It’s been a while since I’ve written an outright rant, but today I woke up to the news that Fallout 3’s DLC will be coming to the PS3 and it just hit me wrong. No, not the fact that the DLC is coming to the PS3; a lot of people figured it probably would. What hit me wrong was the “bird in the hand” mentality of the developers/publishers that go for the “timed exclusivity” deals on multiplatform games. Yeah, I’m looking right at you Bethesda, Rockstar/Take Two, and others…
Keep reading to see why I think they’re slapping us in the face (with piles of their cash)…
For whatever reason, I think most gamers like to believe games are made by gamers for gamers. Largely, I bet you’d find this to be true. The unfortunate reality though is that developers usually make really crappy businessmen so they have other people handle the business aspects of game development. Guess what their priorities are? Yep… making money. They probably couldn’t care less whether they’re selling a Hannah Montana shovelware game or the latest AAA shooter using cutting edge technologies. It’s a product they sell for money and ultimately, that’s where they stop caring.
Multiplatform game development as a practice exists so developers can get their games out to a larger audience (along the way, making more money), so it stands to reason that any game they put out on a platform would and should be equally supported by bugfixes, downloadable content, etc. Reason is apparently trumped by cold hard cash. It’s becoming more and more popular for a multiplatform game to be released (mind you, this means the game engine is already running on multiple platforms…) but when it comes time to release expansion packs or other DLC, there are frequently business contracts to limit which platforms get this content.
The Lost and Damned expansion for Grand Theft Auto IV and the three currently-released Fallout 3 expansions are great examples of high profile DLC exlusive to one platform when the games were multiplatform. Heck, even the “lower than high” profile Tomb Raider Underworld got DLC exclusive to one platform! Knowing that the code is largely already complete and the DLC is comprised mostly (if not entirely) of general resources that can easily be used on other platforms, it’s a slap in the face to the folks that can’t buy the expansion because of the system they own and/or prefer. The only thing keeping you from your content is someone else’s greed. There is no allegiance to you or the platforms they release games on. If enough money is waved in front of their faces, you and your system become collateral damage. Or in other words, another company is paying so your experience is lesser than if you’d chosen their system. When you look at it like that, it’s hard to want to choose them.
Sure, I’m sure there are folks reading this saying “But it’s a business, you can’t blame them for wanting to make money!” but you’re wrong, I can and do blame them. Short of a platform holder paying for complete exclusivity to the game, they’re trying to taint the experience on other platforms. There’s nothing positive about this. They aren’t securing the DLC any earlier (but instead ensuring others see it later or not at all) and it won’t be any better on their platform, the effort is entirely and completely intended to detract from the experience that can be had on competing systems.
When content like this eventually does come out on the platforms that didn’t initially get it, I would encourage everyone to ignore it. If you buy it, you’re telling the developers/publishers that the next time they’re offered the opportunity to sell exclusivity that you’ll still be there to buy it once that time period is up. You’re legitimizing their “bird in the hand” actions AND giving them their “two in the bush” rewards. I would also encourage you guys to write to the developers/publishers that do this in the future and let them know that you don’t appreciate them selling out for timed (or complete) exclusivity on DLC to an otherwise multiplatform game and let them know your intentions to NOT support the DLC if it’s finally released many months later.
Make the game fully exclusive or support it equally across all platforms… nothing more, nothing less. Sound off; what’s your take on system exclusive DLC to multiplatform games?
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Good thoughts Rothy, but that is a hard argument. I want content but a what price? surely not at the price of my fellow gamer
@Juice Pirat: I didn’t say not to buy it on the platform they release it on initially, nobody’d do that… I’m just think if they’re going to toss those other people to the side for 6-12 months, why should they be rewarded with additional sales to those people AFTER the exclusivity contract ends?
Lame, Old news. Saw this announcement at http://www.shamelessplug.com first. And it was a much better written article.
Step it up a gear SG!
uhmm Jamie, I am glad you like our site and al but please don’t be like that.
@Jamie: If you thought that was an “announcement of DLC” article, you clearly didn’t read it.
its a real shame, i got the ps3 version of fallout 3, and played it to death. but because the xbox had all the DLC (and i wasn’t aware it was comming my way) i got very bored and eventually traded in, so thats a loss for them if alot more gamers did the same.
I’m actually just glad they’re releasing the DLC for the PC. Not that it wasn’t already there, the problem was that MS did not sell the PC DLC outside NA and EU.
You make some great points, and hit the head on the Fallout 3 DLC. But GTA IV TLAD was created because MS went to R* and asked them to create DLC that they initially weren’t going to create. MS paid them to create this DLC and therefore own exclusivity rights to the DLC. In my opinion the exclusivity issue is due to developers paying more attention to $$$ then gamers…
Bhouse563: I’ve read what you said, but what happens to that explanation when/if that content comes out on the PS3?
I don’t think MS paid for the creation of the content per se, they paid for the exclusive RIGHTS to it. My money says the content WILL makes its way to the PS3 eventually, even if it’s on a disc.
Game companies have to make money, otherwise there will be no more games. If this is the method they have to employ to do so, then so be it.
It’s a self fulfilling prophecy. Publishers complain about not selling enough on the PS3, then when gamers don’t buy their stuff after it comes out months later, their like “see? told u so”
P.S. I think GTA and Fallout are completely different. Rockstar was basically given a buttload of money, while Bethesda just basically didn’t feel like putting in the effort
Hey, this shows how far Sg has come down when they start editing your comments and moderating opinions.
My earlier comment is not refering to that placeholder URL they’ve put in. But rather it is referring to a site whcih allows people to have an opinion.
http://outoflives.com
Complete and utter disgrace
@Jamie: LOL, I didn’t “moderate your opinion”, I removed your URL when you blatantly pimped YOUR site having clearly not read the article here.
