Patience Is Worth $500 In My Book

Stand By For Titanfall...Seriously, Stand By

You've seen the ads, heard the hype, and made the MechWarrior comparisons. Titanfall looks like a gaming achievement for Microsoft, and rightfully so. The folks at Respawn should be applauded for crafting a beautiful game that plays like a dream. But underneath the gun-toting mechxterminating game, something smells rotten...er rusty, if we're using metallic lingo. 

The FPS multiplayer mech game first graced gamers on the XBOX One. After generally favorable reviews, Titanfall withstood the comparisons to Call of Duty and became a fun multiplayer game to bash your friends on XBOX Live. Titanfall is being toted as the killer app for the new Microsoft console, but on April 8th, the Xbox 360 version was released. The game was shrouded in mystery, as Microsoft intentionally kept early images and videos from being released to the media. For people like myself who were on the fence about committing $400-$500 on a new console, this was a big problem.

And I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger, because the reviews and previews of the alleged inferior XBOX 360 version were pretty solid. Sure there are a few graphical differences, but overall, the two versions play identical. My personal reasons for holding off on purchasing an Xbox One for Titanfall are that in the past, developers/publishers have pulled the rug from underneath gamers by selling inferior versions of their games to push newer consoles (See: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter). But finally, a developer finally stuck with its guns in keeping both versions as identical as they could. If you are a frugal gamer like me who didn't have as much time for his/her favorite hobby, I'm here to tell you that you saved yourself $500. Here's why...

Graphics comparison between 360/One versions

The way Microsoft handled the marketing of Titanfall, to me, has finally outed the tech giant as a purely business-minded company that isn't thinking of its user base: the gamers. Sure it's a great business model, but as a company with a sketchy history on keeping a healthy dose of trust from gamers, why not release both versions of Titanfall at the same time? Each game was shipped about a month apart, so I find it unlikely Respawn needed the extra time to "polish" the 360 version. As a gamer, and a consumer, I trust a company that has full transparency. However, when you pull a move that makes you look like you're doing whatever you can to dupe gamers into buying your new console, I have a problem with that. . 

I get it, it's a business, and the Xbox One is the next cash cow. But I don't appreciate the secrecy surrounding Titanfall, a game that's been on a lot of gamer's radar leading up to its release. I've been an Xbox owner since 2003, and became a 360 owner in 2007. But as a devoted gaming consumer, I really take a company's marketing strategy into account with my purchases. When I see Microsoft called out trying to get gamers to blindly purchase a $500 piece of equipment, I have a problem with that. To me, it feels like Miscrosoft was holding Titanfall ransom from 360 owners to get them to cough up the dough. I understand there are plenty other reasons to own an Xbox One, but for gamers like me, I can wait for the inevitable price drop.

Take it how you may, but I don't respond to those types of bullying tactics.

I'll admit, I bought a PS4 on day one of its release. I didn't plan on doing that, but following Microsoft's blundering reveal of the Xbox One, including the whole online-only bonanza and the used games restriction nonsense, I took issue with that. Yes, they wisely reversed their stance, but it showed me what direction they think gaming is heading. I respected Sony for putting the gamer first and even making their console at a more affordable price without handcuffing you to the camera. 

But I digress.

The point is, publishers need to start putting the gamer on the forefront. I'm tired of companies trying to nickel and dime me out of everything I possibly have. Check out my blog post on my issues with DLC for a better take. As a gamer who is growing up, I'm making smarter decisions rather than impulse decisions. I feel we are becoming a generation of gamers who are losing sight of what it means to enjoy gaming. It's not about getting new DLC skins, paying for that cool weapon, or paying for the additional storyline that should've been included in the original game packaging. It's time for gamers to take a stand and understand their purchasing power can shape how we play games in the future.

Of course I could be entirely alone in this opinion. But I cherish the days of buying a game and getting the full package on Day #1. Look at it this way: would you buy an album from your favorite artist, only to be told there are a few singles they didn't include which you can buy for $2 a song? I know I wouldn't. 

Worse yet, what if that same band released their Vinyls & CDs a month apart? So, my only question is: Why wait to release two versions of the same thing, Microsoft?