Some Players Want Day-1 DLC, Says BioWare [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

An anonymous reader writes "Speaking at GDC Europe this week, BioWare Montreal's Fernando Melo spoke about how the oft-disparaged first-day downloadable content for video games is actually something a significant amount of players want. 'Melo argued that on the occasions when BioWare hasn't provided DLC from day one, those players who complete the game quickly then complained that there was nothing more to play and asked for extra content. If DLC isn't provided for these players, they may well move on to a different game and never come back to play DLC later on. As proof that day one DLC also works in terms of sales, Melo said that 53 percent of all sales for the first Dragon Age: Origins DLC pack — which was released on the same day as the full game — were made on release day."

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[JSoup]

Does the Origins DLC pack even count for this, being that it was released free with the game? Doesn't seem like it's that far of a stretch that people might redeem a code when they get it.

[Robocop2]

I'd take day one DLC if and only if it lowered the price on new games. Like say they make the "online pass" day one and dropped the price ten bucks then I could see that.
Or how about raising the price on your game that has all this extra super cool stuff to drag out the length in the name of extended playtime?

Really there's no excuse to sell a supposedly full featured game and have extra levels, campaigns, characters, weapons, etc. I get the additional stuff that comes out later on but day one just boggles my mind.

[Tanooki]

Some players want Day 1 DLC eh? Well that just means they have some well trained fanboy monkeys bent over and ready to receive. Day one paid DLC is a scam that just allows game makers to not have the full game on the disc (or worse, some do and you pay to unlock it that way which is deceitful at best.)

Obviously the company thinks it's a good idea and has data to back it with it over 50%. If you leave out stuff and give the buyer the feeling that it's really a good optional thing but comes off as almost a necessity to you, you'll pay. It's all about market manipulation.

Personally DLC at this rate just borderline infuriates me and I've come to the conclusion after seeing how the big fish have handled it this generation I'm backing away from some games. I still don't have Mass Effect 3 for instance. I'm going to wait for it on WiiU or the equal of it on PS3 when they brand it the Game of the Year Edition where they charge $40 instead of $60 and that $50-100 of DLC bullshit is free on the disc already. That's what I'm going to do now with big games that just reek of DLC. If it's an EA production and a few other studios, they'll do the 10-12mo later Game of the Year edition and I'll go that route.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Some players are also borderline mentally disabled.

Edit: And forget about getting a GOTY edition. They still haven't released one for Mass Effect 1 and 2, so they never will.

[Tanooki]

Technically ME2 for the PS3 is the Game of the Year Edition, they even said it. IT has every last piece of DLC ever thrown to the 360 on the disc, so you get the complete game for $60 when it came out (I bought it.) ME3 for the WiiU will get all the DLC people are paying for now on the PS3/360 so again it will be a silent Game of the Year edition, so I'll get it on that system too.

And if some games don't do it and they just keep piling on ripoff charges to 'complete' the game, then I just won't buy it. $60 already is too much, not going to pay another $60 in pieces to get the full experience. Hell that Tiger Woods Masters 2012 game has a couple hundred in DLC between courses and players, and the game nags you about not having the stuff if you're into the online tourney's and stuff as you'll get excluded from moving up if you can't play. It just disgusts me.

[The 1 2 P]

Technically ME2 for the PS3 is the Game of the Year Edition, they even said it. IT has every last piece of DLC ever thrown to the 360 on the disc, so you get the complete game for $60 when it came out (I bought it.) ME3 for the WiiU will get all the DLC people are paying for now on the PS3/360 so again it will be a silent Game of the Year edition, so I'll get it on that system too.

The Platinum hits version of Mass Effect 1 on 360 also includes the first DLC pack, which makes it about as close as you are going to get to a GOTY version for it.

As for day 1 DLC I enjoy extra content but I would rather it be on the disc so that I can save hard drive space. It's not a big deal now but if every game did this it would eat up my extra space pretty quickly. The only things I really don't mind as extra DLC on day one are costume/weapon skins, dashboard themes or avatar itmes because I wouldn't ever pay for those individually anyway. So if they are free thats fine. But entire chapters/campaigns? Thats ok for later DLC but if it's available on day 1 it should have already been on the disc.

[samspade]

I just wait for game of the year editions. Let's penalize gamers for buying games at the time of their release, how about take out half the fucking game? Why not make you buy the damned thing new at retail and fuck anybody that buys it used. I hate the way things are going this generation and it's just getting worse. I like modern games but the shit that these companies are putting us through is bullshit. Ashura's Wrath with the "it's the real ending" DLC and that abortion of a game Resident Evil Raccoon city with the " lets give our fans half of this glitchy mess of a game" and then turn around and release the rest of the game on DLC. I paid for a full fucking game, I expect to get it. Capcom is the worst offender to this point in my eyes. The RE 6 download vouchers tell me it's not ending any time soon.

[Tanooki]

Yeah Capcom is pretty bad, but I still think EA and all they own eek them out for the highest grade of greed and douchebaggery but it's close.

Capcom I've kind of given up on and did years ago. They lied and pulled support on N64 until it was the end and too late. Promised if their 2 games sold well they'd go full bore into the GC which they did(the games.) We got SNK vs Capcom 2, and then the RE ports from the Dreamcast(whatever.) Promised the Capcom 5, canceled three, released one (PN03), then put out RE4 but sabotaged the release by announcing the 'full version'(aka game of the year in a way) for the PS2 to come out 10mo later when the exclusivity ran out which stopped a lot of sony buyers from getting a cube. Then they pull that stunt on the 3DS with Legends 3. My attitude on them is pretty baseball, 3 strikes and they're out. I'm pretty much done ever buying stuff of theirs again at all, and if I do it's used so they don't get paid. I can't support a company who I feel stole my money, sold me lies, then pull the rug out more than once.