Day-One DLC Files Appear on Mass Effect 3 Discs

[Vigormortis]

Oh good lord, more of this? I am so sick of hearing about this. Specifically with this game, but also with any game that does Day One DLC. It doesn't change a damn thing. Do you think what you're paying for the game, sans DLC, is worth it? Then buy it. If not, don't. It's not like they've hidden the fact that there's this DLC from you. You know what you're getting in the DLC and you know it's not in the game. You then buy the game and the DLC, or don't based on whether you think it's worth it or not.

It's like going into a fast food joint, and complaining because the guy who ordered the large meal got more food than you got in your regular meal.

They're being up-front about what you do and don't get if you do or don't buy the DLC. And as anyone who read the article, instead of jumping on the title for all their rage venting needs, would be able to work out, a few voice files and animations does not an entire DLC make.

Okay. Done ranting. Feel free to respond to me, but I don't intend to get embroiled in this. I'm just expressing my displeasure at the massively overblown fan reaction to this. It really isn't a big deal.

You may now go back to hating EA and Bioware for being businesses and trying to make money, and stay competitive in a market which is moving in this direction regardless.

Actually, in this case, it's more like going into a fast food joint and complaining because you and everyone else got the exact same burger, but because you didn't pay a few extra bucks (like the other guy) you aren't "allowed" to eat...let's say...the top half of the bun.

You bought the burger. They gave you both sides of the bun. But again, since you didn't pay that little "extra", they tell you you can't eat that bun top, even though it's right there in front of you.

They're not being "up front" about this. Their reasons for this DLC coming day one were tenuous at best. And, that's before this whole "on disc" fiasco. Now, it's become almost a given that they removed part of the game, possibly going so far as to change aspects of the story, so they could charge extra for it.

The latter point seeming even more likely given the apparent weak; extremely weak; ending(s).

Now, don't get me wrong. I think in some cases the reactions people are having over some of the "game design faux pas" that have come to light are as exaggerated as they are annoying. At the same time I also think the overwhelming need for the fans to defend or blithely dismiss any and every bit of bad news that crops up on this game is just as annoying.

OT:
Listen people. If you like the game, fine. You just go right ahead and continue to play the game. Play the hell out of it. Don't let anyone try to convince you you shouldn't. But don't sit there and defend this bullshit. Don't proclaim the game "perfect" or "flawless". And certainly don't excuse Bioware or EA. You just come off as disingenuous and/or naive.

Likewise, if you don't like the game, that's fine. Feel free to continue not liking it; for whatever reasons you want. Just don't go out of your way to lambast those that DO like it. Comment on the news surrounding the game, but Christ, don't attack or insult the players. That's just a dick move.

 

[Li Mu]

Bioware made Baldur's Gate 2...


Nuff said...

Good call! You've just reminded me of the awesome BG2! I'm gonna re-install it now!

As for the topic at hand did anyone consider that they may have cut this character from the main game because they wanted to give him his own mission and story arch which they just didn't have time to include?
Did any of you think that if they had included him in a semi-fixed state that everyone would rant at how half assed this character was and how he deserved a better story arch and missions?

With DLC they could spend a little extra time and give him the attention to detail he deserved.


No, of course none of you thought of that, you're all too busy being angry and crying over spilt milk.

 

[luvd1]

*dusts off old quotation box* Oh bioware. What happened to you? You used to be cool.
On a more serious note, I am not suprised, saddened but not at all unexpected.

 

[Simonoly]

This was the same with Kasumi in ME2, and I believe Liara also had some dialog on the disk for the Shadow Broker stuff in that game as well.

I think we all need to just chill the fuck out.

Yay! I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembered that. The 'From Ashes' dlc was announced ages ago - Bioware said they were developing dlc with an extra character. This was obviously planned during development of the main game.

... which is funny when Bioware then comes out and states that they only started work on From Ashes after Mass Effect 3 went gold.
HMM.

Which they probably did. Sure there was beginning concepts of it well before the DLC process began, that content was probably cut with shreds of it left in the game.

It could be the conspiracy everyone's making it out to be but content starting to be worked on can be cut mid-production and end up as DLC. I see no problem here unless the entirety of the character's arc is on the disk and locked like the speculators rage at.

From what I can remember, yes they didn't officially reveal the title of 'From Ashes' until Mass Effect 3 went gold. But they revealed that they had dlc planned involving a new character quite a while back (think I first heard of it last September). I think this practice of planning and starting development of dlc during development of the main game is happening a lot more than we think. The dlc market is pretty fruitful, so any game developer would be mad to not consider it alongside the launch of their main game. I'll be interested to see how Bioware responds to this though.

