Bringing the video game market online proved to be both a successful and lucrative business move for video games companies. Developers showed that games didn't just end with the hardcopy release but could be expanded upon to further enhance one's gameplay experience. Through either patches to fix bugging issues with gameplay or simply expanding the story, the developers showed that buying the game wasn't all they were able to do. This development was simply incredible. Before consoles going online building expansions to games were virtually impossible without the aid of the internet. It was only within the last 10 years or so that game developers were really able to continue developing games after their initial release so the pressure was on to make everything perfect. The only other way we could get any content related to the same game we wanted was waiting for a sequel and we all know how most of those turn out... *cough* Bioshock 2 *cough* Releasing a new game isn't necessarily a bad thing though as sometimes there are new things developers want to add to the core that simply can't be done without redoing the whole game, and sometimes DLC just isn't enough. The big issue I think comes with the constant creation of both of these options and why sometimes, it's not such a bad idea to slow things down a bit and enjoy the ride of success.
DLC however is amazing. I love the fact that nothing has to end with games that are huge hits. Developers can add as much as they want with these installments and it does wonders for a game. Dark Souls' DLC was incredible and I loved every minute of it. Being that no game really needs to end gives a near endless amount of opportunity to really take the game as far as it can be taken. There is of course a massive downside. DLC also comes in the forms of the useless bunch with cosmetics that do little more than to make you stand out. While I'm all for decorating my favorite characters in funky special costumes, I can't say I'm a fan of alllllll the crap that is offered by companies for a price. Remember when earning costumes and extra stuff used to mean something? I do... Final Fantasy XIV just launched their online store where you can pay real money for in game content. They are charging $24 for a special mount. I'm sorry but I don't think having that mount wouldn't qualify as anything other than sad...
In the 90's I grew up with having to wait quite a bit for a game sequel to come out before it did. I scoured Nintendo Power in search of any info on when Majora's Mask would officially release, getting nothing but lame screenshots to satisfy my palette until the game's release. While utterly painful to wait for, the demand for the game really just made me want the game even more, and you can be damn sure I played the crap out of it when it came out. Lately I feel like most gaming companies strive for a new game as often as Apple is popping out a new iPhone. We've got more than our fair share of Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed titles, people. Is a new version really needed right now? According to Activision and Ubisoft, yes. Yes it is. While I'm definitely not one to argue for more video games, I honestly feel a bit overwhelmed at the frequent supply of games out there. My pockets aren't horribly deep, so I like to feel I need to pick and choose my decisions carefully when it comes to my next game title. I need to do my homework, see if it's really something I want to invest my time in and then make the purchase after thinking long and hard. I need to be wooed before these pants come off. Say what you will, I have my dignity and self respect. So it's kind of hard to base my decision on a franchise when they've got a new game coming out once a year, especially where it's an online game. Sorry Call of Duty, this is one guy who's not going to fall for your smooth moves.
Either way between all the constant DLC that comes out with every game or the constant releases of new games every year, I can't seem to figure out which is the bigger enemy. What do you guys think?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment