Dragon Age - Return to Ostagar - New DLC Planned

At least they're being absolutely up front about how short the DLC is, can't really see the problem so long as you know what you're buying.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
2,351
Location
London
So it is $5 for an hour of content and some loot and a continuity tie-in. No clue if I'll grab it or not, but again, that is a choice. It isn't like this is critical stuff for the story, just a little add-on.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
14,935
this is why full voice over is not that good of a thing. Obviously user created content can be much better than this, for free probably, but they don't have to add all the features that a 'Official Bioware Product' would have to include. Voice acting costs money, and that goes into those $5 for the one hour gameplay it adds.
Me? I'd rather have no voiceovers and a more extensive gameplay for the same $5.
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Messages
5,645
Location
Tardis
Would be nice to see some collaborations between Bioware and the community - e.g. if someone makes a "premium module" quality effort then they could approach Bioware and see if they want to pick it up for a fee paying release and bring in their voice actors & cut-scene animators.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
2,351
Location
London
I know that people think that 5 US dollars is a lot; in my currency it is around 25 Danish Crowns. (DKK) I've just spent 35 Danish Crowns on candy or 7 US dollars.

However, for ½-1 hour adventure in Ferelden, this isn't that great a price. On the other hand, people gladly pay 15 US dollars (90 Danish Crown) for a movie ticket.

It's all in the perspective...
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,147
Location
Denmark, Europe
I feel as you, aries. To me, $5-10 is really insignificant. I'm not rich, but I have a gaming budget and if no other game is soaking up the budget at that time, I'll buy the DLC and install it. That way, the next time I actually desire to play DAO, it'll be on my system. At my current interest level, I'll be replaying DAO the next time, as soon as I finish it this time. I'm purposely using Allister, Morrigan, and Leilana as my primary NPC's. I only use the other's if it seems like the area would call for them. I didn't have Zehrvan for Brecilian area, so in a replay I might take him. I'd like to have dog as a main ally, but his lack of non-combat skills always leaves him out in this game. I love making potions, setting traps, picking pockets, etc.-dog can't do any of that. Neither can Shale, so I never take him either. I'm sure that on a replay, I'll add them for variety.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
8,821
crpgnut, there are some special things that dog can do if you talk to him. Try it out.

$5 for an hour? Compared to the base cost of an RPG that's not that great *BUT* compared to many other games it is. A lot of AAA non-RPGs that go for $50+ are lucky to have 8 hours of play time. I am willing to pay $5 for an hours entertainment but as with other DLC I'll wait to hear from some reviews about it first.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2006
Messages
1,769
Location
Minnesota, USA
I feel as you, aries. To me, $5-10 is really insignificant.

It's too insignificant. The price isn't really what I would have a problem with. It's that there is nothing really added to the game. If they released a half dozen of these and bundled them together then I would gladly pay more for it. I just don't like being fed tiny little portions.
 
Joined
Feb 3, 2007
Messages
5,347
Location
Taiwan
$5 for an hour? Compared to the base cost of an RPG that's not that great *BUT* compared to many other games it is. A lot of AAA non-RPGs that go for $50+ are lucky to have 8 hours of play time. I am willing to pay $5 for an hours entertainment but as with other DLC I'll wait to hear from some reviews about it first.
OK, first, what $50 AAA games are you talking about that have under 8 hours of play time? RPGs, non-RPGs, I don't see it. Unless you're specifically looking at the SP portion of games that are primarily MP.

Second, obviously, if $5/hour is a good price, than we're OK with a 40-hour game costing $200? How much should the basic DA have cost at that rate?
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
374
Location
too poor for Manhattan
Here's my thoughts, Yeesh. I would love to play a Might and Magic game again or Ultima or Wizardry. The problem is that games of this magnitude take 4-5 years to come out and many companies fail after x number of games. I'd rather see some of this nibbling, in the hopes that the company stays afloat between the 4 year mega-releases. Bioware has lots of dough, but if this will keep them interested in single-player crpgs, then I'm happy to shell out the small bills.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
8,821
Here's my thoughts, Yeesh. I would love to play a Might and Magic game again or Ultima or Wizardry. The problem is that games of this magnitude take 4-5 years to come out and many companies fail after x number of games. I'd rather see some of this nibbling, in the hopes that the company stays afloat between the 4 year mega-releases. Bioware has lots of dough, but if this will keep them interested in single-player crpgs, then I'm happy to shell out the small bills.
That's groovy. I just worry that ultimately capitalism fails to provide its dividend of superior value and quality if the consumer tells the game company, "Look, just so you know, I'll buy anything you put out. 40 hours, 10 hours, 2 hours, doesn't matter, you get my money."

If we don't push back when companies deliver products of dubious value, then we invite a future where a game like DAO itself will not get made. Why put all that work into an epic game for $50, if people will pay that price for a 10-hour RPG? Companies are supposed to try and get away with providing as little as they can for your money, and consumers are supposed to make sure they stop paying when the companies cross the line and provide too little value. I'm not saying I know exactly where the line is, but $5 for a sub-1-hour DLC seems to be on the wrong side of it.

