1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Gaming How Much Should DLC Cost?

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Sifter3000, 24 May 2010.

  1. Sifter3000

    Sifter3000 I used to be somebody

    Joined:
    11 Jul 2006
    Posts:
    1,766
    Likes Received:
    26
  2. veato

    veato I should be working

    Joined:
    15 Jan 2010
    Posts:
    874
    Likes Received:
    193
    I'm happy to pay for worthwhile DLC at a fair price. £8 for some new multiplayer maps for example. A fiver for your character to have a new outfit though is plain dumb. What I would object to is someone gaining an advantage in a multiplayer game by purchasing expensive items - a system whereby you are rewarded for your bank balance and not your game skill is unfair.
     
  3. Unknownsock

    Unknownsock What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    13 Jul 2009
    Posts:
    444
    Likes Received:
    1
    Well my problem with DLC is, most of the time it's just not worth it.

    A prime example.
    I bought Dragon Age: Origins for £20. I got a good 80 hours gameplay out of this on my first playthrough.
    And the DLC which i sadly own all of it, costs around £3-5, that gives you one hour max gameplay.
    And they don't really give you anything extra to the story.

    Now i wouldn't mind paying this if it had more importance to the game, rather than just fillers.
    Also you can argue, why should it cost so much as they already have most of the game developed in terms of textures, models, engine etc.

    Although i am excited for the new Mass Effect 2 DLC, the fact that it will fill in the story elements inbetween ME 2 and 3, this is defintely something that other developers should look at, as this DLC has meaning.
    Although what happens if you didnt get this DLC and bought ME3, what would you miss that was crucial?
     
  4. Singularity

    Singularity ******* Operator from Hell

    Joined:
    2 Mar 2008
    Posts:
    583
    Likes Received:
    4
    First thing I noticed was the comments speech bubble right over the horse's head on the front page :D Found it funny :D
     
  5. lacuna

    lacuna Minimodder

    Joined:
    9 Aug 2004
    Posts:
    687
    Likes Received:
    18
    I would only be prepared to pay if there was significant amount of additional content, e.g. The GTA 'Stories' where you basically get a whole extra game, albeit slightly shorter.

    If developers want me to pay for new weapons/maps/abilities then they can go swivel. Things like that should be included with the game or free to download. Surely it is better to provide the whole of the gaming community with new maps/features rather than just the affluent ones. If there are regular free updates it keeps the game fresh and keeps it in the charts -its a win for the consumer and the developer.

    I suppose we can re-visit that bioshock issue with the DLC actually being on the disc to begin with. I realise that there are mixed opinions on this but I think its terrible form on the part of the developer and obviously goes against Cliff's argument that providing additional content is a waste of time for the developer if the game flops. In this case they had already made the DLC and put it on the disc and it was 100% greed that made them market it the way they did.
     
  6. Elton

    Elton Officially a Whisky Nerd

    Joined:
    23 Jan 2009
    Posts:
    8,577
    Likes Received:
    196
    I don't think the horse armor DLC was too bad since it was eventually bundled with KotN expansion.

    The worst culprit is FC2's weapon addons.

    3 guns and a car, for a whopping $12.
     
  7. Silver51

    Silver51 I cast flare!

    Joined:
    24 Jul 2006
    Posts:
    2,962
    Likes Received:
    287
    SEGA - The way it's meant to be milked.
     
  8. Ending Credits

    Ending Credits Bunned

    Joined:
    4 Jan 2008
    Posts:
    5,322
    Likes Received:
    245
    I think it comes down to what people would expect to get for free. Patches, new wepons and minor features don't really add a huge amount to the value of the game meanwhile something like a campaign mode or major new content could be a dealbreaker for anyone wishing to buy the game so I feel you should charge whatever it adds to the value of the game (which is what you're doing).

    I'm not against charging for DLC but when IW etc think that a few maps are worth 25% of what I already paid (for a very expensive game in the first place) I'm simply not going to buy it.
     
