Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Mattus111 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:44:08 GMT

Another free theme for america only? For god sake Torchwood's a british show!!!!!

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

z Ocelot — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:44:08 GMT

Ok that is crazy. Torchwood is made here in the UK, so whats with the theme being US only? Absolutely nuts.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

AngryBrit — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:25:12 GMT

@Contra666,

Since you obviously can't be bothered to read past the end of the first line of other peoples posts before jumping to a conclusion about what they're saying let me summarise things for you - you're being a complete twat:

You obviously haven't bothered reading my posts because you'd know that the issues I raised where not aimed specifically at a single instance of content not being made available in the UK. Secondly if MN's blog system chooses to condense my post and remove all the carriage return line feeds there's nothing I can do about that.

>If you think about it, you seem to want to have more adverts!

I don't see anyone in the U.S. complaining about free themes, gamerpics, etc. Honestly I see these gimmicks for what they are want annoys me is the couldn't careless attitude that results in more interesting things not being made available, such as international coverage of events as we saw with ComicCon.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Dan Brown 360 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:46:22 GMT

@ Contra666

You sure have no idea how ADVERTISING works.

Microsoft do not put up this content FOR FREE. Sure users can download it FOR FREE but Microsoft still takes a FEE for putting and distributing this promotional content. Its like comercial TV, for instance ITV doesn't show adverts out of the goodness of their hearts the company pays for their advert to be shown. BBC America here has paid Microsoft to put up this content on the marketplace.

Further to that Microsoft OWNS the marketplace and therefore can choose which content to put up. For instance they decided not to release a theme in the past which displayed scantily clad women with Xbox 360s as it was deemed inappropriate. Sure Xbox cannot just put up other companys IP without permission, but I'm sure if playboy wanted to put a theme up they would decline.

Microsoft should have also seen that users in other regions would have a problem with not being able to acquire this theme and gamerpics and to not anger their CONSUMERS in other territories other than the U.S. asked for it to be avaliable in the country that actually made the programme before making it availiable in America and if this was not possible not have allowed the content up. But instead of keeping people happy they have decided to take the ADVERTISING fee and put up the content. It SHOULD matter to Microsoft that people would be dissapointed this is their machine and they don't want anyone to be dissapointed with what they are offering. Its called customer relations and so far in terms of providing content in other regions they are failing.

Also Contra 666, the BBC does take on advertising on other mediums whether that be bill board or Bus/ Station posters so them developing a free theme to advertise Doctor Who, Torchwood, Eastenders etc. isn't a complete impossibility.

Reading over this am I still 'totally wrong'? Please think before you post.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Contra666 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:46:34 GMT

Further to that, it does not matter to Microsoft if people in the UK will be disappointed - they must follow the requests of the people providing content.

In this case BBC America has legally got to restrict access to the content.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Contra666 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:39:55 GMT

@Dan Brown 360

What are you talking about?

"NO....they just care that they have lined their pockets with the money"

By a different company releasing a FREE theme? How does that line their pockets?

It's nonsensical.

You are also totally wrong about who chooses to put content up, it's entirely up to the company - in this case BBC America.

Microsoft can't tell companies to make and release content!

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Contra666 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:37:29 GMT

@kurtthelegend

This is a gaming blog.

It's clear you want to start a licence fee debate, there are enough sites that do just that.

I don't know anyone that would switch to a PS3 because the UK doesn't get enough content - what a joke!

The PS3 has very little content, I had a friend round recently and I had several demos that he could not download on the PS3 - some of which were available in other regions.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Dan Brown 360 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:26:42 GMT

Thing is Microsoft and the Xbox games division *KNEW* that this would make UK gamers anrgy. C'mon we have been pushing for more UK content and what does Microsoft do make a free theme and gamerpics avaliable on a british made, british themed and british aimed television programme. The warning signs were here that this would anger some of the consumers outside of the USA but do Microsoft give two hoots....NO....they just care that they have lined their pockets with the money. So is this Microsofts fault? ....YES....in the end its their Marketplace and they choose what gets put up on it. They CHOSE to put this up, and yes they should have known it would have caused some problems with THEIR consumer base within the United Kingdom seeing as it is 'their' show (if the BBC wasn't funded by the UK public shows like this wouldn't even get made). Really they should have know better and declined to offer the content in the States knowing that they can't offer it to members in the UK. I could imagine the outcry if a free 24 theme, free Heroes theme or a free Lost theme became avaliable in the UK but not in the States. There would be disapointment no one can deny. Oh and on the subject of the theme I don't care if it has the release date for America, it would still be nice to be able to get it AND for the first time some actual BRITISH gamerpics as well.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

AngryBrit — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:49:07 GMT

PlayStation Network is hardly brimming with content but you have to hand it to Sony, they've managed to balance the DLC available across their territories pretty evenly.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

I own a PS3 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:51:14 GMT

I recently found out that a total of 7 people that were my friends list and also on my msn messenger contacts have ditched the 360 in favour of a PS3, sighting reasons like lack of content support in the UK.

My brother has a PS3 and I'm going to join him. I'll keep the 360 but only for exclusives like Bioshock, Halo 3 that are 360 and PC only.

