Sony VP Wants Content on Discs, Not DLC

[John Funk]

Sony VP Wants Content on Discs, Not DLC

The industry may be putting increasingly more emphasis on DLC and digital distribution, but SCEA VP Rob Dyer wants to put everything on retail-sold discs again.

Speaking with Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4709/the_sony_situation_sceas_rob_.php?page=2], Dyer said that he'd like to see the pendulum swing back toward putting content on discs instead of on PSN and XBLA. He believes that disc-based content is the only way that developers will get everything out to the entire playerbase as a whole.

[blockquote][That] way, 100 percent of the users are going to get it. 100 percent. What are we, north of 70 percent on the network now? 73, I think. Microsoft probably the same... [That's] still a significant number of people that aren't able to get, whether they don't have broadband, whether they just flat out can't get on the network. Whether or not you do it, they're not using it. I want it on the disc, that way when they buy it, they get it.[/blockquote]

However, Dyer also said he understood why developers and publishers were emphasizing DLC these days. "Now, you can talk about why DLC is important to help limit the used game business and to keep people holding onto [the game]. I'm all about that, too. I love that. But I want it on the disc so that 100 percent out there that can play this thing."

Wait, now I'm a bit confused, Mr. Dyer. You say you love DLC, but that you also want it on the disc? How does that even work?

As much as I think many people will agree - at least in part - with Mr. Dyer's comments, I'm not sure his dream is technically feasible. There's a lot of DLC that is developed (or finished, if it was cut during development due to other constraints) after the game has already gone gold and copies have begun printing. How are developers supposed to put all of that on the disc?

Or is he saying that whenever you release DLC, it should come in physical form as well, like what Rockstar did with its GTA4 [http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=64299] expansions? I could see that being the case, but horse-armor-on-a-DVD probably has a very limited market.

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[Jared]

I am totally in agreeance with himn. I dont like how everything is moving away from discs.

I like the physical property in my hands...

 

[Delusibeta]

While there are cases where major DLC is getting put on disc (Fallout 3 GOtY, Episodes of Liberty City) and I approve of that, developers really shouldn't be bothering with Horse-armour type DLC unless they sell it for a $1. Or something.

 

[JdaS]

Yet when I bought the physical copy of GTA IV's Episodes, there were a few glitches in regards to audio (specifically in cut-scenes) that, to me were quite gamebreaking. Bought the DLC version and all seems to be well in Liberty City. (PS3).

 

[theamazingbean]

As someone whose consoles have not been connected to the internet in at least 2 years, i support this message.

 

[Sun Flash]

Totally agree. Plus it saves on buying memory cards/sticks/whatever for the Xbox, which is well expensive.

 

[Nimbus]

DLC... On the disc...

That's the single stupidest fucking thing I have ever heard.

 

[wooty]

I agree with him, dlc should be partly limited to getting map/weapon packs, but not expansions. PC games might be the exception in that regard, even if I still can't play the Tales of Valour add on for some biazzare and binary reason.

 

[Irridium]

I approve greatly of this message. I hate downloading things, since my internet is slow big DLC stuff takes well over 2 weeks to download.

DLC... On the disc...

That's the single stupidest fucking thing I have ever heard.

Thats what they did with Bioshock 2. They put the first DLC batch on the disk and had the players pay $5 to unlock said content.

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Used-smoosed. Using DLC to fight the used games market is bullshit. Make your game actually good so I'll want to keep it around and replay it. This paying to unlock content on the disc crap has got to stop.

 

[Russ Pitts]

It sounds to me like he's saying:

"My company totally missed the boat on this DLC thing, and I don't like that. because now we're losing. Can we turn back the clock please? because I liked it better when we were winning. Thanks."

Then again, my Executive Speak-to-Real Person Lingo translator tends to be a bit cynical.

 

[Archemetis]

I can't say the prospect of a 'future' where I'm bogged down by discs that do different things for one game excites me too much.

Of course yeah I appreciate his angle, he wants availability to be less of an issue and for that he gets part of my vote.

Of course he's got to be forgetting how damaging this whole plan could be to profits for game developers. If all DLC were compiled onto discs then they're a physical item that can be bought and sold, which also means they can bought and sold pre-owned.

Now I'm not against buying a game pre-owned but surely if it prevents profit being made as well as they are now concerning DLC, then I don't think too many people will get behind the idea.

Not to mention the money it'd cost to manufacture and distribute disc-format-content they'd be pissing away money and gaining about half back because everyone would be buying it pre-owned.

Also, people wouldn't want to have disc upon disc full of extra content so you'd have to be able to install it, right?
What's to stop people from installing it and then taking it back?

They could put an install limit on it, but then what if your console explodes or something and you lose it all? Then you're screwed, granted you're screwed if your console explodes now, but even so, at least DLC is easier to get hold of then having to go all the way to a store, to buy a duplicate disc which will gather dust on your giant pile of discs you've accumulated...

Nah, DLC is fine for me right now.

For Clarity I'm talking about DLC not Expansion sized content.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

Modern DLC is terrible compared to 90s expansions with very few exceptions. Both Fallout and Oblivion were notable offenders. I didn't play Mass Effect or Dragon Age but from what I heard the (game-fun-unit*gameplay hour)/price ratio was lousy.

 

[DividedUnity]

I love this guy. This is the first time Ive heard sony say anything sensible.

 

[epunk35]

Thank you sir,
Though your statements were somewhat contradictory. The challenge of last generation to devs was making a game that doesn't suck so the players would buy it and clamp onto it until the day they died. Now it's just "roll out fun game, fun game sequel, charge $10 and punch fanbase in the stomach with every used purchase" these companies aren't going broke anytime soon so don't let them tell you otherwise. Say I buy a $60 game, sell it to GameStop, somebody else picks it up, essentially they have only replaced me as a player. Unless somebody steals/pirates the game outright they don't lose money. In fact I'm hightailing it to the store down the street to check out some used game deals.

 

[oranger]

and did you guys catch the bit "...and to keep people holding onto [the game]."
really? why, if your game sucks, would we want to keep it? unless its been designed to be useless after it is purchased and played by one person...which is of course how downloadable games work, which is why I almost NEVER buy DL'd games. I have friends who may want to borrow it, or trade me for it. And since there are other developers who are making physical products, I'm much more likely going to give them my money.

 

[Cherry Cola]

It sounds to me like he's saying:

"My company totally missed the boat on this DLC thing, and I don't like that. because now we're losing. Can we turn back the clock please? because I liked it better when we were winning. Thanks."

Then again, my Executive Speak-to-Real Person Lingo translator tends to be a bit cynical.

I find it more to be:

"Oh snap, everyone is hating on DLC nowadays. We could get tons of support by joining in on the bashing!

DOWN WITH DLC! DOWN WITH DRM! DOWN WITH PEOPLE NOT BUYING MY STUFF!"