Just to get this out of the way I don’t agree with DLC characters at all. I’ve never purchased one for many reasons that I won’t go into because of the arguments it would start. There is one reason I don’t buy DLC characters though that could be easily avoided. It’s a simple question “What if I don’t like the character?”.
Solution: Let people use DLC characters in training mode/trials. I think the more technical games in particular would benefit from this idea like BB & KoF for example.
I can’t think of any significant downsides but I’m sure someone here will. It would at least make me think about buying them since I know I won’t get stuck with one that doesn’t fit my playstyle.
It’s an annoyance for TOs to have to download and update all of their consoles with DLC characters. Why not just do it the old fashioned way, and just create a sequel to the game with more additions and changes that’s actually worth the extra money you pay for?
DLC characters are unacceptable, period. Any DLC that alters the gameplay should be unlockable in a way that doesn’t require you to throw more money at the game. Sell costumes to people who like to dress up their Barbie dolls, but everyone who bought the game should be on the same page in terms of gameplay.
DLC characters suck. I understand why companies do it, but it really makes it hard to learn all about the game unless you’ve ponied up the money for the characters. DLC started out as such a good thing but it’s gotten to the point where it’s being abused by publishers trying to wring out every last dollar from the community.
But I bet SNKP is making bank off NESTS Kyo and Flames Iori cuz those characters are about all I see online.
It is an annoyance for TOs, but you’ll see just as many people complaining about expansions whenever the question is asked about them. The developer can’t possibly please everyone, so if they want to add onto a game either the group of you people who hate DLC will be pissed off, or the people who hate expansions will be pissed off.
Also, SNK really did have to scrape every last dollar they could from the community, or they would’ve gone bankrupt. I’m surprised they could even afford to make KoFXIII.
How about this: if these two options anger consumers, go with a third not mentioned option of refraining from adding content. This isn’t really a dichotomy as you have presented it.
Developers can finish a game completely and release it without having to add nickel and dime bullshit to their game.
EDIT: This also goes for patches. If developers want to avoid patching their game, a sufficient amount of location or beta testing should suffice.
“If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Vote with your dollars.” - corporate shill sociopathic-greed apologist squad that will undoubtedly show up in this thread because the “someone is saying bad things about money” alarm went off
Games cost money, time and other restrictions. And a game company might want to do more than what they can afford to do at the release time. Skullgirls is a good example of this. They want to add more to the game but time and money constraints put it on hold for later.
I think its more of a case by case sort of thing. Some companies do it better than others. I don’t think DLC characters is a bad thing either, honestly, because if the characters are well made, it makes it worth it, and plus, you would have probably have paid for the characters in some other way anyway (ie: A more expensive base game).
Won’t happen, because it would cost companies leverage with competitive players; they want you to think you have to buy Shuma and Jill to keep par with other tournament players. Capcom isn’t worried about your buyers remorse, they just want you $10, or whatever; if you don’t like the character, they aren’t going to sweat your ill will, and if the characters do suck, allowing free access to them at all is going to kill the bottom line.
There isn’t a better way of selling DLC’s except through the updates/stores. They won’t make the money if we don’t buy the product. But I do like the idea of using the characters in training or trial modes. I hated the fact that I bought Blaze Blue characters cause I hated them and still ended up using Ragna or JIn. Companies are going to continue to rob us of money with these DLC’s because some believe it’s a must have or what they see on Youtube, we don’t buy they don’t get paid. Unless I plan on using that character (dlc) I aint getting it, games are coming out way too fast to take time with them. I learned my lesson with KOF XIII bought NEST Kyo and EX Iori, right around when SF X TK was coming out, shortly after the release and I didn’t really get the benefit of using those guy’s because I started playing SF X TK. You really gotta stay comitted to a game or just breakdown the reasons you need a DLC. If you find one or two good reasons you don’t need dlc your best bet is to keep your change and shoot the store
I kind of think we’ll start seeing less and less of DLC characters, it doesn’t seem to be that big of a moneymaker. (NRS and Arc both released a few over time, but it’s telling that Capcom pre-emptively abandoned their plans for DLC characters for MvC3)
So the solution, and the one that’d make almost everybody happy, seems to be ‘save paid DLC for social/cosmetic stuff’.
