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David Jaffe: On-disc DLC doesn't matter if you enjoyed the game |
Listed in: News Tags: David Jaffe

David Jaffe has an interesting take on the issue of on-disc downloadable content. See, some companies have taken to locking on-disc content so that they can release -- and sometimes even sell -- unlock codes later on. A number of gamers have cried foul over this practice, but Jaffe thinks it should't really matter that much if they enjoyed the original game in the first place.
Here's an excerpt of a Jaffe interview with MaxConsole:
Discussing gamers 'frustrations' of DLC on disc, Jaffe provided an interesting viewpoint. He noted that it shouldn’t really matter if the DLC is on the disc, so long as the gamer has been totally satisfied form the moment they purchased the game. Drawing on a third party example, he produced an interesting metaphor between DLC and McDonalds. For example, you wouldn’t walk into McDonalds and get annoyed that you paid for a Big Mac and then see even more burgers on the grill. This is because you would be happy with the Big Mac and the value it represents.
Essentially, if you are happy with your initial purchase, then it shouldn’t matter how the DLC gets to gamers. There are many benefits of it being on the disc such as lower costs. Again, Jaffe was very keen to stress that the priority is customer satisfaction from the START of their purchase.
Remember, it's an opinion, so the Twisted Metal creator isn't necessarily wrong. As for me, I think the metaphor just doesn't apply. Sticking to the Big Mac analogy, gamers arent being annoyed by seeing all the other Big Macs on the grill. They don't like the fact that they aready paid for the Big Mac in full but they're being kept from eating the second patty.
Also, how can you stay happy with the original purchase when you find out that you paid full price for what is essentially a gimped version of the game? The fact that the DLC is on disc but you're being kept from accessing it should make a big difference if it's a full priced game.
Sound off in the comments below or by heading to the QJ.NET fourms.
Via [MaxConsole]
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That's like charging me extra for ketchup on my burger, and they lift the patty to show you the ketchup was already there, to continue the McDonalds analogy
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You know whats funny, Mcdonalds now charges for ALL extra condiments on their sandwiches, Lol.
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You will have to pay for that content one way or another. Having it on the disc however, might make the content a wee bit cheaper for you.
See, if you have to download a 700MB expansion for your game, this 700MB will take up bandwidth, and this bandwidth will have to be paid by someone. Because of these bandwidth costs, the price of the DLC pack will, stated by some economic rules, rise. This means that having to download the DLC instead of an unlocker might make your DLC more expensive in the long run.
Tl:Dr
Developers will get you to pay for that DLC, whether its on the disc or waiting on the servers for your download, you are going to pay for it, one way or another.
Whining about it, trying to sue people for it, will only effect GAMERS in a negative way in the long run.
Although if you ask me, DLC as a whole as already had a way too negative effect on the games industry...
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If you were to go to McDonalds, ordered and paid for a Happy Meal... only to find out that the Fries in the box aren't included until a month down the line, and you have to pay an extra $1 for it, that would be the proper analogy.
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Okay, fine. I am. But you're all bastards. The ketchup's free but not the mayo? Ugh!
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Except its not like that.
Its more like having to pay extra to each the ketchup thats already in your big mac.
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I have not seen any reasonable price for quality DLCs except for Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare.
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Sure, I'm happy with the Big Mac the way I ate it but I don't like that McD's transferred the burden of holding onto the third patty to me. Sure, it's cheaper for McD's to give it to me now instead of storing the extra patties but that's just being a tease.
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1. if it goes to gamestop used you save money.
2. you don't have to wait for it to download.
3. same as 2 but if the online dlc is messed up during download you cannot used it as you'll get corrupted error message happen to me a few times already.
4. if your online account gets messed up (like gettingh banned for no reason Microsoft)you don't have to worry about the stuff you paid for already.
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DLC's give more life to the game, Jaffe.
