With consoles being connected to the internet, DLC is the next big thing. However are we getting ripped off or are we just getting a great service?
While Halo 3 continues to produce fantastic DLC which also becomes free over time, a lot of titles are not going under the same umbrella. I talked to
Fourzerotwo yesterday while playing COD4 and he said "no new maps are coming", while he could of just been saying that to surprise us later.. I really don't see any new maps coming.. and that makes me a sad panda. So many great titles are just getting one update.. .and then bam.. that's it. Like Mass Effect, only one download has come after all that fuss about plenty of episodes. They even put a DLC section in the main menu! It seems a little pointless to just come out with one DLC pack when everyone makes a big deal about it at launch.
DLC should be something awesome they think of adding after the ship date. I don't like the fact that Samba De Amigo (coming to the Wii) has "DLC FROM LAUNCH"... which means we are basically paying for content we should of gotten with the game. I feel like I am getting ripped off a lot of the time. There should never be DLC from launch, it's an obvious
cashwhore.
Plenty of music games do this and even
Beautiful Katamari cashed in by requiring the user to purchase an extra level to get a complete 1000 gamer score on the title. I am a sucker for purchasing online content, so much so that I will need to upgrade to the upcoming 60GB xbox hardrive as my 20gb is running out of space.
Soul Calibur 4 is offering characters as DLC who should of remained exclusive to the consoles they released on. Why am I paying for a character they got boxed? And visa versa. All this is confusing and frustrating. The games cost enough as they are not to mention the content I will end up having to purchase.
So what do you guys think? I am fed up with paying for content that should of been boxed from day one. The fact that I cannot even be FEMALE in
metal gear online unless I pay for the DLC.. it's ridiculous. I am all for extra content, but developers and the console companies them selves have got to realise it's turning into a rip off market.
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Destructoid, hello. I'm Lauren - but most of you will know me as 
I think that DLC adds extra longevity to a game. I think paying for it is bullshit. Yet whenever new halo maps arrive, the microsoft points are a flowin
Paying for DLC is fine by me, but the AT LAUNCH thing is kind of ridiculous. But as for the COD4 thing, well, they probably just don't have the time and resources available, and why would Activision want to take attention away from COD5? It's release isn't that far off, right? Halo 3 is different, because they have the resources, and because they aren't releasing a Halo game right away, are they?
I would say that with Mass Effect, perhaps the DLC didn't sell that well? Who knows? Maybe they're just too busy making a Star Wars MMORPG and a bunch of other games? Seriously, Bioware has a lot on their plate, I would say.
That's certainly no excuse, especially when you promised to release DLC and all. It sucks, but what can you do? At least Bioware isn't releasing a fuckton of BS DLC to rip you off even more, I guess.
A lot of it's a rip-off, but there is good stuff out there, and I think in the end things will get a lot better when people start learning from past mistakes and speaking with their wallets. It will happen eventually, and then companies will have to either adapt or stop making DLC. They'll adapt because they know their's money to be made.
Also, I hope there is RE5 DLC. Extra missions, whatever. I'll hungrily buy whatever they throw my way. Just saying...
@ REDRABBIT: Bullshit? Paying for DLC? Really? I wasn't aware the guys at Bungie and Infinity Ward were working for free. So why would they give you 3 levels for free? That shit takes a few months to pump out, at least if you want quality. That's the way the real world works.
Also, I hope their is RE5 DLC. Extra missions, whatever. I'll hungrily buy whatever they throw my way.....
I think this is one place where EA shows a good example. The DLC fo Burnout is free and it is a huge addition. The Unreal Tournament maps are also free... I'm sure there are so many that are and this just makes for great customer service and customer loyalty.
On the other hand, with the man hours being put into things I think asking for a small price is perfectly acceptable. I'd hate to see the games industry run out of money like the music industry has done over the years - I am happy to vote with my wallet for extra DLC but having DLC on release is a sham. They could so obviously just add it into the game from day one.
I also think COD4 could do well to maintain it's online community, which will continue to thrive even after COD5 due to it being a different setting and really good blah de blah.
