DLCs: The Way of the Future?

[zack125]

This generation of gaming, it seems like we are getting a lot of DLCs (downloadable content) for a lot of games. What are your thoughts about it? Do you think game developers are making them just for profit?

Personally, I've started to think that many developers are greedy. They are giving us nearly completed games, in which we have to pay around 50-60$ on release date, and then make the DLCs so they drain our wallets a little bit more to approximately 10-15$ per DLCs. I can understand if developers run out of time and need to release the game a bit incomplete but shouldn't DLCs be free if that's the case? As an example, Rockstar is releasing new missions to their new release L.A Noire. In my opinion, it doesn't really give the game any new feel to it other than to make the game a bit longer. Another example is Assassin's Creed II. Chapters 12 and 13 were missing from the final version of the game. From what I've heard, Ubisoft didn't have time to finish those two chapters but we still have to pay for it. Someone have to correct me on that one if I'm wrong.

Something I don't mind with DLCs is if it adds something new like a new story. An example of this is Red Dead Redemption with Undead Nightmares.

What do you guys think of this?

 

[ZoraDeadpool]

it's pointless, the games that get DLC already have the content in the disk so there's no point to make them DLC they just want our money, example, the upcoming Sonic Generations has pre-order DLC for Casino Night Zone from Sonic 2, however, hackers found that the level is already in the disk, so why not give us the level right there instead of making us have to pre-order it? and it's even more of a problem if you don't pre-order it because later on you will have to pay for it when it comes out on PSN/XBLMP so you're paying extra.

the most insulting thing i've experienced with DLC was with Street Fighter 4's arcade edition, ok two years ago Capcom released Street Fighter 4, a year later they release the upgrade Super Street Fighter 4 but the upgrade was only $40 full price specificly because it was an upgrade, fast forward to this year they release the arcade edition as DLC to pay for, so i had to go get me some microsoft points to get it so either way i had to pay the full $60 for the game, the 40 that the game cost and the 20 for the microsoft points to get the Arcade Edition

 

[SinkingBadges]

I think DLCs can be very much a double-sided blade. On one side, the idea of extending a game's lenght after it's release is a great advancement for gaming, but on the other, companies can take advantage of it and use it as a means of easy cash-grabs.

Do patches count as DLC? Because if they do, it's even worse. Now companies can sell buggy and unfinished products (Fallout: New Vegas, anyone?) to ALL KINDS of gamers since the option became available on consoles. That is one of the things that bugs me about this generation, that such a great tool is offered to developers and they can't help but use it like that (but oh well, that's the industry for you). That was a good reason for me to pick consoles over PC at times.

 

[Celeboy]

I think that DLC is pretty cool, but it should be free. I mean, if it's an extra stage, or a new item, all you really have to do is make some new codeing that slots into place in the origional code. Something like on MHTri. I know it was on the disk, but after a while, some new quests were added, like the giant Gobul, Devil Jho and Alatreon. No payment necissary. Also, on MHPortable3RD, there are (I think) new quests that you can download every once in a while and (like I said, I think) new ones are being made. Basically, the MH games are a good example of games with free DLC.