DLC for Dummies

[bjj hero]

A lot of valve fans have a false sense of entitlement, possibly due to years of free DLC. Heaven forbid they have to pay for something that is not needed to fully enjoy the complete game.

I wouldn't say "Valve fans" just idiots.
Valves use of the micro transactions is purely supplementary anyway, content such as the free updates everyone gets. The items from the TF2 and Portal 2 stores are all cosmetic and have nothing to do with the game, and can also be earned for free while playing the game. As Shamus said:

DLC shouldn't be integral to the experience.

Valve gives their PC community free updates, like maps for Left 4 Dead. At least they don't charge people for the maps like Microsoft does, which considering Left 4 Dead is a co op survival story about 4 people trying to get the hell out of dodge during the zombie apocalypse. Denying people content that would further what narrative there is, is exactly what he said DLC SHOULDN'T do.

We seem to be agreeing...

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

Thank you calling these little damn ingrates on their BS Shamus; Blizzard, BioWare, and EA have committed far worse in terms of DLC. They are just picking on Valve because they didn't get Portal 2 a whole DAY earlier as WAS NOT promised by the Potato Sack ARG

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.

The worst they have is the Sparkle Pony, which falls under all four of Shamus' rules.

 

[Jjkaybomb]

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?

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

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 Maddest March Hare]

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.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

So a professional writer like Shamus goes out and uses expletives against the subjective reviews of a certain group of consumers who are well within their rights to voice their opinions - gah, poor attempt at trolling, good job Shamus!

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...

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.

 

[restoshammyman]

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.

 

[reeper4444]

It's only a matter of time before some of those idiots misinterpret your last paragraph

 

[Waaghpowa]

We seem to be agreeing...

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.

Note: I'm sorry if I caused confusion, going back and forth between the computer and bed nursing a migraine.

 

[Grunt_Man11]

Thank you calling these little damn ingrates on their BS Shamus; Blizzard, BioWare, and EA have committed far worse in terms of DLC. They are just picking on Valve because they didn't get Portal 2 a whole DAY earlier as WAS NOT promised by the Potato Sack ARG

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.

The worst they have is the Sparkle Pony, which falls under all four of Shamus' rules.

The problem I've heard about Blizzard isn't really DLC, but it is a micro transaction. Realm transfers.

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.

 

[thiosk]

Shamus skewers the Portal 2 DLC backlash

Thank you so much.

 

[Traun]

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.

Unprofessional and uncool Shamus, calling people idiots for not agreeing with you is pretty much what your accusing them of

Also - this. I've seen blogs more professionally written than this.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

But from the business standpoint, Valve gets what they deserve for this DLC crap. No reason to spoil a great game like that. None.

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.

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 >.>

 

[Waaghpowa]

Thank you calling these little damn ingrates on their BS Shamus; Blizzard, BioWare, and EA have committed far worse in terms of DLC. They are just picking on Valve because they didn't get Portal 2 a whole DAY earlier as WAS NOT promised by the Potato Sack ARG

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.

The worst they have is the Sparkle Pony, which falls under all four of Shamus' rules.

Well there's also the services that they charge for such as race change, realm change etc that are a bit on the pricey side, but those are DLC so...

 

[RA92]

So a professional writer like Shamus goes out and uses expletives against the subjective reviews of a certain group of consumers who are well within their rights to voice their opinions - gah, poor attempt at trolling, good job Shamus!

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...

Er, yes you did. I meant, poor attempt at trolling on my part. I was basically kidding. You know, with the whole smiley?

You know what, I'm gonna go rephrase my original post to be more clear. :/

Oh, thanks for the link!

 

[Levethian]

Agreed.

Who needs religion when there are endless other things for idiots to crusade about...

 

[MmmFiber]

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.

While every other thread on the wow forums being about the supposed end of wow or how ghostcrawler hates the OP's class/race/faction personally, I would agree with you and say those reviews seem more vitriolic. And what widens the gap between the two even more is that for wow you have to pay 15 bucks per month, which functions as a sort of implied agreement that you will keep getting updates/new content(within reason, anyways). Valve owes you nothing but the game you paid for. You are not "investing" in any other content. With DRM and DLC the way it is for other companies, why attack Valve? I see disagreeing with DLC altogether, but that can be done without slandering the entire project or being pejorative towards a developer who has a pretty decent track record of not screwing over fans, especially considering what other devs/publishers do.

That being said, I enjoyed the article. It might have been a bit too insulting in some places, but the message is spot on.

 

[Deskimus Prime]

Thank you.

I'm sorry, I really don't have much to say except "thank you," for putting out an opinion that actually makes sense to me. I'd even go so far as to say Portal 2 didn't have DLC, it just had a gimmick store.

I just honestly can't understand the waves of negativity. Regardless of your opinion on the game, Portal 2 was not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination in terms of technical, functionality and aesthetic aspects; it was "above average" at worst. There are so many more games deserving of hate than this one. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth to imagine what the guys over at Valve must think when they see this response to an obviously lovingly crafted piece of work.

...Okay, I lied, I did have a fair bit to say.

 

[shintakie10]

Thank you calling these little damn ingrates on their BS Shamus; Blizzard, BioWare, and EA have committed far worse in terms of DLC. They are just picking on Valve because they didn't get Portal 2 a whole DAY earlier as WAS NOT promised by the Potato Sack ARG

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.

The worst they have is the Sparkle Pony, which falls under all four of Shamus' rules.

Well there's also the services that they charge for such as race change, realm change etc that are a bit on the pricey side, but those are DLC so...

They charge for those services not because they're expensive in themselves, but to deter people from changin servers/races/factions on a whim whenever they feel like it. Puttin a month cooldown or whatever wouldnt have the same desired effect as sayin you need to fork over cash for it.

Edit - Gonna echo the "The hell did Blizzard do thats worse than Valve?" sentiment. Somehow mounts (that arent faster than anythin in game), and pets (which have no game impact at all) are somehow worse than t-shirts and hats is...kinda disingenuous. Sure rage at Activision all ya like about their DLC stuff, but tossin Blizzard in there just makes you look like you dont know what you're talkin about.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

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.

Even less reason to charge for it. Seriously, how much do they earn from these hats that it's worth it for them? It's just retarded. It's like when you go to a lawyer or a doctor and they charge you extra for sitting on a chair instead of standing. Sure, they'll earn some extra pennies but at the end, they WILL come out as assholes.

(Same goes for every other day-one DLC and basically any DLC that's just 'putting back the stuff we removed from the game before launch'.)

Your example is poor. Sitting is something that without ill be VERY uncomfortable theres a LOT of motivation to buy the chair, and i lose something if i dont. This is something that with or without, the experience is THE EXACT SAME. This is more akin to paying 2p for the doctor to call you "my lord" instead of sir. Its not even close to being comparable. You are blowing this far far larger than it is like everyone else.