Brilliant explanation.
Wait a second... Who's buying all that DLC?
- Thread starter Jindrax
- Start date
Brilliant explanation.
JeffG
Member
I will buy DLC for games that I like.
I got the expansion pack for Witcher 3 and I bought the DLC for Dragons age (Jaws of Hakkon)
I have 460 hrs into DA:I (played through the DLC twice)
So far, around 50 hrs in on the Witcher on my first playthrough. The expansion pack should be available around my third playthrough (and will bring something new to explore)
I got the expansion pack for Witcher 3 and I bought the DLC for Dragons age (Jaws of Hakkon)
I have 460 hrs into DA:I (played through the DLC twice)
So far, around 50 hrs in on the Witcher on my first playthrough. The expansion pack should be available around my third playthrough (and will bring something new to explore)
That's some ether being spilled on more than just a few members on this board hahaha.
But yeah. Plenty of of average Joe's just buy dlc for their big AAA games. Map packs man. It's been a while since those were normalized as paid dlc.
You need to broaden your horizons. Neither of these places are representative of the overall market.
Most people buy only a few games a year, but sink a lot of time into each of them (CoD, NBA 2K, Skyrim...) and are thus interested in more content for said games.
ScatheZombie
Member
What people say they will do and what they actually do are rarely the same thing.
One of the best pieces of advice I heard while working on MMOs was "Do not listen to your forums."
People lie. People exaggerate. People bitch about anything and everything. They tell you one thing and do another. They demand one thing but want another.
All that listening to feedback generally accomplishes is potentially and only partially satisfying a vocal minority while simultaneously obfuscating and ignoring actual problems of the majority users.
There is no such thing as a consensus. Ever. Not even close. And less than 10% of your users will ever post to a forum (generally for troubleshooting, not feedback), let alone be the loudest voices in your forum community.
Instead, live on metrics. Data does not lie. The counter argument to this has always been that data can be misinterpreted or misconstrued to say whatever you want. And that's a danger, yes. But that's also a danger with forum feedback, on top of the fact that the forum feedback is 99% bullshit that no one really gives a crap about. So you are misinterpreting false data. There is never a time when metrics isn't the better option.
And metrics say that the overwhelming majority users love to buy DLC or at least don't care that it exists. And it makes significantly more revenue than not having it. There is no logical reason for any game company to not have some form of DLC nowadays.
One of the best pieces of advice I heard while working on MMOs was "Do not listen to your forums."
People lie. People exaggerate. People bitch about anything and everything. They tell you one thing and do another. They demand one thing but want another.
All that listening to feedback generally accomplishes is potentially and only partially satisfying a vocal minority while simultaneously obfuscating and ignoring actual problems of the majority users.
There is no such thing as a consensus. Ever. Not even close. And less than 10% of your users will ever post to a forum (generally for troubleshooting, not feedback), let alone be the loudest voices in your forum community.
Instead, live on metrics. Data does not lie. The counter argument to this has always been that data can be misinterpreted or misconstrued to say whatever you want. And that's a danger, yes. But that's also a danger with forum feedback, on top of the fact that the forum feedback is 99% bullshit that no one really gives a crap about. So you are misinterpreting false data. There is never a time when metrics isn't the better option.
And metrics say that the overwhelming majority users love to buy DLC or at least don't care that it exists. And it makes significantly more revenue than not having it. There is no logical reason for any game company to not have some form of DLC nowadays.
Clockwork5
Member
I buy DLC if I like the main game and there are significant content additions. Mario kart had great DLC and I'm glad I purchased it.
Some people like different games than I do and buy DLC for those games.
DLC is fine. You don't have to buy it.
Some people like different games than I do and buy DLC for those games.
DLC is fine. You don't have to buy it.
Amiiboohoo
I'm happy to buy dlc if it's story content for games I enjoy. I've bought dlc for the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games, for Fallout: New Vegas, a few other titles too. I don't tend to buy outfit/weapon packs though I don't object to their existence, different people enjoy different things. But frankly, if it extends your time spent in a gameworld you enjoy, I don't have a problem with it at all.
I guess I'd prefer big expansions in theory, but then they take a while. I like getting new content a bit sooner. I've been burnt on it once or twice (Leliana's Song for DAO and Pinnacle Station for ME1 were both a bit rubbish), but more often than not (all the New Vegas stuff, Citadel/Overlord/Lair/Kasumi for ME, Legacy for DA2 and Jaws of Hakkon for Inquisition), I've been pretty pleased with what I got for my money.
