Worst "feature" in games this generation, eg DLC or DRM etc

[Ethas]

DRM (aka eat my bad ISP), F2P (aka pay_to_win) and obviously DLC (aka "yes we suck cuz we choose to develop single-player games, but we want the same cash as our MMO fellows!").

[Poppincaps]

The original actually worked better.
1999: you got proper new content.
2005: expansion pack just gave more of the same.
now: the full game gets cut up and DLC gets sold as "new stuff", but it was already in the game from release, or they cut corners to release some partially finished junk early.

I could give you some perfect examples as well,.

The burning crusade, wotlk, cataclysm, Mass effect, diablo 3.

Diablo 3, I can understand because of the whole PvP not being added yet. Mass Effect I can understand because of Day 1 DLC. What I don't understand is where you are getting that from the WoW expansions?

In TBC they did this, but they kinda had too. Even if they had released the tiers when they were ready, no one would've been able to do them. The only thing I can see you having a problem with in WotLK was the rehash of Naxx, but less than 1% of players did it when it was current content, so it is somewhat forgivable. As for Cataclysm, the game was perfectly finished when it came out. There were very little hiccups and there was plenty of content.


You are trying to place MMOs and single player games in the same category and it makes you seem short-sighted. MMOs ride on the fact that you pay a monthly subscription and they give you free "DLC" when it is ready. Whereas single player games you pay a one time price and then pay for more content.

---------- Post added 2012-08-22 at 04:46 PM ----------

DRM (aka eat my bad ISP), F2P (aka pay_to_win) and obviously DLC (aka "yes we suck cuz we choose to develop single-player games, but we want the same cash as our MMO fellows!").

DRM, ok DRM is pretty much undefendable. F2P, well very few F2P MMOs are pay to win. I don't see the problem with DLC as long as it isn't day one or an exclusive offer from Gamestop of Best Buy.

[Adam Jensen]

OT: DLC that is vital to the game. I'm ok with side stories, aesthetics, etc. Arkham City introducing more characters to beat people up with didn't bother me, but things like ME3 is ridiculous.

How is Javik vital to the game? My first two run throughs were without him, I did not feel that he added anything vital to the game. Sure, he's an interesting character, but you can finish the game without him without gaping plotholes caused by his absence.

[flarecde]

How is Javik vital to the game? My first two run throughs were without him, I did not feel that he added anything vital to the game. Sure, he's an interesting character, but you can finish the game without him without gaping plotholes caused by his absence.

I think it's not so much that he's vital. He's not. But he was integrated so well that it feels like he is. I think his character is a great example of DLC that's really good, honestly.

[Deleted]

DLC by far, you've already paid £40 for the game? why no spend another £10 on 4maps, 2 of which are just reused from an older game!

i dont mind expansion packs for games, but DLC when its like 4 multiplayer maps and they charge £10 is stupid.

[Leonard McCoy]

I think it's not so much that he's vital. He's not. But he was integrated so well that it feels like he is. I think his character is a great example of DLC that's really good, honestly.

That's the thing. They did a good job with Javik, he really feels integrated. He moves around the ship, other npcs talking to him, he has an impact and he has a really good arc right but I'm not sure what people expect. If they produce quality DlC that requires that level of integration to be good then we can't really complain about it because well it requires integration to be as fleshed out as it is. Now if you think Javik is crap that's fine, you don't have to buy Javik. Like what do people want? Do you want them to make shit dlc so you can rest assured you weren't ripped off?

As for online only here's the problem with it. The ISPs are trying to squeeze more and more cash out of people. In the future online only will become prohibitively expensive I feel, especially if the ISPs in this country (Canada) don't invest in infrastructure which they won't because it's expensive as fuck.

[Deleted]

also i hate it when you get a single player game, but requires an internet connection! is that DRM? not sure what its called, but it really annoys me.

[Deleted]

Out of the list below what do you think has been the worst "feature" to be introduced so far?

Always-on DRM (must be online to play a game)

Definitely this one.

Because although I have 120mbit internet, it's not very stable. I get disconnected once or twice a day.
My provider isn't that bad though, but for some reason it's only my house that gets this problem constantly.

The sad thing is that I've called them like a hundred times, they always kept telling me that they couldn't find anything wrong.
But like half a year ago they send a letter that they found a problem between our modem and their equipment and that they would fix it.
I thought it was finally going to get fixed, but after a while I still saw no improvement so I called again. They have no records of ever sending the letter.

And you can't mail them the proof since you can only contact them by phone.

Yeah, I guess that's what you get for hiring people with no knowledge of the system to take all the phonecalls.
It's really horrible, I've had this problem for like 4 years now. And it's no big deal normally, because a simple reset of the modem will fix it for a few hours, but it's very annoying when playing an always-on protected game because it closes down automatically.

