New Super Mario Bros.2 to get paid DLC ... Has the DLC apocalypse begun?

[Faerillis]

That's because DLC is a new concept. They're not stepping on anyone's toes yet because they're still trying to get it used to gamers. A new generation of gamers are growing up with games that have DLC and the older generations are just getting used to it.

The trend will just get worse as it gets more accepted. It's not happening yet but I'd bet everything that it's going to be very different in 10 years, and it'll be considered "normal".

I get what you're saying Vizzle, and it is possible, but the way you're saying it is rather similar to "The government is putting brainwashing drugs in the water." You're making a rather valid concern sound like a conspiracy theory (not to say brainwashing drugs is a valid concern — it's not). And I do not fear this one little bit, we as gamers can be good at policing our games for this; and some games will still come out where it's broken into parts before being sold, and these will be sold at a cheaper price, and there's nothing wrong with that.

My fear is that there is a large portion of the Gaming Community that will rally against anyone who cries out when we are stepped on; look at the ME3 Ending: whether or not you find the ending bad, a large portion of the Gaming Community (if not the majority), wrote off all complaints and arguments about the ending as 'Entitled Whining' (there are/were some people who were just whining, but plenty who weren't) — that worries me. Every complaint, whether or not it is just, made by gamers is immediately and vehemently dismissed by the rest of the community, and the continuation of that trend could lead to what you're saying.

[vizzle]

I get what you're saying Vizzle, and it is possible, but the way you're saying it is rather similar to "The government is putting brainwashing drugs in the water." You're making a rather valid concern sound like a conspiracy theory (not to say brainwashing drugs is a valid concern — it's not). And I do not fear this one little bit, we as gamers can be good at policing our games for this; and some games will still come out where it's broken into parts before being sold, and these will be sold at a cheaper price, and there's nothing wrong with that.

My fear is that there is a large portion of the Gaming Community that will rally against anyone who cries out when we are stepped on; look at the ME3 Ending: whether or not you find the ending bad, a large portion of the Gaming Community (if not the majority), wrote off all complaints and arguments about the ending as 'Entitled Whining' (there are/were some people who were just whining, but plenty who weren't) — that worries me. Every complaint, whether or not it is just, made by gamers is immediately and vehemently dismissed by the rest of the community, and the continuation of that trend could lead to what you're saying.

Businesses have used shadier techniques to increase sales before... increasing prices to trick people, tricking people every other product is bad for you, shrinking the product.

I think, the best example I can use here is the Cadbury company. People were starting to suspect that the Cadbury easter eggs were getting smaller every year, but since they would only get bought once a year no one could really be sure. They started accusing Cadbury of shrinking the eggs but keeping the prices the same, but Cadbury said that it only looks smaller because you're getting bigger/older, and people fell for it.

A few years ago, someone finally compared it, and saw that the previous egg was smaller than the current egg, and yet the prices had stayed the same.


http://videosift.com/video/EASTER-SC...-are-Shrinking
http://articles.businessinsider.com/...m-simplicity/2

on the confectioner's FAQ page, a question used to read: "Why has the size of the egg changed?" and Cadbury's official response was "It hasn't -- you've just grown up!"

The seasonal candy seller has a unique ability to lie to us about things like this. With a year of lag time between the candy's season, can you really trust your memory? Cadbury exploited this, in a rather clever way.

What Cadbury couldn't anticipate is that a C-list actor and comedian, B.J. Novak, is a big fan of Creme Eggs, and buys them in bulk, like a wine collector buys cases of his favorite bottles. Famously -- to Creme Egg aficionados, anyway -- B.J. Novak went on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2007 with two eggs in his pocket: a 2005 vintage egg and a 2007 one. He had some left over. The difference in size between the two candies is striking. He proved what we all suspected.

Point is, businesses do this all the time, and customers don't realize it if the shift is subtle enough. It's hardly a crazy conspiracy. There is no doubt in my mind DLC will get abused, because it'll be easier to do it than Easter eggs, because it's much harder to proportionally compare a game against another game.

[Snes]

DLC isn't a problem. Day 1 DLC, and DLC that comes ON THE DISC YOU PAID FOR (CAPCOM) ARE a problem.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a larger game than the first one. They are not releasing an unfinished game and then making you pay for the rest.