I guess I'd prefer big expansions in theory, but then they take a while. I like getting new content a bit sooner. I've been burnt on it once or twice (Leliana's Song for DAO and Pinnacle Station for ME1 were both a bit rubbish), but more often than not (all the New Vegas stuff, Citadel/Overlord/Lair/Kasumi for ME, Legacy for DA2 and Jaws of Hakkon for Inquisition), I've been pretty pleased with what I got for my money.
old manatee
Banned
They catch some suckers with preorder bonuses and season passes. More suckers buy individual pieces as they come out, and the rest of the suckers buy the goty edition that collects all of it.
DarthWalden
Banned
I buy DLC.
I specifically prefer costumes for my in game mounts.
I specifically prefer costumes for my in game mounts.
People that only play video games as a passing hobby are buying it. They don't look into things as intensely as we do, so they see, say, $30 to add stuff to Arkham Knight and see nothing wrong with it.
If GAF represented gaming as a whole, for example, The Wonderful 101 would have outsold everything in 2013 barring The Last of Us and maybe Pokemon X/Y, rather than having a title that could also refer to the other 100 people that bought it. And sports games in general would have no market outside of wrestling. I love GAF, but we're a vocal minority.
EDIT: I will admit, though. I bought Mario Kart 8's Season Pass because it seemed to do everything well, and I bought Injustice's Season Pass because I didn't think they'd add much more than $15 worth of characters, DLC-wise. That bitterness when I kept seeing DLC costumes and 2 post-season characters is part of the reason that I've yet to pick up MKX, despite my hype. If you count it, I also contributed to the IndieGoGo campaign for Skullgirls' DLC characters, but those are all free within the first 2 weeks of release; I just didn't want to see the game/team die. Everything else? I've waited for a GOTY edition.
If GAF represented gaming as a whole, for example, The Wonderful 101 would have outsold everything in 2013 barring The Last of Us and maybe Pokemon X/Y, rather than having a title that could also refer to the other 100 people that bought it. And sports games in general would have no market outside of wrestling. I love GAF, but we're a vocal minority.
EDIT: I will admit, though. I bought Mario Kart 8's Season Pass because it seemed to do everything well, and I bought Injustice's Season Pass because I didn't think they'd add much more than $15 worth of characters, DLC-wise. That bitterness when I kept seeing DLC costumes and 2 post-season characters is part of the reason that I've yet to pick up MKX, despite my hype. If you count it, I also contributed to the IndieGoGo campaign for Skullgirls' DLC characters, but those are all free within the first 2 weeks of release; I just didn't want to see the game/team die. Everything else? I've waited for a GOTY edition.
BioWare didn't really hit their DLC stride until Lair of the Shadow Broker. All the Origins DLC was kinda bad, and I'm not a fan of ME1's either. By the time ME2 and DA2 rolled around, they found a good niche with $10-15 story-based SP DLCs that take 3-4 months to make.
Ze_Pershing
Member
quite on the contrary..
I see GAF as normal people knowing the real value of games while the idiots out there gladly buy anything cuz they like to be sheep in a sheep world.
Edit: well, most of GAF anyway...
Why do you feel that most of GAF has this feeling? GAF is a sizeable community and it would be very difficult to say that most of us have any particular feeling.
Xaero Gravity
NEXT LEVEL lame™
I think you'd be surprised how insignificant GAF or any gaming forum is in comparison to the mainstream gaming audience.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
I bought a Toad Amiibo (well, traded a Gold Mario Amiibo) for the "Find the Pixel Toad" content:
Neuromancer
Member
I buy DLC frequently and season passes occasionally. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with either one; just like with any other game or product sometimes I'm happy with them and some times I'm disappointed.
Clockwork5
Member
Devilgunman
Member
You are not aware that there are millions of people out there who play games and are not contributing to any gaming forums.
calcetinvolador
Banned
If the Dlcs are as good as Minerva Den for Bioshock 2 and Left behind for The last of us or as content packed as presumably Witcher 3 DLCs i have no complaints about them, the problem is when they are selling a pack of Mp maps for 10$ for your typical Mp shooter like Cod and armies of dudebros keep buying them year after year, so companies keep selling them because they are profitable i suppose.