Another 360 fans defects to PS3. See you on the other side.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

kurtthelegend — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:13:57 GMT

@Contra666

Do you personal pay a TV fee/licence? Do you like sport that the BBCc always have on?

I hate all sport apart from some, but I hate the way the BBC overruns sport and screw the rest of the licence payers that hate sport. For examaple one Tuesday about 6 or 7 years ago it was coming up to 18:00 Star Trek Voyager time yet the BBC overrun the stupid darts. I think its time that the BBC do something for the people that hate most of the shows on the BBC, after all we pay over £130 a year just for the BBC channels and services, most of the time not watching them because of crap programming.

The BBC are famous for making stupid stuff just for one market aka sport.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Xbox-Guru — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:06:25 GMT

Umm, Torchwood doesn't have an American in it.

He lives in Canada but his parents are Scottish.

Still, sucks as to why the UK cannot get this content.

I just signed up a US account and grabbed it anyway.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

saturnmoonboy — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:54:09 GMT

Shame there's no quoting permitted, as that might make this more difficult to follow. I have a big issue with something that was brought up earlier. Major, you always state that the issue is with content providers over what gets released. I hope that's not true about what was posted by Joey earlier, regarding Xleague.tv; their distinctive style presentation on my dashboard would be amazing. UK exclusives, like that, ftw!

If it is true that MSUK barred them, then that's just a ton of bullcrap. Seriously.

I also noted Dan Brown 360's point on Microsoft dropping the ball outside of the US. Sony are simply stepping into a great big opportunity that MS have left them. Partnering with BSkyB though, that's really smart.

Also, Angrybrit wrote about the US company's disinterest in engaging with its customers over certain concerns:

1) Firstly, appreciate they're going to be busy, they're a business after all. If you want Xbox Live Arcade releases weekly, and content daily, then a team needs to make that happen and need time to do so.

2) Why don't you schedule a get together to discuss some sticking points? Bring all the mods you want, and we promise to leave the tomatoes at home? Sound fair? :) Perhaps have a "community forum" held once a month!

3) There is seemingly a distinct reluctance to engage. Even on MNR, you explain to us the problems you encounter, but you don't speak of any solutions. You really don't help yourselves, tbh. If you stated that yeah, we know this is causing grief, and we tried this, this and this (or even a cop-out like "we've taken steps") but it didn't work out... That's something. I think people would be more understanding if that were the case. At the moment you seem too often to be trying to use red tape to dodge the incoming criticisms. You rely on the fact that we largely don't know the mechanisms that cause media deals not to be possible, at times.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Contra666 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:40:51 GMT

@AngryBrit

Your post is a load of poorly formatted nonsense!

The Marketplace is clearly driven by commercial interests.

Companies don't make content for fun, they release it to make money.

BBC America is not aimed at anywhere but the United States, as such they only want their content going to people in the United States. Perhaps legally they are unable to distribute promotional material outside of the United States.

If you notice in these posts. Most of the FREE content that we in the UK don't get is the themes and gamer pictures that advertise things. A US company has no interest in telling somebody from France or Australia that you can buy a new type of drink from them.

Microsoft cannot change that, and while they can try and get more international companies to release themes/pictures that will take time.

If you think about it, you seem to want to have more adverts!

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Contra666 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:30:17 GMT

@kurtthelegend

"The BBC here in the UK can create one for us, is that too hard to understand Contra666."

Yes. Impossible

1) Why would the BBC make a theme to promote a show that aired last year?

2) How would the BBC justify making a theme for the Xbox 360 but not for any other console - it couldn't!

3) Who at the BBC would be able to make the theme?

It clearly just does not make sense for our BBC to make a theme, they probably do not even realise this theme has been released in the US.

It's a promotional tool for a commercial TV channel in the United States.

The BBC is:

a) Not a commercial channel, it does promote itself but not by doing things like this.

b) Not in the United States. It doesn't have any say in how BBC America chooses to market itself.

At the end of the day that's how it is.

re: Marketplace Roundup for August 28, 2007

Team Rutherford — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:01:01 GMT

What people don't seem to understand is that we are annoyed because anyone outside of the US seems to get the short end of the stick.

No free themes\Gamerpics\XBLA Games\No video marketplace.

Imagine that the people in the US pay through the nose for something (TV License) and then something is given away free to another territory. Or if MN's blogs advertised free content in EMEA or Asia, I can promise you that the comments would be filled with angry Americans demanding the content too. I understand that there's issues with regards copyrighting etc. But what a minority can't understand is that the people in EMEA \ Australasia are constantly getting a raw deal, in the XBOX stakes. Which is even more suprising considering that EMEA is the 2nd largest gaming community, i'm sure that someone has a link to the actually figures and demographics.

We also pay for Live\Hardware\Games\MS Points and in the majority of cases it costs more than it does in the US.

So I say again if the roles were reversed there'd be pages and pages of people complaining. MS complains about not doing well in territories such as Asia and until it re-dresses treating people outside of the US with this contempt the problem will always exist.

And on a separate note - i've seen the Torchwood theme and it's rubbish, all the blades have the same picture it's not very good and someone at BBCA should be held accountable for spending some of the marketing budget on such a rubbish Theme.