The Different Kinds Of DLC And Their Varying Degrees Of Evil

DLC is a relatively new thing to console gamers. This is the first generation to implement it and it’s certainly been met with mixed emotions from gamers. In this article I’m going to go over the three different categories of DLC and the latest bit of it that is absolutely infuriating. So, the three kinds of DLC I’ll be going over are: the kind that is done before the game is printed and released and is purposefully held back to gouge the consumer, the kind that is legitimately done after a games completion by a developer who cares about the community and their games, and finally the kind that ends up just being an unlock key for something already on the disc.

The Bad

We’ll start with the kind that frustrates me the most; the DLC that is held back by the developer. Just las night on that patronizing, disgusting, industry de-legitimizing program, the Spike Video Game Awards, it was announced that a new map pack for Gears of War 2 would be released at midnight. We had all already seen the leaked screenshots of the Emulsion map being played weeks ago. It was later revealed that one of the other maps in the pack was just a port of one of the maps included in the PC version of the first Gears of War. These are obviously maps that have been done for a long time. The half naked woman who announced this map pack didn’t see fit to mention a price, so immediately gaming forums started to debate whether or not the pack would be free as it should be or if Epic would have the gall to charge ten dollars for it. Well the map pack just hit the marketplace and there it is. 800 points. This reeks of arrogance on Epic’s part. Forget the mass amount of glitches that plague the multiplayer and are only getting worse by the day, don’t worry about the fact that some people still have a hard time even getting into multiplayer games at all. No no, that’s not important. Here’s a pack of maps that you should have gotten on the disc to begin with but hey, ten bucks is ten bucks. It’s a slap in the face. This is the worst kind of DLC in my opinion because it shows that the developer is just in it for the money.

The Good

The best type of DLC is the kind that is put together by a developer after a game is released. The only reason that this DLC is created is because the developer sees that people love their game and want more of it. The perfect example of this kind of developer is Criterion. Criterion released a huge game in Burnout Paradise, a game that people could play for a very long time without ever running out of things to do. Shortly after the game was released, DLC was announced. The DLC included new multiplayer modes, new features for the PS3 including trophys, and a pack that brought an entirely new set of vehicles (motorcycles) to the game, giving gamers a reason to play more. What did it all cost? Nothing. Criterion has significantly less advertising and PR then Epic. Criterion has no CliffyB to try and seem hip and in touch with the gamer crowd. They just do what they do and they treat the community well. Even now they are bringing out a completely new island for the game and you know what? They’re charging for it and they deserve every penny they get from it. Anyone who complains about Criterion charging for the next batch of DLC should have an electrical shock delivered to them through their controller.

The Ugly

Lastly, there is the DLC that unlocks things already on the disk. It’s the favorite DLC of Namco Bandai. Whether it be new Katamari levels or clothes and music in Soul Calibur, Namco Bandai is determined to nickel and dime you. Having a tough time getting money in Tales of Vesperia? Want it bad enough to spend real money in exchange for in-game money? You are Namco Bandai’s favorite customer. This is the most obvious sign of a developer that couldn’t care less about the consumer. At least with DLC that was held back to gouge us all later, the developer can say ‘œNo we didn’t. We swear’. What can a developer do when the download to unlock an entire new level is a hundred kb? Why not just put a big middle finger on the disc art?

Of course this has all been said before and it will all be said again. Why? Because people are still buying this garbage. I’m sure that there are a ton of people playing the new Gears maps right now, all the while having to deal with people glitching and standbying. That’s not counting the new glitches that these new maps will inevitably bring. If these maps are anything like the maps for Gears 1, then eventually they will be free and maybe by then the glitches that are putting people off of this game’s multiplayer will be fixed.