Where's that MW2 boycott picture?
I buy plenty of DLC, including the Season Passes when I enjoyed the original game and expect some quality extra content. Generally, I find DLC to be a positive practice in the industry.
There are good games which are worth your time and money, and bad games which aren't. Same applies to DLC.
There are good games which are worth your time and money, and bad games which aren't. Same applies to DLC.
synchronicity
Member
I'm proud of the fact that I've never bought DLC or any season passes. (With the one exception of a costume pack for Eileen in Virtua Fighter 5 FS for .99. I got the game free via PS+, and I wanted to support the developer in some small way since it's my favorite fighting game franchise, and I felt AM2 deserved something for all the entertainment they've given me. I considered that a gift/donation more than anything else.)
I never even bought Artorias DLC for Dark Souls, and that's my favorite game of all-time. (That may be an exception for me at some point, though.)
I really dislike the idea of DLC to begin with, but there are obvious exceptions to the trashy practice, and I don't begrudge honest and worthwhile efforts being rewarded with sales. It's just that the majority of offerings don't fall into that category.
I never even bought Artorias DLC for Dark Souls, and that's my favorite game of all-time. (That may be an exception for me at some point, though.)
I really dislike the idea of DLC to begin with, but there are obvious exceptions to the trashy practice, and I don't begrudge honest and worthwhile efforts being rewarded with sales. It's just that the majority of offerings don't fall into that category.
Can we still do avatar quoting?
Anyway, I think some of us look into the "value" of games and content before buying them, but to think we all do that when there's something many GAFfers want immediately (I mean, we're on, like, what, the 7th Amiibo thread? Even I've caved in for those), or worse, call GAFfers normal people... We're whiny nerds that get angry about video games a lot. That's all. That's why we care. That's why we complain about it. It can still be "wrong" to pump a game with pre-order DLC, but no one else really cares, either. Other people just play games casually, but have more-productive hobbies so they don't really think about DLC beyond "I can add a chapter or 2 to this game I liked? Yes, please!" They're not sheep, they're the normal people. Gaming's a passing hobby for most people. And that's totally fine.
And you know, Ze_Pershing, we really are a self-masturbatory hug box.
IdreamofHIME
Member
I buy it....if I like the look of it.
What's your problem?
Some real elitist bullshit going on in here.
What's your problem?
Some real elitist bullshit going on in here.
I think the disgust towards DLC on GAF and other pockets of the internet is amusing in how it seems like a knee-jerk reaction that happened eight years ago and was never given a second thought. It also tends to betray an ignorance of how software development works and an unwillingness to acknowledge that just because there's some shitty microtransactions out there it doesn't mean DLC always has to be bad.
GalacticMouse
Member
One of my favorite anecdotes about a friend of mine is how I picture the majority of people who walk into GameStop...
He pre-ordered Watch_Dogs to go with his XBOX One purchase. The game got delayed, but he held onto his pre-order. When it finally came out, he picked up the game with trade value but he had more than the $60 required, so the cashier up-sold him on the season pass.
Played like an hour of the game, realized it was like GTA (in an open world sense, not a quality sense...), which he isn't into. Then he sold back the game, never benefiting from the season pass he had redeemed.
He pre-ordered Watch_Dogs to go with his XBOX One purchase. The game got delayed, but he held onto his pre-order. When it finally came out, he picked up the game with trade value but he had more than the $60 required, so the cashier up-sold him on the season pass.
Played like an hour of the game, realized it was like GTA (in an open world sense, not a quality sense...), which he isn't into. Then he sold back the game, never benefiting from the season pass he had redeemed.
I agree, I too will wait for the GOTY edition or a hefty discount in this case. Still, most Season Passes aren't so badly priced... off the top of my head, I feel I got my money's worth out of The Evil Within, Dark Souls 2 or Bioshock Infinite Passes.
Dog Problems
Banned
I buy all of the available DLC for games when it's really cheap on Steam.
cripterion
Member
Short answer? Everyone.
You'll hear people complain about DLC and in the same breath ask for more if it is for a game they like (I'm guilty of that too lol)
Snkfanatic
Banned
theusedversion
Member
Sorry guys, it was me. I bought all the DLCs.