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**marcus** · 23-09-2003, 08:20

Games like FIFA and CMR pretty much demand it if you are someone who cares about uptodate statistics, players and so on, and developers exploit this, especially where FIFA is concerned. Generally speaking, if a game is already so good that even minor improvements add more to the gameplay then I guess I can live with it, for me though these are few and far between, whilst whats more acceptable to me are franchises like Winning Eleven whereby although the games are updated, definite improvements are being made with each update.

**SharkAttack** · 23-09-2003, 08:28

When all the consoles are hard drived up and online then it will be interesting to see if the developers allow you to download the up to date stats i.e. Some Champ Man patches or whether they will continue with the yearly updates...

**quexex** · 23-09-2003, 08:29

Maybe online updates will change this model more so in footy games than racing games as the graphics and physics engines in these games are the majourity of the work and usually get seriously overhauled between releases. However it's unlikely short of paying that EA will stop producing yearly updates whilst people still buy them, it will take some one to do something radical to reshape this aging business model.

Cheers

Quexex

**John Beaulieu** · 23-09-2003, 09:21

people slag off Fifa with their 12 month updates - and yet not a whisper about Konami's 6 month updates of Winning Eleven (or 4 month updates if you include J-League, 3 months if you include the U-21 international series etc etc)

Codemasters are taking the piss a bit with their recent updates - CM4 just 9 months after CM3 (though cm4 is the vastly superior game), Roca Race Driver Live update 6 months after Toca Race Driver was released (identical game but with Live support) -- screams of rushed release on the former games imo

**JibberX** · 23-09-2003, 09:25

People would probably slag FIFA off less about its inremental updates, had they got a decent game, but they haven't. Where as the holy grail as it stand atm, Winning Eleven, is a brilliant game and every itteration is a genuine enhancement. The last thing I heard about the latest FIFA game was it had 30 licenced audio tracks, WOO!

Personally I am a big fan of updates, but its my choice to invest, if I know say, 2004 is the same GAME than 2001 or 2002 I'll get the latter.

**daxus** · 23-09-2003, 09:37

Looking in the crystal ball

Once we're all online with our consoles it'll be an ongoing monthly fee... You'll get to play online and get regular updates, compete in global competitions and discuss tactics in the virtual locker room.

Ongoing regular revenue, that's got to be the softcos dream.

**tankplanker** · 23-09-2003, 09:58

I think a lot of people would find the monthly fee off putting - you're making a (physological) long term comitment to the game. Having said that, Sky successfully charge a monthly fee to 7 million customers - but they are talking about launching a free cut down service (in addtion to Freeview, which they part own with the BBC) as a "taster" for potential new subscribers put off by the monthly fee.

I would guess some people would be happier buying a 12 month "subscription" by purchasing the packaged update disk and having free online service (hopefully including things like roster updates).

Its kinda the difference between a monthly charge mobile and a pay as you go package, if you gloss over the call charges

I'd love to see a micro payments system where you pay pennies per play (after trying before you buy with a free demo), hopefully this would really reward good product. I can't see it catching on as its a difficult concept to sell.

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