505 Games explains why current Control owners won't get a free next-gen upgrade

[Cal Jeffrey]

In context: Last week, 505 Games announced the Control Ultimate Edition bundle. It's a $40 package consisting of the game, all DLC, and a free upgrade to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions. Purchasers of the original game were a bit miffed at being left out. 505 heard the backlash and decided to clear the air a bit.

In a Thursday morning blog post, 505 Games explained it did not take the decision to exclude original Control purchasers from the next-gen upgrade lightly. Without going into much detail, 505 said that it looked at several avenues for the release, and none were optimal.

"While it is challenging bringing any game to next-gen platforms, we quickly realized it was even more difficult to upgrade our current user base to next-gen with full parity across platforms with our year-old game," the publisher said. "Every avenue we pursued, there was some form of blocker, and those blockers meant that at least one group of players ended up being left out of the upgrade for various reasons."

Control Ultimate Edition - An Explanation

Read more: https://t.co/1ac8M3ZEyR pic.twitter.com/oVFaLcynaU

— 505 Games (@505_Games) August 20, 2020

It said that it recognizes that leaving anybody out "feels unfair," but it is only working on Control Ultimate Edition on next-gen platforms. That is to say that the PS4, XB1, PS5, and XBSX bundles are all a part of the same next-gen workflow. The original game is not a part of that, so 505 is not offering an upgrade path to those users.

The good news is that there was some confusion about where this left earlier adopters who want to play on next-gen systems. Having to repurchase the game would certainly seem like an insult. However, we already know both the PS5 and the XBSX are going to play most current-generation games. While Sony is still working on a list of confirmed backward compatible titles, 505 Games assures us that the original Control is on that list. Owners can still play it in BC mode and will only miss out on the updated graphical tweaks.

Look at it this way, 505 Games could have just postponed the next-gen version for a couple of years and then release it as a reboot or remaster, as many game makers have traditionally done. For example, how many players do you think paid $60 for Skyrim more than once? At least, some developers, including 505 Games, are offering some upgrades gratis, which is a lot considering both new consoles feature backward compatibility.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/86450-505-games-explains-why-current-control-owners-wont.html

 

[Sherwoodnt]

Does this affect PC users??

/end troll

 

[brucek]

It's like publishers are trying to train people to never buy their games at launch (or even worse, before.)

 

[gigantor21]

Not so much an explanation as them politely saying "screw you, pay us."

 

[m4a4]

Honestly, thinking about it, it just feels like making a mountain out of a molehill. The versions aren't different enough. You can still play their game if you bought it already (without spending more money). The new version will just look slightly nicer. Why would you need to upgrade?

Anyways, still not the best PR move, but it also just feels like gamer entitlement...

 

[rrwards]

Honestly, thinking about it, it just feels like making a mountain out of a molehill. The versions aren't different enough. You can still play their game if you bought it already (without spending more money). The new version will just look slightly nicer. Why would you need to upgrade?

Anyways, still not the best PR move, but it also just feels like gamer entitlement...

I don't see how it's entitlement for you to expect something you were promised. 505 Games told people that buying Control would give you access to the next console generation version free. They have since backpeddled and said "well actually it's only if you buy our complete edition". However, that version wasnt even offered at the time of the "next gen free upgrade". So of course it's a big deal to offer something for free and then retract that and say "it's only free if you buy it *now*.

Imagine wanting to buy a Tesla but being hesitant because a new model is due next year. Tesla says "hey, buy now and we promise to give you an upgrade for free next year". You buy it. Then a month before your free upgrade they say "well actually you can only have the free upgrade if you bought the sport model that wasn't for sale when you originally purchased." You'd be rightfully pissed. That's some bait and switch nonsense that fully parallels here with 505 and Control.

For once it's actually not GaMErs EntITLed (tm)

 

[m4a4]

I don't see how it's entitlement for you to expect something you were promised. 505 Games told people that buying Control would give you access to the next console generation version free. They have since backpeddled and said "well actually it's only if you buy our complete edition". However, that version wasnt even offered at the time of the "next gen free upgrade". So of course it's a big deal to offer something for free and then retract that and say "it's only free if you buy it *now*.

Imagine wanting to buy a Tesla but being hesitant because a new model is due next year. Tesla says "hey, buy now and we promise to give you an upgrade for free next year". You buy it. Then a month before your free upgrade they say "well actually you can only have the free upgrade if you bought the sport model that wasn't for sale when you originally purchased." You'd be rightfully pissed. That's some bait and switch nonsense that fully parallels here with 505 and Control.

