Bethesda production director says MS 'totally bungled' ODST marketing

by Ben Gilbert on Sep 22nd 2009 3:29PM

For some, Halo 3: ODST's $60 price point has become a point of contention (though not for us, we should note). And not for Bethesda production director Ashley Cheng either, who says on his blog that, "reviewers are now mentioning that Halo 3: ODST may not be worth the price point, that it should've been cheaper, etc. ... give me a break."

According to him, these complaints wouldn't be arising if it weren't for the game's "totally bungled" marketing campaign. "First saying it was a standalone expansion pack, then coming out and saying wait, no, we're charging full price because - surprise! - we put 'more' stuff in it and it's called Halo 3: ODST now, vs its original title, Halo 3: Recon." Bungie has since justified the new price point to us, though apparently for some that just wasn't enough.

Halo 3: ODST Campaign

Source

Tags: 343-Industries, ashley-cheng, bethesda, Bethesda-Softworks, bungie, Bungie-Studios, expansion, FPS, halo, halo-3, halo-3-odst, marketing, microsoft, Microsoft-Game-Studios, odst, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (116)

yeah i wanted more too

With games like AC2, UC2, Bioshock 2, coming soon..how is this game justifiable @ $60 with half the shit regurgitated ?

If you don't already own Halo 3, and you plan on getting this or already have, you're one of the few. The majority of players that want ODST are those who are familiar with the series.
What happened to this coming with ODST's story, Firefight, and the 3 new maps?

No one was asking for a separate disk with the Halo 3 MP features. They could have released that separately.

If they were to release a disk with ONLY ODST's elements, then I'd get it. It'd be cheaper, and wouldn't make my original Halo 3 copy obsolete. I still think this should of been DLC, no matter how large. They could of done what Bethesda did by selling it on disks in retail stores too, so those with crappy internet wouldn't complain.

We always complain about not getting enough information out of companies about upcoming games/hardware, but this is why. Plans change, features change, prices change. But once you've promised something, that will be held against you for a long time.

That's why our parents taught us not to make a promise we can't keep.

To be honest, not many "plan changes, feature changes" result in a completely separate game spinning off from them.

I was speaking in general here though. They are catching heat because they talked about specifics before those specifics were nailed down, therefore leading to incorrect expectations from their customer base. It doesn't matter if the game got bigger and better, the lesson still stands. This is the kind of reason that we don't see more information a lot of times.

Thats why im looking for it as cheap as possible online. Amazon is listing it at $50.99

It was a ful 59.99 on amazon yesterday, so I just picked up at a brick/mortar store today. Considering tax, I could have saved $15 through amazon. Damn. I buy almost all my games through amazon; generally I can save around $6 off the price and $6 more off sales tax. It's even better with fast and free shipping if you're a Prime member.

Not only that, but when you purchase Halo OSTD's on Amazon you get $10 Credit for your next game purchase. Seriously through Amazon I only spent $40 bucks on the game. That's how much it should cost.

amazon.com sent me $9 back because ODST price dropped since relsease YAY!
so i payed 50 for this game plus amazon gave me $10 in credit for buying the game
lol im going to start buying games from here for now on!

"Bungie has since justified the new price point to us, though apparently for some that just wasn't enough."

Did they justify it? Well, OK then....

The increasingly inaccuratley named Halo trilogy?

Somebody should tell the Bethesda production director that Ashley is a girl's name.

tell that to Ash from evil dead.

Ash is not short for anything

... except Ashley.

How is using the same engine and new assets bad? What about all those games that use the Unreal engine? Are you people really saying that all the geometry of the city, the characters, the story, the voice acting, the new lighting,and firefight, is just a rehash? It's more of a new game than Quick sequels like Madden and Rainbow Six Vegas 2. The complaints aren't valid. To me, it smells like some detected a chink in halo's armor and moved in for the kill.

Actually, 'Ashley' was originally first used as an English male name, and still is. It just gained popularity more as a female name over here in the West, and we're used to that. Ash is still short for 'Ashley'.

I looked it up 'cause I thought the exact same thing while playing Vagrant Story back on the PSX lol

Yeah it definately isn't worth $60. They used the same game engine, same models for a lot of things, only thing they really did was make a story and some new animations. Oh well. I got it for free off of the internet about a week or two ago. :)

Except its not the same engine, its modified, but not the same

@Brown
Its just the halo 3 engine with some lighting changes, which was just the halo 2 engine with modifications. So yeah its the same engine.

@Klep: Yea, I hate finding health packs in Halo 3.

Why is it every pirate has to reiterate to everyone on the Internet that they know how to steal software? If you're so awesome, why don't you try doing something for the good of society that actually takes talent, instead of something that takes so little effort a stoned high school drop out with bad hygiene and weight issues can do just as well?

Why must you assume that I have no talent? I am pretty sure I am better than you at programming software and high level mathematics due to my years of University study. Thanks for trying though! Really was a solid effort.

If the game is so awful, why did you download it?

I had to download it you dumbass to find out whether it was good or not. ROFL.

Tilo... its the same goddamn engine. They even mention themselves that its the Halo 3 engine. They haven't added enough features to give it a full version increment. IE going from v3 to v4. So, its considered the same engine. That's how it works.

i upvoted you man. i'm a fanboy, but there's no way in hell i'm paying for this. just release the campaign and i'll buy in bungie. else wise, NO THANKS.