[TheWerebison]

I want a DLC that allows you to play as Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo...and there must be super boots.

[Squirreludecker]

DLC isn't a problem. Day 1 DLC, and DLC that comes ON THE DISC YOU PAID FOR (CAPCOM) ARE a problem.

If there is not Day 1 DLC for a game, then i get very upset. I dont get why people are so against it. its not like theyre taking parts out of the game for the day 1 dlc. But one thing i do hate is the "new copy only" DLC that if you buy the game new you get this stuff free, but used copies have to pay extra. Also i hate the preorder exclusives, like Gamestop has this, Best Buy has this, Joe's Game Shack has this, etc. and you cant get that stuff unless you reserve and buy it everywhere.

[Snes]

If there is not Day 1 DLC for a game, then i get very upset. I dont get why people are so against it. its not like theyre taking parts out of the game for the day 1 dlc. But one thing i do hate is the "new copy only" DLC that if you buy the game new you get this stuff free, but used copies have to pay extra. Also i hate the preorder exclusives, like Gamestop has this, Best Buy has this, Joe's Game Shack has this, etc. and you cant get that stuff unless you reserve and buy it everywhere.

Day 1 DLC = the content was ready and could have been released with the game itself, but they want you to pay extra for it.

Oh well, if you want to throw your money at companies on a whim, I guess they can make a lot of money off those types of people.

[Olala]

Has the DLC Apocalypse begun?
It did the day they released DAY OF DLC.
Now.. Releasing a full blown game, and then releasing DLC ala GTA4.. that's fine.
Games like Red Dead Redemption and GTA have fine DLC, simply because they are additional stories added on ton an already vast game.
So, while the DLC Apocalypse has been here, it's not always doom and gloom.

[Caiada]

Day 1 DLC = the content was ready and could have been released with the game itself, but they want you to pay extra for it.

Oh well, if you want to throw your money at companies on a whim, I guess they can make a lot of money off those types of people.

Day 1 DLC is almost always content produced after the discs were printed, typically something like 2-3 months before release.

[NeonX]

As long as they don't remove integral parts of the game and make us buy them as part of DLC I'm ok with it I suppose

[Olala]

Day 1 DLC is almost always content produced after the discs were printed, typically something like 2-3 months before release.

Produced, yes.. created? no.
The fact is, that content could/should be included in the game. And if for whatever reason there were time constraints, then instead of focusing on releasing it on Day 1, they should instead be working on improving it and adding more depth to the content to be released later on.

Who do you know that plays DLC the day the game comes out? My guess- weirdos. When a game comes out I'm all about just absorbing all of the content and could care less about waiting for DLC to download. I'd rather pop in my disc and venture off for a few hours.

[Caiada]

Produced, yes.. created? no.
The fact is, that content could/should be included in the game. And if for whatever reason there were time constraints, then instead of focusing on releasing it on Day 1, they should instead be working on improving it and adding more depth to the content to be released later on.

Who do you know that plays DLC the day the game comes out? My guess- weirdos. When a game comes out I'm all about just absorbing all of the content and could care less about waiting for DLC to download. I'd rather pop in my disc and venture off for a few hours.

If they didn't set a release date and just produced all the content they wanted, the game wouldn't ever get released. Also, here produced and created mean the same thing, so that was a terrible argument. The point is, if they couldn't release it as DLC, that "Day 1" DLC wouldn't ever get made. If they produced everything they could, the game would either be delayed endlessly or just never get released at all. If they waited until a month or whatever after release to put it out, they'd lose out dramatically on sales just because a few faux video game moralists could be happy.

[Jester Joe]

DLC isn't a problem. Day 1 DLC, and DLC that comes ON THE DISC YOU PAID FOR (CAPCOM) ARE a problem.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a larger game than the first one. They are not releasing an unfinished game and then making you pay for the rest.

Or if the DLC is the END OF THE GAME(ALSO CAPCOM, see Asura's wrath)

It's honestly rather frustrating how much companies are starting to bank on DLC in my opinion.
I'm fine with things here and there....but when it's A) The End of the game, or B)The same price as the game for all the DLC (Disgaea 3 a while ago)

I'm starting to now wish DLC would just vanish all together, I miss the good days where extra stuff would be hidden in the game, or even built upon to make a sequel.

