Settling an argument on DLC

[Rayne870]

I had an interesting argument with a coworker of mine a few minutes ago, when I stated that the Krieg DLC character was available today for Borderlands 2 he made the argument that a playable character is not DLC. His point was that a new playable zone is DLC.

So I ask fellow Escapist, gamers, and friends, what defines DLC for you?

For me it is content that extends play time through changing the experience, this can be done through playable zones, added missions, or playable characters, essentially things that would make me want to play the game more because they do add more to play.


Also please don't fill this up with complaints about the season pass, it really did state it was covering four mission pack type DLCs.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

What does DLC stand for? DownLoadable Content

What is a new character? Content. How do you get it? By downloading.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

[DementedSheep]

What does DLC stand for? DownLoadable Content

What is a new character? Content. How do you get it? By downloading.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

That^
It may or may not be worthwhile DLC but it's still DLC.

 

[DoPo]

What does DLC stand for? DownLoadable Content

What is a new character? Content. How do you get it? By downloading.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

It is a no-brainer. DLC is just content - it doesn't even need to extend playtime, say, in the case of a gun or a skin pack (assuming you don't play the game again or just more to experience them but you don't have to, unlike a new area, for example). It could be as small as what a mod would be or as big as an actual expansion or anywhere in between. What exactly the substance is is mostly irrelevant.

Although, if we have to be a bit more formal and not just go by the literal meaning of the title, DLC would be optional additional content that's obtainable through the Internet and is supplied by the authors/publisher. It's sli-i-ightly different than the literal meaning of the term DLC, as the latter would mean patches are, as well as the game itself or even fan made mods fit the DLC description. But that's probably working too hard on the definition. Saying DLC is official, as opposed to unofficial, is enough of a distinction, I suppose.

At any rate I shall call it a /thread.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Delicious laughing cabbage.
In all seriousness, exactly what it says and everybody else has already pointed out.
Content, which is downloadable.

Not to be confused with UC, which is my new name for unlockable content, which deplorable bastards put in games.

 

[Legion]

What does DLC stand for? DownLoadable Content

What is a new character? Content. How do you get it? By downloading.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Answered on the first post again.

As for whether or not it is a good DLC, or if it's worth the money just for a character, that's another debate entirely, but it's a DLC regardless of whether he likes it or not.

Personally I miss expansion packs. You'd spend half the amount of money you paid for the original game and it'd normally add enough to get you into the game all over again.

 

[Tiamattt]

While I'm in 100% total agreement with the posters above me, I think the friend's case isn't being represented very well. I mean that's probably the gist of it, but I'm sure he had to say something to back that up.

Granted that something is most likely wrong, but still would've made this topic more interesting just to see it.

 

[Mikeyfell]

D = Down
L = Loadable
C = Content

Is it Content?
Is It Downloadable?

If you answered yes to both questions the answer is yes.

Now, a season pass is not DLC. Just to be clear. because it is not content in and of its self
It is just a macguffin that makes future downloadable content cheaper.

Online passes are not DLC either, They're just a publisher's FLAMING COCK IN THE CONSUMER'S ASSHOLE!


So yeah, characters, maps, levels, skins (As much as I hate to admit it) Weapons, additional money,
Those are all DLC

Season/online passes, are not.

 

[Lovely Mixture]

We had a thread sort of similar to this one.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.407938-DLC-A-Necessary-Evil#17033242

My thoughts are there. But to summarize

It's all DLC

But for me.

DLC worth worth paying for: new zones/levels/challenges which may includes features/weapons, with anything else they want to throw in there. ie. something that gives a little more life to the game.

DLC not worth paying for: new weapons, cosmetic content, game modes, anything you can acquire in the main game, stuff that's already on the disc.

The above does not apply to the F2P model of games.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

Yeah, it is. Worthwhile or not, is another matter. But it is extra content that you can download, hence the title. I think you shouldn't have to pay too much for it, but depending on how much a new character would need and adds to the gameplay (in a game like Borderlands, there's a fair bit of balancing and effects and programming that go into it, ontop of all the design) so a few bucks on top isn't too bad. Don't get me wrong though, I'll be the first person to complain when pubs pull out money grabbing tactics through their DLC, but this can easily be fixed with the pricing. Unlockables of normal games, like damn *difficulty modes*, however, are not.

 

[wizzy555]

Thing is, if a company decided to patch in a new character - like say in the old days when long term support was free that would be called a patch. Even though you still had to download it.

DLC tends to be an optional module of content that may or may not need some extra form of payment. Especially since you can now get all the DLC in physical game of the year additions - no downloading required.

 

[verdant monkai]

Your friend is a bit mistaken as DLC can be anything from a new hat or gun to a whole new mission. As long as you have downloaded it and it has something new in it, then its definitely DLC.

Its only not DLC if it was already on the disc but needed money/hacking to unlock it, or if it is some sort of texture or some sort of performance update.

 

[squid5580]

Is it a micro transaction or is it DLC? Is there a difference between them?

 

[DoPo]

Is it a micro transaction or is it DLC? Is there a difference between them?

Well...yes and no - depends on the case. Microtransaction would imply it costs very little - meybe up to a dollar or so but then again, technically PayPal defines "micropaymets" as anything up to...I think 10 or 15 dollars - which is, like, 2 books in some cases or even several games. But then, different services define it differently. At any rate, the criteria is that it's small sum of money. Whether or not you download it is a separate issue. From the top of my head I can't recall any microtransaction stuff (that's advertised as a microtransaction) you download from but I'd assume there is. What I can think of is unlocking various extra stuff in a game that's not actually downloadable - you just unlock it and have it in game, for exampleath of Exile has different skill animations (fire shaped as a dragon, instead of a plain fireball) some F2P MMOs have XP boosts for a while, other games may give you extra resources of other kinds, etc, etc. Not really...well, "content" and certainly not downloadable. However, I can easily see getting, say a weapon skin or, I dunno, cards if it's a CCG simulation.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I presume they're thinking 'content' is new missions/areas/what have you, and characters/weapons/whatever are ways to experience that content rather than the content itself. Which is all well and good, but that's not the sort of content that DLC is. If it is downloadable and adds things to the game it's DLC.

 

[Rayne870]

Seems like my fellow gamers have the right idea.