Former BioWare employee steps in to defend Mass Effect 3's day one DLC
Capcom isn't the only company getting in trouble with gamers over DLC as of late, as many Mass Effect fans were outraged to learn that the "From Ashes" DLC pack for Mass Effect 3 would be released on launch day for 800 MS points/$9.99.
Former BioWare designer Christina Norman (currently employed by Riot Games) responded to the outcry at GDC and Shack News was on hand to report it.
Here's her response in it's entirety:
While she definitely makes a strong argument, I think she may have missed the point. While I and many other gamers are more than happy to buy DLC in order to further support a great product, when DLC becomes available as early as launch day, we can't help feel a tad suspicious that we're being ripped off by purchasing content that seemingly could have been available on the disc we had just paid $60+ for.
We (or most of us anyway) are not raising complaints about the sheer existence of DLC. We're raising concerns about paying extra to unlock content that appears as if it could have already been available in the game.
Well, that's my two cents anyway. I'd like to hear your opinion g1s. Do you think she makes a valid point? Or do you see nothing redeemable about day one DLC?
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g1 DISCUSSIONS
darkhyrulelord
I laughed when she said that "some are evil". >: )
Also, Conway is right. If you can release DLC on day one, then why NOT put it on the disc? We are already paying a ton for it!
ChuckZ85
"From Ashes" really didn't need to be "Day One" DLC, in my opinion. I'll grant you, it gave you an interesting additional character, but it wasn't really ground-breaking to the game or anything.
I get that the former Bio-Ware employee is just sticking up for her business and former employer, to a certain degree, but don't talk down to fans like this.
DLC is a fine thing in a lot of ways, but when you gotta post it on the day of a games' initial release, it certainly raises a few red flags and gets people thinking "why?" On a side note, how come this game didn't get held back an extra month or so, because there are some rather odd technical issues in the game that could use a touch up and not just a lazy patch made a few weeks later.
Link
Also, I just wanted to say, instead of people bitching about this DLC crap, maybe they should be bitching about: - A glitch that relocks all the Multiplayer content you've unlocked, and in effect canceling out any money you've spent on the Multiplayer content via the unlockable boxes you can purchase. - A glitch that prevents you from importing the face of your ME1 character if you imported them into ME2 instead of making one in ME2 (sloppy coding.) - A glitch that can reset your Shepard to "vanilla" in the middle of your game, effectively negating all your hours of gameplay.
There's so much BETTER stuff to actually be pissed about, rather than the same old same old "nickle and diming" complaint. I mean, they have a poorly coded game with major game breaking oversights, just like they did with Dragon Age: Awakening. How do people not have issue with this stuff instead?!
Atomic_Tomato
Honestly, we all knew they were going to release DLC eventually, so the only difference with this is that we can buy it sooner rather than later.
AldricW
dlc on disc is a distrobution method. dlc on disc that's integral to the story/main plot, now that's what is sheer balls. I think the catwoman dlc is the best...her missions were all on the side, in a "meanwhile at twoface's courthouse/strange's vault" scenarios. That's what is appropriate, dlc should be addons/extras, not severed parts of the main game. think of it as a sugery...the doctor sowes you back up after you just paid 5k in bills to have penis lengthening sugery...and he's like "oh for an extra 1k you can get this nice cosmetic add on"...not, "oh for an extra 1k you get a missing testicle back."
Kenshiro3
If that is the case he should answer one simple question. Since the CONTENT IN ITS ENTIRETY is on the disk, why is it being sold as DLC at all? All that says is we are locking parts of the game away to make you pay extra for. How exactly can he defend that?
SierraFoxtrot
First, it's a she. Second, it's being sold as DLC because it's optional content a.k.a. you don't need to download it to complete the game. They are not locking parts of the game, they are locking bonus content that you may purchase at your discretion. I've said it below and I'll say it again: you do NOT need to download the "From Ashes" DLC to get the full Mass Effect 3 experience. You think you're getting ripped off and there really isn't anything wrong with that. You have a right to voice your opinion but seriously, it's one piece of DLC.
Kenshiro3
considering they went on record saying it was developed AFTER the game was finished? And given its completely integrated into the story itself as well as its outcome, ending, & branches of the game itself? No. I could say what they effect but let me put it this way, they are uberspoilers that would get me lynched for posting. Read the Article and you'll understand what i am talking about. You are being ripped off when you are being forced to pay access to content which is on the disk you ALREADY which you BOUGHT! Yes it is one piece of DLc that has a MAJOR effect on the overall game & its narrative branches. It cuts out/adds a CENTRAL character from arguably the MOST important race in Mass Effect Lore, Protheans Who's effects directly influence the outcomes for 2 Races.
penisbutterpussycutter
the vid on yt is epic btw. :D
Solid Serpent
She is assuming that the backlash is towards the quality of the DLC when it is not. It's causing an upset because the content was very likely excluded from the retail release just to score $10 more from consumers who want the full-experience in an underhanded way. "Stop thinking you're a producer" is a pretentious assessment when the arguments are more attributable to a customer who feels like he/she got cheated rather than a producer whose mind is focused on increasing sales.