Two BF2 'Booster Packs' Announced

6:43pm | Thu 22 Dec | 74 Comments

In a press release, Digital Illusions announced they're planning to release two 'booster packs' for Battlefield 2 in Spring 2006. They also let us know the online release of BF2: Special Forces was successful.

The Battlefield 2 expansion pack planned to be launched during spring 2006 is now replaced by two booster packs. The change means slightly lower project revenues during the fourth quarter 2005 than during the third, due to a lower development budget. The anticipation though is that this will be compensated by higher royalty revenues during the first six month 2006.

 

The expansion packs in the Battlefield series have new maps, vehicles and weapons. Each Battlefield booster pack will have new but fewer maps, vehicles and weapons. Instead they are sold to a lower price: 9.99 USD. An expansion pack is usually sold at between 19.90 USD and 29.90 USD. Today at least two Battlefield 2 booster packs are planned for spring 2006.

Read the entire press release here.

 

Looks interesting..

OMG.

 

EA is charging us for what they should be putting in the game for free.

 

So you buy a game and you get only 10 maps for life. If you want more you have to pay for them.

 

WTH?

Not really

they're just releasing bits of new content, much like what Valve is doing now (expect DICE are also adding in weapons and vehicles along with maps)

expect their charging basically pocket cash for this

 

I don't see why they're doing this. They're taking a really big risk. Not only could they be messing up their patching process (not everyone is going to buy the boosters, not everyone is going to buy both boosters, and not everyone is going to buy just one booster, so how do you patch all these different types of BF2s?) but they're taking the risk of halving their revenue. If they just released a new expansion, they wouldn't have to worry about this. But now, they're risking the possbility that not only will some people not buy this, but some people will only buy one booster pack

not the greatest decision.

Valve is not charging for new maps and content. That is my point and your other points are valid.

 

If server "A" has map "B" on it and you don't own map "B" then you can't play. Right?

yeah, it really just overcomplicates things

 

and they could also be charging because they provide a lot more content than your average Valve update

this is going to screw things up soo much, like you said before what happens if a server has a map you dont? Wont be able to play on that server at all or will it just kick you when that map comes up.

EA is charging us for what they should be putting in the game for free.

 

WTH?

As much as I love getting things for free, I disagree with you on this one. Being someone that works in a service based industry, you have to charge for everything or you don't earn a living.

 

My bosses have a problem doing this. They will commit me to doing a web design alteration that takes me two hours, but they will not charge for it. That two hours of my time is worth $250... that's $250 that was taken out of the company's pocket - and ultimately out of mine. If it were my company, I would charge for everything that took over 15 minutes. My time is worth something.

 

And so are the employees' that work at EA/DICE and Digital Illusions. They are having to pay someone to design these new maps and therefore I do not find it unreasonable that they want to charge for them.

 

What I do disagree with is the fact that they have completely disallowed the integration of third-party maps into the game. There should be a method where a third-party vendor could submit a map to EA/DICE for approval. If the map is approved then it is provided as a free download from EA's website. This would allow anyone to make a FAIR map that could be freely distributed.

 

Someone smack me... I was dreaming for a second.

Oh Great, just as soon as they get somthign right, they mess up

 

 

With EA its always one step foward and two steps back..

Can I borrow that soap box when you get done with it, bro? Here is the way I look at things... I break it down like this: how much does this translate into when you look at cost per hour of entertainment. People will pay $75+ for a concert ticket which is about 2-4 hours of entertainment, $20+ for a sports events, $7+ for a movie ticket which is about 1 1/2 hours. So the cheapest of these is costing about $3.50/hr. Most of us play BF2 several hours (if not several full days... Flip... ahem) per week which translates into pennies per hour. So when you break it down this is very inexpensive in the greater scheme of things. So, I don't think charging for this is unreasonable. It's up to the consumer to decide whether its worth the price.

its not that i find it too expensive... it's just that it makes them look just plain stupid. as if they havent raked in ENOUGH money...

Can I borrow that soap box when you get done with it, bro? Here is the way I look at things... I break it down like this: how much does this translate into when you look at cost per hour of entertainment. People will pay $75+ for a concert ticket which is about 2-4 hours of entertainment, $20+ for a sports events, $7+ for a movie ticket which is about 1 1/2 hours. So the cheapest of these is costing about $3.50/hr. Most of us play BF2 several hours (if not several full days... Flip... ahem) per week which translates into pennies per hour. So when you break it down this is very inexpensive in the greater scheme of things. So, I don't think charging for this is unreasonable. It's up to the consumer to decide whether its worth the price.

For your info all those prices are too high also. I don't care what EA charges I have given up on figuring them out. If everyone has it and I need it too I will get it.

All are very good points, but heres something else to look at. If they hadn't rushed the release of BF2 and integrated all the other content they were planning to release with the original, i.e. Special Forces, and made sure everything was in GOOD working order, they would not be having to play "catch up" with their current release, these "booster packs" could then be sold together as the first expansion pack, and to me, that seems a little more reasonable than having two or even three expansion packs.

All are very good points' date=' but heres something else to look at. If they hadn't rushed the release of BF2 and integrated all the other content they were planning to release with the original, i.e. Special Forces, and made sure everything was in [b']GOOD[/b] working order, they would not be having to play "catch up" with their current release, these "booster packs" could then be sold together as the first expansion pack, and to me, that seems a little more reasonable than having two or even three expansion packs.

just goes to show, EA is very dumb. but, theyre better at making games than i am, FOR NOW.

 

/foreshadowing

I am just disappointed at the maps. Now we have to pay for more maps. You also need to look at this from us running the server as well. We want to keep it full.

 

I understand what K2 discussed and what Subcell did as well. I agree.

 

However......

 

When you have a game that came out with a limited selection of maps in the first place. An expansion that costs $25 that has some more maps but not everyone has so you have to have 2 servers up to run them.

 

Now they want to charge more for maps. They are now going the route of add on packs. Now more people might not get these and more servers cannot put the maps into the rotation b/c people won't have them just like SF maps.

 

Seems like they are dividing the community.

 

One step back and two more steps back on top of it is more like it from how I see it.

 

I hope this all works out.

 

At least they gave us enough warning this time.

 

I guess we will wait and see.

All are very good points' date=' but heres something else to look at. If they hadn't rushed the release of BF2 and integrated all the other content they were planning to release with the original, i.e. Special Forces, and made sure everything was in [b']GOOD[/b] working order, they would not be having to play "catch up" with their current release, these "booster packs" could then be sold together as the first expansion pack, and to me, that seems a little more reasonable than having two or even three expansion packs.

Actully, I'm pretty sure most of the content in SF was intended for an SF expansion pack, and not for the actual game.Same for the new stuff in these booster packs. I'm pretty sure they weren't intended for the orignal game, but for expansions

yay a booster pack, YES I GOT A TEAR GAS LAUNCHER? :/ I will trade you my tear gas card for two AA upgrades!

I've already spent mucho dinero to play this game, im talking about, I upgraded my entire computer system just to play bf2. plus the 50 bucks for the game and now they want you to buy more WTH...

I've already spent mucho dinero to play this game, im talking about, I upgraded my entire computer system just to play bf2. plus the 50 bucks for the game and now they want you to buy more WTH...

Why i've given up playing the game. Got old and theres just more you gotta get.

Why i've given up playing the game. Got old and theres just more you gotta get.

I dont think it got old, there just taking all our money

I dont think it got old, there just taking all our money

sometimes i may get old, but i always find new things to do. Kits i never play and tactics i rarely use. Also my joystick should be coming in sometime this week so im happy about that.