to the scavenger (presumably to get more resources) and there’s also a $4.99 Personality Pack for it.
There’s also a Bot Accelerator. Again, another $4.99.
Other things to look out for? There’s a Maruader Pack ($4.99), a Sharpshooter Pack ($4.99), a Tundra Recon Pack ($4.99) and a Witness the Truth Pack ($4.99). That’s a fair few packs, and transactions that perhaps stretch the definition of ‘micro’.
There’s also two weapon and resource packs – an Epic one for $2.99 and an Ultra one for $1.99. The repeated resource packs, which you will be able to buy multiple of (to our understanding) in order to boost your in-game currency amounts are a dollar each.
The “First Contact Pack” is free.
Here’s the full list:
- Bot Capacity Upgrade – $4.99
- Bot Personality Pack – $4.99
- Bot Accelerator – $4.99
- First Contact Pack – Free
- Marauder Pack – $4.99
- Sharpshooter Pack – $4.99
- Tundra Recon Pack – $4.99
- Witness the Truth Pack – $4.99
- Epic Weapon & Resource Pack – $2.99
- Online Pass – $9.99
- Ultra Weapon & Resource Pack – $1.99
- Resource Pack – $0.99
Presumably more localised pricing will look very much the same. So, yeah, that’s Dead Space 3 – a full priced game – launching with over $40 of DLC and the still ugly notion of repeated resource transactions at a dollar each.
Yes, they’re optional, but the way the bot packs are worded suggests that if you want to get the most out your scavenger (the way to pick up resources for your in-game weaponry and so on) you’ll need to spend a bit of cash. We’ll be able to confirm all this when we get our hands on it.
List via Destructoid.
bmg_123
So whilst you can get all of this through play, they hinder the scavengers to encourage you more to pay…great.
The Lone Steven
EA, FUCK OFF! Sorry for that outburst but that is taking the effing piss! A game shouldn’t launch with $40 worth of DLC. EA, this is a fecking triple a £44-£50, not a damn free app that depends on IAPs to make some cash. Overall, that’s £90 in total if you decide to buy all of the DLC. 90 fecking quid as EA will make sure that the game will make you go through a lot of hoops and be unpleasent at times unless you fork over the cash. If i was interested in DS3, i would have lost all interest in it due to the new action focus and the IAPs.
damoxuk
I concur with the rage. If it was free or almost free then IAP are fine if that’s your thing but blatantly including them on a full price retail release is justa DISGRACE.
Rarghhhhh!!!!!! Still got it on pre-order like… :) Love them to much – however will not be buying any Microtransactions.
Origami Killer
This is really shocking. Hate to see a well received franchise now be taken advantage of, because they can. If it’s optional though, and we haven’t needed them before, then players wont need all these pieces of DLC now.
On the subject, I played the demo and thought it was a load of s**t. Not one single scare. Looks like it is officially an action/adventure game now and even designed to accommodate coop. Consider me disappointed. Won’t be getting my cash for the game never mind any pointless bits of DLC!
xdarkmagician
Does anybody know if this “dlc” is good for just one saved game, meaning once you use it its gone, or can it work for multiple playthroughs? I also don’t think EA understand the word microtransaction.
If there was ever a game I wanted to get hacked its DS3, I’d laugh my ass off if someone found a way to get all this stuff for free.
Peter Chapman
heh, it’s like really terrible Free-to-Play pricing but without the “Free” bit at the start.
Alex C
Yeah. I don’t think I’d even play a free app though if it had those prices.
The game’s going to have to be amazing.
LTG Davey
To all the people that have been buying skin packs, weapon packs, map packs, online passes, heck DLC in general: you caused this! :P
Bilbo_bobbins
So very true unfortunately. Join me in not buying DLC of any sort. Infact I stopped buying EA games after BF3.
LTG Davey
I only ever buy DLC if I think its worth the price tag, which is hardly ever. In fact, thinking about it, the only DLC I have picked up this gen is Red Dead’s Undead Nightmare (which was obviously more of a traditional expansion pack than DLC) and the recent BLOPS2 DLC (four new maps, a zombies map, a new mode and weapon for just under a tenner seemed reasonable).
As for EA games….. nope, can’t remember the last one I bought, lol.
Starman
I think the online & online pass weren’t popular on dead space 2 so this is there attempt to make money of preowned another way. And of course they’ll be happy if some new owners buy some packs too.
Bilbo_bobbins
IS this an early April fools joke?
EA can fuck off, and anyone buying this can also fuck off as they will be giving in and promoting them to do more of this. What an absolute joke this company is.
Can’t wait to see how they ruin BF4.
Alex C
Just as I suspected, although the ‘scavenger bots’ can pick up resources, they’ll be slow as shit unless you spend $15 on them or – SHOCK HORROR – buy the resources packs continously.
Or, well, just run around with the plasma cutter for the whole game. =)
Kennykazey
Stinking EA.