Beautiful Katamari not only tempted you with the Gamerscore, but also the levels are on the disc and thus you have to pay to access the full game.
That's exactly the way it shouldn't be done.
Clance makes a good point about COD4 there. It's highly likely that COD5 will not be as good nor as popular as COD4, so it may be beneficial in a small way to keep the community going strong.
But then again, it has flamethrowers and swords and is an FPS.....
Good write up Lauren! The only DLC I seem to buy nowadays is Rock Band tracks and albums.
DLC at launch is lame as fuck. Namco even left an empty square on the character lists in SC4 just to laugh at gamers when they realized they would have to pay for the last one.
Also, not enough sockcock.
@ParaParaKing I am a huge katamari fan but I didn't purchase for the gs, as I am not bothered about GS and only have like 300gs in it xD
Paying for DLC to extend the life beyond what the developers were capable of putting in the original release, that's fine by me.
Paying for DLC that the developers were perfectly capable of putting in the original release and had available at the time of launch, now that's bullshit unless you're releasing the game for free or hella cheap.
For instance I don't think I'd mind paying for DLC in Battlefield Heroes on day 1, because I got the game for free. But I sure as hell wouldn't pay for DLC for Halo 3 on day 1.
@ EternalDeathSlayer (what a name)
"But then again, it has flamethrowers and swords and is an FPS....." - Tell me about it! Plus, vehicles. That could be cool.
I'm not saying COD4 will be better than COD5 (but it may well be), but I do know that many people will not revisit WWII so easily and will just stick to Modern Warfare. COD5 could go on and on.
I disagree with you there Clance, COD4 was a great step forward allowing for all sorts of brand new ideas because it allows a developer to invent new things. They can't invent new things in a WW2 game because it has to be historically accurate, which is why to be fair we've all seen this before. Plus don't forget one word, Treyarch.
I don't know what game will be better. I guess it could depend on people's tastes. I do know that that are using the same engine as COD4 so the guns will not feel sluggish. Not sure what you are disagreeing with though... I was actually saying that lots of people will stick with COD4 and that it will likely still outdo COD5 in the online arena - these people should be treated to future DLC.
COD4 could go on and on is what I meant!!!**
Oh right okay, in which case I agree with you ;)
haha, cheers pal. I don't like Mondays :s
I do and i don't love DLC, If the DLC will increase the longevity and comes a reasonable distance from release i am all for paying for it, however if it comes out a week or two after release then i smell lazy developers not giving us 100% of what we payed for!
I have 67 songs for Rock Band DLC. So, at this point I have more DLC than I do songs on the disc.
And I'm fine with that! I'm quite happy that a good portion of the songs up for DLC aren't forced on me. Hell, if the Metallica pack had been in the game from the beginning I'd probably be angry. They're too difficult. Well, Blackened is on drums, and I can't beat any of 'em on expert guitar.
And Rock Band 2 will have near-launch DLC of 20 songs, all of them free. That's awesome. So, I'm fine with Harmonix putting out all the DLC they want, as far as I'm concerned, it's only better for me.
I have 67 songs for Rock Band DLC. So, at this point I have more DLC than I do songs on the disc.
And I'm fine with that! I'm quite happy that a good portion of the songs up for DLC aren't forced on me. Hell, if the Metallica pack had been in the game from the beginning I'd probably be angry. They're too difficult. Well, Blackened is on drums, and I can't beat any of 'em on expert guitar.
And Rock Band 2 will have near-launch DLC of 20 songs, all of them free. That's awesome. So, I'm fine with Harmonix putting out all the DLC they want, as far as I'm concerned, it's only better for me.
Console DLC is and will always be a ripoff.
Until companies start shipping hardcopies of purchased games/content to the customer, it's a risky game that people are playing. 10-15 years from now, will you still be able to get that map pack for <insert fps> or redownload tracks for <insert rhythm game> when your hard drive/memory card dies and takes your $500 worth of songs with it?
I understand that most console folks don't know any better, but folks on the PC have been dealing with "DLC" forever and can plainly see all the holes in the system that the console people are ignoring.
