Hey Bioware, what's up with all the free DLC?

[Sean Hollyman]

So Mass Effect 3 so far has had a bunch of DLCs so far, the bulk of which have been multiplayer expansions.

Not that I'm complaining, but jut curious, as to why Bioware has realeased all of the Multiplayer DLC, and the Extended Cut, free of charge?

you have been sheltered by the disaster that the mass effect 3 ending was, i suppose.

just use the search function and type in mass effect 3 ending fail.

Ohohohoho I know too well about the disaster of Mass Effect 3's ending. It just doesn't bother me as much as other people.
It makes sense that they'd release the EC free, though.

 

[shintakie10]

Truth be told I'm surprised I haven't heard about South Korea bannin ME3 because of its multiplayer. Wasn't the whole reason they fought so hard against Blizzard was the whole "The AH is gambling!" aspect despite the argument bein horribly flawed bullshit that had no truth to it at all?

The Mass Effect 3 multiplayer literally is, by the definition they tried to use for D3, online gambling. You pay real money with no guarantee of what you will actually get.

Oh yeah, on topic. The reason for all the free multiplayer dlc is the same reason people keep makin f2p games or why farmville was such a cash cow. You give a low barrier to entry (in this case buy the game get all the updates for free), allow people to progress without spendin money but make it a brutal grind with no end in sight, then dangle the carrot in front of them of bein able to speed up the grind.

ME3 is probably the only time I've seen a company take the approach in a different direction though. Instead of allowin people to actually progress how they want they allow people to spend real money on the chance that they might progress what they want to and not pick up somethin that is completely useless to them.

 

[SomebodyNowhere]

While "damage control" is the most likely answer, I think one should also consider that ME2 also had a load of free DLC through the Cerberus Network before they started to release priced DLC.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

anc[is]

There is also no problem comparing to LoL, since the random part is part of the product. I can go for a specific hero in LoL with IP or with RP, you can only random in ME no matter if you pay or not. I want to point Diablo 3 as one of the few games where you can go around the random element by paying. That doesn't really make it better imo.

Unless you're just trying to say you don't mind it, this makes no sense. "Being random isn't a problem because its random" isn't a reason, it's the problem.

No

"Being random isn't a problem because its random" is not even close to what I am saying.

The Random element is the product.

Wether or not I have a problem with it is besides the point. It is still a better position as a customer to be able to get the product without paying.

That you dont like the product is your personal preference. Still doesn't change that I am in a better position with the ME 3 DLC as a customer. I can get the same thing as the paying customer without paying.

Now you're saying even less. You could make the same argument if the unlock system had any kind of structure. Play X number of games or spend in game credits to unlock the Geth, or just buy him with real money. You can get the same thing as a paying customer without paying, except both players actually get to play with what they want. "The Random element is the product." Yea I know that, and it serves no purpose.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

So you have a problem with the random element.

Ok

I dont have a problem with the random element in any other game. Not in TF2 not in this one. I dont have a problem with it when they make part of the gameplay wether it is to encourage pay or play.

You do ok. And that is alright. I am assuming you have this problem with random drops in TF2 as well. But just like me not having a problem with it, it is Still besides the point. Its the the point I am trying to make.

You are still in a better position as a customer since it is the same product no matter if you pay or not. Only difference is how fast it is served to you. That is what I am saying. Not "Being random isn't a problem because its random". That is a strawman.

So I was right the first time, you're just saying you don't mind it. Fair enough. I guess our points just weren't really related. Or something, I dunno. I'm done, no hard feelings.

 

[The Heik]

In the end we have more power as a customer than even before. We dont have to pay anything to enjoy the product, but we can pay money to get served product at a faster rate.

Bullshit.

Paying for content in ME3's does not make it easier to unlock said content. The equipment packs are completely random, with the thing you want having equal chances of popping up 1 pack from now or a 100 packs from now. The best example I can give you of this is that both me and a friend of mine played ME3's multiplayer for approximately the same duration and number of games (give or take a dozen or two). He's not that much of a hardcore gamer, so he stuck mainly to bronze missions and never used MS points to buy packs directly. Yet somehow he managed to unlock each and every single weapon and class in the game. Now conversely I'm a bit more challenge oriented than my friend, and about half of the ME3 multiplayer games I've played are silver level or higher, and due to my short patience in regards to unlocking things I've (much to my regret in hindsight) bought quite a few MS points worth of Veteran and Spectre packs to get the unlocks I want. And yet, I have barely made it past the 60% mark on the number of unlocks the game contains (and only 50% of the ones that I want).

Any game in which this sort of thing can happen is fundamentally BROKEN. I can understand that random chance means that one will not always get just what they want, but when I actually pay to get more content yet somehow get substantially less than someone else who hasn't paid a cent, then the developers (and in this case the publishers too) should be sat down and beaten with the stupid stick until they learn a bit of basic sense.

 

[Spartan212]

If I remember correctly, ME2 had single player DLC a few months after the initial release. "Kasumi Stolen Memory", that added the 2nd DLC character. Then they released more DLC over the next two(?) years. Some of it was silly, I can't imagine paying $2.99 for some character skins, but the new single player missions were fun enough.

