The DLC Row – Part 2
I blogged a while back about EA’s rip-off DLC with Need for Speed: Undercover, and it looks like they’ve done it again. The Godfather II is going to be released soon (albeit delayed for “marketing reasons”) and I was looking forward to buying it. However, news emerged that less than two weeks after the game is released, 3 DLC packs will be released for the game, at a total of 800MSP if you buy all of them.
The DLC includes two new maps, a new character, and a pack of ‘Level 4′ weapons. These are the most powerful in the game and can only be obtained through this DLC. They will also be allowed for use online. This is another sell-out of their gamers by EA, as if they hadn’t already done it enough.
The first problem with this DLC is that it is being released so soon after the game launched. This is content which otherwise would have been included into the main game, and so holding it back and selling it on the game’s release is unfair on the gamer and begs the question whether or not this game should be bought in the first place. Also, is this content actually included on the disk, and just ‘unlocked’ with a small file when the DLC is bought?
The second problem is that these ‘Level 4′ weapons are making the game completely unfair online. Suppose I am someone who doesn’t want to buy the DLC, does that mean I should be at a disadvantage if I play the game I bought online? DLC should just enhance the gameplay and add new things – it should be optional to the gamer whether it is bought or not.
The game itself looks great, but I don’t think it’s right that the gamer is being exploited again. Who knows how much else EA are going to milk it for? If I buy this game, will I be forced to cough up every time they bring out a new level of weapons just so I can play on a level playing field online? What do you think?