Dragon Age Content Withheld From Vanilla Copy, Sold as DLC

[GarfunkeL]

I have a suggestion here: Just wait a few months for the gold (or platnium or whatever they call it) release which will have all the DLC's included and be at a reduced price. I have a feeling Bioware will do that within a year or so.

Like they did with NWN. First you NWN and 1st XP, then Platinum pack with those combined and 2nd XP for sale, then Diamond pack with both expansions included but premium modules were still sold separately.

 

[roll-a-die]

Then the diamond re-release which was it, both X-packs and 3 premium modules.

 

[Moray]

Now we got a SIGNIFICANT element of gameplay, an actual stronghold for the player, which is DLC. That's nothing but pure milking, nothing else.

If I understand your meaning, it's arguable that something like a stronghold and relevant quests, as well as such things as various items and other superfluous additions constitute a "significant" element of gameplay. While it can be a nice addition, it's probably not a necessary and pivotal aspect of either the progress of the plot/story or a necessary element of gameplay mechanics.

 

[Pegultagol]

This isn't really all that different from the usual practices observed in the industry regarding downloadable contents. At the same level of incredulity as, say, Paradox releasing what are essentially glorified patches for their products at 20 dollars a pop, but none more deviating from the norm.

 

[Shannow]

Some of you here at the codex seem to think that games still should be made like they were 8 or 10 years ago; apparently you don't seem to realize that the conditions for how games are made, published and marketed are different today than they were 10 years or so. You need of course to make a very good (and great!) main game, then you'll need to look for to make additionel income, DLC that you pay for is one those methods. And if you don't like it or want it, you don't have to pay for it :!:

What does wishing for games to be as good as and devs as honest as ten years ago have to do with not realizing that things have changed? In fact, I do realize they have changed. Hence the bitching
And you don't "need" to do any of those things. Nowadays devs even fail at making that "very good game". Milking the consumer for the very last buck isn't "needed" either. You have a budget, deal with. If your game is in fact very good, you'll make a profit. If you sell a hollow husk that needs to be fleshed out with DLC (or if you give that impression) I as a consumer will alter my purchase decision consequently. Piracy should actually force devs to brown-nose up to their fans/consumers, not the other way around.

Ah, well. Probably the whole thing will turn out to be equivalent to a MEh extra planet. One probably wouldn't want to play it, anyway.

 

[Weresloth]

The DLC content wouldn't have been completed if it wasn't going to be sold as DLC.

Brace for a shock laddie: IT WOULD.

Know why? BECAUSE IT'S RELEASED ON SAME DAY AS THE FUCKING GAME.

SO IT WAS FINISHED AT THE SAME TIME.

No, they are not. The game has to be shipped, burned to CD's, manuals printed, etc, so it has to be finished many weeks before the release date (ever notice the gold date of games is quite a ways before the release date?). The DLC has no such restrictions and can be worked on much longer. Therefore, same release date not mean finished same day

Not to mention the fact that you can't just slap a large quest are into a near completed game without the significant risk of all new QA issues.

In any case there is not one successful argument that can ally the conspiracy theorists out there. And hey even if the conspiracy theorists are right on every point so what? It's just one more business decision by a retail company. I'm amazed that so many people get bent out of shape over game that they have no interest in in the least. Half the complaints over stuff like this comes from the same crowd that jumps into every new bit of Da info and declares just how shitty it is.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

new bit of Da info and declares just how shitty it is.

Did you watch the fight with the rats?

 

[Trash]

I'm laughing my ass off at the naive fools actually trying to defend this bullshit DLC. Shut up and consume kids, now there's a good sheeple.

 

[King Crispy]

Trash, your home must be amazing seeing as how you can grow and otherwise self-produce your own food, clothes, medicine and other necessities, not to mention the fact that you're able to watch television and post on the internet on purely hemp-made electronic devices!

You're awesome.

 

[Livonya]

This seems like a silly argument.

If the game is good and you enjoy it then buy the DLC content.

If you don't enjoy the game then don't buy the DLC content.

A large portion of you will probably pirate both the DLC and the main game.

Some of you will only pirate the DLC.

These companies have to make money in order to make more games. That is the bottom line.

Pirating is getting more and more common every single day. Some of the younger people I know don't buy anything ever. They don't even consider pirating to actually be pirating.

Adding the DLC is a good way for the company to get money direct to them without having to give away a huge chunk of the extra revenue to distributors and stores.

They would be better of selling the game for $20 and then doing the rest of the game as DLC.

