Bring Down the Sky: Mass Effect DLC

1. Dan Landis on February 6, 2008 4:44 pm

   The Batarians aren’t new. They’ve never shown up in the game before, but they do already have a codex entry and have been talked about a lot. I guess they are kinda new since they weren’t physically in the game before, so killing them will be new, but… oh, my geekiness speaks for itself.

2. LC on February 7, 2008 6:33 am

   I think this is retarded. Whats that like $5 for an hour and half game play? How many of these before mass effect two? $30 worth maybe? and what about the drm crap? In 6 months I will have to get a new box then deal with content lockout unless connected to live bs!

   Microsoft should include a bottle of lube in the 360 to make rear entry more comfortable for companies like bioware and bethesda to screw us with overpriced drm content! I guess $60 ain’t enough, even though your 3 part trilogy “epic” is gonna cost us $180. Nickle and dime us with your $5 add on packs. Well screw you bioware, when the game hits the ten dollar used bargain bin at gamestop I’ll pick it up, then you can cry some more about how “used” games are ruining the industry like high upfront cost, bullshit add ons and lets turn our one game into a 3 parter to scam more money out of the consumer gimmick had nothing to do with it!

   Ridiculous!

3. DavidGX on February 7, 2008 6:40 pm

   As for how many more of these.. 250 gamerscore can be added to a game (ie: shivering isles) through addons, right? If that’s the case and the trend of this addon adding 50 points continues, then four more.

   As for the DRM… why would you EVER not have your 360 connected to the internet anyway? I agree that if I were stuck without the internet for a while I’d be highly annoyed but.. having your 360 connected to the internet is just as important as having it connected to a power source. If you can come up with a way for them to solve the DRM issue without the possibility of stuff being pirated I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.

4. LC on February 7, 2008 9:09 pm

   I just bought an xbox 360 sunday, today its officially dead. Locked up and won’t boot, aka bricked.

   As for why it wouldn’t be connected all the time? Well it would be ideally, but between isp and live its going to be down often enough to be frustrating and I just think single player content should be playable offline.

   There are systems already in place better then microsofts where the drm content can be registered to a device or multiple devices and disabled or enabled in case of system update or replacement.

   I have used it on sonys sonicstage and I believe the psn content works similar the way I herd it explained.

   If microsoft can track abnormal voltage to determine mod chip installs, your seriously telling me they can’t track drm content?

   Either way the current system treats the consumer as a criminal and pirates always find away.

   Still I stand by my sentiment, if this is the way bioware wants to do business then I’ll buy used to spite them.

5. Dan Landis on February 8, 2008 9:02 pm

   LC,

   While I agree with your comments about DRM, I don’t think you can really quantify the value of gameplay based on how long it lasts. Call of Duty 4 and Heavenly Sword both weighed in at only 5 hours, but they were widely praised and gobbled up by consumers. Mass Effect is at least a 30-hour game to begin with, yet it costs the same $60. 90 minutes of game time from Heavenly Sword would break down to around 20 bucks, so by comparison, the Mass Effect DLC is a really good deal.

   Overall, I do think it should be bigger (like Shivering Isles) or be free. I don’t think anyone likes being nickel-and-dimed to death, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a rip-off either. After all, you don’t HAVE to buy it.

6. LC on February 9, 2008 12:57 am

   True, I don’t have to. But then I wouldn’t be upset with drm and a price that is indicative of price gouging for an extended experience.

   Something this article should point out too is that if you already beat the game you have to play through until you get your ship again just to access it, not very intuitive at all.

   I’m not sure about heavenly sword, but wasn’t call of duty 4 like the number one selling game last year and one of the most heavily played online? I’m certain that if you bought cod 4 it was for the online and even more certain that you put double or triple the amount of time into the game as mass effect.

   Anyway add ons like this should be free simply because how they claimed they needed more money to make games and raised the price $10. If you like rpgs bioware is locking you into $180 just to experience the story arch of mass effect. Add $20 or more per game in for this kinda add on content and I would call it a rip off… but hey I guess I don’t have to buy them right? Cause like how many movies can I see for $240 dollars?

