I'm tired of DLC and exclusive content.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

Alright, so...

I can understand and appreciate the fact that stuff can be added on to your games thanks to the internet, and this is a great way to bring out new content, especially if it's in high demand.

Here's what I have a problem with:

I can't stand DLC being release at the SAME TIME a game is being released! Really? It's like saying "We have some great stuff for your game, and it's ready at the time of release, but you have to shell out an extra 20 bucks for it". I understand it's a business, and at the end of the day they want to make money, but I was hoping the idea of taking pride in your work and giving people their moneys worth the first time around still meant something.

I'm also not a fan of "get this item/weapon through pre-order", or "this item is available only for the 360 version of this game". I'm sure this annoys me because I'm a completionist when it comes to games I enjoy.

You're sadly mistaken if you think I'm going to pre-order your game, buy every version of it available, and on top of that buy 50 dollars worth of DLC just so I can have the complete game.

"Back in my day you would just buy the game and that's that, if you wanted unlockables you would earn them by doing difficult tasks in-game".

I know not all games and companies are like this. But I see it as a looming trend in gaming which I can't stand.

But that's just me. Maybe some of you feel differently. Discuss your thoughts.

[Slothy]

I can't stand DLC being release at the SAME TIME a game is being released! Really? It's like saying "We have some great stuff for your game, and it's ready at the time of release, but you have to shell out an extra 20 bucks for it". I understand it's a business, and at the end of the day they want to make money, but I was hoping the idea of taking pride in your work and giving people their moneys worth the first time around still meant something.

I agree that the timing of day one DLC sends a poor message, but it's typically not things which are actually ready for release. Most people don't actually realize this, but the certification process for games takes a long time. A month between when the game is actually finished and when it's released might be on the short side of things. Sometimes it can be longer. So if you've got a development team that finished a game and is going to spend the next 1-2 months or more before release making DLC, some of it's going to end up finished before the game comes out. It's too late at that point to get it on the disc, but getting it released on XBL or PSN is certainly doable. Often it's not stuff that was going to be in the game, or which may have been cut and were it not for DLC would never see the light of day. Like I said, I agree it sends the wrong message to consumers, but aside from delaying it a bit what else can they do? And if they delay it they are basically sacrificing sales.

As for my opinions on DLC, I generally dislike it unless it's something substantial. I don't want a new character model in an FPS or a level or two here and there you're going to charge me $10 for. Give me a full blown expansion any day. Something that can add substantial content to the game. Give me new characters in a fighting game, new areas to visit in a WRPG, that sort of thing. Don't try and nickel and dime me for things I don't need.

[Big D]

I like how Tekken Tag Tournament 2's meaningful DLC (characters, stages, etc) is all going to be totally free of charge. Some of it's already been released via software update, rather than in the online store. There's still some paid DLC, like bonus music, but nothing that makes a meaningful difference to the gaming experience,

I reckon that's the best way to go about DLC. People who buy the game early and stick with it are rewarded by getting new content over time, at no extra cost, while people who pick up the title at a later date aren't going to miss out either.

Though I do wonder what's going to happen in 10 or 15 years. Any of us can buy an original PS1 game and play it on our PS2 or 3 with no issues. What'll happen to a retro gamer of the future, who buys one of our current-gen titles that can be so heavily dependent on DLC and patches?

[Quindiana Jones]

They'll move to using the PC, where the community patches games much faster than developers anyway. Free market, woo /pg.

Hey, anybody wanna fork out 3600 MS Points for all the multiplayer gun skins in GoW3? Ahaha. Remember when Bethesda got slack for the Horse Armor (which was cheap, pretty cool, and served a purpose)? Now look at the state we're in. xD

[Flaming Ice]

I like how Tekken Tag Tournament 2's meaningful DLC (characters, stages, etc) is all going to be totally free of charge. Some of it's already been released via software update, rather than in the online store. There's still some paid DLC, like bonus music, but nothing that makes a meaningful difference to the gaming experience,



Probably because they made people mad before, having the DLC on the disc...



I reckon that's the best way to go about DLC. People who buy the game early and stick with it are rewarded by getting new content over time, at no extra cost, while people who pick up the title at a later date aren't going to miss out either.

It must suck for people who buy the game first too....50-60 dollars plus tax, then a greatest hits, ultimate edition, etc, comes out and you can easily find it for $20-$30 in just a few months after its release.



The most annoying thing about DLC is that games like FF13-2 are going for $20 now but they usually have special editions so you don't know whether to wait or not just in case.