[Boley]

Interesting Gamespot article

It feels so unbelievable... classics like the mario games getting infected by the DLC plague.
Horrible horrible DLC's, horrible cause 90% of times it should have been in the main game.

Is this the end? Is EA's prophecy coming true?

If this is how the gaming world is gonna look like, I dont wanna be part of it anymore.
I'll crawl in the deepest corner of my room playing games like Bastion, Torchlight, Limbo ... awaiting a saviour to save me
from this wretched dream.

...

Am I being overdramatic ... or is this as messed up as I think it is.

Did you read the article...?

Calm down man. The Dlc for starters is just challenge levels. It has nothing to do with the story, its basically just additional fun you can buy for a low price if you want it. Nintendo's stance is that when a game is sold, you get the full game. 100% of the game is in the box when you buy it, but they are offering extra levels for more of the same gameplay on a challenging level if you wish to purchase it. Literally if you don't purchase the extra levels, you miss out on next to nothing.

Calm down...

[Video Games]

Day 1 DLC is almost always content produced after the discs were printed, typically something like 2-3 months before release.

Is that why most of it is on the disc?

[Caiada]

Is that why most of it is on the disc?

Day 1 DLC isn't always on the disc. Blame awful devs like Capcom for bullshit like that.

[Faerillis]

Businesses have used shadier techniques to increase sales before... increasing prices to trick people, tricking people every other product is bad for you, shrinking the product.

I think, the best example I can use here is the Cadbury company. People were starting to suspect that the Cadbury easter eggs were getting smaller every year, but since they would only get bought once a year no one could really be sure. They started accusing Cadbury of shrinking the eggs but keeping the prices the same, but Cadbury said that it only looks smaller because you're getting bigger/older, and people fell for it.

A few years ago, someone finally compared it, and saw that the previous egg was smaller than the current egg, and yet the prices had stayed the same.


http://videosift.com/video/EASTER-SC...-are-Shrinking
http://articles.businessinsider.com/...m-simplicity/2





Point is, businesses do this all the time, and customers don't realize it if the shift is subtle enough. It's hardly a crazy conspiracy. There is no doubt in my mind DLC will get abused, because it'll be easier to do it than Easter eggs, because it's much harder to proportionally compare a game against another game.

I wasn't doubting that business could/would do this, but I've found gamers are good at policing quality and making the developers pay if crossed. So far, very few DLCs have crossed this line, I'd say.

[Mechazod]

I hate DLC so much that I would (do something horrible to a child) rather not have the extra content exist at all. I believe any and all extra content should either be released for free, saved for a FULL expansion pack or be saved for the next entry to the games series. The thing I hate the most about it is the fact that its something that is not a part of a game and so can have its availability completely taken away should the company hosting it feel like it, thus making it extremely difficult if not impossible to have access to in the future(which is also the same exact reason I have an unnatural hatred of all download only games).

So pretty much this news just adds more concrete to my world view of INFINITE NIGHTMARES AND ETERNAL DARKNESS.

[Deleted]

Have you noticed the massive gaps between SMB games? Don't assume that because a game releases DLC it was completed during development and then removed, games finish development - 'going gold' - quite a long time before they are released. How come no one moans about an expansion pack but they'll moan about 10 small pieces of DLC that increase the longevity the same amount but released over a much longer period?

[imtehrogue]

I like DLC, I don't mind paying 5$ for something I enjoy.

[slipn]

Just wanted to throw this out there and I do want to state its late and I don't have the sources but I have faith someone can find it.

Batman Arkham City recently released the Revenge of Harley Quinn...While I do feel this was WAY too short and didn't add anything it could have *seriously they could have made this amazing* BUUUUUUUUUUUTTTT

The actor that did the Batman voice for the game said after release that he did some lines with Nightwing that simply didn't make the game on release. We can now assume he ment robin. This most likely should not have been said by him but lets just assume the studio didn't say anything about this with him.

Now this was done DURING ACTUAL PRODUCTION and shows they planned this DLC a long long time ago...

Sure it didn't actually advance the story too much *again it could have been MUCH much more* but it does show they are planning this kind of DLC during the making/planning of games.