Early release console versions

[JianXintou]

I know this is semi-peripheral to most of the Nexus community but I still find this very curious. Apparently the console version of the game are being sold early in Germany, France and Austria from what I can gather. They have apparently been sold for 2 days in Austria and are being sold since yesterday in Germany in France. This kinda made me wonder with all the "keeping a tight lid on things", I mean there is a review embargo until Monday but the game is being sold since Thursday? How does that line up? For our console players here: anybody have any experience of this happening with BSG games before?

 

I'm just really curious.

 

 

Edit: Actually, the PC versions are being sold too but since you need to unlock them via Steam they are unplayable whereas the console versions are not. I've also asked Pete Hines on Twitter whether this is intended by BSG or not.

Edited November 7, 2015 by JianXintou

[Vagrant0]

There has been an active effort to close down blogs, videos, streams, and anything similar that goes in opposition to the embargo.

 

Leaks happen from time to time, often because either countries have different laws, or because some retailer made a mistake. Regardless, the embargo still stands and will be enforced when possible.

[JianXintou]

I got that, this is not specifically regarding the review embargo but actually selling the game this early on. I was just noting the embargo doesn't seem to make sense given this context if BSG is aware of this happening. From what I've gathered the game has been sold in Austria for 2 days, which means 5 days prior to the official release. It's being sold in Germany since yesterday (by big market chains nation wide). Sure, retailers make mistakes sometimes - but on a national scale? Opening themselves up to a damages lawsuit in front of transnational courts? Because if BSG has a European base of operations they could easily sue in front of the CJEU.

 

And I'm honestly not buying the "piracy" argument here that they don't mind all of this because console player's early access has no effects on piracy whereas it would with PC gamers (there will be day one downloads, the preloads are already up and I doubt a crack is gonna need very long).

Edited November 7, 2015 by JianXintou

[Vagrant0]

I got that, this is not specifically regarding the review embargo but actually selling the game this early on. From what I've gathered the game has been sold in Austria for 2 days, which means 5 days prior to the official release. It's being sold in Germany since yesterday (by big market chains nation wide). Sure, retailers make mistakes sometimes - but on a national scale? Opening themselves up to a damages lawsuit in front of transnational courts? Because if BSG has a European base of operations they could easily sue in front of the CJEU.

 

And I'm honestly not buying the "piracy" argument here that they don't mind all of this because console player's early access has no effects on piracy whereas it would with PC gamers (there will be day one downloads, the preloads are already up and I doubt a crack is gonna need very long).

It was likely a deal arranged by Bethesda with retailers in these countries, or just a mistake or bad planning initially that has required changing their release plan for the console versions.

 

The PC version however is still secure, and still needs to be updated from Steam on release day before it will work. Although supposedly NZ can activate their game earlier than others, all still have to go through Steam. Even people with a physical copy won't be able to play it on PC as reportedly the information on the disk is not complete.

[JianXintou]

 

I got that, this is not specifically regarding the review embargo but actually selling the game this early on. From what I've gathered the game has been sold in Austria for 2 days, which means 5 days prior to the official release. It's being sold in Germany since yesterday (by big market chains nation wide). Sure, retailers make mistakes sometimes - but on a national scale? Opening themselves up to a damages lawsuit in front of transnational courts? Because if BSG has a European base of operations they could easily sue in front of the CJEU.

 

And I'm honestly not buying the "piracy" argument here that they don't mind all of this because console player's early access has no effects on piracy whereas it would with PC gamers (there will be day one downloads, the preloads are already up and I doubt a crack is gonna need very long).

It was likely a deal arranged by Bethesda with retailers in these countries, or just a mistake or bad planning initially that has required changing their release plan for the console versions.

 

The PC version however is still secure, and still needs to be updated from Steam on release day before it will work. Although supposedly NZ can activate their game earlier than others, all still have to go through Steam. Even people with a physical copy won't be able to play it on PC as reportedly the information on the disk is not complete.

 

 

Again, I'm fully aware of that. I'm talking more about the fact that in effect console players have 5 days earlier access and that seems like favorable treatment by BSG to me if they intended to do so as console do not need to go through any sort of verification process.

[Vagrant0]

 

Again, I'm fully aware of that. I'm talking more about the fact that in effect console players have 5 days earlier access and that seems like favorable treatment by BSG to me if they intended to do so as console do not need to go through any sort of verification process.

 

I think you're reading into it too deeply and only finding what you want to believe.

 

If they were planning to do an early release for consoles only, they would have done so globally, would have advertised it as "Play 5 days early, only on Xbox One!", and been completely in their right to do so. Other games have done this previously without much meaningful backlash, and for Microsoft's part, they would be all for it since it would boost console sales.

 

What you have here instead speaks more like a planning or communication problem, or one where the laws in the EU/AUS prevented doing a release at the intended time. The fact that they are console versions and therefore have to contain the full game (as opposed to the partial game and a mandatory download requirement) is what allowed it to happen the way it has.

 

But... The version of the game sent to these regions likely contains additional censoring in accordance with German and Australian law where violence and depictions of drug usage are prohibited. These regions would also have to suffer with potential bugs, broken content, ect for longer before patches are available.

[JianXintou]

 

 

Again, I'm fully aware of that. I'm talking more about the fact that in effect console players have 5 days earlier access and that seems like favorable treatment by BSG to me if they intended to do so as console do not need to go through any sort of verification process.

 

I think you're reading into it too deeply and only finding what you want to believe.

 

If they were planning to do an early release for consoles only, they would have done so globally, would have advertised it as "Play 5 days early, only on Xbox One!", and been completely in their right to do so. Other games have done this previously without much meaningful backlash, and for Microsoft's part, they would be all for it since it would boost console sales.

 

What you have here instead speaks more like a planning or communication problem, or one where the laws in the EU/AUS prevented doing a release at the intended time. The fact that they are console versions and therefore have to contain the full game (as opposed to the partial game and a mandatory download requirement) is what allowed it to happen the way it has.

 

But... The version of the game sent to these regions likely contains additional censoring in accordance with German and Australian law where violence and depictions of drug usage are prohibited. These regions would also have to suffer with potential bugs, broken content, ect for longer before patches are available.

 

I wouldn't say I "want" to believe it, I'm just saying that is a possibility. Maybe so, maybe so - although I would wager such a move might have caused backlash from the PC gaming community.

 

There is no E.U. law that prevents the release at the specified time. And whether they contain the full game or not - again - is (afaik) irrelevant as the access is determined by the verification/unlocking process, not whether or not people who have bought physical copies have to download more files.

 

Also, no they are actually not. At least not here, the German version is uncut - just like the FNVUE. I'm also not seeing how that would be relevant to this specific issue.

Edited November 7, 2015 by JianXintou

[yzerman19]

I don't care about early release...because I bought a pip-boy edition, but chose the latest date, so I could save myself a few bucks.

[Morbide]

Bethesda is quite angry about all the leaks so anyone who believes they wanted Fallout 4 released early on consoles is wrong.

[JianXintou]

Bethesda is quite angry about all the leaks so anyone who believes they wanted Fallout 4 released early on consoles is wrong.

 

Yes, but console players being able to play early on doesn't necessitate leaks and they can still take leaks down etc. And I don't see any good reason why they would tolerate this happening if what you're saying is indeed the case. They could probably force a cease & desist quickly enough but I doubt that is happening.