He had to download it because despite his being "better than you at programming software and high level mathematics due to my years of University study" nobody wants to employ programmers with no real life experience and got their diploma's from an online university.

I am currently greatly enjoying ODST... was worth every penny.

same here. i played all through the night with four player co-op on legendary. beat the campaign and have been enjoying firefight non-stop.

ya, finished campaign and going to spend the evening Fire Fight mode with buddies.

I got it from Amazon for $29.99 in a lightning deal. freakin awesome price!

I mean if its supposed to be a full halo game why not call it Halo: ODST. Calling it Halo 3: ODST implies its not a complete game but rather an add-on.

It's a stand alone game, but still just an expansion, hence the 3 in the title.

In my opinion, it's easily worth the money but I have to argee with Bethesda that the marketing job was botched. A lot of people seem confused over what it actually is, and if it's worth full price.

If I didn't just grab a Slim, I'd buy this full price. But now with a legion of PS3 games I can borrow from my friend, I can wait till this hits 40 or even $20.

Wow we better listen to this guy, just look at how expertly they sold WET with those spam bots

Well he certainly put his theory to the test by giving the stranglehold expansion a completely new name.

"Bungie has since justified the new price point to us, though apparently for some that just wasn't enough."

They haven't justified anything. It all depends on who is buying the product. If you have all the multiplayer maps already bought, you can straight away half the price of the game. Just because they added stuff to justify the price, it doesn't mean that it's worth the asking price. Take away those maps and the game is an expansion and that's the reality. Halo fans have been raped

this from the guy who brought us horse armor.....

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/01/oblivion-dlc-half-off-except-horse-armor-which-is-doubled/

Not being able to pick up and play Firefight mode anytime thanks to lack of matchmaking, and not really having any interest in Halo 3 multi means this bad boy is definitely not worth the price.

See you at $40.

On Amazon 50.99 plus, 10 dollar video games credit. plus enter HALOODST for another 5 bucks video game credit. (I got in on that this morning, not sure if it is still active or not. was "meant" for pre-orders)

So 35.99 , can also knock off another 5.10 if you have an account with the ECA.

Granted, it will stick you with some store credit (that is only good for video games, and expires at the end of october) but still, a good price.

I already own half the content in this, its overpriced.

I don't. As in, I don't own half the content and I don't think it's overpriced. The characters and single player content are all new from models, textures, levels, campaigns, voice acting, soundtrack... There is no way you own half the content. You just own the multiplayer maps. This isn't a programmatically generated expansion using only content/assets from Halo 3. There's lots of new content with some multiplayer maps from Halo 3 in the box. It's like if a popular movie franchise released a sequel (or prequel) to a movie on DVD and it also has some of the extras that were also on the first installment of the series' DVD. I guess "you own half of that content" too...

Holy crap Chibi Chaingun, it's almost as if you are both two different people with different opinions! This is rare indeed.... you better call some one

BUT... Will you be a 3rd opinion???

Halo needs marketing at this point?

'totally bungled'

"That's an 'I' you idtiot" - RvB

Maybe, just maybe, if they spent more money on the game rather than on marketing. But then, thats not the message they got with Halo 3, make halo 2 with 640p graphics, spend a bomb on marketing - worked for that game, so why blame Bungie for trying it again?

| 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments

Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.

Breaking News

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days

Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 220 comments
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 153 comments
David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 108 comments
Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 93 comments

Bethesda production director says MS 'totally bungled' ODST marketing

Halo 3: ODST Campaign

Reader Comments (116)

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:35PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:07PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 5:27PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:33PM Courtney said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:37PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:40PM Wiizer said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:52PM Courtney said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:33PM Arsenic13 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:18PM Chewbetcha said

Posted: Sep 23rd 2009 2:00AM Master Spice said

Posted: Sep 24th 2009 12:48AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:34PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:35PM Courtney said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:35PM Jrinswand said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:45PM eat it said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:00PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 5:02PM That Burning Sensation said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 6:11PM watership said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 6:47PM Sojoph said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:37PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:44PM TiLoBrown said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:46PM Kleptomaniac said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:53PM TiLoBrown said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:18PM ducttapeBigSexy said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:23PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:40PM Petebot330 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:43PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 7:00PM wicko said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 7:49PM heimbachae said

Posted: Sep 23rd 2009 3:25AM carbonize said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:37PM abelpc said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:42PM Soopy said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:03PM abelpc said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:44PM latin trident said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:38PM Shagittarius said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:41PM Snowblind said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:43PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:43PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:48PM eat it said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:45PM Liamario said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:48PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:50PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 6:08PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:53PM acme64 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 4:44PM Chibi Chaingun said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 5:06PM That Burning Sensation said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 5:14PM Chibi Chaingun said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:56PM CaramelZappa said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:58PM nandokun said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2009 3:59PM (Unverified) said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

Double Fine Kickstarter passes $1 million in under 24 hours, breaking yet another record

Featured Stories

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier brings information warfare to the front

Rhythm Heaven Fever review: Crazy into you

Remedy not done with Alan Wake

The most popular postsin the last 7 days

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days