There’s a little bit of controversy at the moment with Bioware and Mass Effect 2. Word on the street is that when you buy the game new you’ll get a one-time-use code to download the Cerberus Network. This little portal allows users to download FREE content to extend the game. Buyers of preowned copies therefore will not have this code in their box as the previous owner will have likely used it all ready (unless they’re not online then you might get lucky). That means you’ll then have to log on to Xbox Live and purchase it for about a tenner.
‘Why the hell would they do that?’ I hear you say. Well, the main reason is that whenever horrible game shops like ours sells a second hand game then Bioware gets nothing. They think that’s unfair and that they should get paid EVERY SINGLE TIME a copy of their game is sold. I can see a few problems with that:
1) what happens if someone wants to play their newly bought game on more than one account, i.e. a mother who has three sons will now have to buy three copies of the game – suck being you mum!
2) kids who’ve spent their hard earned pocket money will no longer be able to swap games between themselves or get a good deal on trade ins. So those of you who buy a game for forty quid then trade it in and buy the next game with another tenner or so will no longer be able to do that – sucks being you!
3) there’s no give an take here – basically Bioware want to increase their profits but aren’t willing to give anything in return for that – as such you’re gonna see a natural resistance from all parties. Oh wait, Greg Zeschuk, co-founder of Mass Effect 2 development studio BioWare just said “For us, really, the Cerberus Network is a way to reward our fans and give them a long-term relationship,” he said. “There will be some free stuff … There will be surprises that we spring on people, [saying] ‘Hey there’s a new x,y, or z, go check it out.’ That’s one of the benefits of being part of the Cerberus Network.”
Erm wait a minute isn’t that how DLC works anyway and don’t tell me this stuff is FREE – we’ll be paying 40 quid for this so unless your “x, y, z” is something magical and never before seen I think you should be quiet.
The free day-one DLC offered via the Cerberus Network includes a set of armor, a gun and a new character who is introduced via an extra mission and the previously announced Hammerhead hover tank will also be a Cerberus offering.