After the way they structured the endings of ME3, I've been wondering what BioWare has planned for single player DLC. The Extended Cut was an improvement over the released product, but didn't modify the game play or change the ending in a significant manner. Given the way it ended, I don't see advantage to DLC unless it really adds more story/gameplay elements. Just adding missions that give you more war resources won't actually impact the game after a certain point.

Maybe they could create a mission where once you complete it, your galactic readiness won't slowly drift back down to 50%?)

I've heard rumors of DLC for retaking Omega, but what could they reward you with that it would make it worth paying money for? BioWare said they weren't adding more characters... At this point, I don't think BioWare is going to do more single player DLC, it feels like they're focused on multi-player as the "post-ending" strategy.

Bioware confirmed Retake Omega and The Leviathan of Dis at Comic Con last week as far as single player DLC. Jessica Meritzan also said that there will be a lot more that that. I would assume that all of it would be pre-ending because when you beat the game, it reloads your Shepard to the point right before you go to TIM's base.

While "damage control" is the most likely answer, I think one should also consider that ME2 also had a load of free DLC through the Cerberus Network before they started to release priced DLC.

That DLC was only available to people who bought the game new. While it technically was free, it was their attempt to hinder the used game market

 

[phatty500]

why are we all such cynical assholes that if a developer wants to give us something free we immediatly start looking for ulterior motives and such.

 

[Jandau]

Damage control. Bioware's reputation is hitting an all time low and soon enough the brand won't be able to sell stuff as well as it did before.

Dragon Age was a well received game. Mass Effect 2, despite some flaws, also did great and was an awesome game. Then it all started to go downhill. Dragon Age 2 was a mess. There are various theories as to what went wrong, and I personally subscribe to the idea that staff and funding were being shifted to TOR and left the DA2 team with insufficient resources to do the game properly so quite a few corners had to be cut. Then TOR came out, it got a mediocre reception. It wasn't a bad game, it just wasn't worth the hype and failed in some key aspects as an MMO (unresponsive controls, no endgame, etc.) and likely failed to even return the investment (it was hailed as the most expensive game ever made), much less turn a single cent of profit

So both TOR and DA2 underperformed, both critically and commercially. They weren't terrible, but DA2 paled in comparison to the first game and TOR failed to meet any expectations, either from the consumers or from the publisher.

Then comes Mass Effect 3, which was plagued by controversial business decisions even before release (the Day 1 DLC Prothean and all that). The game itself is awesome, but was topped off by the terrible ending and the ensuing shitstorm eclipsed any quality the game might have had. The sales were likely solid, but there was still damage dome to the brand name.

So it's time for damage control. ME3 is being provided with free DLC (though as others have pointed out, the "free" part is up for debate) and they are trying to breathe life back into TOR (good luck with that). In the past few years Bioware has managed to lose a lot of the brand loyalty and goodwill that they built up over the previous decade.

One could argue that it's all EA's fault, that they made them do the things that pissed people off. Maybe, maybe not. But it's still Bioware's name on the products and they share the blame.

Let's just hope that this damage control extends further than some free DLC and that future Bioware products benefit as a result of the lessons learned in the past years...

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

why are we all such cynical assholes that if a developer wants to give us something free we immediatly start looking for ulterior motives and such.

It's not a developer. It's Bioware, a company owned by EA. Therefore, they can't possibly care about the fans. That's why they spent time and money to attempt to improve the ending, charging the fans nothing. Because Bioware hates the fans, and is thumbing its nose at us, while being controlled by the devilish EA.

Yeah.

 

[Jarek Mace]

why are we all such cynical assholes that if a developer wants to give us something free we immediatly start looking for ulterior motives and such.

It's not a developer. It's Bioware, a company owned by EA. Therefore, they can't possibly care about the fans. That's why they spent time and money to attempt to improve the ending, charging the fans nothing. Because Bioware hates the fans, and is thumbing its nose at us, while being controlled by the devilish EA.

Yeah.

They gave us a slideshow to fix an ending that was BROKEN, not bad, but BROKEN. It didn't fix it, it filled in a few cracks in the broken ending, but it's still broken.

They then give us a crap-ton of multiplayer DLC, which is funny because very few purchased Mass Effect for the multiplayer. Even better, all this is designed to get people to gamble more money. If they're ever so benevolent then why did they have on-disc DLC and charge extortionate prices single player DLC that is sub-par at best.

 

[Maeshone]

Everyone who thinks this has anything to do with damage control really needs to rethink. It's quite obvious that the MP DLC is "free" is because Mass Effect multiplayer is very niche. Having to buy the maps and DLC would only split the community and kill it off way to rapidly, something that THQ also needs to learn btw, so the maps are free, and garantueed, for everyone who downloads the free DLC.

Their money comes from the supply packs, which can be bought with real money. Since they are random, if Bioware keeps adding more content, the less likely it is for a player to get what he wants with the credits saved up from in game, and so there's a larger chance that he'll spend some real money to get a bunch of packs immediately rather than play the two or three silver matches it takes to afford the larger packs with a bigger chance for goodies.

