Review the first generation of DLC

[I.S.T.]

Bethesda brought us the joke that is "Horse Armor" back when the concept of DLC was brand new and the backlash pretty much showed that us gamers didn't like it. So they reconsidered things and have since produced some of the best examples of what DLC should be (Shivering Isles, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, Dragonborn). Its too bad that it seems like the rest of the industry thinks that "Horse Armor" was a brilliant idea.

Shivering Isles was a retail expansion...

 

[I.S.T.]

I buy DLC for games I enjoyed and if i felt the DLC was worth it. The only time I bought questionable DLC was the Vampire perk thing for Saints Row 3.

for PC, I've bought the Wolfpack for Payday: The Heist, the Oblivion DLC all in one pack(That tower in the north is fucking handy! Also, horse armor raises horse HP but just barely. Something a lot don't know), all the New Vegas DLC, a few of the DLCs for Killing Floor(Mainly Ash and the first weapons pack they put out. I bought a DLC for a friend as well but not for myself as I had already won it in a contest), and the extra episodes for both Serious Sam HD The Second Encounter and Serious Sam 3. Any other PC DLC I have was gotten for me by friends, or was obtained as part of a GOTY pack.

As for console, I've gotten the two Resident Evil 5 extra scenarios, and most of the stuff for the two Kelfings games for my mom. Don't think I've grabbed any more DLC than that but I could be wrong.

Sad that the RE5 DLC kind of sucked. I could have used those MS points on something else.

I forgot, I also got two or three of the Saints Row 3 campaign DLCs and the Unlockable pack which accidentally breaks the game because it gives you all of the possible upgrades from the mild splits in the storyline at the very start.

 

[Davros]

Its the DLC Plc

 

[Scott_Arm]

Bethesda, Bioware, Gearbox, Rockstar, Dice, Red Lynx and maybe a few others did a really good job of DLC. I liked the Fable DLC from Lionhead, even though price for gameplay probably wasn't favourable. Overall, I have no issue with DLC that feels like value for money. I don't like the microtransaction stuff at all, and I won't buy it. If companies follow the model laid out by the developers I listed, then I think DLC is going to be great. The developers need the money, and I want more content for the games I enjoy. Just find the right price point, and I'm sold.

 

[-tkf-]

I bought every single GT5 DLC usually the "get all pack with a reduction since some of the stuff is worthless to you". With GT5 i got the Pokemon vibe and i have to collect it all, some of the DLC's seems overpriced but in the case of GT5 it really depends on how much you play the game. The SPA track has given me hours of fun, worth every penny.

I got every DLC for GTA4 as well, besides that i think i am running on empty. I really really have to either play the game alot or want to have everything when i get to play it.

Apart from that i try to avoid Paid DLC since for me it's to often content developed along with the game and then stripped from the game so they can build on profit.

 

[Nisaaru]

Alan Wake's American Nightmare DLC has a nice production quality but while playing it reminded me again why I thought Alan Wake's fighting was the games weakness.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Another thing I recall of DLC is when it changes the game. Warhawk's DLC added maps that you needed to play on the server, but the content was pretty pointless and people abandoned it in the end. But it was bought (although in early days with optimism, when the sounds of a carrier with 7 players all cooperating sounded like a great idea, in contrast to the reality of a lone guy flying the thing around and everyone else steering clear). Fat Princess introduced new character classes that completely ruined the game IMO. DLC is a nightmare to balance for unless designed from day one, and I think expanded content in multiplayer is asking for trouble. That kinda confines DLC to extra maps and stuff. Which is okay, nothing wrong with more maps and game modes.

Is it me, or do most DLC game modes go unplayed? In the likes of MAG and Warhawk and Starhawk, new modes introduced (not even DLC) are rarely ever played. It's like extra content is to games what peripherals are to consoles.

 

[Miksu]

Bioware

Isn't Bioware famous for its subpar DLCs for its high quality games? What DLCs from them you've liked?

 

[Cjail]

LBP 1 & 2 level/kit DLC are for me excellent.
The DLC costumes are nice extras and are adorable but the level/kit DLC offer great value IMO.
When with the Pirates of the Caribbean DLC MM added water it really expanded the game in a meaningful way.
That is how DLC should be done for me.
All the various LBP DLC kit that added new materials or new item (Paintinator) worked well for me becse I always found a use for them and overall they were fairly priced.
LBP free DLC costumes are unmissable

Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen is not out yet but from what I read it seems to be doing things right: new areas, new enemies, but also better UI, better fast travel mechanics, more customization option, new abilities, etc..
In short a combination of improvements and addictions.
Now is just a matter of: please be good, please be good...

As for MP DLC for me they are still not done properly: they always fragment/divide the player base, which is not good for me, and in the end are never even as popular as they should have.
DLC maps, modes often end up being wastelands.

Story DLC can be great but none of the story DLC I have really added enough content for me.
Even Lair of the Shadow Broker for me din't work; it was excellent no doubt but really not good enough for me.

 

[patsu]

Another thing I recall of DLC is when it changes the game. Warhawk's DLC added maps that you needed to play on the server, but the content was pretty pointless and people abandoned it in the end. But it was bought (although in early days with optimism, when the sounds of a carrier with 7 players all cooperating sounded like a great idea, in contrast to the reality of a lone guy flying the thing around and everyone else steering clear). Fat Princess introduced new character classes that completely ruined the game IMO. DLC is a nightmare to balance for unless designed from day one, and I think expanded content in multiplayer is asking for trouble. That kinda confines DLC to extra maps and stuff. Which is okay, nothing wrong with more maps and game modes.

Is it me, or do most DLC game modes go unplayed? In the likes of MAG and Warhawk and Starhawk, new modes introduced (not even DLC) are rarely ever played. It's like extra content is to games what peripherals are to consoles.

