[rant] DLCs, the new (lame) way.

[Jools]

Hi all.

DLCs, DLCs, DLCs... It's all about DLC nowadays. Every other game is released with the "promise" (or certainty) of some DLC to be released a few months after its original release.

But, I found myself wondering, what is the point? What is the point of picking up a game, months after its release (and completion on the player's part), just to play a couple of hours (at best) of additional content, which is usually completely unrelated to the game's storyline (and even if it is not, one has already got to the end of it...), and feels like it's been deliberately left out of the main game just to rake in some more money after?

Let alone some disgusting episodes, like the Stimulus Pack for CoDW2: 5 maps, 2 of which have been imported from CoD4... That's something fans would do for free, not something you charge 12£ (or whatever) for.

Or Civilization V, and it's 0-day DLC...

I can see where this is going. It's becoming like buying a car or house.

NWN3 core - 15.99£ (or any random game)
Mouse Support - 4.99£
Additional Savegame Slot - 1.99£
Wizard Class - 5.99£
Craft Heavy Armour Skill - 1.99£
Hi-res Textures - 5.99£
Tutorial Mission Pack - 7.99£
Intro Movies - 2.99£
Alternative Ending - 4.99£

Grand total: F.O.!

I thought DLC were kind of gratuitous and meaningless when they were free (Mass Effect's Bring Down the Sky, or crap like that), but they really won't add much to the gaming experience.

Also, I liked it more when you had to pay a little more for "Expansion Packs", but you got a solid 20 hours of more gameplay (Tie Fighter - Defenders of the Empire, BGII: Throne of Bhaal, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction just to name a few...), story and all, not just 1 mission and 3 additional areas (1 exterior and 2 room, in most cases). Ironically, the 20 hours of gameplay those "Expansion Packs" featured are more than most modern games' playtime (for the full, main game...).

Ah well. My apologies for the rant, but I needed it.

Peace out, Jools.

 

[Angthoron]

But how can you imagine playing Oblivion without the Horse Armor DLC? You won't get the full EXPERIENCE that way!

DLC is an unfortunate way of preying on the weak and the gullible, a simple scam in the same line as getting a customer to buy something relatively expensive and then offering some shinies that look pretty cheap in relation to the price of the "original thing". It'll get worse though, much worse, with the advent of Facebook Gamer Cool Crew and the further mainstreaming and streamlining of the gaming.

 

[tarkin]

Hey Jools, so um where is Jops?

 

[Jools]

Hey Jools, so um where is Jops?

Unfortunately K.I.A. on the 2nd mission. Only I survived through them all.

 

[Phelot]

Yeah I'd imagine full length expansion packs are just about extinct.

DLC probably generate a lot of money for companies and all they do is release what is the equivilent of fan mods.

Ever wonder why The Sims 3 has only released one major expansion pack (probably not) it's because EA makes a killing off of selling an article of clothing for your virtual gf for $2.00.

That's right, companies are selling skins and calling it viable content rather then simply being called a mod.

But, what can you do, people have money to burn it seems.

 

[lightbane]

You replied yourself: MONEY, JEWS, and retards that buy any shit. That's the reply (oh, and the Decline).

 

[Fez]

It'll end up as bad as those "partwork" magazines.

I hope we haven't seen the last of complete mainstream games being released or decent sized expansions. While we're at it, someone go back in time and assassinate the person who came up with the idea of all these "achievements" for games.

 

[Angthoron]

I do recall that Risen, at least, is getting a full expansion.

While we're at it, someone go back in time and assassinate the person who came up with the idea of all these "achievements" for games.

Death is too merciful a fate for them.

 

[someone else]

Real gamers only pirate games.

 

[DraQ]

Hey Jools, so um where is Jops?

Unfortunately K.I.A. on the 2nd mission. Only I survived through them all.

What about Stoo?

 

[Phelot]

Yes, achievements are more of a threat to games then DLC ever could be.

In fact, most modern games appear to use achievements as the main basis for the gameplay. Gone are challenges, those are too hard to balance out and require too much skill to actually craft. Instead, give players cheap thrills and a sense of... wait for it... "achievements" like, getting a house to decorate or finding a new outfit that is red instead of the standard blue. None of these things actually do anything for the player, though some may be weapons that fire super duper kill anything shots, but remember that games aren't about challenge anymore so you don't have to worry about balance.

 

[Jools]

Hey Jools, so um where is Jops?

Unfortunately K.I.A. on the 2nd mission. Only I survived through them all.

What about Stoo?

