Capcom has
officially announced its release dates and pricing for
Bionic Commando Rearmed and, except for two tiny issues, everything looks pretty good for next week's launch. Turns out the
PC version, available August 14, will cost $15, which is $5 more than on Xbox 360 and PS3, for no apparent reason [update: apparently, "$14.99 represents an appropriate price for the platform," Capcom says -- full statement on
Shacknews]. The other thing is that the European PSN has no release date scheduled at this time.
PS3 owners in Japan, along with Xbox 360 owners worldwide, will be able to purchase
BCR for $10 on August 13, US PS3 owners need to wait until the
PSN updates the following day. We'll let you know when a European PSN release date is given.
[Via
Big Download,
PS3 Fanboy]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hito @ Aug 8th 2008 12:53PM
Anybody knows the rating it got from the BBFC / PEGI? I'm curious because of the region lock, I will be VERY unhappy if i can not buy it...
Eggy @ Aug 8th 2008 12:54PM
An extra $5 dollars for PC owners, they can keep their crap.
Ghen @ Aug 8th 2008 10:20PM
It should be $5 -less- IMO to fight piracy. This is just giving people a reason to break the law. Not very smart.
SeriousKriss @ Aug 8th 2008 12:55PM
That's weird. There's no certification costs for the PC version, so if anything it should be cheaper...?
DangerMouse @ Aug 8th 2008 1:45PM
I thought the same thing. Then i noticed that it's a "games for windows" thing, which i'm unsure whether or not Microsoft gets a cut as well.
Irwin @ Aug 8th 2008 1:46PM
Packaging, shipping, CD's, Manuals, ETC.
SeriousKriss @ Aug 8th 2008 2:33PM
Games for Windows is a marketing campaign run by Microsoft, they don't get a cut of anything, they actually pay for it themselves.
And there's no "Packaging, shipping, CD's, Manuals" if the game only releases on Steam / D2D / Gamersgate...
bVork @ Aug 8th 2008 5:36PM
"Packaging, shipping, CD's, Manuals, ETC."
Except that Bionic Commando Rearmed is on Steam and Direct2Drive, which are both digital distribution platforms. So there is no packaging, shipping, CD pressing, or manual printing.
rockintom @ Aug 9th 2008 10:28AM
Slightly off topic, but I don't see why they call selling things over the internet "digital distribution". Are CDs not digital?
Fenix @ Aug 8th 2008 1:02PM
How dare MS put Geowars, 1942, Braid, New Galaga and this so fricken close together man! Out of nowhere!
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Aug 8th 2008 2:22PM
do you like 1942? i bought it on the PSN and i am sorely disappointed with it. it's just so slow and the specials are boring. i used to play Aerofighters all the time in my local roller rink and have been hooked on vertical shmups ever since. this one just doesnt do it for me though.
Erluti @ Aug 8th 2008 1:06PM
$15?!?!?! I'll 'NO BUY' this faster than Braid!
Erluti @ Aug 8th 2008 1:08PM
Honestly! I might as well buy this:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/08/iphone-i-am-ric.html
AoE @ Aug 8th 2008 2:19PM
That's the quickest I do believe I've ever seen someone go off the deep end.
Mike @ Aug 8th 2008 1:07PM
Who cares about the PC! I want to know if there's a difference between the 360 and the PS3 version.
Fenix @ Aug 8th 2008 1:11PM
Yup, achievements!
Mike @ Aug 8th 2008 1:11PM
No trophies? Lame.
Einhanderkiller @ Aug 8th 2008 1:28PM
I care.
I was thinking about getting this, since it looked pretty cool, but now I don't think I will.
Mike @ Aug 8th 2008 1:45PM
I'd gladly pay $15 for this game. I'm just happy that I only have to spend $10. Now I wish that Braid was also $10.
Strider2K99 @ Aug 8th 2008 1:53PM
PSN version also supports remote play
Arttemis @ Aug 8th 2008 4:30PM
PSP support for remote play allows you to play the game anywhere with an internet connection.
I can't see how anyone with both consoles would knowingly ignore that!
Arttemis @ Aug 8th 2008 4:32PM
Also, the game features "Medals" for both the 360 and PS3 versions. The Medals will unlock achievements for the collective XBL gamerscore, while the PS3 will have it patched shortly.
Quote from developer:
"It was too late into development to add trophy support at this time, however, Ben assures me that we’ll have this feature for BCR in the near future!"
Mike @ Aug 8th 2008 4:33PM
I don't have a PSP, so remote play is not a concern for me.
Huey2k2 @ Aug 8th 2008 1:10PM
You mean for once a console game isn't more expensive then its PC counterpart?
THIS IS MADNESS.
gen-dm @ Aug 9th 2008 5:15AM
No, THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Metal Gear!? @ Aug 8th 2008 1:14PM
It's always nice to hear when PC users have to pay more. I hate that retail game are always cheaper for the PC. I'll give the game a try but I was never a big BC fan. What sucks about all the games being put close together is that soon the arcade is going back to the crap fest it was. Yaris 2 and Boogie Bunnies 2 here we come.
Park Zero @ Aug 8th 2008 1:40PM
Yaris was free so it’s forgiven.
SeriousKriss @ Aug 8th 2008 2:41PM
"It's always nice to hear when PC users have to pay more. I hate that retail game are always cheaper for the PC."
They're cheaper because there's no licensing fee to pay to Microsoft / Sony / Nintendo...
And that 1st statement was just pathetic.
Metal Gear!? @ Aug 8th 2008 3:52PM
"retail games." I don't really care why they cost more on consoles. All I know is that it makes me angry. I guess I hurt your feelings with my good to hear PC having to pay more comment.