I2's Festival of Blood and LBP improved the original game significantly (new campaign and UGC tools).

 

[Cjail]

I2's Festival of Blood and LBP improved the original game significantly (new campaign and UGC tools).

Oh I agree Festival of Blood is great as well.
It is really a proper expansion.
I almost prefer it to inFamous 2 simply because vampire video games done well are a rarity nowadays...I miss LOK.

P.S.
On a side note more open world games should have UG missions IMO.
GTA + UG mission = lots of fun.

 

[patsu]

Yes I prefer the FoB DLC to the original i2. It's more interesting and more focused.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Isn't Bioware famous for its subpar DLCs for its high quality games? What DLCs from them you've liked?

All of the DLC for Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3. Mass Effect 3 especially, because it had a ton of free multiplayer DLC that added a lot of characters weapons and maps, as well as having quality single-player DLC.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Another thing I recall of DLC is when it changes the game. Warhawk's DLC added maps that you needed to play on the server, but the content was pretty pointless and people abandoned it in the end. But it was bought (although in early days with optimism, when the sounds of a carrier with 7 players all cooperating sounded like a great idea, in contrast to the reality of a lone guy flying the thing around and everyone else steering clear). Fat Princess introduced new character classes that completely ruined the game IMO. DLC is a nightmare to balance for unless designed from day one, and I think expanded content in multiplayer is asking for trouble. That kinda confines DLC to extra maps and stuff. Which is okay, nothing wrong with more maps and game modes.

Is it me, or do most DLC game modes go unplayed? In the likes of MAG and Warhawk and Starhawk, new modes introduced (not even DLC) are rarely ever played. It's like extra content is to games what peripherals are to consoles.

Multiplayer DLC is tough because you risk fracturing the community into those with the DLC and those without, especially when you have multiple DLC additions. I've heard Battlefield 3 has some problems with that. I still think their DLC has been very high quality.

 

[-tkf-]

Whoops just bought bikinis for doa5 (free for ps+ users), reason:boobs

 

[BRiT]

I had a metric ton of fun with the DLC I picked up for the following titles:
Borderlands 1
Borderlands 2
Red Dead Redemption
Bioshock 2
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3 (though Graham caused issues at times :rav: )
Assassins Creed 2 (single player campaigns)

The multiplayer DLC for the following were a lot of fun/frustration depending on how the night was going:
Halo 3
Halo Reach

The multiplayer DLC for the following titles I wish I hadn't picked up via the season pass ahead of time (who would have thought they'd have fucked up a Halo title so badly?):
Halo 4

I'm looking forward to going through the DLC for the following titles:
Fallout 3
Fallout New Vegas
Skyrim

 

[Svensk Viking]

Multiplayer DLC is tough because you risk fracturing the community into those with the DLC and those without, especially when you have multiple DLC additions. I've heard Battlefield 3 has some problems with that. I still think their DLC has been very high quality.

Began playing some Halo 3 now during the free live weekend, and got so pissed when I remembered that I can't play some of the game modes anymore because I need all the DLC.

 

[temesgen]

Personally I would prefer to be able to buy the version of the game at retail with all the DLC/expansion packs on the disk. I don't like wasting HD space for content which could be on the disk. GOTY versions of games when available are the ones I go for but I end up waiting because I don't want to spend extra buying piecemeal DLC content. If publishers made the complete edition available on the release date I think a decent percentage of consumers would opt to buy the complete copy.

 

[AzBat]

I have had a lot experiences with DLC this gen, but I assume you're talking about the game adding kind & not the just measly add a skin kind that doesn't add value, but only made things prettier? The latter I can understand but didn't care especially when there were different kinds depending on where you pre-ordered it or depending on the platform. That sucked. Talking about you Batman: Arkham Asylum & Arkham City. Absolutely loved all the Red Dead Redemption DLC. In fact, I think I have it all except maybe one pack. Best value for my money? RDR Undead Nightmare. Absolutely loved that. I wouldn't have cared if was on-disk day 1 & sold as separate DLC either, but in general don't think I'm much of a fan of that. Upset? Not really, can understand it.

DLC that didn't really get off the ground? Kinect Fun Labs & Game Room. Game Room had so much potential. In the end I only really liked one game enough to buy it. I think Rock Band, Guitar Hero & Dance Central were good DLC that wore out its welcome too fast. I'm sure they made lots of money off that content. Wished buying the game DLC would have been tied to Zune music & video content. Missed oppurtunity there.

As for non gaming kind of DLC, I'll be upfront & say yeah I bought my share of it, but most of it was the free kind. Didn't spend a lot of money on avatar items, dashboard themes or game pics, but I did buy some.

One thing I was upset about: not being able to make & sell our own wares on the Marketplace like J Allard promised with Velocity Girl at launch. We did get the ability to make our own 360 games with XNA/Indie Games & that was freaking cool(for those that could do it). Hopefully the new Durango Marketplace is much better for Indies & entrepreneurs alike.

Tommy McClain

 

[orangpelupa]

for me there 2 kinds of good dlc

1. Expansion pack that priced a lot lower than the full game.
2. accessories or cosmetic unlock thing that priced very-very-very-very low.

unfortunately, nowadays for 15 dollar i only got 4 MP map :/
the worst offender is the DLC on japan game like IDOLM@STER series. buying a few song is more expensive than the game itself.

maybe because game is harder and harder to mod, publisher able to sell those thing at expensive price?
nowadays if i want to mod my xbox 360 game i need to hack the console with chips and lots of soldering and i wont be able to connect to live. no way im doing that.
it was much easier on Wii, on PS2

i think Skyrim is a good example of good DLC. It almost feels like an expansion pack and (on pc) i can still use mods to enrich the experience.