Mass Effect DLC free on PC? I feel an uproar coming on

Not only do PC gamers get it for free, but the game is cheaper.

They do this because they know that no one would buy the DLC playing on the PC.

Well, looks like PC came out on top this time.

And we can all thank Microsoft for charging for DLC

Japanese gamers get stuff before the U.S. Do U.S. gamers get free stuff? No.

U.S. gamers get stuff before Europe. Do European gamers get free stuff? No.

I find it ridiculous that I have to pay for what other people who are playing the game on a different box are getting for free. I will not be purchasing the DLC.

Bioware has charged for DLC on the PC before. For Neverwinter Nights they kept coming out with new "premium" modules right up until NWN2 came out. However, the smaller ones are free packed into the boxed version, and the bigger ones were pretty packed with new features and LONG playtimes, not tiny hour-and-a-half fare.

However, they realize that trying to milk money out of such a small amount of content won't go over well with PC gamers. We'd just go find some community-made stuff to install and play instead.

At least now I'll have those extra monies I'll be needing to buy my borken, half-ass version of Rock Band for the Wii. Which also comes with free DLC content. (sorta)

Was anyone outraged when halo maps became free? When did not fucking someone over become something to be outraged over?

sad that people now rationalize and justify paying for everything associated with gaming. ms and the 360 took pay to play to a new level. PC gamers never had to pay for online gaming, sony users still don't. but we've become so used to paying now that people explain it away with comments like: "they had to wait longer so..."

XBox360: $300
A DECENT PC system to play Mass Effect on without lag issues: $800 (This is just like the cheapest you can get and still play the game half way decent)

I still say 360 owners are paying less.

I am a PC guy, I don't play console systems except for certain RPG's and the occasional oddball game that comes out of japan so I feel that this is a pretty fair deal in the matter

That is because microsoft is charaging you for things that have been free and better on PC for years on the PC and you console people keep paying for it.

you do not even get dedicated servers for most of xbox live online games and yet people keep paying for it.

So by the time microsoft has charged you for all this junk over the years you could have bought tons more for the PC.

and ya you got it month earler but it was rushed full of bugs and controls/looks bad on your console. it's obvious microsoft pays tons of money for that little window to have PC games exclusive on there little console and have it rushed out for a time window in this case xmas 07.

Of course they are not going to say anything about the real PC versions sitting in dev until the microsoft xbox 360 deal passes.

They say stuff like this.

"Keep the PC in the back and make sure everybody buys the unfinshed console ports with a horrible game pad interface and poor performace and make sure it is out by xmas and don't say anything about e want to sell some xbox."


Then give them the content that was in the game but since it was rushed when the real "finished PC games ship for PC in the summer,

Nice job microsoft


and if you think these console version of games liek mass effect are finished wake up and open your eyes they are not and mass effect is the best example.

One has to wonder why the 360 keeps shooting itself in the foot with things like these, at least until one remembers that MS practically owns the PC gaming market (though indirectly so). Mass Effect PC's improvements will (indirectly) sell more PCs, which is still (indirectly) money in MS's pocket. The fact that MS has so much to gain from caring less about its own console tends to justify my decision not to commit to the 360. Better for me, at least. Sorry, guys. Hopefully your improved ME interface will pop up in a 500 Microsoft-point patch.

What really gets my goat about this whole situation is that I also elected to pay the $10 extra (at total of $70) for the 360 collector's edition. I haven't taken the time to properly research the PC version, or it's pricing points; however, I'm relatively sure it's going to continue the trend of being $10 cheaper than console game. So we're probably looking at $50 and $60 for the collector's (if one is offered). Now assuming I liked the game enough to buy the DLC at $5 (I didn't but that's a rant for another time), I'd be clocking in at $75 for what Bioware has basically just told is worth $60 tops to them. My artbook and tin case do little to comfort me at this time.

Heres what it comes down to. Yes Microsoft can force companies to charge for content. But to me, its ultimatly up the game companies to fold or say No, we will not charge. If a bunch of game companies said No we won't charge what would Microsoft have? They would be FORCED to make it free. If the game companies don't fight Microsoft gets their way. Overall I don't mind paying for Xbox live. The service is better than PSN, but I've been paying for expansions for PC games for a very long time. Look at Blizzard, they make a game and about a year later the expansion is released for 50 bucks. Hell d2 wasn't even a COMPLETE GAME. They talk about all 3 demons yet you only kill 2. They purpusely didn't finish to add the expansion in for more money. It's been going on for 10 years nothing has changed.

