Why do we have to buy dlc?

[JKthree]

If game companies decided to put all the content that would've been DLC before they relase the game, it would be a disaster.

Games would take at least twice as long to make, and the initial release price for the game would be through the roof.

Would you rather have a game made in 2 years at $50, with loads of extra content made over time that you have the option of buying
Or a 4 year game at $100 that had all the content that would've been DLC made throughout the games life?

[ADS_LEGEND]

If you were a millionaire would you give away money to everyone that asked because you had enough? I doubt it because eventually you'd run out of money. It's the same scenario here. Remember the people at MM are still getting paid as well so they need to make money somehow. Either with DLC or a new game.

[IronSkullKid99]

Money makes the world go round. Well, that and gravity.

Nuuuuuuuuu....Rotators do that.

[Sack-Jake]

There's nothing wrong with them wanting to make money. It's a business and you can choose whether or not you even want to buy it.
Also, LBP DLC is all pretty reasonably priced. It's not like you'd be getting ripped off or anything.
It's better than the TF2 store lol

[SnipySev]

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but that was the same time that games shipped and then support for the game (in almost 100% of titles on consoles at least) was 0.

As consumers we now expect ongoing support for games we buy as a given and this includes free patches and updates and all that jazz. So it's swings and roundabouts... Yes, companies want to monetise their long-term support with paid-for DLC, if they didn't, then you could pretty much kiss goodbye all of the free support as well in most cases. It's not a coincidence that many of the best-supported (in terms of continual improvement) games are also the ones that you keep on paying into.

Good point, but I didn't say all DLC was uncalled for. I just drew a line between good and bad DLC. If they're going to make DLC, make it worthwhile and make the price fair. I'm happy to give 9.99€ for Undead Nightmare or 5.99 for the the MGS level pack. Those are thoughtful DLC's, worth paying over. But stripping features from the game and selling them separately? Please.

I won't contribute for some CEO's coin pool, not when his favourite hobby is trying to find new ways to get money from me with the least effort possible.

[Dexist]

If you buy a new car, and you want some extras, you have to buy them. extras cost time and thus money to make. just like the DLC they are extras and optional.
And have this is mind, how more money MM will get how more awesome stuff WE get

[arbiekko]

I can't seem to land comfortably on just one side of the DLC debate, but in the case of LBP+LBP2, buying the full game and expecting to receive free DLC forever is like buying a 100 crayon box set and expecting to receive new crayons after that -- new crayons that didn't exist at the time you bought the box. Buying a car does not entitle you to constant and free add-ons just because the industry keeps making them after your purchase. You don't buy a DVD box set and become entitled to future content that isn't yet created. And you don't buy a dozen eggs at the store expecting to get another free egg every day just because "the chicken KNEW it was going to be laying more eggs, that's not fair!"

Except... those are bad examples, because we are frequently sold on the promise of free future upgrades to cars. DVDs literally do come packaged with access to future media. And eggs are a whole different thing, because they're perishable goods with a five thousand year sales history -- the materials in LBP+LBP2 are not perishable, and digital markets are new. I completely understand the DLC model, and I utterly hate it in some cases. But ultimately, just like crayons, cars, DVDs and eggs by the dozen, we know the way the business works when we buy a video game. The onus is on the consumer to shop smart, and wait for deals to come along.

LBP+LBP2 have never promised free content, just more content. Nobody has been betrayed. Mm has been great.

However, not relating to LBP+LBP2, I also have a general fear of DLC because it seems to be a hybrid of past models that are deformed from legal abuse, more commonly seen in hidden subscription fees and royalty and copyright claims. If we become conditioned to pay full price for entertainment that's really more like a monthly installment service, companies far less honest and reputable than Mm will exploit that. This is what has veteran gamers up in arms, even when DLC is done "right".

LBP+LBP2 is done "right" and I am endlessly pleased. I have bought a lot of DLC. It's a mixed feeling.

It seems the OP is not a veteran gamer, or at any rate comes off sounding a bit entitled. Kind of makes all this balanced discussion a bit moot. I really hope he wasn't trolling, but I doubt he started the thread so we could all change his mind.



UPDATE: Just saw Dexist's post above mine, he's very succinct with his car example! Thumbs up!

[Macnme]

Two words: "Horse Armour"

[Mr_Fusion•]

I don't think the week 1 shirt came out in AUS for LBP1 or LBP2... sad face. DLC like this is also a way to prevent scummy practices of some games stores. You buy the game and there is a one off redemption/unlock of content that is already on the disc.

It stops the discussion with the person who walks into the store and tries to buy the game only to have the pushy sales staff offer a traded in two week old copy for $5 less... but I want that horse armour!

The reason this is scummy it's $5 less to you but 100% profit for the store as they don't need to kick any money back up to the developers. So in a way it is actually an exorbitant mark up, DLC is used to protect where the money ends up.

EDIT: As for this being a troll... well what are they gonna do? Log back in and go:

HAHAH! You guys are having a logical debate about what you feel right about considering a worthy DLC purchase. lolololoolol?

When I was a kid a troll was: 'Spock could kick Han Solo's butt any day of the week'.

[Macnme]

Also, certainly from my own habits/perspective...

When I buy DLC, I will use pre-paid cards.

Now how can it be, that it is cheaper for me to buy a pre-paid game card from somewhere like Play.com - and then them ship a package from the Isle of Wight to where I live in Scotland - including in courier costs and packaging/printing/manufacture of the pre-paid cards... than it is to just add money to my account directly - no shipping, no packaging etc - from the online store?
and it's a good 10% cheaper aswell?

Can anyone explain that?

