mistergeorge wrote:So the montly membership is $6.99? Do you also then get a free game each month for that fee?

The game is not FREE. The $6.99 you pay per month is your game credit which you can then use to "buy" a game. If you want to buy more games you have to pay for more credits.

The pros: A new game every day, all games are $6.99, lots of promotions to win cool merchandise or free games, excellent customer service, Daily deal for members with a different game for $2.99 every day.

cons: The list of games they are unable to get appears to be growing. Definitely no RA/GH...and apparently no I-play either although they will not confirm that and say they are in negotiations. Sometimes the people in the forums aren't always nice, but I guess you can get that anywhere.

In my opinion, BF is a great place to buy games, I stay a member b/c I like the perks and the CS but I'm not so blindly loyal to them that I won't go elsewhere to get the games they don't carry. I am a member of GH and have not had a problem with them, even after the merge.

I think part of the price we are paying for the CE is the privilege of being one of the first people to get the game, before it goes on sale worldwide. It is truly a membership perk and if they turn around and offer both on the same day that would make me a bit irritated. I would like to know that I get something in return for being a member, and the ability to get the CE of MCF Dire Grove certainly qualifies as a definite "perk".

I hope they keep things the way they are...with the CE being offered first and the regular version at a later date. Those of us who want to pay for the privilege of getting a truly exclusive game will, and those who don't want to pay won't. Nothing against those who don't want to pay for the Collector's Edition, but in this case....membership has it's privileges.

I too am getting super excited about this CE...I don't know if I will get it the exact day it comes out but I probably will get it eventually.

I have a feeling the forums are going to be exploding with excited fishies on Thanksgiving!

I do believe you have to keep your external drive hooked up to your computer b/c if you unplug it the game manager "loses" your games. At least that's the way it worked just until recently, unless they've managed to fix that glitch.

ImLeza wrote:I have a semi-off topic question for all you die hard game fishies. I've always wondered how often everyone else replays their games. I'm sure you all have large collections as do I, but I rarely replay a game and if I do it has to be a really good one like the MCF series. With the HOG's I have a tendency to remember where everything is, and have to wait a year or two to play again. I wish the leader boards on the MCF's were real because I would have some incentive to replay against others for the shortest time.

I'm just curious as to how often you all go rummaging around in your collections, and what are the gems you play all the time.

If the game has a timer or some other way to track "high scores" I will replay them as many times as I need to in order to fill that high scores list with my name. Because I'm crazy like that.

Experiencing a game on release date may be an exciting time for some around here, but it's not going to ruin my day if I can't download a game and play it the minute it is released. In fact, I don't think I've ever sat here waiting impatiently for the clock to tick over to midnight so that I can be among the first to play a new game. After all, we're all going to get to play it eventually, and it's exciting to play new games that I've been looking forward to even if it's not the very hour or day they are released. I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't see that as a compelling reason to be angry at BF about these two releases, but I guess some people don't see it that way.

Personally I don't see the problem in offering the game at two different prices...those who think the "extras" are worth the extra money will pay for it, and those who don't will wait for the "regular" version. Like Picman said, they are the exact same game and you will lose nothing by only buying the bargain version.

Me, personally...I think I will wait and try the trial version of the bargain game to make sure I like it before I invest in the CE...but it is tempting.

But this isn't a bait and switch scheme. BF promised MCF Dire Grove in early December. They are keeping that promise. They never promised we would have it for Thanksgiving and, in fact, went so far as to state on the forums that we wouldn't. Now they have decided to offer a special edition to members only that costs a little more. Nothing illegal there.

A bait and switch would be if they ONLY offered the collector's edition and not the regular low price game, so all would be forced to buy the more expensive version, but that's not what they are doing.

You're right, weiss...some people can't even afford the $6.99 for the regular version, never mind the collector's edition. But that's not going to stop me from talking about it and it shouldn't stop others from joining in the hype. And I certainly am not going to apologize b/c I want to talk about it or I can afford it and someone else can't. It's called life. And news flash...life isn't always equal or fair.

But thank you to all for understanding my point...I figured I would get slammed for my opinion and I'm happy to see that (so far) I have not.

I agree with you all, and in fact made another thread about this very same thing...BF has a business to run, and the way they make money is to sell games. Bottom line. If you don't have the means, then don't buy the games. But your inability to afford them is neither BF's fault nor their problem.

A post I saw in another thread got me thinking about something...whenever BF runs a promotion or in the case of the new MCF is releasing a "collector's edition" that has more content but is going to cost more...there is always at least one person who mentions how tough the economy is right now and BF should be more aware of that...

