tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post4064129051215919720..comments2024-01-30T18:06:40.312-08:00Comments on Up late talking games & writing? You're...: The Slippery Slope of Consumer Respect and Disc UnlocksBrad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-52336238273253241972010-03-16T03:14:11.755-07:002010-03-16T03:14:11.755-07:00One good thing of having it on the disc though is ...One good thing of having it on the disc though is that you don't need to have internet access to get the content.<br /><br />Also in 360's case you don't even need a Gold account. I am not sure whether Silver members have access to DLC.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15714242789714258767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-26246706210932587442010-03-16T01:13:16.336-07:002010-03-16T01:13:16.336-07:00Thom: I definitely hear your point, but I think we...Thom: I definitely hear your point, but I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this.<br /> = )<br /><br />Costas: I’m not a big fan of release-day DLC for the same reasons that Doug outlines below. He's done a great job of summing it up, so I won’t repeat his statements. However, I will say that I dislike same-day DLC less than unlock keys for the fact that it's something separate and apart from the disk that I buy. It's up to me whether I choose to purchase it or not, and knowing it's out there doesn't mentally devalue the product I paid for the same way that knowing there’s inaccessible content on a disc I own does. <br /><br />Doug: Excellent comments there, and I couldn't agree more. I was trying to stay focused on the topic of unlock keys rather than taking on the entire sphere of DLC in my blog post, but you basically made my argument against same-day DLC for me.Brad Gallawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-56559727001059315722010-03-15T09:41:01.372-07:002010-03-15T09:41:01.372-07:00The issue I think a lot of folks have (including m...The issue I think a lot of folks have (including me) is that when the DLC is made available on launch day or as unlock code, then the publisher is simply holding back content that was obviously developed during the "normal" development schedule of the game. And, as games continue to get shorter compared to their predecessors (Bio2 is roughly 20% shorter than the original), this seems like a blatant money grab and not the "extra effort" you're paying for.<br /><br />I've been on-site a number of times with developers, seeing them get started on DLC content before the initial launch and with each of those instances, it was clear that the contend could not possibly be finished and tested before ship date. That is the issue.<br /><br />If the content was made during the normal development process, polished, tested, and included on the disk just as the rest of the game, then the only reason it's not available automatically is greed.<br /><br />DLC gives consumers a chance to support continued work and dedication by developers to a game we love. <br /><br />I read Brad's and Thom's blogs and both make strong points, but for me, it's not about physical media or ownership, but of timing.<br /><br />Games cost $60 -- not a small sum! Rare is the day I buy a game these days and don't have buyer's remorse because of the price. Instead of holding back parts of it that are already on the disc, why not release it all and give people a reason to stand up and cheer how much value they got? More people might actually buy the game that way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-58951694913659779712010-03-15T03:42:21.055-07:002010-03-15T03:42:21.055-07:00Brad, would you be ok if the DLC was available on ...Brad, would you be ok if the DLC was available on the day of the game's launch but you needed to download it i.e. it wasn't on the disc.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15714242789714258767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-83919934725440445982010-03-14T13:58:19.522-07:002010-03-14T13:58:19.522-07:00I don't feel icky!
Then again, I don't bu...I don't feel icky!<br /><br />Then again, I don't buy much DLC.<br /><br />And I know why it feels wrong and it does feel wrong because we have such a strong history of buying something physical and expecting to own all of it.<br /><br />Unfortunately, we're not talking about something physical, just something that appears to be physical. And that illusion is what's causing the cognitive break.<br /><br />As I pointed out elsewhere, if you downloaded that DLC instead of unlocking it, it's a dead certainty that that content was generated in the exact same manner as the unlocked DLC, which means that you're fine with paying money for having to download it rather than unlock it, which doesn't seem to make any sense to me.<br /><br />BTW, this is Thom, just an old Blogger account I still use.Thomas M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13248298143309606444noreply@blogger.com