Pack-in “Booby Code”: The Saboteur’s Cellophane Incentive

Far from Kotick’s comparatively reasonable suggestion that solid multi-player components will help beat the used games market, Pandemic Studio’s closing shot The Saboteur sells new with an enclosed code for the title’s zero-day DLC. While the inclusion of added content is perhaps an inevitable incentive to purchase sealed, full price titles as per Dragon Age: Origins’ redeemable extras, it is the download’s “nudity unlock” which should raise eyebrows amongst the entirety of the level headed populace.

“The Midnight Show” is available for 400 MS Points ($5). Publisher EA expects the whopping saving made by gamers purchasing fresh from retail shelves to translate to fantastic revenue, though reviews of the reportedly average title suggests so far that the title may be set to follow Pandemic’s traditionally middling sales.

Interestingly, Giant Bomb’s Jeff Gerstmann mentioned on their forums that the omission may have been implemented as a possible workaround for the game’s anticipated AO rating as ‘œdownloads aren’t allowed to alter the rating of a product’. The full line-up of content details “nudity, a V.I.P. room [which includes a gambling mini-game] and new hiding spots”; the polygonal boobies, betting and dirty alleys presumably all a bit much for gamers aged 17 years and 364 days old despite ready availability in streams of lesser rated films, magazines and television.

While it’s unfair to label Pandemic’s nudity enabling code as The Saboteur‘s only reason for purchase, it’ll be difficult not to assume each sealed copy is anything other than a masturbatory aid nestled under the arm of each acne faced male at till-point come release.

Via: Joystiq