“I can’t believe these guys are charging me for DLC before I even play the game!” Phrases like these seem to be uttered every time I bring up the idea of DLC. The recent Mass Effect 3 release garnered many responses right along these same lines. Now, let’s be honest to one another, no matter how much we try to put on a show and say we’re “different,” none of us really enjoy shelling out extra cash for content that was already on the disc.
However, we as rational citizens of the gaming world have to be considerate of game developers. After all, as much as we want to put developers on this pedestal and hail them as artistic royalty, we have to stop and realize that video games are a business. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, I hate to burst your collective bubbles out there, but a single game can cost upwards of $18 to $28 million dollars according to a 2009 study reported by develop-online.net, and that was about 3 years ago. This figure is still on the rise with the ever-growing demand and competition.
As a business, developers are starting to even market games for being bigger or longer. One of the main points I heard from people about Skyrim was, “It’s got over 150 unique dungeons and over 300 hours of gameplay.” It is a brutal business, my friends, and just like any other business, there is fierce competition.
Some companies have made these great games, like Skyrim. Perhaps you have heard of a few of these titans of the industry. Maybe Bioware rings a bell with the Mass Effect franchise, or perhaps Ubisoft. Have you heard of a company called Bungie? I thought so.
Still, take another look and notice how many other development companies are dying out. How many studios have closed in the last few years? With such a high price of development, companies can’t even afford to take risks anymore. So, we see a lot of sequels for big titles, but not a lot of new titles every year. Does anyone else find it funny how it seems all the arguments of video games lead right into each other?
Now before I stray to far off subject, I want to tell you, my reader, that I bring all this up to help you notice that these companies notice that quite a few fans enjoy Mass Effect, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or Black Ops, Assassin’s Creed, or Elder Scrolls. I know that I remember days as a child thinking, ‘Oh man, I love Sonic Adventure so much. I just wish I could have a little more of this game.’ Perhaps we have brought this crisis on ourselves, gamers. Perhaps these companies have paid attention to what we have been yelling in our forums all this time.
I cannot honestly chastise these corporations for offering DLC and trying to get a few more dollars for a game that they have already built, but could add on some decent content for a much smaller price than a new IP (Intellectual Property).
Now the debate among gamers comes down to this. We’ve accepted DLC is not going away. I say this because “We” as a population are paying for it. It seems everyone is upset now because companies are delivering “Day One DLC.” I won’t deny that I get a little upset that sometimes this content actually is on the disc and I am only paying for an unlock code. Then, I stop and think at least there keeping me away from sitting through a download.
Others might counter that and say, “Why charge us for the code. I paid $64.19 (what I have found to be the average price) for the disc and everything on it.”
I really can’t argue with these people. They have a valid point. But, I might also offer up that perhaps, and this is my thought and not fact, part of the company finished their part of the project early. Now, a supervisor, CEO, or whoever is in charge is not going to pay these guys to sit around doing nothing. It is only good business to immediately put them to work on additional items, i.e. DLC. It may seem strange in our time of game delay after delay, this age when a game is announced and we all say, “It’s coming in August, then I guess we’ll have it sometime next year.”
If these people have finished their additional content while all the game testing is going on, then why not go ahead and release it. A thought like this makes sense of Day One DLC.
This may not be true, but still understand that the main story and side missions are there as the core part of the IP. After that, anything additional, I would contend, feels like it falls under the category of ‘additional content.’ Therefore, I am still mad, but I am trying to see the other side of the argument.
My friends, I can only say this. I agree with you. I’m not thrilled with this new idea of DLC sold separately at the same time as the game. However, before you break out that Word program and fire off an angry hate-mail to that poor guy in Bioware’s mail room sifting through these, plus he is probably going to delete it as soon as he reads it and therefore completely waste your time, think about the other side. They need to make money to pay their people who create these games you love so much. I believe a little consideration is deserved. Besides, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it.