I wish I was talking about some new, previously unreported pre-order DLC, but I’m not. The Anarchy Reigns Day One Edition, which includes DLC for two new multiplayer modes named ‘Mad Survival’ and Dogfight’, as well as our all-time favourite witch, Bayonetta, as a playable character will be available in the US, but only via pre-order from GameStop.
Whether or not this affects the European countries in which GameStop operates is unknown, but considering the ease of inter-EU country importing, it’s unlikely.
I suppose Anarchy Reign‘s reduced retail price wasn’t enough for Sega. I find it a pity that they feel it necessary to whore out what is potentially the best IP they’ve come into contact with for a long, long time. But that’s just my opinion. What’s yours? Check out the full press release after then jump, then let me know in the comments section below.
[Source: Venture Beat]
SEGA ANNOUNCES GAMESTOP EXCLUSIVE DLC
FOR ANARCHY REIGNS
Pre-Order at GameStop and Receive Unlockable Bayonetta Character Plus Additional Game Modes
SAN FRANCISCO—November 20, 2012 —SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced details for the GameStop exclusive DLC for the highly anticipated Anarchy Reigns™ game, launching January 8, 2013. For those gamers eager to cause as much anarchy as possible, pre-ordering the game at GameStop will net them two extra multiplayer game modes, Mad Survival and Dogfight, and an extra playable character: none other than the world’s most famous witch, Bayonetta™!
In Mad Survival mode, a team of 3 players duke it out against waves of enemies, much as in the normal survival mode. However, these enemies now take the form of the other playable characters in Anarchy Reigns, leading to a far tougher series of battles that require serious tactical thinking to outsmart your foes. In traditional PlatinumGames style, Dogfight mode sees players hanging from helicopters -pelting each other with bullets until their opponents fall out of the sky. As well as being a surreal new spin on this multiplayer brawler, this aerial-based game mode is an entertaining change of pace from land-based combat, offering gamers a new way to explore the locations found in-game.
The iconic star of her own self-titled adventure, Bayonetta is a formidable force on the battlefield. Players who unlock Bayonetta will be able to wield her four guns, collectively known as Scarborough Fair, and use her patented ‘Wicked Weave’ attacks to deal even more damage to any poor soul that falls in her sights.
To pre-order Anarchy Reigns from GameStop with the exclusive pre-order bonus, please visit your local GameStop store or visit http://www.gamestop.com/
browse?nav=16k-anarchy+regins Anarchy Reigns™ will be available on January 8, 2013 on PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft for $29.99.
For more information on Anarchy Reigns, please visit http://www.sega.com/ and www.platinumgames.com.
For press assets please visit www.sega-press.com. For more news, follow SEGA on Twitter @SEGA or “like” us on Facebook.
Frankly I’m confused as to why you think this is “whoring out” the IP. Yes, I too would prefer to have Bayonetta in all versions of the game, but using the developer’s most popular character to inspire people to buy the game upon its initial release is not only smart, it’s kind of necessary, especially when so many gamers now tend to wait to buy games when their prices are almost guaranteed to drop a few weeks later. This is already a game that features characters from MadWorld, so including Bayonetta only further serves as a cool bonus for Platinum fans. Asking people to buy the game upon its release to earn this free bonus isn’t whoring anything out, especially when the game itself is already half its original price.
To get this ‘bonus’, customers are being limited to buying the game from one particular retailer. This removal of choice only benefits the retailer, GameStop, and the publisher, Sega. As you’ve just said, the reason such incentives exist are because publishers are afraid of losing money from decreased retail prices after launch, and losing complete sales due to the selling of pre-owned copies from places such as GameStop. This being one of the many reasons publishers claims games are so expensive anyway, although is practically a circular argument because of their making such deals with the retailers they’d gladly see raised to the ground. And stuck in the middle of this are Platinum Games and Bayonetta.
Ok, so your problem is the exclusivity of Gamestop. Your news post had me a bit confused about what aspect was goading you. While I still think using the term “whoring out” is a bit alarmist, I completely agree that making this exclusive to one retailer is just another misguided move in a long line of marketing neglect that will end up hurting both Sega and Platinum. At this point, Sega seems to have so little confidence in their new, physical releases that they’ll take any deals up front, just to guarantee some profit before the games actually release. You can see the same issue manifesting in the licensed characters and lower price point of Transformed as well.
You’re right, using the word ‘whoring’ was just begging for trouble. But it got a discussion going.
It’s both aspects that bother me. As you said in your comment, it certainly seem that Sega don’t trust that their games will sell, even if it’s something that is very likely to be well received critically i.e. Platinum Games have done well so far. Good games don’t always sell though, look at Binary Domain, and I understand why Sega would do a deal with GameStop for the reasons you just described. However, for a company like Sega that has at some some reliance it its more loyal customers, they’re not treating said customers as well as they could be, or should be.
And yeah, this is similar to All-Stars Racing, and that bugs me too. As did Danica, although that was more silly than it was harmful.