“…I’m talking about my Xbox 360, and I solved it, I need to buy a TWO HUNDRED ******* DOLLAR HARD DRIVE! SO I CAN PAY TO GO ONLINE TO PLAY WITH ******** TWELVE YEAR-OLDS! So I’m prolly going to return my 360 and do something more useful with my money, like throwing it off a bridge”
– gamer LordD2, posting on Electronic Arts’ support forums for “Burnout Paradise“
Xbox 360 Core or Arcade unit owners who picked up “Burnout Paradise” last week found a surprise waiting for them upon connecting to Xbox Live, if they weren’t careful enough to scope the back of the box ahead of time.
You know that streaming, seamless, revolutionary open-world gameplay that’s one of “Burnout Paradise”’s biggest bullet points?
Access denied; without a hard drive, “Burnout Paradise’s” online play is crippled. Players without the extra hardware can compare high scores, but they can’t share the roads of Paradise City for online Freeburn play.
Technically, this is mentioned on the box. But, is a note on the back of the box enough? We’ve reached out to both Microsoft and Electronic Arts for some additional commentary. When we hear back, we’ll let you know.
But first we’ve got some stuff to show you, facts to consider before anyone else starts pointing fingers and who the “Burnout” bad guy is.
The story about “Burnout”’s newfound limitations quickly circulated the blogosphere and provided mostly ample warning time the most online-connected of gamers. But what would the typical consumer who doesn’t read gaming sites and blogs know or not know about “Burnout”?
Multiplayer decided to visit as many of the typical online retail hot spots, plus some typical sources of information for an everyday consumer. During our shopping adventure, we found that only one retailer even bothers to make a note of the hard drive requirement. To that end, Microsoft and Electronic Arts don’t mention it online either. The blow-by-blow:
- Xbox.com: Lists “Storage Device” in the game specifications, but doesn’t specify if that refers to a Memority Unit for saved games or a hard drive for online multiplayer
- Burnout Paradise official website: Nothing, unless you count this buried nugget in EA’s technical support section confirming you need more than a Memory Unit to participate online
- EB Games/GameStop: Yes, mentioned under “system requirements”
- Amazon: Still nothing, except the inclusion of the 20GB and 120GB hard drive as potential accessories — but no mention of the requirement
- Best Buy: Neglects to mention any specific hardware requirements to play online; user comments don’t mention it, either
- Toys ‘R Us: Clicking on the “product information from box” tab actually brings up the same Xbox.com game profile, which only cites a “Storage Device” in the game’s specifications
“Burnout Paradise” isn’t setting a precedent. “Final Fantasy XI” was released on the Xbox 360 in April 2006, nearly two years ago, and required the hard drive. Likewise with “Burnout Paradise,” Xbox.com and most online retailers make no mention of “Final Fantasy XI’s” requirement. One could argue that an MMO fan would already know that’s inherent to the genre, but maybe not your everyday Final Fantasy fan who wants the latest numbered release. At least in the case of “Final Fantasy XI”, publisher “Square Enix” listed the requirement on the front of the box.
“Criterion Games,” the folks behind “Burnout Paradise,” responded to vocal concerns from gamers about the situation yesterday, explaining the technical reasons why the online experience relies on the hard drive. Criterion explains the 64MB memory unit didn’t provide enough bandwidth for online play, but they also make a curious comment regarding their approach with downloadable content.
“Crucially we also didn’t want to split the playing community between those that have updated data and those that don’t. We saw this as vital in maintaining simplicity to all online users; different players having different content packages wouldn’t be able to play online with each other.”
Pay close attention to the bit we highlighted above. If one of the reasons behind eliminating Core and Arcade users was their inability to purchase downloadable content, the issue of having users with different content packages still remains. Suppose a user doesn’t want to purchase or even download new content that Criterion releases. If it’s free, sure, it’s natural to assume most will jump in, but if someone doesn’t, if a gamer has a “different content package,” will that similarly fracture their online experience? Multiplayer has asked EA for clarification on this specific issue, as well.
It’s likely the vast majority of Xbox 360 owners have a Premium or Elite system with a hard drive. Microsoft’s never released numbers breaking down the split — we only know they’ve sold 17.7 million consoles worldwide — but the Core and Arcade machines still exist. They may be in the minority, but try putting yourself in the shoes of LordD2: you just lost part of your $60 investment because you didn’t read the back of the box.
Is a note on the box enough? Should Microsoft shoulder some responsibility for selling a system that comes without a hard drive? Does EA need to offer a return program for consumers who didn’t realize what they were getting into? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