Ken @ Aug 8th 2008 1:37PM
Basically the extra $5 dollars on the PC is the people actually paying for the game footing the bill for all the pirates...
@#$@# you pirates
Kael @ Aug 8th 2008 5:05PM
Just as I thought. They've gotta be adding $5 to the price because of piracy.
I don't know where to begin; that's so stupid of them. Do they honestly think the piracy rate is going to be unaffected by a price hike? It shoots up faster than the price does. Anyone can see that. Charge $150 for the game and not only will you see no sales at all, but you'll also see lots of people playing it.
And what are they thinking about covering a cost for? When someone torrents a copy of the game, Capcom's bank account doesn't get any smaller. If that pirate would've bought the game otherwise, then that's just a missed sale to a guy who isn't willing to ever buy the game at that price, just like the billions of people on the Earth who won't ever buy the game at all. You don't have to charge more for the game knowing you're not going to get a dime from the tribesmen in the Amazon rain forest; you've got customers and non-customers. Sell to every customer and you're successful.
In fact, lowering the price as much as you can can even turn non-customers into customers. The effort of pirating something gets easier and easier with each dollar you're saving by doing it. Don't give people any more reason to mess with exposing themselves to viruses, huge downloads, complex work-arounds, and having to wait for the hacking community to crack a new protection scheme; allow people to see a really low price, and they'll see a great reason not to pirate your game.
Am I crazy? Is this all a bunch of gibberish, or is the industry at large really as clueless about this as they seem?
bombtrak @ Aug 8th 2008 1:44PM
FYI: according to the Bionic Commando blog, PC players are getting some free DLC in the form of extra challenge rooms to make up for their extra $5.
Still getting this for PS3 instead, though. Want to see it on my HDTV in the living room and be able to play with friends. Lack of online and trophy support totally sucks though... :(
MatsJn @ Aug 8th 2008 1:54PM
Ok, that sounds better.
Mike @ Aug 8th 2008 5:32PM
I can haz phree downloodz on mah tree60 two?
bVork @ Aug 8th 2008 5:37PM
I checked the blog and didn't see any mention of that. Would you kindly provide a link?
bombtrak @ Aug 9th 2008 9:19AM
Link? Sure!
http://bioniccommando.com/us/blog_entries/view/334
Here's the quote too...
“I can give you a song and dance about PC digital content being more expensive as a general rule... but nobody wants to hear that crap. I can say this: for the PC version we are planning on uploading some additional PC-only challenge rooms via a free patch so you will get more bang for your buck."
FSK405K @ Aug 8th 2008 2:13PM
No release in Europe (for PS3) is very strange considering it's developed in Europe.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Aug 8th 2008 2:25PM
but then the strange factor dissipates when you notice that this is PSN Europe after all.....
Bleu @ Aug 8th 2008 2:24PM
I am buying this for the ps3 no doubt.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Aug 8th 2008 2:27PM
i hope they drop a demo for this. i got burned for $15 last week on games i thought i liked from the PSN. it looks cool enough but trailers can be deceiving.
i think i would break down and buy Eden before i bought this one anyway.
KDub2 @ Aug 8th 2008 5:40PM
PSN does not allow you to demo arcade titles????
Terrible
Eric Smoger @ Aug 8th 2008 4:02PM
Sounds to me like Capcom is just afraid to break down that $10 XBLA wall. The probably look at the PC market and see us buying all types of software for all types of prices through digital distribution, and feel that $15 is ok.
The problem with that though, is that PC gamers are just going to be pissed that the other versions are cheaper. I think if all three versions were $15, PC gamers would be OK with it, but then Capcom would lose sales on XBLA and perhaps PSN(I dont use it so i dont know what the general consensus with pricing is over there..)
So, this is a rare example of a game I'll pick up for the 360 over the PC. Not only for the cheaper price, but the fact that I have discounted MS points sitting in my account, and Target will have $20 cards for $15 starting Sunday.. so I'll just stock up again.
kftgr @ Aug 8th 2008 6:39PM
IIRC, the BC:R producer has fought long and hard with Capcom to get the $10 price point for on the consoles, basically sticking his neck out on this move. My thinking is that they compromised on $10 for consoles (where $15 would be a tougher sell), but $15 on PC where it might be more acceptable, and easier to drop the price if need be.
I fully intend to support the devs' efforts to release at the lower price by buying BC:R the consoles day one.
Dave @ Aug 8th 2008 5:06PM
Who cares!!!
Just release the damn game, I've been waiting ever since they said they were remaking it.
I wants me some retro goodness and this is one of may faves from nes of yore.
RichChap @ Aug 8th 2008 6:00PM
The PC version should be $5 CHEAPER if anything. Seriously, this is just going to make more people want to pirate the game.
mundox @ Aug 8th 2008 7:59PM
LOL this will only make people pirate the game more since they'll be pissed about those extra $5 XD
MatsJn @ Aug 9th 2008 8:15AM
From Shacknews quoting Capcom
"It has nothing to do with Piracy concerns. It has to do with different business terms/expectations in that sector and more importantly, generally prevailing pricing of PC digital games versus their console counterparts.
The typical downloadable price for digital-only games on PC is actually $19.99."
So it goes the other way around, PC users has to pay extra for the smaller games while console users have to pay extra for the larger games.
And there is also
"Another consideration is that our distribution costs as a percentage are, on average, slightly higher on PC than console. In several cases we have another party (beyond just the distribution portals) taking an extra bite, driving down our share of the revenue. For example,affiliate sites of our portal partners take a well earned slice of revenue for every sale, then the portal gets its cut, then we get ours. Three mouths to feed."