800,000+ Sign Up for Battlefield Premium as EA Looks to Premium-ify Even More IPs

[The_Pharoah]

As long as they keep patching and adding content I'll keep supporting them.

Imagine how much better BF2 would of been if they kept fixing the bugs and adding maps, I would of paid $50 for that to happen too.

+1

imagine Forgotten Hope using the Frostbite engine...*drools*

[Snootle]

Well personally I think map packs that you need to pay for are bad enough as it is.

Luckily at least 800,000+ people are smart enough to realize money doesn't grow on trees. Creating maps the scale of BF3 means employing artists. Programmers as well in the case of close quarters (new destructible physics etc.) and ongoing support. Then designers and support staff on top. The game has been out for ~8 months now, the initial revenue hit has dissipated, if you want them to maintain support for the game, provide updates and content, then you pay for it.

Or, use your entitled voice, whine about prices, make them stop DLC and watch content support for the game drop 1 month after launch.

Mod support.

$50 for DLC of any kind sort of puts your money not growing on trees justification to rest.

DICE haven't yet made any maps that proper veterans would enjoy anyway, which could've been done had mod support been in. Conveniently it was left out to maximise profits of a COD induced audience.

[steve_rogers42]

Imagine how much better BF2 would of been if they kept fixing the bugs and adding maps, I would of paid $50 for that to happen too.

We just had to wait ~4 years or so for them to release the patch for this to happen... which by then they had easily made their money...

Considering prices for the expo's of the previous games, $50 isnt that much, and i would say the karkand + close quarters is worth it, let alone the 'benefits' of the premium service...

a once of fee to get priority in queue's, yea, worth it.

DICE haven't yet made any maps that proper veterans would enjoy anyway, which could've been done had mod support been in. Conveniently it was left out to maximise profits of a COD induced audience.

err, i'd be looking at the next dlc to drop, sounds like its good 'ole huge maps.

[Otto-matic]

Paying to get queue priority is **** to say the least. Will we soon be paying for admin rights/hax too?

The rest of the stuff, yeah fair enough.

[MaddMoose]

Paying to get queue priority is **** to say the least. Will we soon be paying for admin rights/hax too?

The rest of the stuff, yeah fair enough.

You already do pay for admin rights. To get admin rights all you need to do is rent a server.

[mindsnare]

I Simply saw it as a DLC preorder, nothing more. I'd find it perfectly acceptable if they took away the Server Queue perk. Surely there would be a way to disable that in Procon tools for BF3 server admins, there's lots of different plugins available for that.

[Goric]

I just don't get why people are so against Premium. Its not a "service" like CoD Elite, its a one time payment for DLC not special treatment, or much special treatment. I bet a good 90% of the anti-Premium player base will still go out and by the DLC packs or Premium anyway once they start to feel the pressure to play it. I just think its a better idea to save some money and buy in bulk because I know I’ll be getting them anyway. Moneys tuff enough as it is so why spend more then you have too. I had a look on Origin on Friday and Close Quarters will retail for $23.95. In two expansions Premium has just paid for itself not including the remaining three expansions, extra weapons, dog tags, etc. I did the same for Gear of War 3 and got the Season Pass. ITS EXACTLY THE SAME THING PEOPLE. Its not a con or a scam and DLC has been part of gaming for many many years now. People need to move with the times and realise that DLC is a way to keep games fresh and keep the player base coming back for more and in some cases its player made content which is even better. Its also a chance for the publishers to make a little extra money from games. People should just grow up and stop being a bunch of little trolls.

For starters, Premium IS special treatment. Lets start with the fact that you get Queue Priority. Every person without it ends up waiting 4 times as long. Then there are the stat resets, double Xp weekends for premium players only, etc.
Had it been just a case of "Get all DLCS and a few extra guns and such for $50" maybe. But people without it end up at a loss due to other players being considered better just for paying an extra half the game's price (presuming you bought retail and pre-ordered.).
Seasons passes are different, as yes they keep support up on the game, generate new revenue and provide more content, but they do so without making the players without the content feel at a loss; They do it without adding perks that make the non-premiums feel at a disadvantage, whether it be in game or waiting to join a game.