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I think BF does a pretty good job of keeping that in mind. They have reduced their prices to $6.99 for all, they are no longer requiring you to be a Game Club member to take advantage of that low price and even though you get automatically signed up for the club with a purchase they make it really easy to cancel. AND if you somehow fail to see that big ol' cancel button on the purchase page and get charged for a credit you didn't want they are very accomodating in getting you your money back. And they have continued their daily deals for members to bring us older games at super low prices. So color me blind, but the way I see it BF IS very aware of the hard economic times for many and have considered that in the changes they have made.

But, with that being said, they still have a business to run and their end goal is still to make money. Excuse me for being frank, but someone's inability to pay their mortgage or their electrical bill is not BF's problem. They still have to make money to continue to give us all the games we want as well as to stay in business; and promotions and the MCF series make them a lot of money. I don't know what I'm trying to say, except that I think BF is doing their fair share of keeping the economy in mind but they're not going to give you stuff for free; it's not the way the world works. Those of us who can afford the games will buy them; those of us who can't won't. And I guess I'm just tired of people lecturing BF on the economy whenever something like this comes up when, frankly, I don't know what more they want BF to do.

Laflamme wrote:
Okay, let's compare it to your DVD anology what I want to say. And I mean primarily the bonus game content we're talking about (bonus levels, achievements, minigames).

Yes, the wallpapers, videos etc. can be compared to the bonus disc on CE versions of DVDs. But cutting out the bonus levels would be as if you are buying the "plain Jane" version of the movie -minus ten minutes of movie run time.

Not true. I own a few "special" editions of movies in which I got extra actual footage...scenes that may have been left on the cutting room floor for whatever reason when the movie was released, but were added back in for the "special edition". People who watched/bought the original version didn't LOSE anything...they still got the movie. And I got a little extra.

Laflamme wrote:
For Dire Grove you get bonus content, an achievement system and "unique minigames" (whatever that is - a spinning word wheel does not seem unique to me) which is in the game. But it looks like that for regular customers those parts are getting cut out. So yes, they are paying less, but have to wait longer for less game content. I leave it up to you to judge if that is fair treatment.

Bottom line: I have a feeling that this game is a test balloon to open a floodgate that we all might not want to have.

I don't see it that way. The people who wait and get the $6.99 version are getting exactly the game that BF promised them....no more, no less. The people who buy the "collector's edition" are getting something extra for paying more money. NOw the question becomes are those "extras" worth the extra money; for some people it is and for some it isn't.

I compare it to collector's/special edition DVD's...I can pay more and buy the collector's edition and get bonus footage, maybe some funny outakes, interview with the directors and actors. Or I can just buy the "plain Jane" version and get the movie and nothing else. It's all about choice, same as MCF Dire Grove is all about choice.

Fibo, you were going to have to wait for the $6.99 version until next week either way...whether this "collector's edition" was put out or not, December is the release date for Dire Grove. And from what I am understanding of your posts, you were never going to buy a collector's edition anyway. So whether they announced it a month ago or now, you were still not going to buy it. So I don't get why you are protesting to it so strongly?

Good point, cptduzer, and I think they should allow us to "pay" for the game using two credits. That would make sense.

Well I guess I can see how you would see it to be "tampering" but I can also understand why BF is doing it....after all, this is their one HUGE money maker game this year. If everyone saved up their Octoberfest/Novemberfest credit to get it, where is BF making any money on the game? And I guarantee you they put a TON of resources into it. They are a business and they want...probably NEED to...make money on this game. So what better solution than to offer a special edition that people need to spend money on (and not use a free/discount credit). You may not like it, you may not agree with it, but it's business. And those who want to use their free credit, or pay the usual low price, will just have to settle for the "non special edition".

Hey, I'd like to own a Mercedes too, but not everyone can do so, you know?

Fiobo wrote:I can't help but wonder why they don't release the game as normal at the usual price, then worry about releasing a collectors edition later on. This is starting to be about the haves and the have nots instead of equal to all, and I dislike it.

It's funny how I've waited impatiently all year for this next game, then a week before the release I find out about the 'collectors edition' and the increased price. So people less fortunate than others will now have to wait until whenever to actually play the game.

I understand your frustration...but it's like any other promotion. Some people have the money to spend on 6 games or 8 games or whatever, and some don't. Those that do have money get the key chain or mouse pad or credit, and those that don't have the money don't get it. This time those who have the means will have the opportunity to get the early release of MCF, while others will just have to wait until the official release in early December. It's the way life works. Yes, it is hard economic times for a lot of people, but that shouldn't stop businesses from still trying to make a buck.

govegril wrote:

sillyfeet wrote:What day is the special edition going to be available until? I'd love to get it but will be out of town until Dec. 1st and won't be able to buy it until then.

Forever

Thanks. In that case I may just wait to play the trial version to make sure I like it before I fork out the $20 for the special edition. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't a limited time offer.

What day is the special edition going to be available until? I'd love to get it but will be out of town until Dec. 1st and won't be able to buy it until then.