They can't really lower the price as then the distributors and stores will complain, but maintaining the standard "new game" price and adding DLC is a decent way for them to fight against piracy, and it is an effective way for them to raise the price for the least cost to the consumer.

If they wanted to make $7 more per game then they would have to raise the price in the stores by $20 to $30 for them to actually see that $7.

I am not saying that DLC is the greatest model around, but if this industry is going to survive then it has to find new ways to get people to pay them.

Personally, I wish some of these companies would just go to a subscription method.

I would have paid Troika $10 a month just to have them always working on games.

I suspect games would get patched and would actually be focused on game play rather than new graphics tech if companies were using a subscription model rather than a traditional point of sale model.

I am surprised that NWN2 wasn't done as a subscription model.

Anyway, I don't think DLC is the end of the world.

 

[roll-a-die]

I prefer the term privateering thank ye very much.

 

[Lumpy]

I'm laughing my ass off at the naive fools actually trying to defend this bullshit DLC. Shut up and consume kids, now there's a good sheeple.

I approve of this DLC. I am not so dumb (or rich) as to buy this DLC.

 

[Gwendo]

Hi guys! I'm not buying this DLC crap. Bye guys!

 

[Stereotypical Villain]

Hi guys!

 

[Castanova]

These companies have to make money in order to make more games. That is the bottom line.

You're missing the point. DLC like this is not about whether BioWare/EA is going profit or not. It's about HOW MUCH profit BioWare/EA makes. You really think Dragon Age is going to flop?

BioWare used to be about making great games and making a sufficient amount of money. Now they're about making sufficient games and making a great amount of money.

 

[Livonya]

These companies have to make money in order to make more games. That is the bottom line.

You're missing the point. DLC like this is not about whether BioWare/EA is going profit or not. It's about HOW MUCH profit BioWare/EA makes. You really think Dragon Age is going to flop?

BioWare used to be about making great games and making a sufficient amount of money. Now they're about making sufficient games and making a great amount of money.

I don't care how much money they make. That makes no difference to me.

All I care about is if the game is interesting/fun to play. End of story.

If Dragan Age turns out to be something that I like (which I doubt) then I could care less how much it costs.

I payed $50 for TOEE. If TOEE had actually been everything I was hoping for then I would have gladly paid $250 for it.

The only thing I dislike is paying for a game that I don't actually enjoy playing.

If you don't like Dragan Age then don't buy the DLC. Is is that simple.

 

[Volourn]

You are an idiot.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Invasion of Biowhore sheeple!

THIS COCK TASTES GOOD, I'M GONNA SLURP IT UNTIL IT SHOOTS IT'S CREAMY GOODNESS IN TO MY MOUTH!

Fuck, why can't you assraped retards stay inside Biowhore-boards. where the only requirement is that you constantly compete how badly Bioware raped your ass. The one with the most dilated ass is the winner and gets to go on a date with David "the WIG" Gaider, where he will imitate the voice of your favorite romancable character. Yeah, go on.

If I understand your meaning, it's arguable that something like a stronghold and relevant quests, as well as such things as various items and other superfluous additions constitute a "significant" element of gameplay. While it can be a nice addition, it's probably not a necessary and pivotal aspect of either the progress of the plot/story or a necessary element of gameplay mechanics.

Since when has the option for a player to ACTUALLY OWN A STRONGHOLD and govern it, been a MINOR FEATURE? Or superfluous addition? What the fuck are you smoking, 'cause I definately want a hit off that bong.

I don't care how much money they make. That makes no difference to me.

Oh you should, since it makes all the difference for actual gamers.

All I care about is if the game is interesting/fun to play. End of story.

Then why the fuck are you playing Bioware games, instead of the real adventure games released in the last two years, which have engaging and exciting stories, instead of this printing press cookie cutter fantasy shit?

If Dragan Age turns out to be something that I like (which I doubt) then I could care less how much it costs. I payed $50 for TOEE. If TOEE had actually been everything I was hoping for then I would have gladly paid $250 for it. The only thing I dislike is paying for a game that I don't actually enjoy playing. If you don't like Dragan Age then don't buy the DLC. Is is that simple.

Oh ho ho ho. Santa Claus here with the Easter Bunny! Do WE have NEWS for you! We have a pure-bred liar here, who shelled out his hard earned money for Bioware-shit without a single complaint from BG onwards, because he just loves the taste! AND he tries to make us believe that he paid 50$ for ToEE and would have paid 250 when the truth is that you never even played the game. Where the hell do you think anyone asked for 50$ for ToEE? Seriously.

