The Unlockables Debate

[Joubert]

It makes sense to make a character unlockable if they are a hard character to use. Characters that require finesse to play effectively seem like the perfect down-the-road unlockables, since they become available at about the time that the player attains the necessary skill to use them well.

I think unlockables are great, they do make me feel like I've accomplished something. Yet they can be counterproductive if the "overjustification effect" kicks in, a principle of psychology in which someone no longer participates in an activity for the happy joy feelings they get, instead it becomes more of a job. and they become consumed by the unlockables...

So, yeah. As long as that thing doesn't happen.

If you want to know addiction, try the unlockables in Orochi Warriors.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

I like unlockables if they're just bonus content, like new challenge modes or cosmetic bits for character models or extra soundtracks or precious, precious gamerpoints.

I don't like making unlockables necessary to complete the game, or unlockables that give gameplay advantages to other players in multiplayer games.

And I view the opinions "everything should be unlocked" and "games are too easy these days" to be mutually exclusive. If you hold to both, hang your head in shame; if games aren't challenging enough but you're not up to the challenge of playing well enough to unlock content... you do the math.

-- Steve

PS: that's not to say that unlockables can't be done poorly... griping about that in a game is a whole different kettle of fish from complaining about unlockables as a whole.

 

[MRMIdAS2k]

Give us stuff to unlock in single player, but leave local multiplayer fully unlocked.

Online multiplayer should have it's own lot of unlocks, that you have to get ONLINE ONLY.

 

[vun]

Unlockables, yes, lots of them. Gives me more fancy toys that I can't get bored of early in because they aren't available then.
Not overpowered toys, but different ones.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

i think we really need to define the difference between unlockables and new skills or better weapons based on said new skills. they are different things

when you play ANY rpg, both on and offline, you get better weapons and skills as time goes on. gl trying to kill a 10k hp monster with a weapon that does 10 hp dmg per hit. lvl'n up and getting new skills is part of the game

unlockables such as "kill X amount of enemies" and you can get a new weapon or new char is a totally different entity

the first one is ok, the second is REALLY annoying in multiplayer, single player it's fine but multiplayer it's annoying cause you gotta spend 7182490317298401723948 hours doing single player to get it unlocked. tho if it's in muliplayer you can usually get your buddies to concede defeat in the name of unlockables but being forced to do it in single player is annoying

 

[Anarchemitis]

Delete cheats, make them unlockables. Like in Ratchet & Clank or Tony Hawk.

 

[bluemarsman]

I think that unlockable content depends on the game.

 

[laikenf]

Well I think that complaining about unlockables is very silly, as a matter of fact I find it kind of pointless. Actually, the first time I ever heard anybody complain about unlockables was Yahtzee in his SSBB review (and I've been gaming for quite a while). To complain about unlockable content is kind of pushing it, like looking for flaws in the wrong place.

 

[ResidentEman]

Unlockables that are reasonably unlockable, and don't take a ton of time to get are fine. But yeah, multiplayer should get it all.

 

[Joeshie]

Unlockables are fine in singleplayer.

Unlockables are the most goddamn annoying thing in multiplayer. "Oh whats that? I died even though the other player has less skill then me? Gee, thanks unlockables!"

So long as the unlockables are say, small things that don't affect gameplay, I'm fine with them. But when you have someone else running around with a great unlocked gun while I'm stuck with a newbie weapon because I just started playing, then that shit is retarded.

So the bullshit reason "I don't have the time" (Strangely, he exact same one used by developers to excuse ever-shorter games, nowadays for some reason a short game is a badge of freaking honor for reviewers, who complain if a game is so long that you can actually enjoy it for over six hours!) holds no sway over me.

I know! It's such bullshit that other people actually have a life and don't spend every waking moment playing video games. Unless you are willing to devote your life to video games, you shouldn't have fun.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Well I think that complaining about unlockables is very silly, as a matter of fact I find it kind of pointless. Actually, the first time I ever heard anybody complain about unlockables was Yahtzee in his SSBB review (and I've been gaming for quite a while). To complain about unlockable content is kind of pushing it, like looking for flaws in the wrong place.

Explain your point because I don't see how criticizing a game for having used "unlockables" in a bad way is 'looking for flaws in the wrong place'.

 

[squirrelman42]

Unlockables make me feel as though I actually have something to achieve. I like them.

 

[Girlysprite]

You don't want to work for anything? That's a pretty immature attitude, don't you think?

No of course I don't want to work! I want to play damnit. If I want to work, I'll make more hours on my job!

