News BioShock 2 DLC already on disc

What he said. It's not the delivery method that we're questioning here - it's why this content included on the disc is unavailable for use.

I know I posted the official 2K response up there, but I don't like it. If the content was developed after the release of the game, it'd be easy enough to release a patch for the game including the DLC for the multiplayer compatibility etc, and then have a charge for unlocking the extras, that'd be better. Not perfect, but better. At least then, we'd get the impression that the content was developed after the game was released.

A lot of people are arguing that the extra content was demoed in videos like this one, and all the characters from the "DLC" were included in the artbook that came with the limited edition. That, to me, smells of money-grabbing.

 

My relevant and pertinent response is right there. If you think that has nothing whatsoever to do with what you asked then maybe you should just go back to acting like everybody was ignoring your point, since you seem determined to claim that.

 

That sentence seems a bit contradictionary to me. It's unavailable because that IS the delivery method. So you are questioning the delivery method after all.

Sorry, i didn't notice that part between the other parts of your post. I stand corrected.

What do you mean they have no excuse to charge for it? It's a company that sells product for christs sakes, what more excuse do you need?

 

Pretty sneaky. But its no different to what other company's are doing really. When I bought Dragon Age it came with some DLC content as I'd pre-ordered it. Content that others had to pay for, yet was ready at the time of release. So they could have easily just left it in as part of the game. We are going to see a lot more of this happening.

 

I think it's a matter of precedent, really. We're being offered DLC as though it's 'extra', when we know damn well from the fact that it was already on the disc that it was an existing part of the game that was artificially cut out and made into DLC so that they could get more money from us on top of the original price of the game.

The reason I ranted about this whole practice of charging us for DLC is that the precedent of getting it for free was set years ago and it felt like we were really getting value for money because the initial asking price of a game generally gave satisfactory value for money and the chance of continued after-sales extras and service (such as patches to add/fix non-gamebreaking features).
Nowadays we get games that are unfinished on release (though admittedly that's nothing new) AND we're expected to pay for the stuff some of us are used to getting for free, just because the ignorant masses are willing to stump up extra for their "LOLOL HORSE AMORSZ".

Whether it's a valid or shady business practice is up for debate, but whether we feel justifiably pissed off about the paradigm shift isn't even questionable in my view.

Believe me that I was equally pissed off when I encountered the NPC in the camp in a stock retail Dragon Age installation who harped on about an epic quest, then I find myself facing a dialog "You must connect to BioWare servers to pay for and download this DLC".
The basic framework for the content was in the game and created ahead of release, yet I have to buy it seperately after already buying the game. It just stinks of money-grabbing, as MaverickWill said above.

 

i think dragunov is playing devils advocate here - and he makes good points.

i especially liked the Windows 7 version analogy (where a disc can install any version).

except for one thing. MS said when released 'this disc contains every version of windows, and which version you install depends on which key you use'. fine. MS did NOt do this - release home premium, then 2 months later sell a DLC to upgrade to Professional for an extra fee.

if 2k had released a 'limited edition' (i know they did but run with me), which had the DLC already activated as part of the features, NO-ONE would mind, people with standard editions could buy the DLC later, people with special editions would have it due to the higher price they paid initially. but the uproar is because they try to pass off content which is already developed as an "extra", when it clearly is not.

imagine if MW2 made you pay for the prestige mode - something that was clearly already in the game to begin with, but the devs want to extract more money from you to unlock it.

 

Typo-tastic.

needs a comma after VG247 or something.

 

Did anyone with DoW2 notice the 2.something GB update over Steam the other day?

Same thing? I already now own the data for Chaos Rising.

I also got a letter from Sky saying they have taken it upon themselves to upgrade my package to one thats £5 more a month because of it and its automatically come out of my bank account

 

As kind of a general response to Dragunov, it's all about the dishonesty of the issue. "Downloadable Content", in my mind at least, means things that I don't have. Extra content, not extra licenses to use existing content. Like Barndoor101 put quite well, Microsoft never implied that you were getting anything less than a license to use part of a disk and never charge additional fees on top of the original purchase in order to gain additional licenses. 2k Games, on the otherhand, sold Bioshock 2 under the guise of being a license to use every bit of content you are given.