This entire premium fiasco has most of the community divided for many different reasons...

I think The_Pharoah explained it well.

put it this way...think of vanilla BF3 as 'economy' and Premium BF3 as 'Business Class' - nothing more, nothing less. You don't complain about business class do you? no...you know you've paid the minimum price for a ticket to fly on the same airplane, but you board last, eat crappy food with little choice, have smaller seats, etc etc..

If I could fly bus class...I would...same with premium.

Most people are not buying Premium for express server queues or double XP, resetting stats, like myself. l bought it to get the DLC's cheaper and nothing more. I'm already a Colonel so double XP is of no concern to me. And why would I want to reset my stats when it’s taken me since October last year to get this far. And I have no interest in the express server queues so they can remove that too along with the stats reset, it won’t be missed. If a server is full I'm not going to waste time waiting for a space, I'll just go find another one. There are plenty of servers around for all to play on, we don’t all have to play on the same server. You might look at Premium only for these reasons but not everyone has the same mindset as you.

[The_Pharoah]

jumping the queue is pretty cool (like being at the movies he he).

[InAUGral]

“We are very pleased with the performance so far,” said EA Games chief Patrick Soderlund, noting that over 800,000 people have signed up to the new Battlefield Premium service. Meanwhile, EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau notes that the company is looking to add Premium-style services to more titles. "(In the) longer term we think that we can bring more properties into that offering and that'll be great for the business," he said.

800,000 people have let down gamers everywhere.

Setting a precedent for EA who now want to do this for all their game franchises.
Where some people see value in this all I see is EA charging lots of money in advance for a DLC pack the contents of which you may not even like. Pay $50 for a gamble on whether the DLC is going to be good and make BF3 less boring. Its a pass from me.

[yeapal]

People with more disposable money than others are able to get better things in life?! Alert the media!

[SaNE]

DICE haven't yet made any maps that proper veterans would enjoy anyway, which could've been done had mod support been in. Conveniently it was left out to maximise profits of a COD induced audience.

err, i'd be looking at the next dlc to drop, sounds like its good 'ole huge maps.

Well that's what people are wishing that DICE would give us, however with their track record in this game with 'biggest map ever' which is tiny and only 50% usable, it's a crock until we see the proper "Battlefield's biggest map".

[Otto-matic]

Paying to get queue priority is **** to say the least. Will we soon be paying for admin rights/hax too?

The rest of the stuff, yeah fair enough.

You already do pay for admin rights. To get admin rights all you need to do is rent a server.

OK, since I'm an Internode customer, my bill also part pays for the BF3 servers. I can has admin rights?

No wait, that would be stupid

AFAIK Internode has never had queue priority put in for any game (except admins). Implementing it for people who pay EA more money seems stupid.

[MaddMoose]

OK, since I'm an Internode customer, my bill also part pays for the BF3 servers. I can has admin rights?

No wait, that would be stupid

Not sure what the point you are making is. You are aware that as an individual you are able to rent a server from companies such as 3FL. Part of renting that server gives you admin rights to it. It's a common practice amongst Clans to do so.

[Otto-matic]

OK, since I'm an Internode customer, my bill also part pays for the BF3 servers. I can has admin rights?

No wait, that would be stupid

Not sure what the point you are making is. You are aware that as an individual you are able to rent a server from companies such as 3FL. Part of renting that server gives you admin rights to it. It's a common practice amongst Clans to do so.

My main point is that there are plenty of rent'a'hack servers and similar around. I would prefer if such things including queue priority did not exist, especially at GoN.

Added to this, would you like it if GoN started giving people server admin rights to GoN servers if they paid a bit of cash?

[PalZer0]

I have a confession to make. I bought BF3 Premium on Origin. Given that it was $50 here and in the US I wanted to support EA for doing something right.

Even now, I still feel like I've sold out.