7. Dan Landis on February 9, 2008 2:28 am

   Okay, so take your comments about watching movies instead of buying the DLC. A new movie in the theaters costs $8 here, assuming I see it by myself. The average movie is around 90 minutes, so that comparison makes it more expensive than the Mass Effect DLC. Add to the fact that you keep the DLC, more than one person can play it, and you can replay it without having to pay for it all over again, then doesn’t THAT seem like a better deal by comparison? Are you upset that DVDs cost $20 for only 2 hours’ worth of enjoyment? Personally, I find a story as long as Mass Effect’s to be well worth the $60 I paid. If DVDs last 2 hours and cost $20, then you are getting at least $300 of content in Mass Effect from 30 hours. So if each game is as long as the first one, you are getting at the very least $900 in content, not counting the DLC. All that plus the DLC would cost, as you said, $240. Throwing in the “value” of all the DLC, you are basically getting Mass Effect for a quarter of the price of its value. That’s assuming you only play it for 30 hours (my first playthrough took 55 hours because I wanted to make sure I did everything I could). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to convince you that you SHOULD buy it — I’m just trying to put it in perspective for you.

   As for your comments about COD4, no, I have not put as much time into it as I have Mass Effect. Mass Effect has sucked over 80 hours of my life in gametime, not counting reloads and whatnot (obviously), but my COD4 online time is about 42 hours. I’m sure it will beat my Mass Effect time in the long run, but so far it doesn’t.

8. LC on February 9, 2008 6:42 am

   a movie cost me $5.50 and I will not pay more then $15 for a dvd. Most dvds are discounted on there release week and a few months after that can be found, generally speaking, on sale for less then $15.

   More then one person can watch a dvd and if my dvd player dies I can buy a new one and it will still work and guess what? I dont have to worry about my isp, qwest or microsoft maintenance to watch my movie.

   I just bought my 360 last sunday I didn’t even have a chance to play bioshock, oblivion or mass effect and by thursday the system was dead! how does that inspire confidence in buying drm content?

   So what if the game last 80 hours, biowares asking you to pay $60 at least 3 times to experience one story arc and then they feel it necessary to mock the consumer with $5 drm add on packs that are registered to your shittiest console ever created.

   It’s like what are they hurting for money? I’m sorry bioware, I only bought baldurs gate 2, neverwinter nights, kotor and jade empire, forgive me.

   Either do a real expansion and put it on disc for a reasonable price or don’t bother. $5 drm add on packs are outrageous. Theres no easy way around the drm issue when your 360 fails, oh I hear the arguments “oh whats the problem, you can still play when connected to live” but why should I have to be inconvenienced for content I pay for? Why cant companies be fare? I’m not the fucking pirate, bioware has received hundreds of my dollars and what do I get for it? mocked in email by jay the gay and banned from there forums.

   Screw bioware.

9. Patrick Steen on February 9, 2008 7:38 am

   Having DLC for feature complete games that are worth $60 doesn’t sound problematic to me. It’s when the game wasn’t feature complete in the first place and they try to sell you new stuff to fill out the game (Motorstorm) that it gets annoying.

   Of course, working out the right price for the DLC will be the difference between someone thinking they are ripped off, to someone feeling it was a great investment.

10. Dan Landis on February 9, 2008 4:33 pm

    Good point, Patrick. What I’m trying to say, as Patrick very simply put it, is that it’s all subjective. One person may feel that $60 for 30 hours (or more) of game time is a good deal, $2 per hour of enjoyment. Others may find the actual entertainment-per-dollar ratio to be completely beside the point.

    Putting value on something is hard to do. There’s office workers out there that are doing next to nothing but get paid double what the construction worker down the street gets paid for working his ass off. It doesn’t seem fair, and in that situation, by your logic, the construction worker should be paid significantly more just because he is doing more actual “work”. That’s just not how life works. There is no standard value for a hour’s worth of something, be it work or play. It’s up to each individual to decide that for themselves, and it’s in the best interest of the commercial businesses to find out the best price to get the most amount of money from the most people. They all want money, and you can’t blame them for that.