Comments exist to discuss the articles here, not to criticize the article for being late and pointing to yours.
And as I pointed out before, the article wasn’t an “announcement of the Fallout 3 DLC” at all.
If you want to pimp your site, hit Digg.com or N4G.com… my guess is YOUR site’s article wasn’t first either… not that being first really matters. Complete and utter disgrace?!?! LOL, now THAT’S rich!
I apologize for their actions Rothbart, more might be coming, I am trying to convince them to not try and act immature.
I’ve got something for you to chew on rothbart. Who’s to say they were influenced completely by money? What if they chose the to release the DLC on the console that is easier to develop for and has a much larger online install base?
If I were Bethesda I would want to get my first DLC out the door as soon as possible, which means devoting all of my DLC-creating resources to one platform. And between the two platforms, 360 is the obvious choice. Then once you have the DLC out on that system you can work on porting it to the other system.
Now I’m not saying there wasn’t money from Microsoft influencing their decision (because we all know there was), I’m just saying that may not have been the only factor involved in the decision to do staggered DLC releases.
@ Sean RothBart
I’d have prefered you to delete the comment rather than moderate it to make it look like im linking to a completely irrelevant site.
Its fair to delete opinions. But not to change them.
Let by-gones be by-gones. I’ll be off now.
@Yousty: but the game engine’s are already written and you’ve just got level data, models, sound, textures… if the developer is worth anything, those are almost entirely cross platform compatible. I could see a month or two TOPS if your proposal was correct, but not as long as it’s been and I certainly wouldn’t call the delay a “staggered release”.
I just have a hard time seeing the dev push the ENTIRE GAME out simultaneously on multiple platforms and then have issues where they need to stagger the DLC releases… Even if part of the team is already working on their next IP, it seems like the hard work’s already been done by that point.
@rothbart
I definitely agree that in this case the 6 months or whatever it took them to bring the DLC to the PS3 was due to Microsoft putting down some money, but I definitely don’t see timed exclusivity DLC going away anytime soon. Microsoft or Sony will always be ready with their check books tempting developers of AAA titles to give their console an edge over the other one. I do, however, have a feeling that the time between release on the two platforms will become much shorter as developers realize waiting 6 months after a game comes out to release DLC is an awful idea because in this day and age most gamers play a game for a month at tops and then move on to something newer.
I have a feeling you’ll get your wish and Bethesda will realize it might not have been worth all the money Microsoft gave them to delay the PS3 DLC this long. So in the future they’ll take a little less money to shorten up the time between exclusivity.
@Yousty: I’m not a Fallout 3 player (I hear I’m missing out on an excellent game) but I wouldn’t buy Lost and Damned now for entirely different reasons… GTA IV won’t play reliably for me on the PS3 and I’ve lost all gumption to play it. It’s really odd because it’s the ONLY game that ever hangs on my PS3 and I’ve even bought other Rockstar Games (Midnight Club LA runs like a champ… and is a blast!)
Maybe if someone GAVE me the game on the 360 I’d play it, but I’m not spending another dime on GTA IV. They took my excitement for the game and excruciatingly sucked all the fun out by slowly patching bugs and ultimately not getting them all. I’m not inclined to think there’s an issue with my PS3.
As for your comment about folks like Bethesda learning… I hope so, but you never know. I mean Oblivion came out what, a YEAR later on the PS3 and from what I understand, it sold pretty well.
I just generally hate the bastard child of exclusive and multiplatform… make it one or the other, not some halfling. Damn, maybe I should’ve put that line in the article… LOL
i think it’s stupid. Becasue most develpors choose to let DLC expand on the storyline it means that whomever the DLC isn’t made for are esstinatly missing parts of the story. Even though i would like DLC just for the PS3 to be honest it would be better if they just made DLC for multiplatform games for ALL the platforms that put the game on
timed exclusivity deals are wrong. Also has anyone ever noticed that it only ever seems to effect sony/PS3 Gamers? I reckon it sounds as if microsoft came up with the whole idea! Also GTA IV is coming to the PS3 soon but according to games master (UK Gaming mag) only when the timed exclusivity deal stops. If you want to get back at rockstar let them ban manhunt 3 if it comes out, those games only survive due to it’s fans complaining.
@Jamie: just wanted to note that your the one that crossed the line here. Telling an editor on sacastic gamer their late then linking us to another gaming site that you consider better? So sean was just going to sit back and allow you to do that was he?
Not only or you rude your also a fricken idiot! Don’t want your comments edited? How about in the future you have a little more respect for the people who bring you these articles fricken retard…..
sorry i hate it when people get all high and mighty! *looks down and notices where he is* crud! i’ve gone all high and mighty as well! I DON’T EVEN KNOW ME ANY MORE! >_<
Great rant man, totally agree with what you’re saying and would love to just ignore this to make a point but…..it’s Fallout 3 (feckin game of the year makin’ me have double standards!).
If it was any other game (including GTA), I would love to ignore it but when I read that Fallout was going to be getting all the previously released DLCs (4-6 weeks apart), I literally shit myself.
Too good to pass up, sorry
I say Sarcastic Gamer leads another boycott. Next time DLC is coming out like the Fallout 3 DLC, boycott it. Not only boycotting it but boycotting the game as well. Sure most people will have bought the game already but boycotting the game and the DLC that is coming out for one platform will make them take notice and hopefully release both at the same time or make them think twice about the next time a developer releases DLC.
You can blame devs all day if you want but I wont.
Its legitimate business tactics get used to it or get a new hobby