Since I love examples, let me make one. You go to the car store. Immediately one of the gnat like salesmen is offering you a great deal on a fantastic car which they have on site, hooray! You look and see a beautiful, sporty new car with a stunning red paint job and keys already in the ignition. "You can have that car for only $10,000!". You gladly agree, thinking you've just got a nice little bargain. At this point kind Mr. Salesman promptly removes the keys and offers to sell them to you for an extra $2,000 extra. Afterall, he said you can have that car, and only that car, for 10k.

This is en exaggeration of what 2k Games has done. Sold gamers what they thought was rights to everything they saw in the box, only to tell them it isn't so and that everything else will cost extra.

That's because you can play against others online who do own the Chaos Rising pack. It might not include the added singleplayer aspects, but I'm really not sure. Also, you got that update for free so it's not exactly sneaky for them to prevent you from accessing it. (though perhaps annoying that you are subjected to downloading additional data which only takes up space... assuming the singleplayer data is included)

 

^^^What he said^^^

That dudes Windows analogy was all off. To make the analogy right in comparison to BS2's DLC, it would much more be something like MS releasing Windows 7 without the ability to say install other non MS software (which every previous version on Windows already had the ability to do), and then saying oh we have this new feature that you can download that will enable you to install non MS software, when in fact that ability was already included on the disc, probably already installed, and only needed to be unlocked via a tiny download...

 

But in the case of BS2 there was no key visible. They never said anything that would make you think you are getting that content, and not being able to use that content does not hinder the game's functionality, unlike taking the keys out of a car. People wouldn't even KNOW the files were there if it wasn't for the few people who get their kicks out of looking at game files.

FeRal: Read the above, my response covers your analogy aswell.

 

I like how we are beginning to accept that we do not own video games we buy with our money. In my opinion, the argument that we pay for the "license to play" a video game is preposterous - my money was given to the publisher and developer so I could own a copy of their video game, not rent it until they decide I cannot play anymore (Ubisoft...).

 

I still miss Freelancer multiplayer

 

You know what this crap was probably already spelled out to the consumer in the 9000000 word EULA what is there for the consumer to read that would take hours to make sense of even with the aid of a legal professional...

This whole thing stinks of that old Ebay scam where they have a picture an Xbox360 and make it look like you are getting the whole system and in teeny tine .00001 point font is the disclaimer that you are only getting the box that the Xbox360 came in.

 

Will, as far as i can understand (i haven't played BS or BS2 so i had to do some research) that trailer is for the Sinclair Solutions pack (hence the intro) and thus, WHAT ELSE would it demonstrate? I can see that it's mislabeled on youtube as a multiplayer trailer for BS2 but surely that's the uploader's fault. I've found the same video with the correct title.

FeRal: Now you're simply not making any sense.

EDIT: I just checked the official site. It's simply labeled multiplayer trailer there aswell.

Dishonest *******s.

 

You're right, they keys aren't shown at all. You don't even know that the content exists, nor that you would need an extra key for it. It's even more deceitful than my example.

I honestly don't understand how that doesn't bother you. Knowingly selling people a product which is intentionally crippled (without the buyer knowing) only for the sake of selling the full fledged version at an additional fee.

Small note, yes I believe crippled is the correct term. Since this content was complete at the time of the game's release it can be considered as part of the full game. Not allowing access to it would be denying the game's full potential.

 

^The reason it doesn't bother me is that this car runs without the keys. The keys are optional.

But as i've discovered in my previous post, this release is well messed up. Just for a different reason than what we're arguing about.

 

I did say it was an exaggeration

Though only part of the game is running without the keys since the content which is now a DLC is disabled, it's not entirely off.

 

LoL yeah, The "car" in question can get 30mph but the way the manufacturer has it tuned it only gets, and is advertised as getting 20mpg. Now we can make a small teach to its computer chip that will make it run more efficient for you at an additional charge of course...