This trend has GOT to stop.  Selling weekend, or closed beta access?  What?  It blows my mind that game pre-orders exist, especially 1 to 1.5 years out, and people buy them.  Who would buy a product that doesn't even come out for over a year?  Seriously, what's wrong with people?

As far as Founder's packs, to me, this is saying, "Hey, our game isn't done yet, but fund our development, and beta test (or alpha test) our game, and we'll even let you PAY for it!"

You can't make 50-80k as a SQA analyst, or engineer.  But let's pay THEM to "let" us test their game. What?

Many games stress test behind the scenes, and even gather all sorts or performance data from you, and you pay them to help test their software.  This seems ass-backwards to me, especially as a principal software engineer.

I understand some people think they that are making a game they want better by beta testing, but paying for it?  Some of these founder packs are $200!!!!  For what, virtual items, and only weekend play time like Neverwinter?  I'm the Firefall beta, and it's not even a beta.  There's a ton of game content that isn't in the game yet.  Sorry, but by definition, that makes in an alpha.

Are people really THIS desperate to play a game?

The worst thing to me is not even playing the game once, and then shelling out $200 on a founders pack.  Without even knowing if you like the game or not?  Again, what??

Also, I'm not trolling.  Just posting an opinion.  I really think this is a terrible trend.

What difference does it make?

Let's say I make Bitter Games, and I need 2,000 people to beta test my games.  The problem is that I am making a game based on some popular IP, so I know there are going to be 100,000 players trying to get into my beta! The right and appropriate solution is charging money for my 2000 beta slots.

In order to make this work, I have to entice interested players with something they can take with them into the released version of the game. The founders pack is not created by game developers or publishers; it was created by game players.

FIrst of all to those whos got no idea about anything abut this game.

Its from cryptic so by buying ,, founders package,, u dont help  develope the game u just buying a pre order thats it

Nothing else nothign more the money goes to theyre pockets i mean how dumb can this company get charging founders package at beta the game is as good as rdy they will not add anything at all doesnt matter how many ,,founders packages ,, You people buy , u just get ripped off and im loughing .Cryptic comes back with another scamm and people going for it srsly i need to make games and rip if  people to its best thing now days i see noone learns nothing.

I feel bad only for those companys that are actually DEVELOPING   a game and offer some kind a founder/support payments with small money etz but not a game that suppose to come out Q1 2013 omg ...

Well thats just my opinion .

Originally posted by IG-88
I do what i want with my money.

HA HA HA! The voice of independence wins the day again.

This is why "money" is so valuable. It is the most democratic (note the small 'D') representation of the peoples wishes.

It just makes no sense why you care lol.. People can do what they want with there money...

BUT and here's the BUT if people are actually spending 200$ on another Cryptic title they have to know what there getting themselves into after STO and CO.........

Crytpic games have this factor that the fun seems to wear off awfully fast and it seems like your having to force yourself to login......

Maybe thats just my opinion though......

Originally posted by knapu

FIrst of all to those whos got no idea about anything abut this game.

Its from cryptic so by buying ,, founders package,, u dont help  develope the game u just buying a pre order thats it

Nothing else nothign more the money goes to theyre pockets i mean how dumb can this company get charging founders package at beta the game is as good as rdy they will not add anything at all doesnt matter how many ,,founders packages ,, You people buy , u just get ripped off and im loughing .Cryptic comes back with another scamm and people going for it srsly i need to make games and rip if  people to its best thing now days i see noone learns nothing.

I feel bad only for those companys that are actually DEVELOPING   a game and offer some kind a founder/support payments with small money etz but not a game that suppose to come out Q1 2013 omg ...

Well thats just my opinion .

cryptic games have gotten plenty of updates since they released and STO has plenty of things coming soon as well http://www.stowiki.org/Upcoming_content

I'm sure the money from these founder packs helps a good deal in funded this new content.. unless you have some details about their buisness practices and how their money is distributed i have no idea how you could make those claims

I honestly dont care what other people do with money.

I personally will not be buying a " founder " type deal on any game, ever. But if someone else does what business is it of mine? Or yours for that matter?

Devs should be able to charge whatever they want for whatever they want to sell...no matter how obsurd.

darwinism in the market place......you know...a fool and his money....

Originally posted by IG-88
I do what i want with my money.

I think thats what he was saying . It seems nowadays most that partake of such foolishness has more dollars than sense .

Originally posted by jdnewell

I honestly dont care what other people do with money.

I personally will not be buying a " founder " type deal on any game, ever. But if someone else does what business is it of mine? Or yours for that matter?

Because it sets a bad precedent. These studios test the water with all sorts of silly ways to nickel and dime us, and if enough people fall for it, it becomes commonplace. Paying $200 in one go for a video game is well.....not smart.

We used to get entire games for a relatively small price. Now look at the industry; we are essentially getting much less for much more (if, of course, one wants to enjoy a game in full).

People support games all the time on kickstarter, so we all can play games.

One person even gave Faster Than Light $5000 :)

Originally posted by jonrd463
Why are you so worried about what other people do with their money, OP? Don't you have a city park somewhere to occupy or something?

/snicker

Originally posted by Cecropia

Originally posted by jdnewell

I honestly dont care what other people do with money.

I personally will not be buying a " founder " type deal on any game, ever. But if someone else does what business is it of mine? Or yours for that matter?

Because it sets a bad precedent. These studios test the water with all sorts of silly ways to nickel and dime us, and if enough people fall for it, it becomes commonplace. Paying $200 in one go for a video game is well.....not smart.

We used to get entire games for a relatively small price. Now look at the industry; we are essentially getting much less for much more (if, of course, one wants to enjoy a game in full).

 

And yet, they can't force you to spend money. You can put whatever price you want on something and it's not worth it until someone buys it.

Do you people really think there are thousands of people lined up to buy NW or MU 200$ packs? There will be some, sure, but don't get carried away thinking everyone is beating a path for this mousetrap.

How about you stop telling people what to do with their money? 

Originally posted by SimonTemplar

Originally posted by IG-88
I do what i want with my money.

I think thats what he was saying . It seems nowadays most that partake of such foolishness has more dollars than sense .

What you spend your money on someone else may consider foolish. 

Again, how about we all stop worrying so much about what the other guy spends his money on?

It supports the game and future development and most importantly allows someone to keep a job. Soem thing that is rare these days.

Originally posted by SimonTemplar

Originally posted by IG-88
I do what i want with my money.

I think thats what he was saying . It seems nowadays most that partake of such foolishness has more dollars than sense .

That's highly narrowminded of you. What makes one person happy wont always make another person happy. The person who buys a BMW when they could have bought a VW or a Toyota and gotten a similarly good car is "wasting" their money to another person. In other terms the person buying a three bedroom house with an acre of land that they don't plan to develop beyond grass and they live alone could have easily rented a one bedroom apartment and saved money. What makes each and every person happy and what they value is different and unique. Judging people like you've done is just plain rude. Then again I'm sure there is something you buy with your money that other people would call you a "fool" for. If everyone did the "sensible" thing with their money 100% of the the world would quickly become a boring place.