Comments on: Dragon Age DLC Pricing

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:57:16 +0000

@someguy – “How would any of you like to buy the crap which didnâ€™t made it into the last Hollywood Blockbuster.’

People do that all the time in the form of Director’s Cuts or Special Edition DVDs w/deleted scenes restored.

You won’t miss the DLC content here either. None of it is integral to the storyline.

By: someguy

someguy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:45:18 +0000

DLC is the art of getting someone to buy the shit which was cut during production. How would any of you like to buy the crap which didn’t made it into the last Hollywood Blockbuster.
But at least DLC can achieve the same thing Content Management Systems did for the net give untalented people to tell stories now one ever wanted to hear and leave it too marketing guys to sell this crap to idiots who buy it.

Sorry to those of you who bought the crap, but in my time(I hate to write this) we didn’t pay for extra content it was already in and if it wasn’t we didn’t miss it.

All rise for the honorable Prince of Persia who defeated Jaffar even in EGA

@PETE EA shouldn’t get anything but a brick to the head for ruining the game market the way they did.
EA it’s a shame.

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:39:36 +0000

@Bronte – You must be primarily a PC gamer? In the console space, there’s a HUGE market for used games via places like Gamestop. When someone buys a used game from Gamestop, EA/Bioware gets nothing for it. But if someone buys a used copy of the game, then purchases the Stone Prisoner DLC, EA/Bioware gets at least $15.

By: Bronte

Bronte — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:36:27 +0000

I agree to a point. Yes the amount of money spent should reflect in the amount of hours spent in the game. But it’s more complicated than that. Other factors may include the depth of the story and lore, the character development, and how the world around you unfolds.

I also think you may be selling Shale short. I don’t know how long or gratifying his personal quest may be. But Alistair’s and Zevran’s personal quests were boring at best, so my hopes aren’t very high for companion quests. I rescued Shale very early on and I have through enjoyed his banter in the group, and his powerful, pounding abilities. I am digressing. My point is that you didn’t take one important factor into consideration: Shale is a class of his own. He is not necessarily Warrior, or Mage, or Rogue, or Dog. He is ‘Golem’, and comes with his own set of background, abilities and skill tree. I think the $15 pricetag included the work put into the class as well.

I am confused about one thing though. If EVERYONE who purchased a copy of DA:O get a code for Shale, then why was it up as a DLC? I mean I guess it is to ensure pirates never get to experience Shale, but if EVERYONE who bought will have access to it, why put a pricetag on it? Just say its a DLC that you can get ONLY if you purchased the game and you can prove your purchase.

By: Gwyn

Gwyn — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:02:21 +0000

Dunno, as a long-time Sims player, the idea of DLC is pretty “normal” to me at this point, so I don’t think twice about it. Since Sims3 launched I’ve probably sunk another $100 easily into Sims points to spend on additional furniture, wallpapers, maps, etc. The idea of $5 for another chunk of game seems perfectly fine to me. Cheap, even. My problem is getting enough time for immersion, as I don’t want to just play this game but actually experience it. And quality time like that is precious at the moment, so until I do get past scratching the surface I’m not worried about adding the additional content.

By: Victor Stillwater

Victor Stillwater — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:51:32 +0000

I don’t like paying for extra content in games in general, which is why I prefer mods to DLC. I’m basically the stingy type. LOL.

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:20:21 +0000

@Tipa – That’s interesting. I triggered one of the companion quests by giving someone a gift, and another just seemed to pop up of its own accord.

Interesting that its possible to complete the game so quickly though. Thanks for the info!

By: Tipa

Tipa — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:03:51 +0000

btw, it took me about 35 hours to get through DA:O the first time. I did most of the sidequests, but none of the special companion quests, because I had no idea they existed. I tend not to read much about games I want to play ahead of time, and I only found out about THOSE quests when I was reading up on the game after I finished. Looking over the quests, I’m sure I could stretch the time to 40 hours. So I wouldn’t call it an extremely lengthy game.

I might buy the Warden’s Keep DLC if I play through the game again.

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:22:29 +0000

@Scott – It makes sense from a console point of view. So if you buy a used copy for the 360 from Gamestop, you have to shell out $15. If you buy a new copy, you get Stone Prisoner. A few companies (as I understand it) are headed towards this “Reward new purchases” mentality.

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:18:20 +0000

@Pete: I don’t know for certain but what I’d read is that some boxes had codes for Stone Prisoner and/or the Dragon Armor (mine had both) but not all. I can’t imagine they all did, otherwise Stone Prisoner would have simply been free DLC, ya know?