[Rogar]

The reason this is scummy it's $5 less to you but 100% profit for the store as they don't need to kick any money back up to the developers.

But the trade-in wasn't free either (though I have no idea what a trade-in goes for, I expect the profit is still larger than a new copy).



When I was a kid a troll was sitting under a bridge letting small billy goats pass only to get thrown off the bridge by the biggest goat.

[Rabid-Coot]

Also, certainly from my own habits/perspective...

When I buy DLC, I will use pre-paid cards.

Now how can it be, that it is cheaper for me to buy a pre-paid game card from somewhere like Play.com - and then them ship a package from the Isle of Wight to where I live in Scotland - including in courier costs and packaging/printing/manufacture of the pre-paid cards... than it is to just add money to my account directly - no shipping, no packaging etc - from the online store?
and it's a good 10% cheaper aswell?

Can anyone explain that?

Play will be buying their prepaid cards for less than the face value and cutting into their profits to attrat customers.

[Macnme]

Play will be buying their prepaid cards for less than the face value and cutting into their profits to attract customers.

Right - but prepaid cards at "less than face value" are not available to your average consumer - it's obviously a supply deal from Sony;
Sony will sell "cut-price" cards to Play.com, providing that Play buy a certain amount of stock from them.


But I still don't see how it's cheaper for Sony to do this kind of deal - when they could cut out the middle man altogether - and just sell their games cheaper from their own store directly to the consumer?

It might make sense to an economist - but it doesn't make sense in the real world. Especially as stuff like this is contributing to global over-consumption (of the plastic the pre-paid cards are made from, of the cardboard packaging they are delivered in, and of the fuel it takes to deliver them)

[Rabid-Coot]

They did cut out the middle man at the start, it took a few years before cards got started.

I'd speculate they exist to capture the market that can't or won't enter their details on the PSN which would have been kids originally but after recent events will probably be alot more people.

[Macnme]

Well, if I have a choice between paying £20 for £20's worth of content (wether it's actually worth the £20 is a different debate) - or £18 for £20's worth of content... I know which one I would pick

[SnipySev]

They did cut out the middle man at the start, it took a few years before cards got started.

I'd speculate they exist to capture the market that can't or won't enter their details on the PSN which would have been kids originally but after recent events will probably be alot more people.

I never bought a DLC and I intended to enter my Credit Card details to buy Undead Nightmare when PSN came down. I certainly won't now, I'll stick to the PSN cards. It's a shame they only have those of 20€/20$ and 50€/50$ though. I'm also thinking of buying Under Siege so that totals 24€. 50 is too much, 20 isn't enough. Sigh.

Now that I mention it... we all know that Pounds>Euros>Dollars, so why the hell does a 10$ product convert to 10€ in Europe and 10£ in the UK? Why aren't they priced differently in PS Stores of different regions? According to each currency value it should be 10$ in the USA, 6.9€ in Europe and 6.2£ in the UK.

[Macnme]

Now that I mention it... we all know that Pounds>Euros>Dollars, so why the hell does a 10$ product convert to 10€ in Europe and 10£ in the UK? Why aren't they priced differently in PS Stores of different regions?

Psychology - pure and simple.

If you needed proof that prices are more to do with psychology than with the actual cost of production etc - then there it is.

We're not known as "Rip-Off Britain" for nothing

[poorjack]

Oh yeah, DLC is 99% profit for these companies. I mean, a disc based game costs a few mil $ to produce, and then $ 0.99 per disc to manufacture. but DLC costs to produce, and then is all profit. And most of LBP's stuff (stickers and costumes) is just a concept designer sketching sackboy wearing a Judge Dredd outfit, a graphic artist screwing off in Photoshop and Maya for a few hours. And a programmer putting it in game they are the only ones needing payed for their effort, aside from the creators of 2000 AD getting a few cents per DL in royalties, but after it's been produced, it is all profit for MM and 2000 AD.

(lol I used Dredd as an example because it's a ludicrous pack for an E rated game.)

[Rabid-Coot]

I never bought a DLC and I intended to enter my Credit Card details to buy Undead Nightmare when PSN came down. I certainly won't now, I'll stick to the PSN cards. It's a shame they only have those of 20€/20$ and 50€/50$ though. I'm also thinking of buying Under Siege so that totals 24€. 50 is too much, 20 isn't enough. Sigh.

Now that I mention it... we all know that Pounds>Euros>Dollars, so why the hell does a 10$ product convert to 10€ in Europe and 10£ in the UK? Why aren't they priced differently in PS Stores of different regions? According to each currency value it should be 10$ in the USA, 6.9€ in Europe and 6.2£ in the UK.

Its $10 €10 £8 generally

The £8 is £6.20 + 20% VAT + mystery extra charge.

[Shadowriver]

Oh yeah, DLC is 99% profit for these companies. I mean, a disc based game costs a few mil $ to produce, and then $ 0.99 per disc to manufacture. but DLC costs to produce, and then is all profit. And most of LBP's stuff (stickers and costumes) is just a concept designer sketching sackboy wearing a Judge Dredd outfit, a graphic artist screwing off in Photoshop and Maya for a few hours. And a programmer putting it in game they are the only ones needing payed for their effort, aside from the creators of 2000 AD getting a few cents per DL in royalties, but after it's been produced, it is all profit for MM and 2000 AD.

(lol I used Dredd as an example because it's a ludicrous pack for an E rated game.)

Sony takes part of the cake too for distribution, from everything for Ps3 (except 3rd party hardware since PS3 is open in that matter) Sony takes part of the profit as owner of a platform, MS and Nintendo is no diffrent and any other closed platform do the same or if platfrom is open get money from distributing things from store (Steam for example). this is how you do money out of the platfrom