DLC for Dummies
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
The WoW community can be pretty damn self-entitled and stupid, but apparently it's nothing compared to the cesspool that is the Value community.
"Start with figuring out exactly what you believe in, and then take your stand."Shamus Young said:
This is the best line you've ever written. Maybe the best line ever printed on this website. And it so clearly and easily illustrates exactly why it's difficult to make any headway these days when trying to interact with developers on websites or at trade shows.
So many people want to stand up and shout about what they think (or in many cases what the hive mind has told them to think), that no one listens anymore. And half the time the person shouting all the nonsense ends up and goes against what he's saying in the end anyway.
I'm getting off topic here. But I just wanted to point out how profound your closing line was. I hope that you might actually see this and know that your words meant something to someone. Thanks Shamus.
Great points, but I don't think you were nearly as harsh as was deserved.
Anything short of calling these people "cancer" doesn't quite capture the point well enough.
Anything short of calling these people "cancer" doesn't quite capture the point well enough.
Excuse me? WTF does Blizzard do with DLC? Activision has its moments, with COD map packs and other things that gullible people buy, but I haven't seen anything about DLC in any of their games and I've been playing since Rock N' Roll Racing.qbanknight said:
The worst they have is the Sparkle Pony, which falls under all four of Shamus' rules.
Thinking of other Valve properties, Team Fortress has DLC that is far more pervasive than Portal 2, and has dumb in-game gimmicks surrounding it *eyes mann co. crates*. But thats still not nearly as bad as some of the spam you get in free-to-play games. I cant say much about how big RPG's shoehorn business in the middle of their games, but conveniently you already listed those issues.
Mobs can get riled up by any little thing, cant they? Remember when they did a Denial-of-Service attack on Minecraft? Why the tiny targets, because they cant fight back as easily?
Mobs can get riled up by any little thing, cant they? Remember when they did a Denial-of-Service attack on Minecraft? Why the tiny targets, because they cant fight back as easily?
Blizzard included in the "rage against the (DLC) machine" package?
The only "dlc" they sell aside from expansion packs are cosmetic pets and mounts which (as noted) do not actually affect gameplay at all.
The only thing I can think of to rage over is paying full price for Starcraft 2 and getting Starcraft 1's missing expansion pack instead with updated graphics. (/cynicism)
However, I do think that the whole cosmetic item DLC on day 1 is a little bit shameless even if its not readily apparent, especially if a portion of the pay-for-items are unlockable in game anyway. Its their business model to do with what they will, but reminder that there are a lot of people who rage against the smallest things. Personally I don't really care, because I'm a Portal non-enthusiast mostly because I find it boring as Myst was.
The only "dlc" they sell aside from expansion packs are cosmetic pets and mounts which (as noted) do not actually affect gameplay at all.
The only thing I can think of to rage over is paying full price for Starcraft 2 and getting Starcraft 1's missing expansion pack instead with updated graphics. (/cynicism)
However, I do think that the whole cosmetic item DLC on day 1 is a little bit shameless even if its not readily apparent, especially if a portion of the pay-for-items are unlockable in game anyway. Its their business model to do with what they will, but reminder that there are a lot of people who rage against the smallest things. Personally I don't really care, because I'm a Portal non-enthusiast mostly because I find it boring as Myst was.
If it was multiplayer only on DLC then Borderlands wouldn't have Crawmerax, one of the most entertaining bosses to solo I have ever come across in any game ever created. There are lots of challenging bosses in other games, but little comes close to the sheer entertainment value provided by the feeling of sprinting past him knowing full well the second you stop you're going to need to take a perfect shot or be splattered horribly.
Of course DLC should be important to the experience. Maybe not integral, but the armour of Knoxx brought an entire new area, story, levels and weapon set. It vastly improves the experience. It wasn't necessary to buy to enjoy the game but saying that it shouldn't be integral at all suggests you'd prefer that all DLC should be limited to small, unecessary items that don't change the game in the slightest way, and who the hell is going to pay for DLC if that's all it has to offer. Beyond the TF2 players and their hats that is.
Also, your last section was so irritatingly fanboyish that you're no better than the the idiots who were marking it 0 on metacritic. I've played both portals, I never completed either. They are a fun semi game that does not remotely draw me in or convince me it's worth completing.
This entire tirade had a decent intention, but your attitude suggests you would blindly give Portal a 100 just as quickly as they gave it a 0.
Of course DLC should be important to the experience. Maybe not integral, but the armour of Knoxx brought an entire new area, story, levels and weapon set. It vastly improves the experience. It wasn't necessary to buy to enjoy the game but saying that it shouldn't be integral at all suggests you'd prefer that all DLC should be limited to small, unecessary items that don't change the game in the slightest way, and who the hell is going to pay for DLC if that's all it has to offer. Beyond the TF2 players and their hats that is.
Also, your last section was so irritatingly fanboyish that you're no better than the the idiots who were marking it 0 on metacritic. I've played both portals, I never completed either. They are a fun semi game that does not remotely draw me in or convince me it's worth completing.
This entire tirade had a decent intention, but your attitude suggests you would blindly give Portal a 100 just as quickly as they gave it a 0.
