You have to admit -- you guys are brutal. In response to the announcement of the upcoming downloadable content for Twisted Pixel's Xbox LIVE Arcade game, The Maw, you guys unleashed the hounds. It's a rip off, an obvious ploy to double-dip into the wallets of gamers, you said.
I get it -- money and Microsoft Points don't grow on trees, and we like to get what we paid for. We don't like feeling like we purchased half of a game (i.e. Lumines LIVE) or paying to unlock content already on a disc.
In the case of The Maw, Twisted Pixel says this simply isn't the case. In fact, Twisted Pixel CEO and Engineer Mike Wilford said he and the team were surprised by the reactions.
"In the months since The Maw went into final testing and certification," they wrote in the official DLC announcement, "Twisted Pixel has been working on creating additional levels for the game, incorporating new enemies, full cinematic, and additional gameplay into each one."
Note that Twisted Pixel started work on the DLC after the game was submitted to Microsoft for final certification. That indicates the content wasn't finished before the game was released to the public. Maybe not everyone is evil, right? And for a mere 100 MS Points ($1.25) per new episode, must we complain that much?
Have questions for the folks at Twisted Pixel? We're doing a "community interview," allowing you to ask them all sorts of questions about the making the game, XBLA development, or what their favorite flavor donut is. Check it out in the newly relaunched Destructoid forums.
AUSTIN, TX – January 29, 2009 – In the months since The Maw went into final testing and certification, Twisted Pixel has been working on creating additional levels for the game, incorporating new enemies, full cinematics, and additional gameplay into each one. They have also been busy squandering the capabilities of the time traveling car they jacked a couple weeks ago. Mike Henry, lead programmer on The Maw: "I haven't had a soggy last bite of cereal since we got this puppy." Asked about the possibility of using the technology to prevent world catastrophes or to send the new game data back in time to get incorporated into the original game, Henry pointed obstinately at his bowl. "Crunchy."
Three new "Lost Levels" Offer New Content, Gameplay
Eschewing a vacation after completing The Maw, Lead Artist David Leung has been working on new models, animations, and cinematics for the upcoming levels. "I love the world of The Maw and am really happy to have the opportunity to make these levels that are much larger and pack as much personality and new gameplay types ." Leung divides his time between creating the over 100 new animations required for the levels and his side hobby, sport-hunting dinosaurs.
High Quality, Low Price Point
Each level will be available for 100 Microsoft Points ($1.25 USD). "We want to make these new levels as accessible as possible while still allowing the team to get paid for the time they are taking to make all this new content," said CEO Michael Wilford. Asked why he didn't use the time machine to win the lottery, Wilford pointed out the limited supply of plutonium. "We need to save our trips for important things – like when this pizza was first delivered, it was cold." He held up a steaming slice and winked. "The first time."
The Maw
The Maw is a 3D action-adventure game available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points ($10 USD). It was honored with the PAX-10 Audience Choice Award and is a finalist for Technical Excellence in the upcoming 2009 Independent Games Festival. More information about The Maw can be found at www.WhatIsTheMaw.com
About Twisted Pixel Games, LLC
Founded in 2006 by industry veterans, Twisted Pixel is an independent game development studio that operates in two capacities: 1) Inventing innovative original IP concepts then developing them into premiere console titles; and 2) Providing top-flight contract games development work to leading publishers on their highly-anticipated titles. The company's mission is to become a leading developer of digitally distributed console games with ambitious and inspiring games that exceed consumer expectations. Learn more about Twisted Pixel at www.TwistedPixelGames.com.
Contest:
11:27 AM on 01.29.2009 | 
I do admit though that why they didn't add the levels before still puzzles me. Oh well. More levels = Longer Maw gameplay. Works for me.
Not that I mind, I can't stand virtual dog walking games.
Like those BJs from MrSadistic? TOO MUCH TEETH!
That's when you have to use the rolled-up newspaper. Good smack across the nose will teach 'im.
Anyway...I have no problem with this, so long as it wasn't something planned from the get-go. I can understand taking some levels that were cut due to inadequate amount of time left to finish them or ones that didn't seem to fit with the main story and throwing them at us as optional DLC.
It's when a developer has planned to release levels as DLC while they are still in the early stages of development.
But...even that's optional DLC (unless you're giving me the "true" ending or something).
Ranting over. The Maw is awesome, and I'll drop 300 points for the bonus stuff.
THANK YOU!
Than again this is the internet and people complain about everything here.
Few things to remember...
1. Fallout is $60 and developed by a MUCH larger team. And the main story only takes 20-30hours. And was available on multiple platforms.
2. The Maw couple have been in certification limbo like many other games for a long time. And seriously, are you a 3D artist with access to the assets already created for this game? The "teh fuck" do you know about the timetables, son?
3. $10 and you're bitching it only took two hours? This nonesensical view on "value" you've adopted blows me "teh hell" away. I paid $8 for the latest Weezer CD and it was 42 minutes long. I saw a movie the other day for $12 and it was 82 minutes long. I bought a DVD for $30 and it was 60 minutes long. In essence, if you're that offended that you paid $10 and got the above average content amount for your money, there's an option on the main menu called "New Game." Play it over, bitch.