DLC characters fucking suck ass. The reason being is that when the character is better as DLC, it encourages more people to buy it. No one is going to buy servebot in mvc2 as a DLC character, he sucks and does nothing basically. So this basically encourages developers to only make DLC characters that are top tier, to get the most money possible. Technically its no different than waiting for that new yugioh card that is going to wreck in tournaments. Rather than your skill speaking for you, its now your wallet.
The only way I would be cool with DLC is a cheap ass game like SG which is 15$, then the DLC characters can’t exceed 45$ making the total of the game 60$ which is the price of a normal new game. Capcom will never do this. The game will cost 60$ out the gate, then they will charge you x amount of money for DLC characters that are so insanely strong that you MUST buy them. Either to play as them or to train against them in training mode to figure out WTF is going on. How do I know they’ll make DLC characters so strong? look @ the gem shit they tried in sfxt with auto block\auto tech gems. Not to mention that shit characters will never be bought as DLC so they offer 0 incentive to build bad characters. The stronger a DLC character is, the more money they stand to make.
DLC characters is just meh. The last thing this community needs is another method for scamcom to rob you blind. DLC gems didn’t work but that doesn’t mean they’re done trying to rob the scene blind rather than make a good game.
character customization is actually really fun and people prefer uniqueness. DLC should be reserved for things that never fuck with the core of the game IMO. DLC stages, DLC music, DLC meter bars imers, DLC voices, fuck you can even throw in DLC mini-games. Once you buy the game, that should be it for tournament players. Everyone has the same game and there is no more need to upgrade. Think about how many marvel costumes they could sell as DLC for umvc3? all of those characters on the marvel side have buku costumes in the comics and that can generate some massive funds. Doing it this way is a win:win. tournament community wins because the company won’t fuck with the balance of the game or make tournament players spend more money on the game. Casual market wins because they get all these extra little things that they like so much. Allowing players to spend their way to a victory through DLC gems\characters is the worst thing that can ever happen to fighters
people have to remember there are no ethics governing this shit. Capcom could literally release a new best character in the game once every month or even every week and some players out there would constantly buy it. Then to be as strong as those players, you need the same thing. Its not a fighting game @ that point, its a money war. You think Capcom would care about the quality of the game rather than making money? watch me point to sfxt…
from what I’ve Seen, SSF4 did DLC the best overall-came out at a fair price of 40$, and released an update with characters and stuff for 15$(and another one after that for, well, free).
and another thing I’ve noticed in some parts of the web is the reason why DLC is used more in Fighting games is because people had beef with Unlockable characters, since some TOs apparently claimed they took forever to unlock. now granted if it’s EXTREME examples of Bullshit like the Unlockable characters for MvC2(god that took forever), i can understand, but some other cases(MvC3) were fine as is. but due to feedback, they release a game with(almost) all characters from the get-go. now they worry the replay will shoot to shit, so what’s the solution? release new updates later on. but then Capcom kinda fucked up with the SFxt debacle, and now left a stain on that even. man, we are in a rut.
so either making them hidden characters or doing Game updates like SSF4AE is the best 2 options I got.
Solution : Every game has a tournament mode with all the characters unlocked (and only in this mode), so TOs don’t actually have to waste their time unlocking stuff.
I think there’s way too much focus in this discussion on TO’s. They’re a tiny minority of a tiny minority of the community, and they’re getting paid money to run the tournaments. They can afford a little inconvenience.
im curious to know how people feel about the way AE’s dlc characters were handled. because a lot of people moan about having to pay for dlc characters and state several examples of games which do it, but ive never ever heard anyone complain about having to pay for yun, yang, e.ryu and oni.
Because it was presented as a DLC expansion not dlc characters. The combination of getting all the characters in one shot and getting a balance system rehaul (no matter how bizarre some of the choices seemed) seems like a much better deal, especially given the reasonable price point.
