As an active console gamer, I’m constantly exposed to micropayments in a way that non-gamers can’t really imagine. Sure, you may get “upsold” at In-N-Out Burger on fries — but it’s different, since you haven’t already purchased and eaten the burger already, days earlier even. That’s what it’s like for console gamers — we purchase the full version of the game at $60 (or for me, $30 since I rent then buy used from GameFly) then are offered new game content, often for a price.
Now, don’t get me wrong — I have no problem with paying for additional content, within reason. I recently purchased the new map packs for Call Of Duty 4 and Halo 3, and feel the 800 credit ($10) price tag is totally fair. It takes a team months and months to concept, design, build, test, package, and deploy these. I don’t even mind the re-skinned versions of earlier maps from those franchises…I enjoyed them once, and since I can’t simply import them into the most recent version of the game, I am happy to play them.
But I DO have a problem with game companies trying to squeeze my digital wallet dry. This is how I feel about the DLC (downloadable content) for Ace Combat 6. GREAT GAME! I played it through to the end, and it’s a top-notch title I recommend fully. But the DLC approach they use is absurd.
Take a look, if you dare, at the full-size version of this image — it’s a series of screenshots I hacked together showing all 53 pieces of DLC available just for Ace Combat 6 in the Microsoft Marketplace.
53 items available — 8 full pages of stuff, a whopping 9,620 credits!! That’s $120 US (given the strength of the dollar, maybe 112 Euros will surprise you!)
Now, I understand they are entirely within their rights to try and get me to spend twice as much on extra stuff as the original game. But one big difference is what it takes to build this stuff. Many of these items (the icons, for 80 credits) are just an image. A majority of the content consists of new variants on planes — I’m guessing this is basically a couple of code variables (change 52 missles to 72, reduce shields from 80 to 60) and some images that make up the skin. Hardly the enormous team effort that a pack of 3 maps takes.
(I won’t get into how the DLC for Rock Band, Guitar Hero III, or SingStar work…I have some thoughts on that, but somehow it feels slightly different.)
So I’m proposing a set of ground rules for DLC for console games (PC gamers, you guys can have whatever you want, I’m not trying to get into your world):
- Package many insignificant items into a larger package (30 planes? Let me buy and download them all at once.)
- Charge for the significant DLC packages for 90 days
- After 90 days, release them for free
- Also after 90 days, include them on the retail CD (ala COD4 Game of the Year edition)
- Don’t sell ANY DLC that gives me an advantage in online multiplayer
How do you feel about DLC?
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