"Free" DLC - Mass Effect 2

[McNinja]

I was roaming the Mass Effect boards ealier, and I came upon this very interesting post. In a topic about the current ME2 DLC, the topic had devoled into what was actually "free," and the poster said:

"If the Cerberus network wasn't included, would the game still be worth $60? If yes, then the DLC is actually free, and if the answer is no, then you paid for the DLC."

So if you had to pay for all of the "free" DLC, would it be worth it? I'm kind of torn on the issue. On one side, the game is pretty good, excellent story, shooter mechanics upgraded, etc. But on the other side there's the cost of the new Kasumi DLC: $7. Would you pay $7 for Zaeed? or for the Normandy Mission? What about the weapon packs, and the armor? If they weren't free, would they be worth buying?

As it stands, if you look at it, you payed an extra $10 for Zaeed, the Normandy mission, the firewalker/Hammerhead pack, the cerberus armor, and the two or three new weapons. I think that all together they were worth $10, but I would not pay for them separately.

What do you think? Is ME2 worth the $60, or did you feel it was a $50 game with content that could have and should have been polished and added into the game before release?

 

[Altorin]

well, the cerberus network is 15 dollars if you bought the game used.. and the DLC you get for it would certainly have cost that much.

6 dollars each for Zaeed/Normandy Crash Site and the Hammerhead, and 3 dollars for the armor/weapons.

and Mass Effect 2 was worth the 60 dollars.. in fact, it was worth the 70 dollars I paid for the collectors edition.. At launch, the cerberus network only had Zaeed and the Normandy Crash Site on it, and it was worth it then.. it's definitely worth it now.

Would I personally buy the extra DLC if it weren't included in the CN? probably not, but that's because I'm broke.

 

[Denamic]

The game is worth it in any case, but the DLC so far has been pretty shitty.
Don't know about Kasumi, but the Zaeed DLC was pitiful.

I would never pay for that kind of DLC.
Actually, I would, because I love ME2, but I'd regret it once I've found out it sucks.

Us Swedes get to pay $95 for any high profile game anyway.

 

[Thaius]

Mass Effect 2 was... oooohhhhhh... you got it on PC.

I have it on Xbox, and all Xbox 360 games are $60 naturally. So yes, it was worth absolutely every penny. I didn't pay extra for Zaeed or any of that, simply because it was all included in the free Cerberus network stuff. Some of it was just for preordering the game, but that cost no extra.

So for me, as a 360 owner, it was absolutely worth it.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Yes, that one extra 45 mins cripples the game by $10

I will only pay the full $60 for games that are 35 hours long. Not 33!

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

My first playthrough was sans any DLC so um.... hell yeah?

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

My views on DLC have been repeated a few times. I don't like it at all. I don't keep up any sort of internet conenction with my XBox, and while I wouldn't mind if they were just releasing new types of facial configurations or something, when they hold back missions, characters, weapons and armour, I feel like I haven't been sold the full game.

I loved Mass Effect 2, but I did not appreciate not being able to play the hyped up Normandy mission, Zaeed, or the new gun they brought out recently.

Full games or nothing.

 

[Delock]

I played through the entire game without activating Cerberus Network or importing a character profile the first time. It was worth the $60. It earned that on its own, not as a sequel or as a bundled with extra content game, but as a normal game. I never once regretted getting it, even though it cost me the last of my spending money for the month (and some of the next month).

Would I buy the DLC seperately? Probably not. However, it was a great gift for trusting Bioware with my cash.

 

[Irridium]

Yes it was worth it. Every damn penny.

Every Bioware game has been amazing and worth the price. I can't remember them making a bad game.

But the quality of their DLC... thats a different story.

 

[McNinja]

Mass Effect 2 was... oooohhhhhh... you got it on PC.

I have it on Xbox, and all Xbox 360 games are $60 naturally. So yes, it was worth absolutely every penny. I didn't pay extra for Zaeed or any of that, simply because it was all included in the free Cerberus network stuff. Some of it was just for preordering the game, but that cost no extra.

So for me, as a 360 owner, it was absolutely worth it.

I actually own it on the 360. The point I was trying to make was if the game felt like it was worth $50, or $45, or the full $60?

 

[W00ty32]

Well, no, it isn't worth 60$.... It's worth 50. I don't know why anyone would want the 360 version. Of course, you can't buy PC games used, so it's just that we get free DLC, like usual. Guess that's a new experience for you 360 gamers.

 

[Maze1125]

I actually own it on the 360 as well. The point I was trying to make was if the game felt like it was worth $50, or $45, or the full $60?

The full 60, easily. Although I paid in pounds, so I probably paid more like $75, and I'd still say it was worth it even without the CN.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

It appears the Hammerhead pack is the last of the free DLC, so you may have a point. The costume pack and the new character next month are both paid for items. The costumes are butt ugly and it appears the new character has less content than Zaeed does.