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1. Jaffe is an idiot
2. more reason to hate DLC
3. Twisted metal is going to have a ton of on disk DLC.
so what does this mean to him and me. Simply put i wont be purchasing your game Mrs err Mr Jaffe even tho i love twisted metal
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However, his analogy on McDonalds is totally off.
In his analogy, I buy a game and basically hear that they are producing a sequel.
I enjoy the burger I eat, thus the next one will probably taste as good.
As a consumer, I probably buy another. Unless I am full.
In a TRUE on-disc DLC analogy....
I go to McDonalds and order a Big Mac.
I am eating my Big Mac that I paid for, when suddenly I notice a LARGE FRIES at the bottom of my bag.
Hmmm... interesting, those look tasty!!
I go to pick them up and eat them, when suddenly a McDonalds employee grabs my shoulder and says "NOT SO FAST!".
"Those look good don't they??" he says.
Then before I can respond, he demands "That will be an additional $4, sir".
If McDonalds did this to it's customers, NO ONE would eat there.
If I want fries with my meal, I will order them thanks.
But don't sell me a Big Mac, call it an "Extra Value Meal" and then pawn off french fries and other "side dishes" as if they shouldn't be included with my meal in the first place.
No one is interested in paying $18 for a McDonalds "Value Meal" piece by piece, and likewise no one should be interested in paying $120 for a game that should be $40 tops.
If you want more money, sell higher value food/games.
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IS WHEN IT IS FREE!!!
If you want to time delay some content GREAT! Good on you.
On-disc DLC is a great way to do just that.
But when you want to charge twice for something that was developed well within the original cycle and happens to fit on the disc, and then you want to charge more on top of the $59.99 that was outrageous in the first place....
NO THANKS.
Try dropping your crappy B-rate game that scored less than 70 Meta, down to a $40.00 price tag and including a FULL Discs worth of material....
then I might feel like paying for DLC is a worthwhile endeavor.
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Fallout 3 + all DLC would cost about $120 if you got it on launch day, but now you can buy it new with everything for $30 new.
Dragon Age Origins + DLC, another round of $120+, now on sale for $47 new.
It's great to say you should be happy with what you get, but they can't expect people to not see that they are getting the very short end of the stick with the current pricing.
For myself, I've moved into either waiting to see if a GotY edition comes out 9-12 months after, or at least a price drop hits before buying because I'm tired of feeling like I get the short end of the stick.
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This DLC issue is one of the reasons I buy almost all my games used from eBay or Amazon, where they are very cheap, so I never feel cheated. I have never bought DLC and would probably only buy it if it is really worth it. You really wouldn't know if a game is worth the money until you have played it, and I would not like to pay a lot of money for a game and find out it is only really worth the price with a couple of more DLCs which I would have to pay for.
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You know, just how mcdonalds works, buy just the burger its cheaper than the meal. Instead of paying the price of the meal and still only getting the burger.
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I would like to say I'm exaggerating, but the amount of tolerance from the gamers toward the on disc DLC issue makes me think that it will actually happen.
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It SHOULDN'T be on the disc and called DLC.
DLC comes SEPARATE AFTER the game is finished and sold.
They just suck bigtime if they want you to pay for something you already have.
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It isn't an improvement to keep the game alive; it's a scam.
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What a ridiculous statement!
....... And ridiculous metaphor
On disc DLC is a theft and an outrage
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it's like all the people who bought GTA and never bothered actually playing the story missions (or all the sidequests) because they only wanna run around & kill people.
or people who buy halo just to play online and never play the story.
or people who buy rock band/guitar hero and never play online, or never use the music studio.
games have more & more features that tend to go by the wayside based on player preference - should they start charging for us to download the ability to play online or use some of these features?
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Another "acceptable" dlc on-disc is for example:
Stone cold for SvR2011. EXCLUSIVE to the Xbox360 version of the game. if thq releasesit on the PSP/PS2/PS3 later that would be fine, but it was made to be exclusive and special fronm the start
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The best content I have seen are the ones for GTA4, RDR, and Bad company2(vietna m pack)
Peace
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