Downloadable Content, the new wave douchebaggery?

[Kenai]

Whether I'm ok with it or not usually depends on how I feel about the main game. I have played a few games that I felt were quite unfinished or short, but I paid full price for. Charging for DLC for that later sucks, and I want developers/publishers to know that isn't going to fly with me. My heart also goes out to all that jazz about the Fable 2 LE codes, and the people that are having trouble. But I've also played good games with DLC content I'd pay for (even if most of it was free on PC ). I also am not opposed to patching or adding stuff later, that's technically DLC too even if it's free.

What really irks me is how it's been (and is being) handled this gen on all the consoles. Lost account information or not being reimbursed properly if your system goes down, and the idea of how they (won't?) transfer said DLC for the next patch of systems, or keep it available to DL. So much I'm dissatisfied with. The PC market has been doing it in a largely awesome way for so long (and free, and better) that maybe my expectations are too high, but meh.

[Arnwulf]

Sorry for the necrobump but I recently read an interview with the head of EA Sports that really pisses me off.

GS: So do you foresee a possibility of a NCAA Football BCS edition in the future, or a NFL Playoffs version of Madden at a reduced price?

PM: Yeah… again, the key is to sell more games, and to give people a reason to buy the game, because they know there's more good stuff coming. That's very important to us.

It's not, in any way, moving away from what we're doing with physical media with boxed goods. That's incredibly important, and we'll continue to do so. It's to sell more of those because we've got to communicate to consumers. You're right. Once the BCS starts, whether you agree with the rankings or not, it's a way for us to get people excited about NCAA Football, which remember was shipped in July, right? And now we're talking December and January for [the] BCS.

How do I get people to say, "It's time to play football--collegiate football." And that's the key. You've got to keep that title coming and downloadable content, and having that one-to-one communication with those consumers is very important.

This is just an exerpt from the larger discussion but how I interpret this is that they're considering shipping games like NCAA Football and Madden without playoffs or bowl games and then make you pay to download that stuff later. Kinda like what they're doing with some of their other games.

Source: Peter Moore Interview: DLC, Wii, and the Future of Videogame Motorsports - GameSpot Sports Beat - Gaming News and Videos For Sports Video Games - Football Video Games - Baseball Video Games

[Brill Weave]

That would be too far over the top. EA is greedy, but they aren't stupid. The uproar would be so deafening it would be scary.

[arus2001]

Yeah, downloadable content really should be bonuses, not core game features you select to exclude because you think you can nickel and dime a few more bucks out of people. Possible exception maybe being an INSANE MODE difficulty harder than the current most difficult for those really looking for a challenge.

You'd think the game industry would look to MMOs more to see what those fans respond to positively and why. If you get a situation like in FFXI and Nomad Moogles in Selbina/Mhaura, hear comments like, "Should've been there 5 years ago..." then it's not something you should try to charge people for or exclude. A serious football game without any kind of playoff mode is... in a word, stupid. Even if we were jump back in time to novelty sports games like Mutant League Football or NBA Jam, having such modes aren't a bad idea.

[Xno Kappa]

Street Fighter 4 downloadable-content, ALTERNATE COSTUMES!!! Yeah, sometimes they're just a big rip-off from the company that normally would've been packed in the game regularly.

[Charismatic]

Street Fighter 4 downloadable-content, ALTERNATE COSTUMES!!! Yeah, sometimes they're just a big rip-off from the company that normally would've been packed in the game regularly.

I actually thought the content was already on the disc, just needs to be unlocked with the DLC pack.
I've heard that from someone, not sure if there's any truth to it though.

[Cydewinder]

Hm, I thought this bump was about the RE5 DLC that the rest of the internet is in an outrage over.

[Deejay]

I actually thought the content was already on the disc, just needs to be unlocked with the DLC pack.
I've heard that someone, not sure if there's any truth to it though.

It's true. The actual "download" is like 11 MB. And they're being madd jewish about it too, you can only download them in 5 seperate predetermined "packs". You have the "brawler" pack, shoto pack, shadaloo pack, etc etc. Fkin gay.

[Zumi]

The actual download for SFIV alt outfits is only 140kb. You just paying for a unlock code they are already on the disc.

So you can see them if someone has bought them and uses them in a online match. This kinda DLC use to be free but now they want to make more money by charging for stuff like this.

[Elcura]

This sort of DLC you used to get for PLAYING THE GAME. Now, you gotta pay because apparently people don't want/need to play the game to get extras and rewards, you just gotta have the cash.

[shukuffxi]

I'm suprised no one has brought up RE5's upcoming DLC which if I remember correctly adds 2 new modes of online play.

This is the kind of thing i'm on the ball about: Did they not include it originally because of budget/time constraints, then figure they wanted to do it later on and not have it in time for release, so snazzied it up and made it a DLC, or did they know before hand and say to the devs "Hey guys you can take a little longer on those online modes of play, we'll just put it out 2 weeks later and charge people for it."