 

[Thaius]

Mass Effect 2 was... oooohhhhhh... you got it on PC.

I have it on Xbox, and all Xbox 360 games are $60 naturally. So yes, it was worth absolutely every penny. I didn't pay extra for Zaeed or any of that, simply because it was all included in the free Cerberus network stuff. Some of it was just for preordering the game, but that cost no extra.

So for me, as a 360 owner, it was absolutely worth it.

I actually own it on the 360 as well. The point I was trying to make was if the game felt like it was worth $50, or $45, or the full $60?

Both? Oh, then I guess I know if you thought it was worth it.

Okay then. My point still stands though: totally worth it. I absolutely loved the game, and would have gladly gotten the collector's edition if Gamestop didn't stop carrying it so early... >.<

 

[Delock]

Well, no, it isn't worth 60$.... It's worth 50. I don't know why anyone would want the PC version. Of course, you can't buy PC games used, so it's just that we get free DLC, like usual. Guess that's a new experience for you 360 gamers.

Because the concept of game patches are IMPOSSIBLE to grasp for us 360 gamers. And after all, since I play 360, it's not like I can play a PC, a PS3, a PS2, a PS1, a DS, an NES, a Gameboy, a Gameboy Color, a Gameboy Advanced, a Gameboy Advanced SP, a N64, a Gamecube, a Wii, or a Sega Gamegear. No I've never played any of those in my life.
Listen, we are all gamers here. No platform makes you any more of a gamer, nor does it mean that you are better than others because you own it.
As for the worth of $60, it's a two disc experience that most people will replay atleast twice for a total of aroun 60 hours, though some people will play even more. I'd say that when you're getting entertainment for less than $1 an hour that it's worth it's price, since I rarely get any sort of entertainment for that price (maybe books but that's about it).

 

[Verbose]

Full games or nothing.

Do you honestly feel like you played less than a full game? What was incomplete about your experience that would have been completed by the few minor improvements and additions in the DLC? I had all of the DLC available at launch and to be honest with you, none of it was even remotely game changing. The core of our experiences was the same.

I agree that some games utilise DLC poorly. I don't think that the existence of DLC indicates an incomplete game. There are always things cut from any title or else they'd never get released. In the past, this has meant things get cut permanently and you have to hold out hope for a sequel. DLC means that some ideas can get added in or fleshed out later.

In the case of Mass Effect 2, you bought a full game. It was an excellent and complete gaming experience. If you didn't know there was DLC, would you have assumed that things were missing?

 

[Daedalus1942]

I was roaming the Mass Effect boards ealier, and I came upon this very interesting post. In a topic about the current ME2 DLC, the topic had devoled into what was actually "free," and the poster said:

"If the Cerberus network wasn't included, would the game still be worth $60? If yes, then the DLC is actually free, and if the answer is no, then you paid for the DLC."

So if you had to pay for all of the "free" DLC, would it be worth it? I'm kind of torn on the issue. On one side, the game is pretty good, excellent story, shooter mechanics upgraded, etc. But on the other side there's the cost of the new Kasumi DLC: $7. Would you pay $7 for Zaeed? or for the Normandy Mission? What about the weapon packs, and the armor? If they weren't free, would they be worth buying?

As it stands, if you look at it, you payed an extra $10 for Zaeed, the Normandy mission, the firewalker/Hammerhead pack, the cerberus armor, and the two or three new weapons. I think that all together they were worth $10, but I would not pay for them separately.

What do you think? Is ME2 worth the $60, or did you feel it was a $50 game with content that could have and should have been polished and added into the game before release?

I paid $110 here for the Collector's edition, which already came with all the available dlc, cerberus network, the comic and a concept art book, and I have to say after finishing the game I personally still felt ripped off. Though I didn't think much of Mass Effect II by itself, regardless, so maybe I'm not the right person to be commenting.

 

[Rancid0ffspring]

Well, no, it isn't worth 60$.... It's worth 50. I don't know why anyone would want the 360 version. Of course, you can't buy PC games used, so it's just that we get free DLC, like usual. Guess that's a new experience for you 360 gamers.

You don't know why anyone would want the 360 version? How about because they own a 360 & would like to play the game?

As for the game I would have bought it, for my 360, with or with out the DLC. Any content I may have purchased afterwards would depend on the feedback it received. For example I wouldn't have bothered with the Zaeed mission because I thought he was an uninteresting character & you couldn't interact with him much on board the Normandy. Now depending on what feedback this new character gets I may well pay for that.

We shall see

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

The game will still be worth it, but I wouldn't pay for the DLC. I never do. Too broke to spend on MS points. Of course, I'm extremely grateful that Bioware gave us the Cerberus Network. I still won't pay for Kasumi and whatever other paid DLC they'll release, but I'm perfectly content with what Cerberus gives us already.

 

[YuheJi]

I probably wouldn't buy the DLC separately, but the game itself was excellent, and well worth the $50 I paid for it (played on PC), free DLC or not.