Launch-Day DLC Found on Risen 2 Game Disc

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Launch-Day DLC Found on Risen 2 Game Disc


Deep Silver's new RPG is the latest addition to the on-disc DLC parade.

"On-disc DLC" should be a fairly self-explanatory concept but for the benefit of the thick-headed kids in the back, it's basically content that the publisher offers to gamers post-release and at an extra cost, but which is in fact already on the game disc. Capcom took a lot of grief for including locked-out content with the retail release of Mass Effect 3 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116611-Capcom-Defends-Locked-Content-in-Street-Fighter-X-Tekken] DLC From Ashes.

Now it's Deep Silver's turn, as our very own Dexter111 recently discovered [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.374019-Risen-2-All-DLC-unlockable-using-console] that both the Treasure Isle and A Pirate's Clothes launch-day DLC are actually included on the game disc. The only thing that appears to be missing is the spoken dialog, which is downloaded when the DLC is purchased. The extra content can even be activated, albeit without the voice files, by enabling the game's "test mode" and then using three "spawn" commands.

The news that this day-one DLC is already included with the game hasn't made a lot of gamers terribly happy, particularly those who were already annoyed by the very existence of the DLC in the first place. For critics who say that launch-day DLC is merely game content that's cut out and held back for more money, the last-minute announcement of the DLC coupled with its barely-separate inclusion on the game disc must come off as a particularly egregious money grab.

Deep Silver has not yet commented on the matter.


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Redlin5_v1legacy

Better Red than Dead
Aug 5, 2009
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If they can get away with it, they will do it. I'd state the arguments against it but everyone has heard various versions of it typed furiously into the internet because of Mass Effect. I just want to be able to access everything on the disc I bought.
 

Covarr

PS Thanks
May 29, 2009
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I'm not inherently opposed to day one DLC. Sometimes, a dev has something they just couldn't add before shipping. But what makes on-disc DLC unique is that it WAS ready, and there really is no excuse other than a DELIBERATE, PLANNED money grab.

P.S. Thanks
 

teh_gunslinger

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. did it better.
Dec 6, 2007
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Andy Chalk said:
For critics who say that launch-day DLC is merely game content that's cut out and held back for more money, the last-minute announcement of the DLC coupled with its barely-separate inclusion on the game disc must come off as a particularly egregious money grab.
While I am completely against on disc DLC (In fact that sort of DLC should be renamed to Developers Lazy Crutch), I was under the impression that at least the Treasure Isle stuff were announced ages ago?
 
Apr 28, 2008
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I find this hilarious.

It's like that one conversation in Human Revolution, with Anonymous X I think his name is.

You're looking for some info, he has some info. You meet up with him. He tells you everything you need to know, and then asks you to pay him. You then have the option to laugh in his face and tell him he should of asked at the start.

I always pick that option. And I feel that applies here. If you want me to pay for this stuff, don't give it to me first and have it be easily accessible. Because if you do and then ask me to pay, I will laugh at you.
 

tmande2nd

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Oct 20, 2010
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Like buying a car only to find that you need to pay another 100 dollars to get the FM radio already on there.
 

ThunderCavalier

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Nov 21, 2009
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*looks outside window* Oh, wow. The angry mobs are already gathering to kill the Risen devs.

Well, Risen didn't have much of a splash when it first came out, so this might kill the game before it even gets out of its opening week.
 

Sarge034

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Feb 24, 2011
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ThunderCavalier said:
*looks outside window* Oh, wow. The angry mobs are already gathering to kill the Risen devs.

Well, Risen didn't have much of a splash when it first came out, so this might kill the game before it even gets out of its opening week.
You are right about that. I was on the fence about the game, but now I will spend my money elsewhere. I hate on disk "DLC" but am ok with most "day 1" DLC because I know how the game production cycle works. There are a couple of months after the game is out of the developers hands getting packaged and distributed that they can work on DLC. However, if the "DLC" is on the disk that means it was done when the game was and got packaged and distributed while the game was. So I ask, did the "DLC" take man hours away from the game because it was being worked on in tandem with the game? If it did, and I am paying for the game, why is that not included?


This is a bad thing and we, as the consumers, need to stop this practice NOW.
 

F4LL3N

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May 2, 2011
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I like how they continue to do these things despite surely knowing nobody is okay with it. It's nice to know your opinion means nothing, amiright?
 

Twilight_guy

Sight, Sound, and Mind
Nov 24, 2008
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So? ...No I'm serious, what's the point of this news story? On-disk DCL isn't new I've been hearing story about it for years now. Gamers being angry over it isn't news. I suppose the game itself being the latest to use this scheme is news except that the majority of the article seems to have its focus elsewhere de-emphasizing the particular game. As far as I see all this story does is capitalizing on gamer angst by publishing another story over the continuation of a contested issue in order to get people to comment in anger.

Actually I'd like to do an experiment where we get the angriest and smartest gamers who have a problem with this and ask them to fix it without changing the core concept. I'd like to see what changes they make to it. How can you spin this as a good thing?
 

Viridian

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Jan 25, 2012
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What pains me is that this model is still around, which means it's proving to be successful in the industry. SOMEONE is still paying for day-one/on-disc dlc. A lot of someones.

This won't go away until this kind of thing stops being successful.

Edit: Although in the case of on-disc, you wouldn't necessarily know until after the fact. Hrmm. ._.
 

ScruffyMcBalls

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Apr 16, 2012
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This is why I just stopped buying games at release. I've been completely unable to trust the industry not to make use of these pathetic and shallow tactics for years now. Buying a product means you own that product, I don't want to buy a locked box full of shiny things and then the key separately.
 

Dryk

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Dec 4, 2011
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The worst part is that they know that it will found in five minutes, and there will be an uproar. But enough people are evidently still buying it that the internet shit-storm doesn't cancel it out.
 

Dandark

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Sep 2, 2011
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Meh I had some interest in the game but lost it once I heard about the day 1 DLC, this just cements the fact that I would have regretted buying it, more it's even driven me to hope they fail.