DLC

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Originally Posted by Skyblade

It keeps the game availible and accessible to people with a low income, while allowing developers who still want to make good, high quality RPGs an additional revenue source to keep the money flowing and therefore keep up the development of good games.

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How does releasing a game that costs $70 retail (on the high end for games today), and then asks you to pay even more for each little piece of extra content accessible to people with low income? I'd have no problem if the initial price of the game was lower and then have extra content as DLC. But FFXIII-2 was pretty expensive off the shelf as far as today's games go.

SE's financial troubles are none of our concern and are not an excuse for them to nickel and dime their faithful customers. Part of their troubles are due to a loss of reputation for being the go-to company for quality RPGs. I don't see how releasing games that purposefully leave content out for DLC can help repair that reputation.

Most of the current DLC isn't necessary to enjoy the game to its end (though neither is a lot of stuff included in older FFs), but what about the inevitable 'true ending' DLC? And the Sazh card game scenario is what got me going in the first place because I'm pretty sure that would have been included in the main game had it been released 5 years ago.

And yes, I understand I am free not to buy it and SE is just trying to make money here. That doesn't make me less disappointed.

NEW DLC INCOMING:
Jihl Nabaat is coming in as a Coliseum battle character.
Noel & Serah are getting "Retail exclusive" DLC items...told you guys SE would break their pre-order exclusivity.
Lightning VS Caius DLC with a different type of combat

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

FFXIII-2 was pretty expensive off the shelf as far as today's games go.

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Was it? £40 is pretty much the standard price for a game over here when it's first released and FFXIII-2 was no different. Did they increase the cost in America?

Overall, I agree with the rest of your sentiments, although I can see both sides of the coin - I can understand that when every other major publisher and developer seems to be pushing out DLC for their games, it's a bit unfair to SE that they are suddenly told they can't because it's not cool to their customers. I don't make a habit of buying DLC, personally, but I do pay for the FFXIII-2 stuff purely because I'm heavily into FF stuff and like to see what's out there. I'm not sure I'd pay for many, if any, additional monster battles... but I will pay for other content, including storyline stuff.

I will, despite all that, be heavily disappointed if the 'true ending' is released via DLC. I don't think it will be, personally. I think that it will be released as FFXIII-3.

Overall, if FFXIII-2 was released sans all the DLC that is being thrown out now, and left alone... I'd still be happy with the game. It's a tricky call, but so long as the DLC is reasonably priced and will provide something I'm interested in, and so long as the DLC isn't 'removed' from the original game (particularly in the case of the main storyline) then I'm okay with it.

At release the normal edition was $70 on Amazon iirc. I see it's now $45, which is much better. For comparison, Mass Effect 3 is listed as $60, which I believe is the standard.

Ah, that sucks. All games seem to start off at £40 (or lower if you're lucky) over here, it's been some time since I've seen anything higher than that.

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Originally Posted by Loony BoB

Ah, that sucks. All games seem to start off at £40 (or lower if you're lucky) over here, it's been some time since I've seen anything higher than that.

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Unless it's Modern Warfare 3 or Skyrim which I frequently see retailing at £42+

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

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Originally Posted by Skyblade

It keeps the game availible and accessible to people with a low income, while allowing developers who still want to make good, high quality RPGs an additional revenue source to keep the money flowing and therefore keep up the development of good games.

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How does releasing a game that costs $70 retail (on the high end for games today), and then asks you to pay even more for each little piece of extra content accessible to people with low income? I'd have no problem if the initial price of the game was lower and then have extra content as DLC. But FFXIII-2 was pretty expensive off the shelf as far as today's games go.

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Because the extra content is extra? You can buy the game for 70 bucks (thought it was 60, actually), and you don't need the extra. Really, what benefit do you get out of the Sazh segment or the colliseum battles? The game itself is complete.

As it is, if they were just to bundle it, they'd be charging you 150 for the game and all the extra content that went with it.

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SE's financial troubles are none of our concern and are not an excuse for them to nickel and dime their faithful customers. Part of their troubles are due to a loss of reputation for being the go-to company for quality RPGs. I don't see how releasing games that purposefully leave content out for DLC can help repair that reputation.

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Um, yes, it is. They are a business. Their objective is to make money. They don't have any "obligation" to their "faithful customers" at all, short of the legal ones that they have to provide what people pay for.

If the games they make and sell aren't making money, then an alternative source of revenue is required.

If their business goes under, what good does being good to their faithful customers get them? None.

They made a game, you bought it. Their obligation is fulfilled.

And in my opinion, it is a good game, and I'm happy to invest more in it.