[Norellicus]

The argument over the RE5 content makes me lol because RE has never had a multiplayer mode before. You're not getting cheated out of anything by buying the original game and then buying the multi separately if you really want it, you're getting the added bonus of some additional work that really isn't par for the course given their development history.

And yeah, according to their online PR it was constructed under a separate budget; they knew from the getgo that it would be a separate thing, though they did specifically target the DLC being release ready within a week or two of the game's street date. Some would consider that dubious, see my above line for my feelings on it.

[shukuffxi]

You can say "added bonus of some additional work that really isn't par for the course given their development history", but at the same time this is really kind of the first time it could be done, or at least done well with an RE game, I would think. It's something that's become expected, especially since there was already online functionality in the game to begin with. MGS4 also has it's online modes as well, where it didn't before, and as far as I know, you don't get charged for that, although I don't play it.

The question for me is to believe their PR or not. I'm fine with RE5's DLC on the account that it's "Half way through we thought it'd be great to add this, but the time/budget didn't allow for it. Normally we couldn't provide it at all, but now with the way DLC is we can provide it, of course there will be a small fee involved, but what would you rather have: Us not make it at all or have us work on it, and charge you a small one time fee for it, instead of a monthly fee."

DLC: If it didn't impact/was included in the original scheduling and budget, and is an actual worthwhile addition to the game, i'm more than happy to have DLC available. Obviously what one person finds a "worthwhile addition", others may not, and that's how companies who do DLC will get a reputation: Did they put out 4 alternate costumes for characters and charge $$$ for it OR did they change gameplay mechanics/add new leves/maps/balancing/weapons.

Don't forget for the large majority of these games that have DLC: They don't have a monthly fee. What's to make the company put out updates/DLC content of any kind, when their isn't any $$$ in it for them? You could argue that some need a Gold XBL account, though i'm uncertain of where the money people pay for a Gold XBL account goes, but i'm guess the majority, or none of it goes to the game developers.

[Odesseiron]

Comes down to two things. If you want it, buy it. If you don't want to buy it, don't. Nobody gives a fuck about your whining.

[Kaisha]

In RE5s case, I'd like to call bullshit for the sake they already charge bloody $70 (up in Canada at any rate) for it, which is $10-20 more than the average game I see up in retail here.

[shukuffxi]

I have higher hopes for quality DLC. I wouldn't care if they charged me 10$ or 15$ even, if what they were offering was worth it. For example, I wouldn't mind paying extra for extra playable characters in RE5's Mercenaries with a few extra maps and weapons. Hunk, Claire, Leon, etc.

I think if 3-6 months or more down the line there was a demand for it, then getting the company to pay people to do new graphics, level design, testing, etc is worth the extra cash, especially since last generation of consoles this sort of thing wasn't possible.

No one complained that RE4 wasn't getting updates, or that MGS3 didn't have an online mode, or numerous other games. It was just "you buy the game, that's what you get." Now that we have another EASY and steady means of distribution to the companies, just the original game is not "enough." If the companies were really smart, they'd open try communicating better with the players, finding out what they want, and making really awesome DLC to pay for.

[Kaisha]

No one complained that RE4 wasn't getting updates, or that MGS3 didn't have an online mode, or numerous other games. It was just "you buy the game, that's what you get." Now that we have another EASY and steady means of distribution to the companies, just the original game is not "enough." If the companies were really smart, they'd open try communicating better with the players, finding out what they want, and making really awesome DLC to pay for.

MGS3 did have an online mode in the Subsistence release of the title before Konami pulled the plug on the servers way too early.

For me, DLC has to be more than 'unlocks data on disc' or crap that screams that it should have been on the disc to begin with. Full-on expansions, additional content on top of what's considered an already adequate amount of base content, entirely new game modes (Super Stardust HD's Solo pack add-on comes to mind with its addictive Endless-mode addition), and etc, are the kind of things I'll pay good money for on DLC. None of the cheap-ass stunts Capcom & EA have really been pulling out on their titles lately just to milk cash from their customers.

Selling an ON switch is just a slap to the customers face.

[shukuffxi]

Yeah, sellng an "on switch" as you put it is pretty lame.

I think DLC gives a great options to companies to provide real quality content they couldn't do earlier, or due to popularity of a title to include more things, build brand name. It just seems that most of them are more bent on "extra costume? 5$".

[Tomiko]

RB DLC is certainly worth it... most games have trash for DLC though.

I agree about Rock Band DLC. The best thing is you can download as little or as much as you want.

lol, article on Kotaku saying that sackboys will cost 1~2$ per full costume.

I'm perfectly fine with the costumes I already have. I haven't paid for a LBP costume yet and I don't plan to unless something I really like comes out. Plus I haven't played it in a couple months.

What's the story with MegaMan 9? I never even knew it had DL content aside from the game download, so I'm not aware of what everyone keeps bringing up.

The biggest issue I have with DLC is that alot of it isn't worth it. The Street Figfhter 4 costumes being one of the main ones. Considering the game had just come out I felt that was stupid. Map packs for FPS games are usually worth it though.

[Kaylia]

You can unlock protoman and hard mode or something (for 2 or 5$...I forgot)