  9. Slavedriver

    Slavedriver What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    10 Feb 2009
    Posts:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    One problem with some DLCs is that it's simply not possible NOT to buy them to enjoy the game. Take map packs for example. All your friends own it, heck all other world owns it, and you are the only one resisting the OMG price. How long do you think you can last?
    And no, I don't play Modern Warfare 2 or even played it.

    Most of the time DLCs are simply not worth it. In case of Bethesda their DLCs actually break the game sometimes (if you don't believe me just look what those esp/esm's modify in the game except the stuff they need to modify). It's the case not only with Bethesda. I don't think I've ever heard about a patch for the broken DLC.

    Basically you pay more for less without any post-purchase support.
     
  10. whisperwolf

    whisperwolf What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    1 Sep 2004
    Posts:
    1,692
    Likes Received:
    50
    The main thing that annoys me about DLC on consoles is having to buy points to then buy the content. Sod the points just give me the value in £ and allow me to buy via visa.
    Otherwise If it gives an advantage in multiplayer it should be free, giving me a new area to explore once I've finished a game's story i.e. dragon age etc, forget it, I'm unlikely to revisit that type of game once I've played it through. Although I recognise I am probably a minority on this point.
     
  11. Mraedis

    Mraedis Minimodder

    Joined:
    5 Sep 2009
    Posts:
    153
    Likes Received:
    0
    DLC should be priced to the equivalent it adds to the original game. Say a game cost £40 and has 40hrs of playtime, the DLC costs £10, then it should add around 10hrs of playtime, or boost the original game in such a manner that replaying it adds about 10hrs.
     
  12. Paddy

    Paddy What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    9 Mar 2009
    Posts:
    65
    Likes Received:
    0
    The only DLC I have ever bought was for Dragon Age. Now, it can be argued that all of the expansions they have released so far are too short and cost too much for what you get, but they are not critical to the game. For those who have completed the game and want a few more hours of killing Hurlocks et al, then it is a good to have the option of buying a few extra quests to expand upon the lore of the game. For those who don't want them or can't afford them, then they aren't really missing anything critical.

    But for games like MW2 etc. it does seem that they are releasing some updates which seem critical to the gaming experience, forcing you to buy them! Going back to the GSB method of DLC mentioned, in these terms it would work, where the core game is relatively cheap. This means you can have a modular game and pick and mix which bits you do and don't want. If you are only interested in multplayer you can purchase just that bit and maybe add on a single player campaign at a later date if interested.

    For MW2 it does seem rediculous paying £40 for a game which is only half complete and then having to fork out another £10 or so for the complete work.
     
  13. Evildead666

    Evildead666 What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    27 May 2004
    Posts:
    340
    Likes Received:
    4
    I remember buying the Horse Armour and both the Vipers lair, and the Mountain castle place in Oblivion.
    IIRC it was only like $2 a piece anyways, which isn't that much.

    Was a bit peeved when the extras were free on the KotN expansion pack, but I accepted it as part of the pack.

    Anyone hear any news about Elder Scrolls V yet ?
     
  14. gavomatic57

    gavomatic57 Minimodder

    Joined:
    23 Apr 2009
    Posts:
    5,091
    Likes Received:
    10
    How long is a piece of string?

    The Episodes from Liberty City were £20 and I'd consider that a bargain after paying £40 for Modern Whorefare 2 which provided me with fewer hours of gameplay and less enjoyment. 5 hours for £40 is a con, whereas the Lost & The Damned gave me that much gameplay on its own.

    Yet, if the Horse Armour from Oblivion cost £20 I'd be very annoyed.
     
  15. GW42

    GW42 What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    26 Nov 2009
    Posts:
    23
    Likes Received:
    0
    DLC actually pushes me away from buying the game when it is first out. e.g. I bought Fallout 3 when it was first released, but couldn't bring myself to buy the DLC one by one. They seemed overpriced to me, and some of them got very mixed reviews. Oh, & there was of course the whole Games for Windows thing but that's a different point entirely. What I'll probably do is buy the Fallout 3 GOTY edition when it's nice and cheap.

