Support NeoGAF

[Thoraxes]

Well, looks like you can have more than three tracks... For a price that is.

via Andriasang

It looks like Namco Bandai is planning weekly download content for the game. It all begins on December 22, a few days after the game's December 17 release, with the release of a free DLC music pack featuring music from past Ridge Racer games. The music downloads will continue in January and February with free weekly music packs.

The paid DLC kicks in in mid February. February 23 will see at least one car priced ¥250 and one course priced ¥400. March will see three cars and two courses, price unspecified in Famitsu. April and May will see four cars and three courses.

Some of the DLC will be available in bundle form. On February 16, you can buy a pack with all the DLC through May for ¥1,600. Through February 29, this will be discounted to ¥1,000.

The details are a bit unclear, so we'll have to wait for Namco Bandai to make official announcement (presumably later this week, once Famitsu hits newsstands). However, it does look like you'll be able to up the course and car count for a low price, if you act quickly.

Feb: 1 Car, 1 Course
March: 3 Cars, 2 Courses
April-May: 4 Cars, 3 Courses

New updates!

December 22: Visual Demo Appli, Music Pack 1 R4#1 and Music Pack 2 R4#2. These are all free. The Visual Demo Appli is the playable demo that was shown at E3 2011. The music packs include music from R4.

January 12: Music Pack 3 Ridge Racer V #1, Music Pack 4 Ridge Racers #1 -- Free (Ridge Racers is the name of the first PSP Ridge Racer game)

January 19: Music Pack 5 Ridge Racers #2 -- Free

January 26: Music Pack 6 Ridge Racers #3 -- Free

February 2: Music Pack 7 Ridge Racer 6 #1 -- Free

February 9: Music Pack 8 Ridge Racer 6 #2 -- Free

February 16: Ridge Racer Pass. Priced ¥1,600, this lets you purchase all the download content that will be released between February and May. Through February 29, this will be discounted to ¥1,000.

February 23: Car 1 Promessa, priced ¥250, and Course 1 Old Central, priced ¥400. These two will be free through February 29. Also due on the 23rd is Music Pack 10 Ridge Racer 7 #1, also free.

March 3: Cars 2 to 4, priced ¥250 each, and Course 2 and 3, priced ¥400 each. Music Pack 11 to 15, available for free. A "Medley" will also be released, priced ¥100.

April to May: Cars 5 to 8, priced ¥250 each, and Course 4 to 6 priced ¥400, Music Pack 16 to 19 free, and New Song Pack 2 and Medley 2 for ¥100 each.

Famitsu does not list a "New Song Pack 1" anywhere.

 

[mollipen]

Yeah... I'm going to have to go with "no thanks". Especially if they're expecting us to buy tracks we already had in RR7. And $2.50 for one car? LOL

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Well, looks like you can have more than three tracks... For a price that is.

via Andriasang



Feb: 1 Car, 1 Course
March: 3 Cars, 2 Courses
April-May: 4 Cars, 3 Courses

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out for them. Is the game still $40? If so, this is stupid, but it'd be interesting if they did $20 initial price, dole out another $20 of content over a few months, offer a $40 version awhile after that and then discount from there.

Obviously for consumers this sort of sucks, but as someone who doesn't care about having new games Day 1 for the most part it'd be interesting to be able to pick up games to try for cheaper than usual MSRP.

But yeah, if the game still costs $40 and then you have to pay extra to get a full-featured games then this is stupid.

 

[LiK]

I'd rather buy the FFXIII Ezio costume

 

[rollingstart]

60 fps DLC or no buy

 

[CarbonatedFalcon]

This is more heinous than horse armor.

 

[BeEatNU]

This is more heinous than horse armor.

it really is, it's so bad.

 

[Defuser]

I can't imagine players playing 5 cars and 3 courses for the next 2 months till the DLC hits.

 

[Lambtron]

This is more heinous than horse armor.

This is exactly where I feared this type of shit would go. I'm extra mad since this is one of my most beloved franchises. Fucking ridiculous.

