Developers are starting to take unfinished games to the next level.

[kupomogli]

So I clicked on an article for BlazBlue Central Fiction and in the article it tells the features of the game and how the games storyline is going to have three parts. Further in the article, I read this.


Act 1 of the story will be available at launch and the others will be added via updates.

Now I really don't know how good the storyline to BlazBlue is, it might not matter, but I have noticed that it's a fighting game series that promotes its storyline very often, something fighting game series very rarely do. Fighting games can have great storylines, Mortal Kombat for example, so there's that. Regardless of how good the story is though, the fact that two thirds of the storyline is unfinished and to be released in future patches is ridiculous.

I'm all for the voting with your wallet, and I do so, but with this kind of bs becoming more and more prevalent, I don't think the actions I take nor do any of us take have any effect. There are too many people who buy into the season passes, the day one download content, etc, that people like us(or me) even as many games as I buy, are the people that gaming developers and publishers no longer care about.

http://www.siliconera.com/2015/10/30/blazblue-central-fiction-will-have-three-times-the-story-volume-of-chrono-phantasma/

[Niku-Sama]

Yea blaz blues story line is almost doa crazy.
And I've noticed this to. Tales from the borderlands is like this and so were the half life episodes. Basically if they don't get enough they just drop it and leave every one hanging

[celerystalker]

That's ridiculous. No way will I buy that, or anything that requires dlc to be a complete experience.

[The 1 2 P]

I thought early access was taking unfinished games to the next level because there's also no guarantee that they will be completed either.

[Tanooki]

Well this is another another level then. :)

At least with the open paid beta bit you're getting something that functions fairly well and is a playable game that intends to be finished but still stands as-is pretty nicely.

This though? Buy a fraction of a game, then be told it's not done and you can buy the rest of the full package later. It's not cool. It's exactly why I did NOT buy MOON on the 3DS too. I really wanted to play that, but no, they decided to give you like 20% of the game, then charge you for the other episodes after you're into it.

[Gameguy]

This isn't exactly new, episodic games have been around for awhile already. You can pay for everything up front and wait for the episodes to be released later. I don't buy them until they're fully released and reviews are all positive, I personally don't like the episodic model.

[YoshiM]

This isn't exactly new, episodic games have been around for awhile already. You can pay for everything up front and wait for the episodes to be released later. I don't buy them until they're fully released and reviews are all positive, I personally don't like the episodic model.

This on PC land and a lot of disk-based shareware. The difference was that EVERYTHING was available right away-you just had to get it.

[Tanooki]

Agreed there was no secrets to cover a very growing higher price much like dlc now. Wolf3D, Doom, Keen gave you one but sold the other five up front in half or full packs. It was fun and honest. It sold me on some games I'd have ignored back then. What they do now is criminal in comparison. The old episodes could stand on there own too and wasn't a cold stop to extort a buy and more buys by piece.

[kai123]

It is never going away. It is here to stay for a very long time. The new hitman game is doing the same bullshit.

So it will be a complete game coming out will be a rare thing until it is a GOTY or some complete edition crap.

It reminds of the old TV model of episodes every week but people are proving time and again they would rather have it all at once instead of waiting. Netflix TV show binges anyone?

[SparTonberry]

Whaaaat?
But a TV show was something you watched (effectively) for free.
When you BUY something like a video game, you expect a complete experience.

(although I'm still mad Fox released less than half of the King of the Hill seasons on DVD, but at least what they did release was watchable on its own :( )

[Tanooki]

No doubt kai, it's the way things are going on some games. Developers refuse to take a clue on why people are backing off and buying used games or looking for coupons or clearances. It's always the gamers fault, they never look into their own development practices, well not much. They'll look enough to see they can follow the DLC model and just keep sponging X bucks each time until they can end up with more dollars than a full price release up front ever would for most people. Why try and seek $60 at once when people will wait for $40 or so when they can give you one, not tell you how many chapters exist, charge $10/ea, have 10 of them and make over a $100. Most probably wouldn't even realize they got screwed until after the fact.

I caught on awhile ago, and since I detest online play, I wait a year on stuff that seems obvious to get a game of the year package, and I buy that. I did it with Little Big Planet 2 and a couple other games before. I got the WHOLE experience and for the correct price, not the strung out pay twice as much covertly done in plain view model.

[kai123]

Whaaaat?
But a TV show was something you watched (effectively) for free.
When you BUY something like a video game, you expect a complete experience.

(although I'm still mad Fox released less than half of the King of the Hill seasons on DVD, but at least what they did release was watchable on its own :( )

I pay for TV I have cable. I still have to watch ads for those channels as well unless they are premium channels and I still have to wait for shows like game of thrones to come on air so I guess you are right. Netflix has switched peoples idea of what a TV show can be. I don't have to wait for anything to see all of house of cards for example. I pay and I watch. I just want t to pay and get again that's it. No waiting around for it to be finished and playing half now and half if we feel like finishing it.

I don't buy as many games as I would like to because of stuff like this. I understand I am not everybody but I would rather wait for a complete experience instead of dicking around for dlc and episodes.

[Gameguy]

This on PC land and a lot of disk-based shareware. The difference was that EVERYTHING was available right away-you just had to get it.
I guess you haven't heard of Life is Strange which first came out in January of this year, the 5th and final episode just came out a few weeks ago. So far it's just available through digital distribution. This isn't just on the PC, it's available on consoles too.

Or how Sam and Max Season One first came out episodic way back in 2006. It later got a physical release on consoles in full, but it first was available episodic digitally. You could buy just a single episode, or pay for the whole season in advance and hope for the best as the rest of the game was finished. Like I said, it's not new.