Bioshock : "Season Pass" ???

Hello, everyone,

I just read of a thing called a "season pass" for Bioshock Infinite …

Strange thing, that. People are asked to pay money in advance for some DLC ?

Ugh.

Is this "DLC 2.0" ?

Alrik

Yes, you are pre-ordering a pre-order! Just madness, you don't know how the original game will turn up and they are asking you to pay for DLCs they you don't know about!

I guess the majority of console gamers who are accustomed to being used (or probably abused) by DLCs will fall victims to such rubbish.

We bought it for Borderlands 2. I guess it's an option to wait for GOTY with all DLC's combined, now we still get them cheaper but without waiting.

The mind boggles at how stupid companies must think the average player is. Just…..wow.


-Carn

I wouldn't say "think". They're beyond that. It's already "know".

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Hello, everyone,

I just read of a thing called a "season pass" for Bioshock Infinite …

Strange thing, that. People are asked to pay money in advance for some DLC ?

Ugh.

Is this "DLC 2.0" ?

Alrik

It's becoming the new standard for games. The sad thing is you still don't get all the dlc. You still have to pay for some content.

Yeah, the season pass for DLC is nothing new. Most of the major AAA publishers have been doing that since last year.

Yep, and people keep buying them. Never doubt that marketing has serious power.

Its times like these that im thankful for my impossible backlog

I think it's a proven concept, and not necessarily because of people getting more and more accustomed to being taken advantage of, but because of a franchise's record. If you're a fan of Borderlands, or Call of Duty, or Mario & Luigi, then you usually buy the additional content regardless.

I can guarantee you that I would buy such a "season pass" of any Fallout IV content, not because the DLC will all be top shelf, but because I would have done so anyway during their respective release dates. It's a similar concept to what propelled Wasteland II and Project Eternity: people enjoy and place value on the brand. And if they can get a discount by paying ahead of time, why not?

'Cmon guys, stop complaining while you keep paying. Most of you crowned STEAM and its business model as our new ruler so don't be surprised to be where we are now.

Yeah, this is our own choice - I'm afraid.

Originally Posted by xSamhainx
Its times like these that im thankful for my impossible backlog

Yeah, me too.

I think this describes the current situation in a wonderfully clear way : http://www.abload.de/img/gamesgsx6dkt.jpg

it uses the 'gym' mechanism. Basically, they take advantage of the pre-hype and initial shock of a new game release to secure income for after the excitement passes. Just like gyms want you to pay for a year knowing that most people will say they'll go every day forever when making their New Year's resolutions but by February most already stopped going.

Sounds reasonable.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Is this "DLC 2.0" ?

It is, but for all I care, they can stick it into their… Okay I'm not finishing the sentence.

I'm NOT buying.

Alrik won the thread w/ that pic!

I found it in the German SWTOR forums.

Been thinking about this. As I said, I bought the Season Pass for Borderlands 2. My sentiment is fairly similar to Drithius post in #10. There are some companies that have been trustworthy enough to produce at least decent DLC's which I have enjoyed and Borderlands 1 was definitely a game that the DLC's prolonged the experience. It's the same with Fallout 3 and Fallout NV which I never hesitated to grab the DLC's for, even if some end up not so good after all.

But I also have to point out that we are doing the same thing when we donate on Kickstarter for games that aren't even done yet. We do so because we trust the company and that say something. The extreme business model may squeeze more pennies, but if it breaks the trust of the consumer it will cease to work.

It's not a developer trust issue for me.

I'm not sure DLC is a developer oriented thing at all. It's just the way the market has "evolved" - and that's almost certainly a publisher-only mindset.

So, when you support DLC in any shape or form - you're supporting the publisher mindset about how to sell content in the modern market.

I have no doubt that developers are doing fine work in many cases - but I don't like to buy my games in bits and pieces - and I certainly don't like having to wait 6-12 months to get the "complete" experience. Furthermore, I especially despise that I have to suspect the core game is not what it would have been without DLC. Finally, I absolutely HATE that I'm not getting meaty expansions anymore.

Well, there are rare exceptions that resemble expansions - like the TES DLC - but it's just that, the exceptions.