[Bolivar]

On-Disc DLC is inexcusable. You should always try to ship the best possible product you can. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 lived up to the hype, despite only having 4-5 maps per game mode. But when they unlocked on-disc content over time depending if you bought a new copy, it really hurt my image of the series going forward.

Like Vivi said, expansion packs are great. It allows the developers to go back to their game and do something awesome with it, plus make some money, without calling it a "sequel." Console developers have been slow to learn this lesson, now that you can expand upon a console game, but they're getting closer to it and I think that's awesome.

[Del Murder]

I'm with you Lone Wolf. DLC is cool when it adds something extra to the game, but I really hate when content is purposefully left out of the main release of the game so that it can be DLC. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and FFXIII-2 are two offenders that come to mind. Entire sections of FFXIII-2 basically told you that you had to pay more to use them. Awful.

Basically DLC should be stuff that would not exist without DLC. Expansion packs are fine since they are almost like another game.

[maybee]

I hate DLC let it die.

No I'm smurfing serious here. DLC is nothing but a huge pain in the ass. What happened to unlocking extra content via hard work and effort ? It added extra playtime to the game and it was for free and it made the game more deeper and it added more length and meat to the game.

DLC is a huge pain because if you don't want to pay or go online you miss out. The character that you want in Street Fighter x Tekken is DLC ? Too bad, cough up some money or and get a online connection.

Like Theatrhythm for example. There is so many extra songs that could add more length and time into the game, but it's DLC ! It may seem like small money at first but it can add up to like $ 20 if you want most of the extra songs. It's stupid. You payed $ 60- $70 for a full game- full game and now they want you to cough up a extra odd $ 20's making what you payed for the game about $90
Even more if it's a 360 or PS3 game which could equal up to about $120 in the end. So stupid.

Plus like people have said in the future when we want to be nostalgic and remember these now retro games, half of the game is going to be missing. It's going to be like downloading half of a game. Half of a game is smurfing dumb
Imagine downloading Sonic 2 and getting to Mystic Cave and then the game is saying " Go online to buy the ending levels " ! No, just smurfing stupid.


If you're wondering why I don't want to make a 360 internet connection it's because people playing games online act like dicks. Look at online Minecraft videos and people trolling young kids by pretending to be Herobrine and laughing when they get scared. Not funny.

[Laddy]

I'm okay with full expansions; they're fine because they usually have enough content to warrant another purchase.

However, DLC is just exploitative garbage. Look, I know developers like money but requiring to pay even more after forking over $60 a pop is ludicrous. At this point I'm pretty much just gonna avoid DLC altogether unless I feel it's worthy of my time and reasonably priced. Which it rarely is.

[Mirage]

I dislike games that are split up from day one, for so to be sold in parts. That would be day one DLC.

Other than that, DLC is just a streamlined system for what would earlier be called expansion packs. Except they usually are smaller than expansion packs, and the total cost of buying all of them would be more than an expansion pack but still offer less content than and old school expansion pack would. Blame the market for this, they're the ones throwing their money at it.

[Jiro]

DLC is mostly frustrating because I can't actually get it. I can understand the problems that people have with it but I'd prefer to get new content than not. When it's clear that it's content that was supposed to be in there at the beginning then I get pissed though.

[Futan]

I don't buy DLC, even if I liked the game, unless I waited to buy the game so long that an Ultimate Edition came out with all the DLC included. I miss the days of expansion packs where it was basically a new game added on top of the base game. :/

[Formalhaut]

I think my favourite example of DLC was free. I know, let that sink in for a moment.

And it wasn't some random small item that makes no difference to the game. It gave two new game modes, 16 new maps and two new characters, as well as a patch to boot, for technical stuff like the AI and whatnot. The game was Unreal Tournament III, and I have to congratulate them for releasing a huge DLC pack (http://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/04/02/unreal-tournament-iii-titan-pack-review), for absolutely free. Respect points all around.

[Quindiana Jones]

Multiplayer map packs are the worst example of DLC. £10-15 for 3/4 maps? Who the fuck thought that up? Charging a quarter of the full price for less than one tenth extra content.

[VeloZer0]

I personally love the idea of paid DLC. I think the idea that every game is worth the same amount is stupid. If I find a game I like I now have the option to pay more and get more game. Sure there have been bad examples of money grubbing on the part of game developers but in all honesty I get more upset at the people buying the rip of DLC than the companies making it. It wouldn't get made if people weren't buying.

[black orb]

>>> Wow, gamers are a gold mine these days.. :luca:

Im too poor to even afford that sort of stuff so I dont care about it..