I think a status symbol culture is naturally going to generate envy and thus hostility. It doesn't seem like it would be beneficial but maybe it makes for a dynamic community, which makes for dynamic sales.
Fuck you, Portal 2. - Now DLC Discussion
- Thread starter Dave
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True, but if they kept it to the 2-5 range, I'm sure the same people would be buying. The goal of most pay for content is to have 1/100 people buy something. Most of these people will spend enough that it really doesn't matter if the other 99 people think it's stupid and a waste of money.
If 1,000,000 people bought the game, and 10,000 people buy one gesture, that's still $20,o00. However, these hypothetical 10,000 people are probably going to be buying more than one gesture, so the whole DLC provides a lot of monetary returns for very little work on Valve's part.
If 1,000,000 people bought the game, and 10,000 people buy one gesture, that's still $20,o00. However, these hypothetical 10,000 people are probably going to be buying more than one gesture, so the whole DLC provides a lot of monetary returns for very little work on Valve's part.
That's actually the type of thing that made an actual gameplay difference, though, since none of a player's characters would ever have to learn riding again after purchasing it.
Yup. It is a niche market approach that can tap into a broad market infrastructure.
Operates under the idea that a small slice of a big pie is still profit.
C
Chibibar
Well that is a bit different IMO. I bought one because that way I save many gold on my alts to actually GET a mount (you still have to pay for the skill) but I don't have to buy another mount! WOO!
That'll show 'em.
Stickin' it to tha man! How delightful!
Sounds like Nick's Prom Night.
J
Jiarn
Wonder what people would pay for my TF2 halo....
Probably any hat you want, plus a few crates for good measure.
J
Jiarn
Don't care much for in-game items as I haven't played the thing for almost a year.
You can't trade items you own for money. Money only goes towards people who submitted items or maps that Valve made official. For everybody else, it's items for items.
Does the fact that companies have DLC ready for launch day annoy other people or is it just me?
Maybe that time would be better spent polishing up the game instead of creating microtransaction content?
Maybe that time would be better spent polishing up the game instead of creating microtransaction content?
figmentPez
Staff member
In some cases, I think that's true. However, I'm not sure that's the case for Portal 2, or Valve in general. I think hats and gestures are a result of the makers having fun with their own product. The time spent "working" on this goofy stuff isn't the same as the work done bug/play-testing.
It doesn't annoy me inherently, as long as the game is clearly finished and relatively bug free. I'll even make allowances for re-skins/models, seeing as how artists finish most of their side of the work a while before the street date.
But if the game is buggy or has bad, phoned-in art, there's no darn excuse.
I generally don't mind freebies that I can have the option of downloading. I do however don't like the concept that was heavily used in say Dragon Age where an ENTIRE character was twice not made available in the standard edition of the game and you had to pay X amount of dollars to unlock that feature, on the first day of the game.
I do find the option of downloading small insignificant things like hat or gestures that could have been put into the game ratherga lame but doesn't really affect me as much as real DLC would have.
Sebastien? The Golem?
I do find the option of downloading small insignificant things like hat or gestures that could have been put into the game rather
Sebastien? The Golem?
Dave
Staff member
I think that this is what does it for me. I mean, I can see DLC as addons after the game has launched but they obviously programmed this stuff and had to test it with and without each piece of content to determine stability and then tries to get this out to us for additional $$ above and beyond the base price that they are selling for. To me this is just wrong.
Some have used the auto industry as a parallel. A car can have cosmetic differences for an additional price but I disagree with this analogy. In this case it would mean that every car came out as unpainted and colorless. The additional money would add no functionality other than painting, interior color, mudflaps, etc.
It would be like WoW charging extra for the emotes, the individual dances, etc. It makes the game more fun to have them in and to give a higher level of immersion. To charge for that is just a slap in the face to those like me who can't afford the base game, let alone the full effect of what it could be.
I am totally cool with launch-day/pre-purchase bonuses that cost everyone else a reasonable amount later if they want them.
Just wait for GOTY editions like I do.
There's a date well before launch that they have to submit a final product. Dlc they can continue to work on. Personally, I think launch day dlc is fine, but I prefer that it be available for free in some way, like bioware does.
Besides, we have to have some way for Jay to validate his piracy.
Besides, we have to have some way for Jay to validate his piracy.
DLC, like others have said, should be added content. Like maps and monsters, or whatever it is you do in Portal.
WoW does DLC pretty will when you look at vanity pets and mounts. But $2 for Atlas Shrug(ged) while a good joke is not really game content.
WoW does DLC pretty will when you look at vanity pets and mounts. But $2 for Atlas Shrug(ged) while a good joke is not really game content.
It's fucking genius. I love it. "A fool and his money are soon parted..."
DLC in a nutshell:
You guys know that some of these things are unlockables in the 360 version, right? I think it was like 8 of them.
Dave
Staff member
Let's take a look back, shall we? Back to the good old days....2007.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/g...p/Valve_won_t_charge_for_downloadable_content
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/g...p/Valve_won_t_charge_for_downloadable_content
Dave, you're completely right. Gaming as we know it is ruined forever.
Meh, they changed their minds about their model as the market changes. No one (that I know of) ever accused Gabe Newell of not knowing a good opportunity when he saw it.
I dunno if it's true of all of the things but I found a beanie and a flag during the course of my first play through.
I don't see how charging for these items diminishes the quality of the game at all. If they were things that confured an in-game benefit or alternate levels, then I could see being choked about it but as these are little more than simple cosmetic changes I really don't see this as being a valid critisim of the game. There not being any advanced chambers, the length, those I can see people being upset about. Having hats and skins that no one is forcing you to buy nor there not being any disadvantage for not having? Seems like bitching to bitch.
I also don't see this as valve changing thier stance on DLC either. As far as I'm aware they still give away all of the playable or level dlc that they have made like the new campaigns for lfd. If they want to charge people for hats and shit to cover the cost of that, and if peple are willing to buy these things, which they obviously are, then I say let them.
I don't see how charging for these items diminishes the quality of the game at all. If they were things that confured an in-game benefit or alternate levels, then I could see being choked about it but as these are little more than simple cosmetic changes I really don't see this as being a valid critisim of the game. There not being any advanced chambers, the length, those I can see people being upset about. Having hats and skins that no one is forcing you to buy nor there not being any disadvantage for not having? Seems like bitching to bitch.
I also don't see this as valve changing thier stance on DLC either. As far as I'm aware they still give away all of the playable or level dlc that they have made like the new campaigns for lfd. If they want to charge people for hats and shit to cover the cost of that, and if peple are willing to buy these things, which they obviously are, then I say let them.
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