Xbox Live keeps a history of everything that you download so you can recover lost content. Could someone inform me on what happens on the PS3 side in this case?
power-glove: Same for PS3. You get like 5 downloads of a title.
So there you go, Jamn, your question has been answered. Thank you, EDS.
I think it's tied to your name on PS3, meaning you could download it on someone else's PS3, even. I'm not sure though, never tried it.
DLC is allllwwwaayyysss good on PC. =D FREE COD4 MAPS FTW
I don't really mind DLC at launch, as long as the main game is cheaper. If they would have a $15 Rock Band with only 15 songs or something, and you could choose what to buy afterwards, that would be great :)
Maybe a lot of the push with DLC is really just a means of testing the waters for the day when games are entirely downloadable (no disc required). Playstation, by upping the GB of the basic PS3, is making room for this possibility. Even though they said it would be for downloading/saving games you already own...there is obviously the possibility of downloading the game entirely. I believe the Giant Bombcast guys pointed this out on their E3 podcast.
Now, as to whether it should cost money or not...well, I suppose it's a simple supply/demand economic model, right? We keep paying so why wouldn't they keep charging?
thisyearspink: I believe you can in fact download a few full games on PS3. I own the disc for Warhawk, but I'm pretty sure you can download the entire game if you wish. Siren is another example of a full game, although that one doesn't come in disc form, so download is your only option.
Sony is already doing it. Now we need to see how it all works out.
And let's not forget Nintendo's idea of DLC (see Daigasso! Band Brothers DX), in which it's all free but you still have to pay because nothing you download can ever be removed. Research indicates that Nintendo keeps track of some kind of internal ID in each copy of the game so no one will be able to work around it without buying an extra copy. That is even worse than everything above in my opinion, seeing how there are literally hundreds (maybe even exceeding 1000 by now) of songs and space for only 100 in the game.
I think I'll stick to good old DLC from Steam. Free updates are very nice.
Honestly, I am not too fond of the "DLC Content in game!" tagline. Sure its a nice feature, but it feels like a stab to the chest. Katamari is a perfect example, but as of recently; so is Ninja Gaiden II. Some way to plug for attention, but the extent of content can also push consumers away.
Although Live "pushes" for having more stuff. They are literally hurting themselves this way.
Really would want to see a "complete" title, without the need for DLC (unless its needed). Might be awhile till we see a game like that again.
@Power-Glove
Your question has been answered, not mine.
I've had 2 360's now and I know I can recover *some* content (I had delisted themes, demos, and pics that I can't get back anymore) so I know that it keeps track...but what happens 10-15 years from now when we're 3 to 4 generations removed from the current one? Do you honestly expect you'll be able to redownload all your hundreds of dollards of content?
Hell, I can't even restore my original Xbox Live content to an original XBox anymore since I migrated my account to the 360. When that original Xbox dies, so goes probably $20-$30 in content that I can't restore.
I don't think any console gamer has even thought about their digital rights as they potentially flush money down the drain.
I hate the big DLC thing that has come along with current gen consoles. PC gaming has been supported with free updates and content forever, be it by releasing new content from the developers or releasing an SDK/mod tools to the community.
That we are seeing a trend to charge for this and hold back content on the PC because PC gamers will rightly tell devs/publishers where to poke their microtransactions (Sims aside) is bullshit.
You console players should wise up and stop paying several pounds for a couple of goddamn maps. Don't cry about it while typing your MS points code into LIVE to buy the things. Compared to the work that goes into it the majority of DLC is way overpriced.
I never thought I'd see the day where people actually pay for a PICTURE. Why the fuck do you all find this acceptable? If Microsoft locked down your windows desktop or MSN Messenger to force you to buy stuff from the marketplace there'd be uproar. Why is it okay to do it on the 360?
Oh and @ Eternaldeathslayer:
No they don't work for free, but I'd guess that all the additions to TF2 are FAR more substantial than a couple of maps and Valve don't seem to be going hungry by looking after their fans. Fuck Bungie/Infinity Ward and their overpriced maps. The only thing more unjustifiable than what is going on with DLC are the arguments trying to spin it as a good thing.