Really, why do I have to work in a game?

Unlockables should be non essential and multiplayer should have it all from the start. If I buy a party game, I want to use it as a damn party game. Achievements are perfect unlockables for example, but any other little stuff will do as well.

I have been annoyed by some unlockables for years. I couldn't play certain characters or levels with others because I didn't have the skill to unlock the,. That kinda sucked.

 

[Lukeje]

I'm guessing none of you have seen Yahtzee's 'Wario: Smooth Moves' unlockables (drinking) game? Check it out on fullyramblomatic.com ... I think he was joking, but it does actually sound like fun!

 

[OriginalUsername]

I think there should be enough unlocked content in the first place to make the game at least worth playing with friends. The unlocked content should be a bonus, not the parts that make the game worth playing. Like yahtzee said for example, all the big characters like Sonic and Snake should be available from the start of Brawl, and the characters less people are bothered about should be unlockable.

 

[laikenf]

Well I think that complaining about unlockables is very silly, as a matter of fact I find it kind of pointless. Actually, the first time I ever heard anybody complain about unlockables was Yahtzee in his SSBB review (and I've been gaming for quite a while). To complain about unlockable content is kind of pushing it, like looking for flaws in the wrong place.

Explain your point because I don't see how criticizing a game for having used "unlockables" in a bad way is 'looking for flaws in the wrong place'.

What I'm really refering to is that a lot of people just like to complain for the sake of it. Maybe it's just me but all this whining is really kind of annoying because I see that too many people are getting too technical when it comes to gaming (and all this technicallity actually translates to whining). A couple of weaks ago, for example, I was at a cousin's house and his two younger brothers had some friends over and we where all playing some COD4, taking turns, helping each other out etc., and all these kids did during the 3 hrs. I spent there was complain about a game that they seemed to have been "enjoying" (or so to speak). At the beginning I was not really paying too much attention, but little by little I was starting to think to myself "godamn aren't they ever going to just enjoy the damn game?" (they where even complaining about the color of the sky for crying out loud). I can't help but notice how gamers nowadays seem to play games to look for flaws rather than enjoy them properly, there is this whole aura of negativity all over the place, and then all of a sudden I find people complaining about unlockables? WHAT?! (Is complaining about graphics, sound, gameplay, etc. not enough already?) When did this ever become a liability? Again too much whining; maybe developers should just start giving away devloping kits so that we can taylor games to our own preferences.

 

[Necrohydra]

Again too much whining; maybe developers should just start giving away devloping kits so that we can taylor games to our own preferences.

Then people would whine that it's too much work.

You can't win; people will always find something to complain about. It's seemingly in our nature to complain about things...

 

[laikenf]

Again too much whining; maybe developers should just start giving away devloping kits so that we can taylor games to our own preferences.

Then people would whine that it's too much work.

You can't win; people will always find something to complain about. It's seemingly in our nature to complain about things...

I guess you're right. The thing is that I find myself in a phase of my life where I just quit on complaining or whining for things that seem so trivial. And I don't know about you, but to me there is nothing more annoying than to sit next to a person that spends most of his or her time dissing everything that he can catch o glimpse of. Now, going back to gaming; tell me: does it not annoy you when you're playing a game you really like and someone next to you is just critisizing everything he (or she) hears or sees while you're trying to have a good time? To me that's the kind of people who complain about things so irrelevant like unlockable content and stuff.

 

[Kaos Incarnate]

You don't want to work for anything? That's a pretty immature attitude, don't you think?

No of course I don't want to work! I want to play damnit. If I want to work, I'll make more hours on my job!

Really, why do I have to work in a game?

Unlockables should be non essential and multiplayer should have it all from the start. If I buy a party game, I want to use it as a damn party game. Achievements are perfect unlockables for example, but any other little stuff will do as well.

I have been annoyed by some unlockables for years. I couldn't play certain characters or levels with others because I didn't have the skill to unlock the,. That kinda sucked.

Err having it all from the start in multiplayer would just stop the whole single player experience.

 

[L4Y Duke]

No? Why whine about unlocks anywhere else, then?

Because almost every other example you gave is not unlocking, but finding. Finding stuff is OK, it means you can get to it whenever you like. You know it's possible to find it, the problem is getting to it.

Unlocking things is also OK, but not in games solely dependant on their multiplayer. The sort of games where it basically forces you to play through the storyline (which, for most multiplayer-aspired titles serves as nothing more than an extended tutorial mode) just to get all the goodies in multiplayer.