 

[Keava]

Well he doesn't appear anywhere in the game (seeing as I ave beaten it) so I will stand firm and continue to boycott this DLC as I had considered buying it if he played an important role in the game short of being a squadmate. This news just strengthens my resolve. If only people knew how to vote with their wallets

I just want to say that Javik isn't important to the plot at all. This is basically all that happens:

Shepard: So you know how to work the Prothean weapon, right?

Javik: No. I am a Soldier, not a Scientist.

That's it. That is like...all he says that's relevant to anything. You do get his gun though. Which is pretty badass until Banshees show up. It doesn't do that well against Banshees...

Define improtant for story?

Important for the war effort? Not at all, but we are not talking about detached game that just came out with new, fresh IP. It's part of trilogy and a whole universe that was created for the ME franchise.
You actually learn quite a lot about Prothean culture and how they fell to Reapers from the convos with Javik, and considering how important Protheans are to the whole plot spanning across all 3 parts of ME I'd say it's pretty relevant for those of us who play RPGs for something more than shooting stuff in head.

 

[M4t3us]

I used to be a Bioware fanboy, then they took to their knees before EA.

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

 

[Vigormortis]

You know, I can't help but wonder...

How many of you in this thread (and the other threads) defending this on-disc, day-1 DLC; as well as the other BS; would go about defending, with the same fervor, on-disc, day-1 DLC for another game from another company?

Would you feel the same way about this situation if it were, say, involving a game by Bungie, Relic, Valve, Infinity Ward, or Blizzard? Would you still say, "Oh, on-disc day-1 DLC is fine. I don't mind paying an extra 10 bucks for content that's on the disc already. Content that was likely pulled from the game pre-release."

I'm gonna go ahead and assume "no". Seeing as I've seen many of you lambasting other games or other companies for less egregious acts.

The hypocrisy on the forums has been at extreme levels as of late. It'd be fascinating if it weren't so annoying.

-----------------------------

SOLVEmedia:
"sound changes the way we see" reminds me of...

1: Sailing is silly
2: Steam Evaporate [sic]
3: None of these choices
4: Sound matters
5: Seeing is believing

Okay Escapist...what the ****?! No really. What the ****?! This is the replacement for the old captcha?

 

[The.Bard]

That's exactly my issue though. The last living Prothean SHOULD be important. The fact that it is not just cheapens the whole idea to begin with. But then again, considering how they ended the game it seems they just had a "who can come up with the worst ideas" party.

Eh, maybe, but I'm not sure that idea is inherently better. I think it would have been equally silly that the ONE Prothean whose coffin didn't fail just happens to know everything about what they were doing.

I can't speak to the ending (I'm only 15 hrs in), but from what I've seen so far I have no reason to be pessimistic.

 

[The.Bard]

Oh gee, what a fucking surprise.

Seriously, did ANYONE actually believe BioWare when they said that it was developed after the rest of the game?

But it won't make a difference, because the BioWare fanboys will just shell out the cash. Watch how in 2 years this will become normal.

The voice files being on the disc is not proof Bioware lied. They said they developed it after the game. They didn't say after the game shipped or that no piece of it wasn't on the disc already.

It took me about 15 mins to download the dlc on my 360, so a good chunk of this was NOT on the disc. Maybe we wait for a reply from Bioware before chucking stones around?

The judgment going on around here is borderline hilarious. I guess this is what we get from the Fox News Generation.... accusations = facts.

 

[Detective Prince]

Whether BioWare lied or not...I don't really care. I'm fed up with Day One DLC. Like...REALLY fed up.

 

[wintercoat]

That's exactly my issue though. The last living Prothean SHOULD be important. The fact that it is not just cheapens the whole idea to begin with. But then again, considering how they ended the game it seems they just had a "who can come up with the worst ideas" party.

Eh, maybe, but I'm not sure that idea is inherently better. I think it would have been equally silly that the ONE Prothean whose coffin didn't fail just happens to know everything about what they were doing.

I can't speak to the ending (I'm only 15 hrs in), but from what I've seen so far I have no reason to be pessimistic.