Well, we'll see. I earnestly think that it's a shame that in the game industry, much or most of the "innovation" we've been seeing lately has been confined to the area of extracting more money from the customer.
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
374
Location
too poor for Manhattan
I was just comparing the price of the DLCs for DA:Origins with prices people pay for coffee or candy. The value (worth) of the DLCs are another story, totally and differently. I won't be buying any of the DLCs as I don't think I'll get my money's worth. And I a few know more people saying so at the Bioware site; they feel the same way I do about this.

Playing adventure/puzzle games, it seems that games in Chapters are becoming popular. The new Sam and Rabbbit games are being made into chapters. 2-4 hour games for around 7 US dollars. A typical adventure game will take around 10-12 hours to complete; theyare be sold for about 40-50 US dollars. [At least for Frogware's Sherlock Holmes games]. Some games are a bot short and is sold for about 15-25 dollars or in that price range.

I, for one, didn't buy Mass Effect, untill the price dropped tohalf the original retail price. For an hour of content in a DLC, I would probably bay around 2-3 US dollars.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,147
Location
Denmark, Europe
in the game industry, much or most of the "innovation" we've been seeing lately has been confined to the area of extracting more money from the customer.

Haha, too true.

As for this particular DLC, it just seems weak, though the armor will be overpowered, I´m sure.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
2,437
Location
Prague
We'll never get anywhere if we compare the value of DLCs to the value of anything other than games. People pay $12.50 to see a 90 minute movie here. ($16 if it's in 3D (god that makes my head hurt (the price AND the 3D))), but why stop there? People pay $100 for an hour's shiatsu massage, and some people drop $1000 or more on 4 hours at a strip club.

SO WHAT? This is not a movie or a massage, it's a game. No other pricing matters.

I think it's most instructive to compare the value of DLC to the value of the old non-DLC: the expansion pack. Multiply the price and hours until you get $20 or $30, and ask yourself if someone released a boxed expansion with this much gameplay per dollar, would I balk?

What's funny is that expansions, unlike DLC, are (were?) expected to provide not just new content but also new features. And what's funnier is that expansions needed to go through that whole publishing and distributing dealy before a penny was realized, expenses that DLC sweetly sidesteps. And yet even so, I think that in most cases, expansions provide way more bang for the consumer buck than DLC seems to want to.

So what the hell?
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
374
Location
too poor for Manhattan
The game was a good experience, but I'm through with it for quite a while. Post-completion DLC is pointless unless they represent expansion-sized stuff.

For me, that is.
 
As for the DLC discussion, Rob Bartel also says this:

As for areas, Ostagar itself has seen a major re-art to snow it over and make it feel like Darkspawn have been lingering there for a while. We've also opened up some new portions of the map that you weren't previously able to access. The quest also includes 3 additional areas which are smaller than Ostagar and involve a greater degree of re-use.
And Bioware is still working on a new patch…

Now, this is entirely new info - at least to me.

Games should be compared to games, yes. However, adventure/puzzle gamers gladly pay 6.99 US dollars for a casual game on BigFish, and 7 US dollars for 3-4 hour game for new Sam and Max game (and they're even done in chapters now).
Most adventure games today are about 10-12 hours long; people play 40-50 dollars for those (or a bit less).

Shooters like Halo, FEAR, Bioshock, MW2, will take you maybe 10-12 hours to complete max. And people still buy Call of Duty:MW2 at full price for an 8-10 hour gaming experience, then they move on (perhaps) to play a new shooter or Rock Band or Guitar Hero. The point is withthe OC in DA: Origins you'll get much much more content for your money than you'll get playing Uncharted 2 (which is like 8-10hours for full asking price=60 US dollars). You'll do this since DA: Origins is at least 40-60 hours, or more.

10 years ago when I started playing games, I've bought Baldur's Gate 1; the price was 349 DKK (about 50 US dollars). Today the price is still 349 DKK. And games have become much much expensive to make than they were 10-12 years ago.
The dev. team still needs to be paid, rent has to be paid as well etc. etc.

Hence, companies need finding ways to earn money, DLC and Micro-transactions are one way to do this. Sadly :( I do think that they days of the major expansions are over. It's too risky a business to make 20-40 hour expansion like Tales of the Sword Coast or Throne of Bhaal these days…
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,147
Location
Denmark, Europe
10 years ago when I started playing games, I've bought Baldur's Gate 1; the price was 349 DKK (about 50 US dollars). Today the price is still 349 DKK. And games have become much much expensive to make than they were 10-12 years ago.
The dev. team still needs to be paid, rent has to be paid as well etc. etc.

I can sympathize to a point, but 10 years ago the gaming industry and audience was also a whole lot smaller than it is today. Not to mention, a game like DA is (this is me assuming though) enjoying great success on 3 seperate platforms.

Still, I wonder if this will really become a huge problem in the industry if the costs of making a game will end up being too large in relation to the actual sales. I mean, the industry has expanded rather fast.

I know I for one wouldn't mind seeing more lower budget games where the developers can afford to take more risks in designing the game. The indie scene will and does provide that I suppose.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2008
Messages
231
Hey, you quest for the King's armor; so think of it as the NEW Horse Armor DLC!! :)
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
12,806
Location
Australia
Back
Top Bottom