    But overall, LC, I do mostly agree with you. Microsoft’s system is far from perfect, the drm is flat-out dumb, and in every scenario I want my stuff for free. I waited for the Gears of War maps to become free before I downloaded them because I wasn’t going to pay for maps that really don’t do anything for me, especially since they cost $10. Many of my friends bought them right away, and I called them all suckers. I don’t know what’s wrong with your 360, and I’m sorry for your troubles, but if you just bought it and it bricked, you should just take it back and get a new one. If it’s a replacement from Microsoft, get on the horn with them and give them a piece of your mind. My brother got a free controller with his replacement as a way for Microsoft to say “I’m sorry”. They need to take care of their customers if they hope to continue having them.

    Also, if you get a new system and your content doesn’t work (which it should since you probably didn’t download much in the less-than-a-week that you owned it), you can call up Microsoft and they will refund you all of the points you spent to download that stuff so you can buy it again and unlock it for all of your profiles on that system.

11. LC on February 9, 2008 8:09 pm

    I am bewildered that my 360 died in less then a week, I knew it was bad but come on thats just absurd.

    I am a bit frustrated to say the least and mostly because my local Circuit city’s don’t have a clue when they will get more. I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall of stupid.

    I still plan to keep my 360 (the exchanged one) but if buy wensday none of my cc’s have them then I’ll get it refunded and go elsewhere.

    Friendly tip FYE has Bioshock on sale reportedly till the 27th of febuary for $19.99. It’s a national in store sale and I just picked up my copy. Now thats what I call a good deal and the dlc is free.

    I agree too about ones own personal value, but the higher cost of gaming bites. I look for deals and before all this dlc for pay crap, bioware was a company I felt offered a good value. I purchased there last couple of games on release day knowing and feeling it was good value. Mass effect though from the moment they started talking about trilogy this and dlc that it rubbed me the wrong way and I just don’t feel the same way about bioware anymore.

    A lot of dlc for 360 games looks awesome but the combined for pay and drm issue, I will do my best to resist buying any of them. DLC is a factoring decision into what I buy and how much I am willing to pay for a game upfront so basically I’m more stingy with my money then ever before.

    Maybe I am the minority but I hope that eventually this nickel and dime backfires and any who take advantage of the consumer eat it.

12. Patrick Steen on February 10, 2008 10:12 am

    LC: Perhaps you’re right about the nickle and diming of some DLC, but you seem to be missing how it can be a positive.

    Most people who love a game will complete it fully, going into every area, perhaps even finishing it more than once. Often they still crave more and would love to have a new experience with the game, a new area, a new story. Thus, instead of having to wait for 1 or 2 years for the sequel, they could buy some DLC.

    Saying that this content should be in the game from the start somewhat misses the point, since a gamer wants something extra after they’ve finished the game - not more hours of gaming in the original game.

    For example, I’ve completely finished PixelJunk Monsters, and I really enjoyed the experience - feeling I got my money’s worth - but I’d love to get some new levels down the line to bring me back to the game.

    If a developer who has finished their game, has the time and assets to produce more content in a more relaxed manner before they move onto their next game, then why not give the fans what they want.

    Price point, content, and timing is important to whether DLC will fall into the pit you outline.

13. LC on February 10, 2008 2:35 pm

    yeah yeah I love rpgs and I’ll generally explore every crevice and do everything except reply it 15 times to see all the ridiculous endings that are not worth the time.

    I’d sometimes like a game I’ve finished to continue on too, but you really can’t compare a $5 1 hour side quest to a real expansion that adds new items, story, gameplay, etc.

    Now if this was a throw the fans a bone who payed $60 for the game and who are waiting for your sequel to give you more money for a real game then that would be positive. But this is a chicken shit money grab for a pathetic side quest. For those who have already beaten the game it will take them longer to play through the games opening to access the game then to complete the content, value?

    I don’t care if the content is in game from the start, if they want to create bonus side quests for the “fans” then give it to them free while they await your sequel.

    Look at it this way bioware says this story arc is too big for just one game so there making it a trilogy right? Well they are now saying the story is too big for 3 games we have to charge you $5 for a little side quest/bonus tidbit of something we hinted at in the first game and if your a true fan you’ll buy it to cause we said so.

    I just don’t see the value in these kind of add ons. I think its a disservice to the actual fans to say this kinda of add on is for them, when its clearly just an extension of achievements like gotta catch them all mentality that gives corporations a direct funnel into your wallet.

    So the complete mass effect experience just went up five bucks, but hey its for the fans.

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