I want to focus on a few key games of the past two years, some with DLC and some without, to highlight the effect on the industry, revenue, and the gamers.
Case #1: Resident Evil 5
As some of you may know, Resident Evil 5 had quite a bit of controversy with regards to DLC. Let's start with a brief explanation of Resident Evil. RE5 is a survival horror game about a present day bioweapon threat in Africa. It released several bonus playable missions via DLC and a multiplayer "Versus Mode". "Versus Mode" was released only a mere month after the initial release of the game which raised supisicion with the gaming community. To help feed the fires, the actual DLC download size was only 1.8 MB. Gamers were downloading essentially a key to unlock content. This meant that the "Versus Mode" DLC was already on the disc when it was launched. Why wasn't this "DLC" included in the original game and price if it was already on the disc? Capcom defended itself stating that the DLC wasn't completed at the time of the release, but because it used many pre-existing things in the original game, they could sell a smaller DLC file.Versus Mode is not a crucial aspect to the Resident Evil experience. In fact, I'd argue that games like Resident Evil shouldn't even have a multiplayer mode (we'll talk about that another day). But when is it enough? This DLC controversy has opened the doors to releasing incomplete games, milking franchises, and taking advantage of fans.
Case #2: Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is an open world game in the Wild West. You play as John Marsden, a mysterious man set on taking down a criminal ring leader. It was released on May 18, 2010. This game has released a ton of DLC, but with a much different approach than Resident Evil. Let's go over the various DLC:- Legends and Killers Pack: 9 new areas to explore, new characters and missions.
- Myths and Mavericks: 11 multiplayer maps for free!
- Liars and Cheats: New hunting areas and gang hideouts
- Undead Nightmare: Totally new single player story with it's own multiplayer mode.
Now that is a ton of gameplay. Rockstar is still releasing DLC for Red Dead Redemption now, a year and a half after the original game release. Some would argue that they are milking the franchise for all that it's worth, but I would say otherwise. I think that the Red Dead DLC is a positive thing for the game. First of all, the DLC is released over time. Rockstar didn't release all the DLC a month after the game like other companies. This shows that they are still working on improving the gameplay and adding new things to do. The DLC also doesn't affect story gameplay. Gamer A can play the single person story to the fullest and enjoy it, while Gamer B can download everything, maybe getting a longer and more immersive experience, enjoy it just the same. Lastly, the DLC is actually good. Now this may sound biased, but it's just fact that fresh, original, and content rich DLC is better than re-used, reduced, and recycled DLC. It might not be for everyone, but you have the respect the work and creativity that Rockstar put into the DLC for this game. I personally don't believe that Rockstar was conscious of it's DLC from the get go.
Case #3: Season Passes
In the past few months, many blockbuster titles have opted to use a "Season Pass" for DLC. Basically, gamers pay for the Season Pass and are able to simply download the DLC once it's available. It's cheaper than paying for each individual DLC, but gamers have to unknowningly pay for something they might not even want. I'm skeptical of this system because of a little game known as LA Noire.I bought LA Noire on launch day and played it religiously when it came out. It reminded me of an adult Ace Attorney (one of my favorite games), so I instantly loved it. Once I saw that there was a Season Pass available, with new cases coming out in the upcoming months, I dropped the $15 on it without even thinking. Looking back, I can't believe I just spent 1/4 of the cost of a new game, on something I knew nothing about. As I continued to play through LA Noire, I noticed the cases seemed very repeitive and even boring. I was trapped by Rockstar. I had given them $85 for a game that I will never play again. I haven't played any of the DLC, I didn't even beat the game. Now I realize that it's my own fault for blindly believing that the DLC would be good, but it's so easy to hand over money with regards to DLC.
In conclusion, I want to reach out to all you gamers. Be critical of what you buy, download, and play. If it isn't up to par, then don't buy it. If we continue to purchase and support mediocre downloadable content, nothing will change. Be a picky gamer!
As Always,
LadySnip3r
PS. Have you played some atrocious DLC? Maybe you can think of some games that have done DLC right? What are your thoughts on the matter?
