Tricky ways of pushing DLC is nothing new in the current generation of gaming, but this is something pretty unique none the less. Apparently these new action figures include not only endless amounts of handheld fun, but also DLC for Mass Effect 3. The listing at the Big Bad Toy Store is as follows:
Each figure includes an in-pack card giving you access to downloadable in-game bonus content. Each figure contains different in-game content, exclusive to North American released product. Collect all 8 for the full experience!
Furthermore, the Bioware online store explains the following:
These products contain codes that can be redeemed for a downloadable content pack for Mass Effect 3 multi-player. They are slightly randomized during the registration and could include powerful new weapons and new characters. The pack could also include character boosters, weapon modifications, and weapon upgrades to make your multi-player squad stronger. (Only supported on XBox360 and PC.)
We can deduce a few things from this. First, if you are playing on PS3 you are out of luck in this special promotion (but you can still buy the action figures!) Second, they are really trying to push this brand as much as possible, aren’t they? I mean, it is pretty cool, and merchandise is fine and all, but something tells me this has a lot to do with EA pushing the game more than anything (*cough* surprise multiplayer added *cough.*) This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn’t really seem like something you would have expected.
Third, and this is more of a question/concern, is this content going to be exclusive to people that buy the figures? If other people do not have a way of obtaining this content, whether it be an alternate promotion or simply buying it, it will cause quite a backlash. Fourth, this is another question/concern, does this mean people that buy them will HAVE to open them in order to get the code for the DLC? I could not imagine them doing that, these are collector’s items and the vast majority of people will not want to open the casing, even if a code for DLC is inside!
I know those action figures definitely look pretty cool (albeit pricey) and I wouldn’t mind nabbing some, but I don’t know… What does everyone else think about this news?