Does Shamus' position as a writer somehow remove his ability to express his own opinion about said consumers? I really hope I'm misunderstanding that...Raiyan 1.0 said:
I agree that it was incredibly poor attempt at trolling, because it wasn't an attempt at trolling at all. http://artoftrolling.memebase.com/ Study this site. That is trolling, this is not. Don't come back until you understand the difference.
why are people calling this game short? i played both the single player and co op. and it was anything but short.
and i dare everyone in here to tell me they did not crack up in laughter over the manual override of the wall.
and i dare everyone in here to tell me they did not crack up in laughter over the manual override of the wall.
Yes, I agree with you regarding the people who have an undeserved sense of entitlement, but I disagree that it's simply Valve fans who are to blame. I think it's people who aren't smart enough to understand and will blame Valve, yet they're ok with what other developers, such as Microsoft, charging for things that shouldn't be charged for.bjj hero said:
Note: I'm sorry if I caused confusion, going back and forth between the computer and bed nursing a migraine.
The problem I've heard about Blizzard isn't really DLC, but it is a micro transaction. Realm transfers.JerrytheBullfrog said:
I heard arguments that this easily done, and automated, process should be free with a month long cooldown instead of $25 per character. The main reasons are, as stated before, it is so easily done that is it now automated and that it could be considered an essential part of the game.
If your raiding guild decides to move to another server, and you don't have the $25 to spare to pay for a transfer yourself then you are out of a raiding guild. I've had that happen to me, so I can see the point in that argument.
The reason why there are so people attacking ANY game (not Portal exclusively) for day 1 DLC and various pre-order bonuses is because this sets an example. If people are willing to buy only complete products, then companies would not try to pull this kind of stuff. If users show that they are willing to shell out cash you get things like Capcom and EA where complete DLC is sitting on the disk waiting to be unlocked.
Here is a short, and quick, list of things you skip and still finish a game (not talking about Portal 2 atm):
-Side quest
-Side characters
-Minor characters
-Most of the major cast
-Anything besides the basic story outline (There is a bad guy, stop him. Motivation and so forth aren't necessary for finishing the game.)
-More than one weapon
-Alternative routes (even in level design, left path is 0.99$)
-Main character voice (everyone could be Gordon Freeman)
-Co-Op
Just to name a few. Can we live without those things? Yes. Should we?
I don't think anyone is against Portal 2, but things like that signal publishers that people are willing to gobble it up. EA is getting flak for it, so is Activision and Valve is no special for it. People don't want gaming to turn into that kind of a beast.
Just to clarify, I haven't taken any actions against Portal 2, hell, I don't even care about the game, but I can fully understand why some people do it.
Here is a short, and quick, list of things you skip and still finish a game (not talking about Portal 2 atm):
-Side quest
-Side characters
-Minor characters
-Most of the major cast
-Anything besides the basic story outline (There is a bad guy, stop him. Motivation and so forth aren't necessary for finishing the game.)
-More than one weapon
-Alternative routes (even in level design, left path is 0.99$)
-Main character voice (everyone could be Gordon Freeman)
-Co-Op
Just to name a few. Can we live without those things? Yes. Should we?
I don't think anyone is against Portal 2, but things like that signal publishers that people are willing to gobble it up. EA is getting flak for it, so is Activision and Valve is no special for it. People don't want gaming to turn into that kind of a beast.
Just to clarify, I haven't taken any actions against Portal 2, hell, I don't even care about the game, but I can fully understand why some people do it.
Also - this. I've seen blogs more professionally written than this.
Its a 50p hat. It is for about 5 hours you will spend doing multiplayer challnges. It is 50p. Has it really ruined the game for you? REALLY. Look at you wrote. Really look at it. Do you HONESTLY think a 50p hat in a game has "spoiled" it. Is it really DLC crap? I dont count it as DLC. DLC is a level, a character, some weapons, an integral gameplay element that im made to pay for. And thats bullshit. This? If DLC is bullshit, this is the cosmic shit of a tiny mite living in the dust behind my sofa. It doesnt ruin the sofa.Sgt. Sykes said:
You know what i did when i saw the store? I thought "thats nice, i could get some hats for my robots, shame im poor" and didnt give it a SINGLE OTHER THOUGHT. Why are people SO BUTTHURT over this. Seriously. This is the reaction id expect if valve made 50% of the game DLC on day one. Or sent armed men in hockey masks to throw rocks at your house if you didnt buy a hat. ITS A HAT. Remember that part of portal that ya know... is THE GAME?! Thats fun too! No need to cry and get all angry over SOME HATS THAT YOU DONT EVEN NEED! Why are people so freakin upset. Its beyond belief.
Honestly when i first saw this i was like "o shit, did valve have day one dlc levels". I was worried. I thought it would be an actual reason to be upset. Then i saw it was hats.
Seriously community. GROW THE HELL UP. This is pathetic whiney and stupid. If you honestly think the hats are SUCH A BIG ISSUE you dont deserve portal. You dont deserve any of the game. Wheres all your entitlement now?!
Guy i quoted this isnt all aimed at you, only paragraph 1. Jesus. This makes me annoyed >.>