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BioShock 2 MP DLC Already on Disc; 2K Explains
by Chris Faylor, Mar 12, 2010 10:40am PSTThe first piece of publisher 2K's "aggressive post-launch downloadable content plan" for BioShock 2 arrived yesterday, adding some new multiplayer characters, weapon upgrades and a higher rank cap in exchange for 400 Microsoft Points / $4.99.
However, buyers quickly noticed that the download itself was extremely small--23KB on PC, 108KB on Xbox 360 and 103KB on PlayStation 3--suggesting that the download wasn't adding new content, but rather unlocking content already on the game disc.
That suspicion was quickly addressed by 2K Games, which explained that this was done to avoid splitting the player base--if the data needed to support the multiplayer tweaks wasn't available to everyone, then those who hadn't purchased it wouldn't be able to properly play against those who had bought the extra characters and upgrades:
The way our engine and game structure works is that people need to have the exact same content for people to play together. One of the challenges with post launch content for MP is that it can split the player base, and we want to avoid that whenever possible. For this content, creating the DLC package the way we did allowed for us to not split the player base - so whether you purchase the new content or not, you can still play with your friends.I know some of you have strong beliefs about DLC, and I'm not here to sway your opinion or convince you to buy our stuff - if you like what we're offering, I hope you get it and enjoy it. If it's not your speed, enjoy BioShock 2 as we released it.
I want to let you know that DLC is not interfering with our patching capabilities, which are a top priority and are still being actively worked on. We're committed to supporting you and making BioShock 2 the best experience possible.
Of course, that doesn't answer the core question of "if it's already on the disc, why not make it available to everyone from the get-go"--a possible but entirely theoretical answer to which could involve the content being made under the downloadable content budget, and thus requiring the additional fee to break even and/or turn a profit.
As noted above, this particular add-on ("Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack") is only the first in 2K's "aggressive" plans. It remains to be see whether the additional single-player and multiplayer content due across the coming months is already on the disc as well.
Comments
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I will not purchase DLC addons again, ever.
Give me a legit expansion pack or the next sequel.
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Blizzards doing it too, except people actually bought into their BS and believe expansion packs are worth $50. The same thing goes for LFD2 (LFD always felt half done for some reason).
This is no different then the content being already finished and on their servers waiting for the release date. Just people somehow differentiate the two because they get transfered date and just blindly trust that it's post development.
Remember when DLC was called a patch and it was always free? Long live Teamfortress 2!
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The point of DLC is supposed to be to add new content after the game has been completed, rather than withholding content from the game and making the final product suffer in order to wrangle more money out of consumers. If you'll forgive a little hyperbole, it's a bit like if the game was originally designed to have 8 weapons, but then they decided to lock out 4 of them so they could sell them back to you later as DLC. The game comes out, and the game is noticably lacking in weapons (Enemies in far off alcoves that look like they're supposed to be sniped, but you have no sniper rifle). But wait, you can buy these weapons online! To use a real-world example; The Sims 3 was released and it was incredibly noticeable that a lot of stuff was missing, yet the missing items were actually available as DLC from the second the game launched.
You can say 'But you pay for more fun' all you like, it doesn't make the process any more despicable. Games are incredibly expensive to buy, and it's not fair on consumers to cripple games just so the publisher/developer can make more money AFTER you've discovered that stuff is absent. Some people might argue that games are expensive to develop as well, but the thing is if you're developing this stuff DURING the development cycle, then it's costing that development budget to make them. DLC is supposed to pay for the development time that went into creating that new content, not for double-dipping with us paying full price for a game and then paying AGAIN for content that was created in the same period.
Thank you for trying BIOSHOCK! If you liked this game, maybe you would consider buying the full version?
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Why call it DLC if it's already in the disc?. Shouldn't it be ULC?.
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There are many people out there who seem to think any content more than $0 is a bad value. It's a flawed way of thinking about these things. Content, whether it's delivered on the internet or unlocked on the disc was the work of talented developers; you owe them, not the other way around.
Learn what software licensing is and stop equating digital content to something like a stereo system or a bag of chips. What retarded analogies.
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And now this BS.
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And they say that day one DLC is possible because of the time it takes for Microsoft and Sony to certificate a game... Fucking bullshit. They had to do it for the DLC on disc at the same time.
I don't know who's worse, the publishers or the people that buy dlc.
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Actually I don't care what they do, the game is too scary.
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I hear the arguments that its the consumer's choice, that its not required content, etc. etc. but the short of it is that it's SLEAZY. Charging for launch day DLC and unlockable "DLC" on disk to consumers who pay full price is SLEAZY and is a bad business practice.
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2K has shown, in line with what many already know, that DLC or other wise "add-on" or "unlocked" content (because face it, you're not downloading anything.) is planned from the outset of game development, not as a revisit to the title. $5 is another 10% over the base price of the game, for adding content that was at best, a minuscule blip in their development time. DLC/Unlockable content provides extraordinary high margins relative to the effort.
As 2K stated, they don't need to try and convince you verbally, the sales figures have shown that this stuff moves, regardless of the complaints on sites like Shack or otherwise. 2K did an excellent job of making the "added" content really accessible at a price that most people are willing to part with. But if you don't like the idea of spending $5 for some models and a sprite or two that were already part of the game's development cycle, then you might want to think about whether or not it's actually a value.
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The last patch was pretty big, it could have been stuck in there and sent to everyone, like Burnout did for each release of its DLC. The explanation you link would still make sense if that's what she is talking about.
If it was actually complete and ready to be included on the disc at release time, selling it as an extra is pure greed.
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This is one of those cases where splitting the player base might be worthwhile, honestly.
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Yes, I believe that having DLC already on disc is disingenuous .
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