Unfortunately, there is really a lot of games that don´t give the DLC that was promised before the launch, and probably this thing will continue...
What we can do is tag those companies, and don´t believe in his future game release (DLC). Said that, i have to mention Criterion... I have the Burnout Paradise, and it´s definitely s lot of game for the price. This certainly will came in mind when they release other games.
Good DLC: Rock Band, Burnout Paradise
Bad DLC: Anything by EA, Metal Gear Online
yeah that falls on the devs. sometimes its done really well (rockband is a perfect example) but other times, its an excuse for rape. i don't like my rape covered in excuses. i just like the good old fashioned forced acts of sex.
I feel the same way. DLC should not be at launch or to unlock cheat codes or content on the disk. SHAME on anyone who does this. when its a month or so later and you come out with fresh new content or tweaks THEN we can talk.
I'm one of the whores who bought all the levels for Katamari. But I'm not paying for the presents and extra cousins.
I don't have issues with a lot of the DLC out there, some of it are things I legitimately feel are worth paying for. But when basic things are striped out of the full game just for the sake of raping users for a few extra bucks, gamers should be outraged.
@Mxyzptlk I got them all too, don't worry!
I know that DLC is a bit of a bastard. it can be worth every penny or just point and laugh at you for purchasing it. Though in most cases like maps for halo 3 or cod4, you at least aware to what your going to get. and they are reasonably priced in some cases.
But that katamari thing is purely wrong and unethical in many ways,most likely listed above.
But what has been over loked is the 360's blade themes. not only do you have to buy them at 120-150 pionts a pop but you have to buy them blindly. This is the biggest spit in the face really especially when you have such things as themes and wallpapers from PSN for free. Now not all the 360's themes are blind previews, but a vast majority wont show you whats on offer til you purchase and apply said theme, then find out how gag ugly it is.
There used to be a way around it with www.dashboardthemes.com but it died due to the fact no one was donating to help fund all the themes they were buying out of thier own pocket to preview to lots of 360 owners.
Sure stuff like mass effect only releasing that piss poor episode wasn't up to much to have it on the menu. as its most likely been realised all the content they would be using could be added to mass effect 2, if/when ever it decides to come out.
Otherwise DLC is pretty much alright, with the exception of rock band, I feel sorry for the person whos forked out over a second full copy of rock band and the instruments on just the insane prices on downloadable songs. i think its like 10 songs in the who pack 1600 points... EA can take a run and jump.
I like being able to have DLC in the sense of it being a patch or having something extra that maybe not everyone wants, like the Rock Band songs. It's reasonable to say, "hey, we're going to have downloadable content with this game" but like you said, it just seems like a kick in the balls move when it's already available as soon as the game comes out. It's a good marketing scheme. Especially with the whole Microsoft Points. It makes you feel like you're not really spending money. What sucks the most about DLC is that it isn't really in anyway attached to your game. It takes up space on your hard drive when it could just as easily be on the fucking disc.
Ya know what's really gonna piss me off though? Siren. That was going to be one of those games where I just bought a copy and took it to a friends house to play so I would have to buy the system. Guess I'm screwed on that as well. (I know I could have it on an account or some shit, but that's just inconvenient when you move around a lot).
Try, 12 songs on the Who Pack. Rock Band DLC is how DLC should be done.
I know that MS really likes developers having DLC ready at launch of the game. Don't ask me why, this is just what I've heard amongst XBLA developers I've spoken with.
I think MS can afford to give things away for free later since they know a enough people will pay to get it early, giving them a return on the investment.
DLC seemed like a promising way for developers to quickly put a game out and expand on it if people liked it, reducing the initial investment.
But things rarely end up what they promise to be...
king3vbo says:
(# 33) on 07/28/2008 11:07
Good DLC: Rock Band, Burnout Paradise
Bad DLC: Anything by EA
xD
Considering Rock Band and Burnout Paradise are both EA products...
Interesting read Lauren. Late comment is late as well but just strolled back from a business excursion.
Here's another angle or take on DLC I wrote up awhile ago..you may find it interesting in a parallel co-existent sorta way.