I find it hard to believe that a race of highly intelligent beings that can share their thoughts who are facing extinction wouldn't have given each and every one of the surviving few important information in the hopes that it could save the next wave of intelligent beings. Weapon schematics, ship schematics, armor, anything. I mean, the Prothean was literally the final move of the Protheans, and he's "just a soldier"? Bullshit. He was born after the fall of the Citadel and yet he knows nothing?! No advanced prototype weapons, no armor, no ship drives. No data obtained during the war against the Reapers. Nothing.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Keep digging yourself into that hole Bioware XD

 

[The.Bard]

I find it hard to believe that a race of highly intelligent beings that can share their thoughts who are facing extinction wouldn't have given each and every one of the surviving few important information in the hopes that it could save the next wave of intelligent beings. Weapon schematics, ship schematics, armor, anything. I mean, the Prothean was literally the final move of the Protheans, and he's "just a soldier"? Bullshit. He was born after the fall of the Citadel and yet he knows nothing?! No advanced prototype weapons, no armor, no ship drives. No data obtained during the war against the Reapers. Nothing.

Well, ME1 had a cadre of stasis pods from the Protheans that were completely isolated from the others of their race. IIRC, Vigil said something along the lines of them going to sleep and hoping they would wake up after the Reapers were gone. I don't think they could have given them the information of all their people even if they HAD intended to. But again, I haven't beaten ME3 yet, so something could certainly contradict me on this in the finale. Everything I've seen from ME1 & ME2 suggests the Protheans spent their final years in complete disarray. Entire solar systems separated from others, coupled with a complete lack of communications.

Spoiler

My understanding from talking to Javik is that the Protheans need proximity and/or touch to share their thoughts. He has to touch the floor of the Normandy to learn about Grunt. If he was born mid-war, I find it highly probably he never came in contact with others planning it.

Ultimately, the people LOOKING for errors are going to find them. Nothing, no work in the history of humanity, is flawless. I DESPISE Harry Potter. My wife loves it. I can point out all the flaws in the writing, and she'll shrug and say it doesn't detract from her love of the world and the characters. Her suspension of disbelief remains intact.

Same thing applies here. I love the universe, and the occasional hiccup really doesn't bug me when it's very easy to think up a workaround on the fly. I find the people "demanding" that any sane person should despise this game to be far more tedious and irksome than the game itself, which I find to be quite an agreeable old chap.

 

[Strazdas]

technically, if it came in the same disc its a day-0 DLC.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Just downloaded it, it's 600+MB.

So either Bioware weren't lying, or that's some huge unlock code.

 

[Knight Templar]

Am I the only one who is super excited for Zeel's response? Mainly...the fact that...

HE WAS RIGHT?

You know what they say about borken clocks.

 

[The.Bard]

Just downloaded it, it's 600+MB.

So either Bioware weren't lying, or that's some huge unlock code.

No. Someone said Bioware was lying. The 600mb download doesn't disprove the facts. And the facts are that someone said Bioware was lying.

Why should we wait for Bioware's response when we can just call them guilty now and be done with it???

We are! FOX NEWS!

 

[Coreless]

Oh gee, what a fucking surprise.

Seriously, did ANYONE actually believe BioWare when they said that it was developed after the rest of the game?

But it won't make a difference, because the BioWare fanboys will just shell out the cash. Watch how in 2 years this will become normal.

The voice files being on the disc is not proof Bioware lied. They said they developed it after the game. They didn't say after the game shipped or that no piece of it wasn't on the disc already.

It took me about 15 mins to download the dlc on my 360, so a good chunk of this was NOT on the disc. Maybe we wait for a reply from Bioware before chucking stones around?

The judgment going on around here is borderline hilarious. I guess this is what we get from the Fox News Generation.... accusations = facts.

I had to download 567.2 MB of data for the From Ashes DLC on the PC version, so saying the data was all on the disc and just needed an unlock code is completely inaccurate.

 

[luvd1]

I used to be a Bioware fanboy, then they took to their knees before EA.

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

Fear not, we can top that.

I used to be a bioware fan, till I they kneed me in the groin.

There, worst use of a meme if ever I've seen one.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Honestly, $10 isn't going to kill you people. If you can afford a $60 game, I am certain you can drop the $10 if you want it that bad.

"BUT ECKSTEASEA, IT SHOULD BE IN THE GAME WITHOUT US HAVING TO PAY! EA/BIOWARE ARE SCREWING US OVER!"

No it shouldn't. Its up to the company first off whatever goes in and out of a game. Don't like it? Go start your own company and do things the way you want to if you have some time to ***** and moan about $10. Its just another character like Zaeed or Kasumi were from ME2. I didn't see all of this when DLC was released later rather than the first day for ME2. Its the same thing here people except now on launch day. You get something that you pay for as if you would at any other point in time.

"CENTRAL TO THE STORY BLAH BLAH BLAH"

Want it? Buy it. Simple.

So entitled.

Heaven forbid consumers look out for their own interests.