It’s and odd world that we live in today were I’ll happily accept not buying an actual full game for the generous price of £40 or more. I’m unsure at what point we said, “Yes we accept the fact that we no longer get it for free.” I’m talking about here DLC charges.
Perhaps we were spoilt for years with free map packs and texture packs being dropped online and games companies also handing out oodles of maps and skins to play with for free; I kid you not young ones, games companies never once asked for cash for a DLC you’d paid for your game content at the till. They even gave you editors to go out there and make your own maps/textures/skins and distribute them wildly along the internet at it’s max speed of 56.6k. People would spend hours making stuff for games that others could play, I have a friend who still makes a mean UT’99 map and you’ll find a few of his pieces of work still floating on the UT’99 servers; do you think my friend has ever asked for cash for the DLC’s…nope* because in the past we were having a blast and so where the games companies as this fanbase kept the buzz rolling for years.
As an outside observer it’s odd watching games companies fold after a major release take Thief (Eidos) for example it came out to fanfare and then shortly following it’s release it loses just over 20 staff or EA lose Ghost Games UK Offices or Disney Interactive lose 200 staff; as you can see these are big businesses, all chasing the millions and the in-game transactions. Most of the time the staff release reasons never make it to us the general public, but working under the Sword of Damocles cannot be a fun environment for these people, years ago gaming was about fun and learning to get it that bit better, however the better seems to have become the earn millions and then a bit more.
I’m not daft however I know small fortunes are made from these in-game transactions and people want them, so much so they are willing to spend almost the equivalent price of the game on a season pass to make sure they get all the additional maps. I’d call these people mugs however I’m a BF4 addict and I’m buying the DLC’s as they come out and it goads me as I’m paying for 3 or 4 additional maps, each time, and a handful of weapons along with perhaps an in-game oddity; I’d have loved to have bought the season pass however two things stopped me 1) Cash (lack of) 2) The Campaign mode corruption saves pee’d me right off so I refused to. In my mind I shouldn’t have to buy anything extra, I should buy the game and additional maps should be a given
What I’d like to see is a major company say sod it to DLC charges (perhaps the next Battlefield or COD) and give us the ability to make and share maps again, I’d love to see what grows from it. Granted they probably lose a fair chunk of cash, but imagine the kudos given to them by games players and buyers alike. Perhaps I should throw down a gauntlet at Infinity Ward or EA to see if they’d accept the no DLC charge challenge?
That all being said, Infinity Ward stop messing about and release Soap as a playable character in Ghosts and I’ll return to the game toot sweet!
@Villordsutch
*I bet he wishes he does now – Hello Turbo~Si
These are my thoughts and not the thoughts of XBLGamerhub, they just give me the crayons and paper.
//