 

[Darklord]

I can't imagine players playing 5 cars and 3 courses for the next 2 months till the DLC hits.

The game only has 3 courses?

 

[chickdigger802]

Now I think about it, when did the cars ever matter for RR games? I admit I never was the most 'competitive' player, but for the most part, there are 3 types of vehicles and you pick the one for your style (drift, control... in between?).

 

[Truth101]

The game only has 3 courses?

Yup

 

[Darklord]

Yup

lol what a fucking joke.

 

[Hasemo]

I guess they think they're clever with this game/DLC pricing.

 

[FyreWulff]

lol what a fucking joke.

I think they just finally admitted that Ridge Racer is now their launch window trash IP

 

[Acrylic7]

no, no I wont have your green eggs and ham.

 

[Slime]

I just realized: Lumines Live and horse armor were half a decade ago.

This shit isn't going anywhere.

FML.

 

[mrklaw]

Wonder how big your memory card needs to be for all the DLC?...

tbh I might still buy the game but then just not buy DLC. Original RR only had one course and on Daytona I only race on expert

 

[jett]

Ripoff aside, this abomination is going to have only 3 tracks and 5 cars for 3 months? I LOL'D.

 

[kneePat]

Well, looks like you can have more than three tracks... For a price that is.

via Andriasang



Feb: 1 Car, 1 Course
March: 3 Cars, 2 Courses
April-May: 4 Cars, 3 Courses

 

[outunderthestars]

This is more heinous than horse armor.

Yes, yes it is. Horse armor was as an unnecessary options tacked onto a game filled with content.

This is them stripping content out of a game and selling you large chunks of it back as DLC.


Don't like this practice? Don't buy this game.

 

[Freezie KO]

Do people still think the existence of DLC is a good idea?

 

[outunderthestars]

Do people still think the existence of DLC is a good idea?

Undead Nightmare says yes.

Well implemented DLC add's value and fun while extending the life of the game. See Fallout: NV and Bioshock 2 as perfect examples.

This, however, is a blatant cash grab by a third rate publisher dead set on dryhumping the corpse of their former cash cow franchises.

 

[mollipen]

The game only has 3 courses?

Actually, I think there's been some misunderstandings about the game. This is from Nick on Twitter:

It should be noted all cars+tracks from previous games will be free DLC. Also the rumor of three tracks came from demo kiosks. Namco swears there are more in retail ver.

 

[Hasemo]

Do people still think the existence of DLC is a good idea?

Depends on the game and the DLC.

 

[Nert]

Do people still think the existence of DLC is a good idea?

I think it's a great idea, but the execution has been heavily flawedl. Fallout 3's DLC, almost anything Valve puts out, and certain kinds of fighting game expansions/updates (i.e, being able to upgrade Super Street Fighter IV to AE online instead of having to rebuy the game) are examples of it being done decently. Most of the time though, yeah, it's been terrible.

 

[LiK]

Actually, I think there's been some misunderstandings about the game. This is from Nick on Twitter:

Sounds better

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Do people still think the existence of DLC is a good idea?

In good hands it could be. Sadly there aren't many good hands...

Its coming to the point where I would rather just have everything go back to the good old days when you didn't have to pay for content or let alone the freakin cheats.

 

[UnluckyKate]

So this confirms that they just port the PSP engine and rushed a test track and cars for the VITA release and they will work on actual content post release ?

 

[Mistwalker]

Scamco indeed, plus it's one of the titles requiring a memory card just to play out of the box, correct?

I hate, in advance, anyone who buys a single item of this DLC. No one should support this crap.

 

[Chuck Norris]

Scamco living up to their name

 

[Tunavi]

hahahaha DLC announced before the damn platform launches

this is too funny

 

[Mutanthands]

They're waiting two months to start adding tracks? The expect people to play 3 tracks for 2 months? After what they got with the 2 PSP Ridge Racers, not to mention Ridge Racer 3DS? People in Japan will trade that shit in in 3 days and not look twice.

This is going to be a disaster, and Namco will wonder "why?" Idiots.

 

[Übermatik]

I fear a lot of people aren't prepared to wait for DLC, especially with it being a lunch title.