If you enjoy incredibly shitty gameplay, all the power to you, since all the big AAA-studios (meaning both Bethesda and Bioware) seem to hell bent on delivering you the exact amount of shit you need to survive. I guess next we'll have the "proof" that ME had C&C and JE had "deep storyline" and what ever the fuck you people cry yourself to sleep with.

 

[King Crispy]

<s>¡sǝ|ɟ00ɹ</s> Ah, that was lame.

What is the pricepoint of this game (sans DLC) supposed to be set at now, non-Collector's edition? $49.99US? Maybe $59.99?

 

[Forest Dweller]

I am not saying that DLC is the greatest model around, but if this industry is going to survive then it has to find new ways to get people to pay them.

Yeah, new ways...like maybe actually giving value for your dollar and not trying to rip you off with retarded shit like this.

I don't care how much money they make. That makes no difference to me.

All I care about is if the game is interesting/fun to play. End of story.

Cop-out.

 

[ever]

HOLY COW I DON'T USUALLY GET ANGRY BUT YOU GUYS ARE BEYOND STUPID

INVENTORY SALES AREN'T THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE MONEY

DO YOU THINK THE NFL MAKES ITS MONEY THROUGH TICKET SALES
DO YOU THINK TV SHOWS MAKE THEIR MONEY WHEN THEY COME OUT ON DVD

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

ADVERTISING, SERVER SUBSCRIPTIONS AND OTHER SIMILAR THINGS WILL MAKE MONEY IN GAMES.

DRM IS FIGHTING A LOSING WAR

IP CANNOT AND NEVER WILL BE ABLE TO WORK IN THE FREE MARKET ITS LIKE PROHIBITION AND THE WAR ON DRUGS

IF YOU TOOK DRM AWAY AND MADE PIRATING LEGAL GAME DEVELOPMENT WOULD NOT CEASE TO EXIST, IF ANYTHING IT WOULD BECOME BETTER

LEARN SOME THEORY YOU IMBECILES!!!!!!

Appendix:

http://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/pubs/95psa.html
http://www.dklevine.com/general/intelle ... gainst.htm
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7511095/Again ... -Kinsella-

SERIOUSLY QUIT BEING NOOBS

STOP SAYING SUCH NOOB THINGS YOU NOOBS

 

[Stereotypical Villain]

Go suck a cumsicle.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

These companies have to make money in order to make more games. That is the bottom line.

You're missing the point. DLC like this is not about whether BioWare/EA is going profit or not. It's about HOW MUCH profit BioWare/EA makes. You really think Dragon Age is going to flop?

BioWare used to be about making great games and making a sufficient amount of money. Now they're about making sufficient games and making a great amount of money.

And were bitching at bioware because...? This is entirely the public's fault, willing to lap it all up. Public asks for more sex, bio gives them more sex. Same with grittiness, blood, etc

I don't give a shit if they're getting more money than before. Good for them if the public's willing to pay. This sounds like a fucking console war. Nuh uh, console X sucks, look at this sales chart. Sony's finished!!1!

Since when has the option for a player to ACTUALLY OWN A STRONGHOLD and govern it, been a MINOR FEATURE? Or superfluous addition? What the fuck are you smoking, 'cause I definately want a hit off that bong.

larping, don't care

 

[Moray]

Since when has the option for a player to ACTUALLY OWN A STRONGHOLD and govern it, been a MINOR FEATURE? Or superfluous addition? What the fuck are you smoking, 'cause I definately want a hit off that bong.

I never referred to it as a "minor feature," did I? Reading for you is difficult, isn't it? I did, however, specify it as most likely not a necessary aspect of plot development or necessary element to the gameplay - as it was in, off the top of my head, the NWN2 OC for instance - given that it's DLC. So, in that sense, yes, it's superfluous.

Explain to me how I'm a Biowhore, exactly? I totally just bend over for Bioware, do I, when I haven't even considered buying one of their games since BG2?

 

[GarfunkeL]

You just totally bend over for them, since your argument is that the one MAJOR thing they advertised for BG2 (STRONGHOLD!), is a minor feature for DA:O. Hey, it was a big thing in Hordes of Underdark as well, as well as in NWN2 - even though that was just Obsidian being copycat for Bioware.

Extra characters? Ok. Extra dungeon? Ok. Ability to own a stronghold - which does NOT exist in the "vanilla" game at all? Not OK at all.