Not Horse Armor for $2.50. Or 5 costumes for NG2 for $2.50. Or EA charging for cheat codes. Or Capcom charging for a *difficulty* level. Even the Crackdown DLC was $5 too expensive.
DLC walks a fine line. Like $20 for the new GTA4 DLC that adds 20 hours looks to be good. This new level for maw at $1.25 looks good.
Charging a decent price for something that *adds* to the game. Cosmetic changes should never be charged for, nor should difficulty levels. Added charecters/cars should be $0.50/$1; Added Levels should be $1/$2; added weapons or useable items should be $0.50/per (But it should be a pack) Like a new 10 pack of guns would be $10. Anything over that you should really start going into *expansion* territory. Either 'episodes' or 'Full on expansion' but the price has to be right.
Also, If you are (a) still buying CD's and (b) paying 30$ for a DVD then you really need to get it together, "son".
Please tell me this is the case.
yes it is, his heroic visage should show up as my avatar but the link seems busted
@cotton mcknight
exactly, thats what i was groping for in my wall of text. Its the principle, not the amount.
3.75 for a tiny bit more content: Cheap, but probably not worth it.
What we're dealing with is not an issue of "The DLC is cheap and made AFTER release!" but an issue of "Why didn't they hold off the release a few weeks to make the game complete?"
Sure, they didn't start working on it until certification, but they could have just as easily worked an extra week or two to finish the extras and THEN submitted the game. I'd be willing to wager that they would have actually made MORE money if the initial game at $10 had a little bit more content than they will by releasing the DLC to an INFINITELY smaller market (only those who have bought the game and liked it A LOT).
Also, $60 for 30 hours of Fallout 3 (and that's assuming you pretty much only do the bare minimum and who does that?) works out to $2 an hour. $10 for 2 hours of content works out to $5 an hour. And if you factor in that the DLC will probably only add 30 minutes of stuff then the ratio gets even worse.
And for all those other price analogies up there, a CD gets listened to over and over and over,and any DVD you like enough to BUY should be watched over and over. A game like this is pretty much done after one playthrough as the majority of the fun is the initial experience and the joy of discovery and puzzle solving.
Hell, I've spent almost two hours with Linger in Shadows which is a $3 tech demo. The Maw is a decent game that's still short by any standard. People are well in their rights to be disappointed by the price and the length WITHOUT any regards to DLC.
Alright, I'm done being off-topic. Go on with the chlorophyll!
If you knew anything about games you would know that companys are given a deadline.
Let's say Microsoft made a deal with the company to make the game with 8 levels and gave them a deadline. The company cannot just say "Screw that" and delay their game for a few months to put in extra levels.
Do you know how long a 3D game with these kind of graphics take for a very small team to make?
I am excited about the DLC. It is only $1.25 per level. A Coke at a restaurant costs more than that and only lasts about 10 minutes (except in your case it probably lasts longer when you wet the bed at night.)
Given the choice of no DLC vs DLC...I would take DLC any day. The team didn't have to make any more levels and could have moved on to a new project. I am glad they decide to make new ones.
By the way...you think that someone could delay a game for a few weeks and whip up some more levels. I believe it took them 9 months to make 8. Even if it was up to them (which it wasn't because Microsoft controls things) how in the Hell could they make 3 levels with new objects and gameplay in a few weeks?
Maybe you should stick to shelling out money for horse armor. This is actually some quality DLC for a change.
Some people still don't completely understand why people are "whining" about DLC like this, and I'm not gonna waste my time explaining why.
What I don't get is how people can be so careless with their money.
When evaluating DLC ask yourself this question - with the off the shelf game did I get a complete product that stands alone as worth the price I paid for it. If the answer is yes, I'm not sure what you have to complain about if the company releases additional content as DLC.
Good DLC takes a lot of money and planning to make. It generally has it's own budget, sometimes it's own team, it has to stand alone as a profitable product. That's how the business works. Usually good DLC would not have come into existance at all except it was pitched as a product, so those levels probably weren't "removed" from the final game to sell as DLC, they were pitched as an addition.
Just because they add to the narrative does not mean they should be included in the original game. Have you ever seen a flashback episode? That's new content that adds to previously experienced narrative. I love that stuff! Sounds like this DLC is the same, it lets you experience the narrative of the game within a new context.
As for the availability of DLC. It takes months to make good DLC. It has to be planned, scheduled, tested, certified, it takes a long time. Publishers don't ship a game and then just start working on DLC, if they did that DLC wouldn't come out until long after gamers stopped caring about the game and DLC. In fact, marketing data shows that the best time to release DLC (in terms of obtaining sales) is in the first month after a game is released - so expect most publishers to plan on releasing their DLC immediately after games comes out.
Any company that releases half a game at full price, and sells the other half as DLC is taking a serious risk. Releasing a full game at full price, and then adding cool DLC shortly after the game is released makes smart business sense and done properly gives good value to fans for their money.
(I know there is lots of cheap crappy DLC out there and the above comments do not apply to that stuff)