 

[Freezie KO]

The problem with DLC is that the model encourages this type of thing. The consumer is left in the dark as to what was held back and what wasn't. You will never know if that extra mode you enjoy could've been a nice extra (like a RE4 Mercenaries mode?), but was instead held back. And that's great for publishers and bad for you.

The old model encouraged devs to put all they could into a game to ensure it was a sales success. If they overshot how much content was needed to get a runaway hit, then the consumer wins.

The new model encourages devs to put the absolute minimum into a game to ensure that it's a sales success. If they guess just the right amount of content, then they can sell you any extra ideas, modes, stages, characters, whatever after the game is out. And if they overshoot? They'll just withhold more content for the sequel.

Genius for publishers. Sucks for gamers. The DLC model itself is inherently anti-consumer, even if some devs appear to be doing it well.

 

[StarEye]

Undead Nightmare says yes.

Well implemented DLC add's value and fun while extending the life of the game. See Fallout: NV and Bioshock 2 as perfect examples.

This, however, is a blatant cash grab by a third rate publisher dead set on dryhumping the corpse of their former cash cow franchises.

Undead Nightmare was an expansion pack, which was a common thing long before DLC. Thanks to DLC we now have a lot less proper expansion packs and more pointless stuff that should've been in the game otherwise.

Used correctly (that is, not holding back stuff from the main game just to sell as DLC) it can be a good thing. But it's sad that DLC has more or less replaced expansion packs while not really being a worthy replacement at all.

 

[Respawn]

This has gotten so out of hand it's just nasty. Lets forget folks are trying to make it by these days. Greedy bastards. Keep it up and you will see what awaits you.

 

[Mutanthands]

Actually, I think there's been some misunderstandings about the game. This is from Nick on Twitter:

If that is indeed the case, Namco needs to get the word out quick. Don't they have some sort of community manager keeping tabs on what people are saying about the game? The sentiment has been toxic for days now, and no one says anything to counter the poor word of mouth.

 

[jett]

Actually, I think there's been some misunderstandings about the game. This is from Nick on Twitter:

Who is this Nick?

This is already a PR disaster if true. And frankly I'm more inclined to believe Bohica Racer is true.

 

[chickdigger802]

So... what is the ~$20 or w/e paying for? The game engine?

Is this namco's attempt at something like kickstarter?

 

[Wario64]

Actually, I think there's been some misunderstandings about the game. This is from Nick on Twitter:

So 6 tracks when you include mirrors!

 

[mollipen]

Who is this Nick?

This is already a PR disaster if true. And frankly I'm more inclined to believe Bohica Racer is true.

Nick Rox, Japanese gaming expert extra-ordinare.

So 6 tracks when you include mirrors!

I will laugh long and loud if that's what they're actually trying to say. For now, I don't know, the announcements around this game have been chaos. I'm willing to believe they just haven't clearly stated what's going on.

 

[LiK]

So 6 tracks when you include mirrors!

 

[Jinfash]

Actually, I think there's been some misunderstandings about the game. This is from Nick on Twitter:

If that's true then they need to put out a PR ASAP and save face, otherwise I'm inclined to believe the Japanese source.

 

[Shadow780]

How much is Reiko Nagase?

 

[corporate cheerleader]

Truth.

There aren't enough people with common sense here on this forum to understand the truth, this will fly over their heads.

 

[watershed]

This is like buying a game one asset at a time. On one hand its kind of an interesting experiment but on the other its like releasing an unfinished game then filling in the blanks later. It comes off feeling cheap and rushed. I wonder how expensive it will be counting all dlc by the end.

 

[Danneee]

Why not just release the damn thing with a normal rrp and all cars and courses from the start instead of pissing people off?

 

[PetriP-TNT]

The game should be free and on PSN if they are going for this kind of fuck-me-in-the-face DLC model

 

[mrklaw]

posted in the other thread, but perhaps more suited here:

its half the price of a standard game.

I thought some here were open to the idea of a barebones cheap game that expands with DLC, offering a lower barrier to entry?