Concerns regarding QR codes and limited-edition content

[internisus]

Atlus has just sent out a big info packet that contains some concepts which worry me.

1) To promote Etrian Odyssey IV, they are holding a called the Ultimate Adventurer Prize Pack Giveaway that you can enter by sharing a game-generated screenshot of your guild card from the newly released demo on Twitter (along with a bunch of ad copy and hashtag junk). The prizes are: EO, EOII, EOIII, and "an exclusive QR Code for a rare item in Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan for the Nintendo 3DS."

What in the hey do you suppose that last bit could be? My read is that the code itself is exclusive to the contest but that the item it unlocks is something that can be acquired through normal gameplay, albeit rarely. Does anyone have any insight into this or a different read?

2) The sent to Atlus Faithful subscribers also contains a "gift" in the form of a QR code. No mention is made regarding its viability into the future, but it does say to follow Atlus on Twitter, Facebook, and the official website for more codes over the coming weeks. Does anyone think that any or all of these codes expire, or should they function for years to come? Can anyone say what the code unlocks and whether it can be acquired through normal gameplay?

3) Within lies a QR code labeled "Shinjuku Map x1" but the text above indicates that there are three "gifts." Does anyone know what this is and, again, whether it expires? The fact that it is labeled as a map baffles me. Could it add a new area to the game that otherwise does not exist, or does it simply fill in some of the drawn map for the player?

4) The of the official game website says: "By scanning special QR codes, you can unlock limited-edition items and quests. There are lots of fun quests, so be on the lookout for QR codes!" This is the clearest statement I have seen that seems to indicate that these codes and the content which they unlock will only work for a limited time. It sounds to me like, if you do not scan a code within a certain window from its distribution, you lose out on unique quests and items that otherwise do not exist within the game. I also assume that starting a new game would wipe out any record of codes that have been previously scanned. This seems awful to me.




One of the best things about the Etrian Odyssey games is the way they are self-contained and unbreakable. There are no unique opportunities to miss forever or ways to lock yourself out of any form of achievement. I feel comfortable committing to one of these games without doing any prior research to prevent myself from permanently screwing something up, which can definitely be a daunting aspect of getting started in some other games of grand scope. This marketing strategy of distributing codes outside the game that unlock content flies in the face of this accessible, reassuring design of the series.

I won't get around to EOIV for quite some time; I have much yet to do in the earlier games and also have not bought a 3DS, as I am waiting for an XL with a more attractive color scheme than those currently available in North America. Now I find myself wondering whether EOIV will be the same game in a couple of years as it would be if I played it now. If I fail to collect these codes for scanning down the line, will I miss out on some content? Worse, if I wait to play, will the "limited-edition" content even be available any longer?

I'd be very interested in reading your thoughts about this. In particular, I wonder if anyone who has experience with the Japanese release saw similar QR code functionality there and has insight to offer regarding its longevity and the nature of the content it unlocks. Thanks!

[PLA]

^ It's probably "on-disc" if it's unlocked with a code.

[internisus]

[PLA]

^ I don't know why they wouldn't, I guess.

"By scanning special QR codes, you can unlock limited-edition items and quests. There are lots of fun quests, so be on the lookout for QR codes!"

There's nothing about time in there. But limited-edition could be something, maybe.

It's an odd choice of words. Limited editions work with downloads, and even with downloading "keys" for on-disc, because you can control the distribution if you want to. If there's no middleman, you'd need to do weirder and more conspicuous things.

[ueI]

I don't think it's even possible for QR codes to expire. "Limited edition" probably means they won't tell everyone the code, but you can still find them on other websites like this one.
I agree that games are much better off when you don't need to hunt online for content.

[ZetaBladeX13]

I hope one of the three winners blabs about that code.

Totally want =O

[Justanothernerd]

Well, it would be possible to put a time-based lock on a QR Code. It's basically just a line of code, so if it said something like 'If it is past such-and-such date, tell the player the code is expired instead of unlocking content'. Of course, then you could just readjust your system clock to match the code.

That seems like a bit of trouble for the developers to go through, and it seems as though it would irritate the fans more than it would bring in new players. If there is some time-based restriction on the QR codes, then I'd say that's a bad move on Atlus's part.

[Kimiko]

As for losing the coded content when you start a new game, having to scan the code(s) again, I can confirm from personal experience that you don't even need to do that. Just getting your party wiped out after scanning the code(s) is enough to lose the item(s). So remember to save after scanning and before venturing out of town

[internisus]

[ZetaBladeX13]

lol, that's our Inzaghi XD

[PLA]

^ Oh, I get it. It's a marketing-wordchoice.