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Most of the current DLC isn't necessary to enjoy the game to its end (though neither is a lot of stuff included in older FFs), but what about the inevitable 'true ending' DLC? And the Sazh card game scenario is what got me going in the first place because I'm pretty sure that would have been included in the main game had it been released 5 years ago.

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WHAT "true ending" DLC? I'm sorry, I haven't heard or seen anything about this, even in rumors. Please, linkies and elaborate, because that I don't agree with, depending on how it is handled (haven't finished the game yet, though, so hopefully no spoiler detail).

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And yes, I understand I am free not to buy it and SE is just trying to make money here. That doesn't make me less disappointed.

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Agreed. And you are fully entitled to that disappointment.

I don't think making money and being faithful to your fans are mutually exclusive. Having a good reputation entirely affects a company's bottom line. I never think SE is anything but a corporation out to make the most money possible. I just feel leaving elements out of their game purposefully to add later as DLC is not the way to go about repairing your reputation, therefore increasing revenue in the long run (though it may in the short run which may be all they care about). If it was made very clear that all the DLC was created post-production and were entirely separate from the main conceptualization of the game, then it would be fine. But the game takes you to the Coliseum only to let you know there's nothing there yet, and the same goes for Serendipity where NPCs repeatedly tell you parts of it are 'under construction' and will be available later (for a price of course). To me that's a clear statement of 'we made these other great things for the game but decided to leave them out in hopes of getting more money from you' and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Compare that with Mass Effect 2, where most of the DLC involved very separate, complete scenarios that were not interjected with the main game.

I agree that FFXIII-2 is a complete game. It was really fun and I enjoyed it. But FFX is also a complete game without Blitzball (as a mini-game) or the monster arena. Imagine going through FFX and at every save sphere gave you the 'Play Blitzball' option, only to have a message say 'Currently unavailable'. Then they release Blitzball for 10 bucks a month later. That would piss me off, unless the game cost less to begin with.

Without spoiling it, I will say the ending very clearly and conspicuously indicates that there is more to this story. There will either be a DLC that finishes it off, or a FFXIII-3, or some other media release. There is an interview with Kitase that goes over it but I can't find the link right now. The game itself is complete, but its conclusion certainly wasn't.

Some Jihl Nabaat screens went up earlier:
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Jihl Nabaat Download Content Screenshots -- Andriasang.com

Final Fantasy XIII-2's Goofy Octopus DLC Is Straight Outta Final Fantasy VI

Screens showing Typhon along with Uncle Ulty & the fight have arisen. And more images of the N7 armour in use

Next Lightning DLC is called "Requiem of the Goddess"

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Lightning is coming back to Final Fantasy XIII-2. As reported a few weeks back, the FFXIII hero's second XIII-2 download content will be released in May and will show Lighthing and villain Caius in a different form of battle from what we saw in the main game.

Dengeki PlayStation reveals the episode's name to be "Requiem of the Goddess."

That's all we know at the moment, but an appearance in Dengeki or Famitsu usually means that Square Enix will make official announcement of the DLC (along with screenshots hopefully) later in the week.

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Next Final Fantasy XIII-2 Lightning Download Content is Requiem of the Goddess -- Andriasang.com

VIDEOS



and the N7 outfit

Serah will now have at least four DLC outfits, but I'd like to see her fighting in her original XIII outfit. Or, if not that, then I'd like her to wear a pink tank top, blue jeans, and pink sneakers, or have her cosplay as Aya Brea, like Lightning did in Dissidia 012.

Noel's "AC Ezio" armour and Gilgamesh INCOMING!!!
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Gilgamesh will appear in Final Fantasy XIII-2's Coliseum Battle mode as part of the game's fifth download content. He won't be alone. Arriving simultaneously will be the alien-like enemy Koyo-Koyo.

Weekly Famitsu has details on both downloadable foes. Gilgamesh becomes an Attacker if you manage to make him into a party member. The chance of this is 25.15%. Koyo-Koyo will become a Healer, but he has just a 10% crystalization rate, so getting him may be tough.

Both monsters will arrive on April 10. Gilgamesh is priced ¥400/480MSP. Koyo-Koyo is ¥200/240MSP.

Noel's Assassin's Creed "Ezio" costume and Serha's Exposure and Defense costumes are also due out on the 10th. The Elzo costume is ¥300/360MSP. Exposure and Defense, a costume designed (and briefly worn) by an AKB48 member, will be free.

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Gilgamesh Joined By Koyo-Koyo in Final Fantasy XIII-2's Coliseum Mode -- Andriasang.com

PLUS FFXIII characters are modelling for Men's clothes:
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Characters Appear as Models in Mens' Fashion Magazine -- Andriasang.com