BBB Rants About Video Game DLC

You see the link here? That’s for Microsoft XBOX Live points, 1600 of them to be sure. Twenty bucks, doesn’t sound like that bad of a deal, and in actuality it isn’t.

However, the points aren’t exactly the problem.

Back in November, I did something for the first time in five years. That’s right, I pre-ordered a game. For the 360, I pre-ordered “Need for Speed Hot Pursuit”.

With a low cost of $6 out of pocket mainly due from a hefty gift card build-up (and a $10 dollar credit, this will become important later), I was ecstatic to play this. Many happy memories of childhood came with the PSOne version, where you could drive cars ranging from the Lamborghini Countach (which was available off the bat), to the El Nino supercar which was unlockable via other racing honestly or putting in a cheat code in the code screen.

While I knew this version was different, my excitement was ramped up. As a racer, you could fool around with the cops with weapons as needed. As a cop, you can bring down the law with weapons as you needed to. Twisty roads and unwitting pedestrians only added to the fun, as this version of ‘Hot Pursuit’ was also developed by Criterion Games, the same developer who is behind the wonderful ‘Burnout’ series.

You see kids, I LOVE this game. It’s a crash-em-up game while at the same time there is legit racing strategy to be had. There was a balance reached here that I thought wasn’t possible, and thus became a game I treasured for a good two months straight (without anything else besides a DVD replacing it).

Now I’m back to my problem.

Back when I got the game, I was employed and had some Microsoft points built up for DLC (which is the acronym for Downloadable Content). I did not have many points, but it got me two packs, and added to my fun a little while longer.

As I became somewhat bored, I started to play other games like “WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2010” and “Forza Motorsport 3”. An important lesson is to always regularly rotate your stockpile of games, keep each one equally fresh!

After a while of just fooling around with those two games mentioned, I came back to NFS.

And sure enough, THREE new download packs came up.

Two of these packs are the MS equivalent of 560 points (or $7). The other one is 320 points (or $4).

Yep, $18 of undownloaded DLC yet. And the picture below is that of a NFS version of the Porsche 959, a car in the Porsche Unleashed pack.

Being unemployed, I can’t afford those other three DLC, and those DLC REALLY add to the game not only in cars but in actual racing levels.

Another thing also popped up though: this game is popular enough where it might become a Platinum Hits series title soon.

You know what that means?

That’s right, the DLC added to the original game disc for CHEAP! A $90 investment to you from the first day will now only cost a “newbie” $30. A rip-off to be sure.

As a matter of the course, I actually went ahead and traded-in my new-looking Hot Pursuit to Amazon for the princely sum of $26.

That sum, of course, is in actuality an Amazon gift-card good for anything on their site. So a week from now when I get that gift balance, I could get a new pair of pants, or the new “Weird Al” album, or heck even a new video game.

DLC, whether we know it or not, is really making game choices somewhat difficult for us.

The sad thing about typing this is that DLC is (for the most part) is AWESOME. It gives you a key of expansion, and depending on how it’s designed, may very well add to your enjoyment (or even irk some displeasure) into the gaming experience.

It is inevitable though when that time comes to re-release the game and the developer suddenly has to entice new buyers in, or the buyers who staked out to get the “bigger” version.

Another game that is big-time guilty of this, based on prior experience is Forza Motorsport 3.

A game that cost $60 (and 2 discs worth of content) new, the DLC swelled on that like you wouldn’t believe. MANY car packs, and a “second-chance” VIP pack (which is for the people who didn’t get the Limited Edition version), the cost went up QUICK.

Now, I purchased all the DLC like a faithful fanboy, but when the re-release was announced, and that even MORE content was going to be added, I was PISSED, as well as most of the people in the Forza community.

If you’ve read the story so far, you could predict what I did next.

I traded in my original Forza 3, and snagged a handsome $21 credit for it. Add in the $10 credit that was ironically earned when I pre-ordered NFS Hot Pursuit, suddenly I paid off the Platinum Hits version with a buck or two to spare! Sure there were additional cars and Top Gear content, like video and themes, but the game as a whole didn’t really change.

This is the Stig’s pack. Only available commercially for the people who bought the Forza 3 Platinum Hits. It’s not available on the XBOX Live Marketplace!

With how much I support the Forza franchise, it seems like a no-brainer that I’ll try to pre-order the 4th edition when it drops, that is if I’m employed. And the cycle starts again….

The moral of story is this: unless you’re really excited about a game either first day or first week, you might as well wait until the price drops.

To conclude this piece, PLEASE pass it on. Comment, rant, and show your friends this. It doesn’t matter what type of games you like, or what system you own, I am sure that each and every one of you have been affected by the hands of greediness of the gaming developers.

By reading this blog, this is telling developers that the cash-grab of the original release of the DLC, then selling the DLC for FREE on a re-release is NOT OK.

It’s not right to invest potentially TRIPLE DIGITS in a SINGLE game, only to find out a year later that cost is cut by more than half! In addition, there are some developers who add in stuff to the disc that ISN’T EVEN AVAILABLE ON THE APPLICABLE MARKETPLACES, and that is definitely NOT OK!

Again, please pass it on! You’d be quite surprised by how many people have this view, or something similar.