Married my sister. Two kids, girls, 8 and 12. Runs a pineapple plantation in Ecuador. Loves to play Tropico 3.

 

[Jools]

I do recall that Risen, at least, is getting a full expansion.

While we're at it, someone go back in time and assassinate the person who came up with the idea of all these "achievements" for games.

Death is too merciful a fate for them.

Now, THAT is some interesting news. If it is half as good as Night of the Raven was, I'm loving it already. I <3 Risen.

 

[Angthoron]

Thing with achievements is, they're not really achievements, they're just a reward to the player's ego for something the programmers wanted the good doggie to do.

Achievement is something that happens sliiightly differently.

 

[Norfleet]

I always wondered what would happen if a game had no "positive" achievements, and only granted achievements in failure, ala Darwin Awards.

 

[KalosKagathos]

Yes, achievements are more of a threat to games then DLC ever could be.

In fact, most modern games appear to use achievements as the main basis for the gameplay. Gone are challenges, those are too hard to balance out and require too much skill to actually craft. Instead, give players cheap thrills and a sense of... wait for it... "achievements" like, getting a house to decorate or finding a new outfit that is red instead of the standard blue. None of these things actually do anything for the player, though some may be weapons that fire super duper kill anything shots, but remember that games aren't about challenge anymore so you don't have to worry about balance.

Some games do give achievements for interesting stuff: doing all Street Fighter IV trials that require some m4d joystick skills and timing to pull off, S-ranking all levels in DMC4 on the hardest difficulty, getting through Mega Man 9 and 10 without getting hit (coincidentally, all of the above are Capcom games). The problem is that all games must have exactly 1000 achievement points in them, or they don't pass Microsoft's certification. Naturally, some (as in," most") games (especially those meant for kids) simply aren't complex enough to support 50 or so meaningful achievements, and developers end up having to put in crap like "kill X enemies with weapon Y" just to meet the required number.

 

[Fez]

It's all the worse now that Steam and online flash games are plagued by them.

 

[Donkey Balls]

I do recall that Risen, at least, is getting a full expansion.

Also Divinity II.

 

[Phelot]

Yes, achievements are more of a threat to games then DLC ever could be.

In fact, most modern games appear to use achievements as the main basis for the gameplay. Gone are challenges, those are too hard to balance out and require too much skill to actually craft. Instead, give players cheap thrills and a sense of... wait for it... "achievements" like, getting a house to decorate or finding a new outfit that is red instead of the standard blue. None of these things actually do anything for the player, though some may be weapons that fire super duper kill anything shots, but remember that games aren't about challenge anymore so you don't have to worry about balance.

Some games do give achievements for interesting stuff: doing all Street Fighter IV trials that require some m4d joystick skills and timing to pull off, S-ranking all levels in DMC4 on the hardest difficulty, getting through Mega Man 9 and 10 without getting hit (coincidentally, all of the above are Capcom games). The problem is that all games must have exactly 1000 achievement points in them, or they don't pass Microsoft's certification. Naturally, some (as in," most") games (especially those meant for kids) simply aren't complex enough to support 50 or so meaningful achievements, and developers end up having to put in crap like "kill X enemies with weapon Y" just to meet the required number.

I agree, though I was referring more to games which have gameplay that consists of gaining useless gimmicks like the aforementioned houses, armor for horses, romance, blue candles for your home. A game like Oblivion literally consists of the player running around and finding items and crap for their LARP fantasy.

 

[Micmu]

I do recall that Risen, at least, is getting a full expansion.

WHEN? :dribble:

 

[Donkey Balls]

A game like Oblivion literally consists of the player running around and finding items and crap for their LARP fantasy.

Bah, at least it's not Sims.

 

[desocupado]

I do recall that Risen, at least, is getting a full expansion.

While we're at it, someone go back in time and assassinate the person who came up with the idea of all these "achievements" for games.

Death is too merciful a fate for them.

 

[Angthoron]

A game like Oblivion literally consists of the player running around and finding items and crap for their LARP fantasy.

Bah, at least it's not Sims.

The Sims 3 is a better RPG than anything from Bethesda lately


And I've no idea when the expansion would be out and if they actually do it at all or go straight for the sequel, all I recall reading was that the publisher deemed the sales to warrant the production of such and that, to my, understanding, PB started making it. I might be gravely mistaken or possibly it was an alcohol-induced wet dream.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

DLC in itself is not a shitty concept, its just the public's willingness to gobble up anything that gets thrown at them.

 

[SerratedBiz]

This topic is so last year.