[Digglett]

DLC and DRM. No thanks.

[Buu]

I can deal with everything except online only.

I think that's the most dellusional and stupid thing they EVER have come with.

Pirates takes one extra week to brake the MOST ADVANCED of those systems. The less advanced are broken on the first days.

Paying customers suffer to check in at systems so complicated that make to play a painful experience. Meanwhile pirates use local hosts and executables that use less processes and don't check in every 5 minutes, having a smoother experience. WAY TO GO, giving piracy a pleasant experience, while punishing paying customers for their support.

P.S.: I can't forget to mention that they spend a lot of time, cash, and resources on those DRM, which could have been used to improve the game. Just so they can laugh for one single week about pirates not playing their game. MONTHS of developing for a victory of nearly seven days. Way to go!!!

[Leonard McCoy]

I think that's the most dellusional and stupid thing they EVER have come with.

Pirates takes one extra week to brake the MOST ADVANCED of those systems. The less advanced are broken on the first days.

Paying customers suffer to check in at systems so complicated that make to play a painful experience. Meanwhile pirates use local hosts and executables that use less processes and don't check in every 5 minutes, having a smoother experience. WAY TO GO, giving piracy a pleasant experience, while punishing paying customers for their support.

P.S.: I can't forget to mention that they spend a lot of time,cash and resources on those DRM, which could have been used to improve the game.

If we use the Diablo 3 model their is very little benefit to the consumer as far as I can tell as people still bot and items still get duped. The only one who benefits from it is Blizzard. The consumer get's jack shit out of it as far as I can tell.

[Korgoth]

A level system in almost every online game. This really gets me pist in FPS games which used to be great for the casual log in and slaughter but now its start off with crap weapons and have to level up against guys with m60s+ laser scope that can spray bullets with 100% accuracy from across the map.

[Algearond]

F2P and DLC hands down. Mainly F2P. I am not competing with someone based on the amount of money they spend. If WoW ever becomes F2P I'm done.

[TheRagebear]

We're getting closer.

[Wynnyelle]

Always online DRM. I live somewhere where the connection will always be spotty no matter what I do to it, and it's really annoying when there's absolutely nothing I can do when it decides it wants me to d/c every five minutes.

[Duravian]

Always-on DRM (must be online to play a game)

Hate this for when I go on the road and have basically nothing to play on my laptop when I'm in the middle of wherever without wifi.... Every game should have a single player mode. EVERY single one...*cough.. Diablo... cough*

[Fuzzzie]

For me, the DRM like Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2 uses for their single player experience. It's unnecessary. I hate that I have to be under the thumb of the game company even after I bought the game. Sure there are some features that it enables, but nothing that I really find worth it. Achievements are pointless and nobody ever looks at them.

Micro-transactions aren't bad if they're implemented correctly. With WoW where you can only buy items that are for aesthetic or "for fun" purposes is okay. Any system of micro-transactions that gives an advantage to players who want to spend more money to win is dumb. Pay to Win instantly makes me not want to play a game at all. The exception being something like LoL where it's free to start with and then if you get into the game you can pay for more advanced things, but the game is still playable and winnable without spending money.

[Shinzai]

We're getting closer.

People seem to forget that Sequels used to basically be the original game, + 1 new gun and 7 new enemies (Doom 2 anyone?). You'd be lucky to get any kind of expansion pack most of the time.

After a while, expansion packs became genuine additions to the game. They were more of the same, but new levels. Basically what sequels used to be. Now though, DLC/Expansion packs tend to add whole new features/areas/designs to games. Though people bitch and moan all the same. I do however agree on "Day One DLC" being bullcrap, along with the "Pre-Order at our store only!" benefits. One of the worst things these days is games being released in a half-assed manner. They either feel incomplete or buggy as hell at launch and we've just kind of decided to accept it as a standard.

Edit: Updated picture a little more.

[flarecde]

Well, the image above is kinda funny. This is what I think of every time I see it:



Inflation sucks. (Note: Probably not exactly accurate, but it's a decent graphical example for 5 minutes of work)

I mean, I can see validity in some of the points. Having to buy games piece-meal can be annoying, but it's also beneficial if the DLC isn't something I want. Vendor exclusives are lame, but most of the time cosmetic. Incomplete, buggy games have been being released since day 1 of gaming, at least these days some of them have a chance of eventually being completed and fixed now though.

But gaming is cheaper now than it ever has been too, relative to the value of currency. I'm not sure we have any right to complain until the gaming companies realize this and actually start charging the 120$+ that these games are actually worth.

[mizeri]

day one DLC and DLC depending on where you got the game from, i hate them, remember in street fighter alpha 3 if you beat the game on the hardest level all the extra's opened up, now we gotta pay for them -_-