    So with Dragon Age. I just didn't buy it, figuring I'd wait for a bundle deal/GOTY edition when all or the majority of the DLC was out.

    But then I tend not to buy the latest and greatest games immediately, so clearly I'm not the main source of cash for developers. I'm usually happy to wait a bit longer, though I've loved previous bioware stuff and Dragon Age would have been one I'd have bought straight away, save for the DLC/add-on issue.
     
  16. Yslen

    Yslen Lord of the Twenty-Seventh Circle

    Joined:
    3 Mar 2010
    Posts:
    1,966
    Likes Received:
    48
    Like many people here, I'm happy to buy DLC when it's a decent amount of content.

    The Borderlands and Sins of a Solar Empire DLC/mini-expansions for example. I'm happy to pay up to £10 for something that represents a significant change to the game or several hours more story.

    I'd rather avoid the microtransaction way of doing things, because that's not the way I spend my money. Spending a little at a time will inevitably lead to a lot more being spent in the long run, because it's harder to keep track of what you've bought. That's probably what the publishers are hoping for, but I don't know if they've considered the possibility of people like me who will just avoid the concept altogether because they know where it'll lead.

    Small standalone DLC packs, like those in Oblivion, are generally ridiculous anyway, with very little content, or something that unbalances the game. Why would you want to begin this epic adventure, escape from prison with nothing but the rags on your back and a rusty axe and instantly inherit an enormous wizards tower, better than any other house in the game? It takes the fun out of it. It actually feels like cheating.
     
  17. tad2008

    tad2008 What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    6 Nov 2008
    Posts:
    332
    Likes Received:
    3
    Clearly this is a mixed bag for developers and also for the players of the games themselves with a number of options open to the developers, the end user who plays the game is stuck with the options available, this often makes for some hard choices on wanting to get more from a valued game and what any DLC is potentially worth to that person.

    Subscription based games like Eve Online or even WoW don't need micro-transactions as they already have a regular income from the game to keep support and development going. The Eve universe and content continues to grow and expand and all at no extra cost.

    A different model is the one employed by ArenaNet / NCSoft for Guildwars. Players buy a campaign and can then buy additional campaigns or expansions that enable them to reach other areas of the world and expand on their weapons and skills without overtly unbalancing the game vs those who may only have one campaign. The DLC they put on you to buy is somewhat questionable in actual value but for long term players of the series, does have it's benefits without detracting from the game for newer players.
     
  18. REMF

    REMF What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    31 Mar 2009
    Posts:
    71
    Likes Received:
    1
    I never buy DLC.

    I am delighted that EA Bioware offer it with Dragon-Age and Mass Effect2, because the drip feed of 'authenticated' DLC is attractive enough that they can scale down the intrusive DRM used by other developers, but personally I will play the game as is, and if its good enough i will buy the GotY edition a year down the line.
     
  19. ripmax

    ripmax Minimodder

    Joined:
    8 Apr 2010
    Posts:
    370
    Likes Received:
    29
    Nothing, I'm too used to getting maps/extra content free since i'm a TF2 player.
     
  20. adam_bagpuss

    adam_bagpuss Have you tried turning it off/on ?

    Joined:
    24 Apr 2009
    Posts:
    4,282
    Likes Received:
    159
    The issue i have with DLC is that its becoming more popular and i feel that publishers may/and are holding back on content so as to charge later as "DLC".

    for instance making a game with only a few maps then releasing map packs and charging for them is very cheeky IMO.

    i think this method of releasing games is going to become very popular as it fills the shareholders wallets a lot more.

    So with more DLC becoming available i expect the core game to get smaller and smaller while remaining the same price or higher.

    core game - 4 maps £40
    map pack1 - 4 maps £15
    map pack2 - 3 maps + uber uber shiny gun £20

    total = £75 for 1 game that probly should have had more maps to start with.
     
Tags: Add Tags

Share This Page