For once it's actually not GaMErs EntITLed (tm)

I don't remember any promise, and nothing about a promise is mentioned in the articles I've seen about this. So source it before you go on further about the "promise" they made to the original buyers.

IF they did actually promise, I'll take back what I said. But as it stands, it just feels like entitlement.

 

[penn919]

Started playing it via the PS Now service. I didn't finish it in time before the 90 day window was over. It's okay I suppose. I've got an excuse to buy the ultimate edition on steam when it's discounted enough.

 

[GamerNerves]

Now I'm even more confused. Sounds like gibberish to me.

 

[Shadowboxer]

Unless the developers specifically promised you an upgrade on the next gen console when you bought the initial version. Then expecting this for free is definitely a case of entitled gamer

 

[Edito]

That is why people will simple pirate your game and play on their super PCs.

 

[Rdmetz]

I don't see how it's entitlement for you to expect something you were promised. 505 Games told people that buying Control would give you access to the next console generation version free. They have since backpeddled and said "well actually it's only if you buy our complete edition". However, that version wasnt even offered at the time of the "next gen free upgrade". So of course it's a big deal to offer something for free and then retract that and say "it's only free if you buy it *now*.

Imagine wanting to buy a Tesla but being hesitant because a new model is due next year. Tesla says "hey, buy now and we promise to give you an upgrade for free next year". You buy it. Then a month before your free upgrade they say "well actually you can only have the free upgrade if you bought the sport model that wasn't for sale when you originally purchased." You'd be rightfully pissed. That's some bait and switch nonsense that fully parallels here with 505 and Control.

For once it's actually not GaMErs EntITLed (tm)

You're response literally is the definition of gamer entitlement. Like to the point of you making up "facts" to try and prove it not to be.

No promise was made to you nor me another buyer from day 1 luckily I bought it on pc where I've had access to the "ultimate" version since day 1. The game looks great with Ray tracing and was the first with DLSS to really impress me.

I'm glad they are doing a next gen version so console players can kind of see what I have for over a year now. But to expect them to do all this work today and just give it away is foolish they'd been better off just getting the base game running on next gen and left it at that if they had to do that.

This games sales audience has basically already bought it or were waiting for the day its GOTY complete edition was on sale so they are the only ones left to sell to.

I'll still be picking it up as I originally only had the base game and having an excuse to play the new dlc is a good jumping back in point and I'll still come out roughly the same.

The game was good I don't mind throwing them a few extra bucks for not taking the shortest easiest path and just enabling BC and leave it at that.

 

[fadingfool]

Not so much an explanation as them politely saying "screw you, pay us."

Could easily be replaced with TLDR: we don't want to.

I have no skin in this as I haven't bought control and was waiting for it to be on sale on steam first.

 

[treetops]

They should just say "this is console country, you aint from around here are ya?"....

 

[Puiu]

You're response literally is the definition of gamer entitlement. Like to the point of you making up "facts" to try and prove it not to be.

No promise was made to you nor me another buyer from day 1 luckily I bought it on pc where I've had access to the "ultimate" version since day 1. The game looks great with Ray tracing and was the first with DLSS to really impress me.

I'm glad they are doing a next gen version so console players can kind of see what I have for over a year now. But to expect them to do all this work today and just give it away is foolish they'd been better off just getting the base game running on next gen and left it at that if they had to do that.

This games sales audience has basically already bought it or were waiting for the day its GOTY complete edition was on sale so they are the only ones left to sell to.

I'll still be picking it up as I originally only had the base game and having an excuse to play the new dlc is a good jumping back in point and I'll still come out roughly the same.

The game was good I don't mind throwing them a few extra bucks for not taking the shortest easiest path and just enabling BC and leave it at that.

"gamer entitlement" is why you are playing better games and companies are forced to issue "apologies" and change some for their crappy decisions/policies.

You don't want the industry to become better? Then just let other gamers do the work for you and don't talk as if you are superior for accepting everything these companies do.

The decision to block the next gen version behind a full new purchase is as greedy as it can get, especially for those that bought the season passes and DLC. They could just as easily offer the next gen upgrade/version for 5-10$ to such people... their biggest fans. Instead they are just showing them the middle finger.

People were expecting Control to adhere to MS's Smart Delivery system like so many other publishers/devs and technically they are doing that. it's just that they are offering a "free upgrade" to another game, not Control. You just have to buy the new version... yep... free upgrade, just like they promised... for free