Annoyed, but not uproarious. It sucks they're charging 360 users, but it's also hard to get mad about $5.

I own Mass Effect for 360, and I intend to not buy DLC for it or any of my other games. Yes I waited for the 1st set of new H3 maps to become free, I don't play anything enough to warrant spending more money after the initial purchase.

If the developer knows they're going to be charging for DLC later I think they ought to charge less for the disc in the first place.

Yes, it costs money to produce the DLC, but you don't make that money back by charging for it. Free DLC won't cost you in the end if it convinces me to plunk down another ~$60 on the sequel. Make good games and support them after launch; I promise you'll get a loyal base for your next release.

Regardless of how long PC gamers have to wait for releases, how much their rigs cost, etc, PC gamers haven't been paying for "DLC" since time began. Since they have access to modding tools, paying for extra content is kind of pointless.

Also with companies like Valve, they figure it's more important to reward your initial purchase of their game instead of punishing you with micro-transactions of more game content.

I agree with Sharpless and Dexter345 on this. It's somewhat irritating, but it's just not that big of a deal to me.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

PC users have been getting free content updates to their games for over a decade. Why would that change just because the console market got greedy?

@adultswim810: Go inform yourself about the PC gaming community. Valves existence has nothing to do with this.

There is a long, long, long history of studios releasing free content for their games and a dev kit to the community. In fact even when this isn't the case, the community often mods stuff extensively (see the changes made to the piss poor RE4 port, for example - new character skins, hi-res textures, bloom, added effects etc).

If someone tried to charge PC gamers for anything short of a full blown expansion it would be subject to epic fail and just boost piracy more to boot. Bioware, with their roots in PC gaming are well aware of this.

If console muppets took a stand instead of letting MS suck their wallets dry like fawning fanboys they might have the same arrangement one day.

The more I read these 360 Gamers comments, the less I want one. I mean, seriouslym, (no offense meant here) but you all sound like battered housewives. "I know it hurts when he hits me, but he just gets so angry. I can put up with it. He does it because he loves me." It seems the same way with the failing hardware.

I wouldn't even be paying attention to this if I wasn't currently trying to decide whether I should get a PS3 or a 360, but it's just something I noticed.

Also. Cheeseburger. Food poisoning is temporary, but herpies is forever.

See, when you buy a DRM cube, companies will charge you for everything they can, because you can't hack it, or you'll void your warranty, and you can't just load something else on it, because wtf did you buy it for in the first place.

Also, people pay for their own servers in COD4. Thats why we get the maps for free, suck it bitches.

Guys, what are you fucking crying about? PC games are usually half the price of 360 games to begin with. How much did you muppets pay for COD4? PC version was 19.99 new on launch, and free maps to boot. Plus it runs better, and I can look around without feeling disabled.

That aside, I don't see what you're whining about. You get your exclusivity period, and we get the lovingly patched up cheap edition a while later.

This has also happened with Gears and Assassins Creed, and seems set to be the temporary industry model until games become increasingly episodic in digitally distributed business models.

As has been said, PC gaming has a very long history of bonus content after release (official or otherwise), which we're never asked to stump up cash for unless it's an all-out expansion pack. Take the witcher for example, which is arguably a better game than Mass Effect to begin with. The developers have just added a patch which adds a load of new sidequests, and are working on an 'enhanced' version which fixes some of the more critically derided aspects of the title as it stood on launch day.

PC owners don't pay significantly more to be a PC Gamer. Especially when you take into account the cost of games and DLC, which ties directly into the topic. Just like PC owners who don't recognise how powerful consoles have become, console owners don't recognise how relatively cheap PC's have become. Granted you pay more for your PC, but chuck in a few years worth of games (averaging a saving of £15-20 a title) and the ability to upgrade individual components, and you're quickly looking at very little difference in price. The PC I'm running now runs Gears and COD4 better than my 360 does, and at a higher resolution... yet you could easily build my PC for £350-400.

Anyway, isn't the DLC just spacehorse armour?

This is bullshit. I'm glad I haven't bought it yet. I'm waiting for the impending boycott, apology, and compensation.

I thought you were better than that, Bioware.

lol like they care