So, it's basically all about the money and has nothing to do with damage control. The EC was damage control, the MP DLC, not so much (or at all really).

They gave us a slideshow to fix an ending that was BROKEN, not bad, but BROKEN. It didn't fix it, it filled in a few cracks in the broken ending, but it's still broken.

They then give us a crap-ton of multiplayer DLC, which is funny because very few purchased Mass Effect for the multiplayer. Even better, all this is designed to get people to gamble more money. If they're ever so benevolent then why did they have on-disc DLC and charge extortionate prices single player DLC that is sub-par at best.

Dude, opinions. You thought the ending was broken, I didn't, I just wanted more closure. Doesn't make me less right than you are.

I agree about the multiplayer DLC though, which is why I only spend money on it if I have some to spare after another XBL purchase.

As for on disc DLC, files for Kasumi as also found on the original ME2 disc, but noone kicked up a shitstorm over that. As for the pricing, it's pretty standard rate actually, Dawnguard was 1600 pts for about 4 hours of story content and a bunch of new sidequests, while CoD charges 1200 pts for 4 maps, most of which are rehashes.

 

[mrdude2010]

So Mass Effect 3 so far has had a bunch of DLCs so far, the bulk of which have been multiplayer expansions.

Not that I'm complaining, but jut curious, as to why Bioware has realeased all of the Multiplayer DLC, and the Extended Cut, free of charge?

because they're not greedy fuckheads like Infinity Ward.

Well, I mean, they are, because they're owned by EA, but less so.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Did you not see the amount of both rightful and entitled whining that went on? The multiplayer is penance, and if they had charged for the extended cut, there would have been blood. This, son, is what is called damage control--they're trying to maintain and regain some love from the public. Between the Dragon Age 2 debacle and the way the Mass Effect 3 ending got FUBAR'd, any more SNAFUs on their part will pretty much bring their house down.

 

[srm79]

Can't complain, the multiplayers solid, and the games fucking awesome. I only just started playing it, and i have no idea what to expect from the ending as I have avoided all exposure to it. I'm in the middle of my complete Mass Effect trilogy run. and yes, it was hard.

I wish you better luck than I had. Damn curiosity won out before I realized what I was doing.

It's not easy. I just made it to the end of my first playthrough of ME2 & 3 (PS3 here, so no ME1) and this is literally the first ME3 thread I have read since the game came out.

 

[Hugh Wright]

Surprised no one has thought of the financial benefits of the free DLC of EA/Bioware.
Once most people finished the game it would be unlikely that they would pop the disc back in, as there are other games to play.
The fewer people playing the game, the few people buying the paid DLC when it comes out.
Therefore these free DLC and the weekend missions, keep the game fresh and in peoples consoles (or higher on the start menu) and more likely to purchase the paid DLC, and equipment packs.
If you look at the speed and regularity of these free DLC packs it is more likely they were planned from the start, so I doubt that it is damage control (that was the EC)

 

[The Heik]

And you are making the same friggan strawman I have spend 5 post stomping out. The random element is part of the product.

You dont like that?

Fine!

You are still better off than are in Dungeon Defenders, Torchlight, Diablo, just about every MMO ect.

I did not make the argument that the random element puts you in a better position as a customer. I said that there is no difference between product you get as a non-paying customer and as a paying customer. Only the rate witch you receive it.

You starting going "bullshit" and then following up with a strawman flaunts your bloody ignorance. I dont want to go through 5 posts again to defend a point no one made.

And you flaunt your ignorance by completely missing my point. I was trying to point out about how putting such a HUGE random element into the primary advancement system of the game (especially when actually monetary funds are tied into it) is an absolutely terrible design. The whole process is like a blind hog looking for acorns. There is no clear goal or objectives for the player to strive for, so trying to get a new weapon or a character you like has no reliable rate of appearance, thereby diminishing any desire to continue the game. When I stopped playing ME3's multiplayer I was STILL waiting on the Black Widow sniper rifle, Sabre battle rifle, Eagle Pistol, and so many more things to grace my armory, yet I had a dozen high level shotguns and SMGs despite the fact that I barely ever used because my play style almost completely excluded their characteristics. I couldn't play half of the multiplayer content because it was locked behind random chance, while most of the other half was almost useless to me unless I used a style that I did not enjoy playing. Had this been any other shooter (4eg CoD4) I would have already unlocked every last weapon and perk by that point and would now have been free to experiment and refine my play style as I saw fit, which would have increased my enjoyment of it by a pretty substantial margin.

At least in Diablo and Dungeon Defender you could swap loot with other players or buy equipment off the markets if you considered the price was worth what you wanted. Heck, even with their random elements you were at least given a general guarantee that what you got would be a higher tier than what you started out with. In Mass Effect though you are LITERALLY gambling with your money (whether it be real or in game). This is akin to going to a casino to win your rent for the month. It's unreliable and rarely rewarding, and it just makes people grind the game with no clear goal in sight. No one except the greedy bastards at EA could seriously think that this is a good way to unlock content. It's a system that directly conflicts with a player's capability to enjoy it and advance in it, and it honestly ruined what I would have otherwise considered a generally decent co-op mode.