David Jaffe Weighs In on Downloadable Content Debate

Downloadable content has been a sticky-subject among gamers since its inception, particularly when it involves money changing hands. And while that alone is able to draw a divide between gamers, things can get really heated if a company is so bold as to release downloadable content on the same day a game is to arrive in stores.

Recently, Eat Sleep Play founder and God of War/Twisted Metal designer David Jaffe carried out a lengthy discussion with some fans on how he perceives the matter, including his thoughts on when it is justified and when it’s not, or whether publishers are “lazy and greedy” for releasing it on Day One.

This debate, of sorts, was carried out in its entirety on Twitter. We are reformatting it slightly for ease of reading; contents, most errors, and the like are unchanged. The person tweeting will be in [brackets].

[@davidscottjaffe] http://bit.ly/9L5sjH I find paragraph 2 and 3 of this write up to be utter horse shit. Man I’m in a cranky mood today! :)

Money’s worth is great. But 60 bucks for 1-2 months worth of entertainment (1 month=30 days!) is a bad deal?!?

ALSO this ‘day 1 DLC = greedy publisher” is such utter horseshit.

[@GweedyJ] Day 1 DLC is utter horseshit my friend

[@Sam_Stone_] @davidscottjaffe I agree with you, but I feel it’s nice when publishers/developers go out of their way to give you value. look at the following that Valve has for PC gamers, they go out of their way to treat the customer well.

[@davidscottjaffe] @GweedyJ As I always say, it’s about value for money. U R owed $60 worth of entertainment. If I have another $10 worth of entertainment ready to go on the same day, that really has nothing to do with you. As long at the $60 game u bought makes you happy and taken care of.

[@davidscottjaffe] .@Sam_Stone_ I am ALL ABOUT treating the customer well. You should feel like a fucking king for your $60. No doubt. BUT if I have more I want to sell outside of that $60 experience- whenever I want to sell it- that is NOT greed. Gamers R not owed EVERYTHING we have just cause they WANT it.

[@GweedyJ] @davidscottjaffe Day 1 DLC tells me yr not confident enough in yr product & R just looking 4 easy $$. No offense 2 U just my feelings

[@ZoopSoul] @davidscottjaffe DLC IS a statement of greed in most instances. I feel like I’m not receiving the full game for my $64. Examples: AC2 removed two full chapters scheduled for the disc. It makes the purchaser feel like they aren’t getting total package. Mass Effect 2 promised loads of free DLC with new purchase; two 30 min pieces were free, several $7 DLCs released after. Simply put, it feels like nickel and diming. Furthermore, I have yet to buy a piece of DLC I’ve thought was worth the $$$.

[@davidscottjaffe] .@ZoopSoul Right but in that case you have a valid issue about not feelin u got your $60 worth. That is a GREAT thing 2B pissed about. But that has NOTHING to do with selling DLC day 1. They are 2 totally separate things, or they SHOULD be.

.@GweedyJ Well to be fair, you feel that way because the industry has made you feel that way. And that is unfortunate. But that is more of an issue with specific publishers taking advantage of customers versus an issue with the DLC system.

[@GweedyJ] @davidscottjaffe thats a very good point. I would not mind day 1 dlc done right.

[@Matty1209] @davidscottjaffe I’m not bothered about DLC as long as it isn’t an unlock key and it’s already on disk but if they were on your tray and they wont allow you it untill you pay extra is cheeky :)

[@davidscottjaffe] .@Matty1209 I got not issues with that either. All I care about is ‘did we take amazing care of you for the money you paid’.

[@Sam_Stone_] @davidscottjaffe I mostly agree with you for sure, and just know that if TM has I’m probably going to buy it.

[@GweedyJ] @davidscottjaffe Already on disc DLC is horrible. When i pay money for something i want all of it not most of it.

[@davidscottjaffe] RT @doboworth You don’t demand for more fries for free in McD’s as they are already made JAFFE: Best argument ever! Genius sir!

[@cmabbott] @davidscottjaffe as a game designer, do you ever get irritated/pissed off with the sense of entitlement that (most) gamers have?

[@davidscottjaffe] .@cmabbott Yes. People’s sense of entitlement drives me up the fucking wall. The line between demanding value for your $ (good) and being a greedy asshole is a pretty thick line. And yet people seem to have a hard time telling the diff between the 2.

[@brenden77] @davidscottjaffe @doboworth and as such when that fry container isnt quite full, you wish they would have put a little more in there.

[@davidscottjaffe] .@brenden77 But that is a DIFFERENT issue. If you don’t get enough fries for your money first go around, that’s a real problem.

.@SamRosenthalI agree 75% of the games out there are not worth 60 bucks. SOME tho are worth 500 bucks in terms of playtime.

[@Xenokai] @davidscottjaffe “long as my bills are paid and i can take care of my family id do it for free” U said this once. Just wondering wht changd?

[@davidscottjaffe] .@Xenokai NOTHING changed. But my desire to do my job for almost free does not mean gamers should get games for free. 2 different issues.

[@Xenokai] @davidscottjaffe Wasnt sayng gamrs should get FREE games, i understand buying used games = no dev support, just seemed like ur outlook chngd

And that’s pretty much it. That said, do you agree or disagree with any of the points Jaffe (or anyone else) made? Has anything changed your mind after reading this? Feel free to sound off below.