So... What are season passes?

[Extra-Ordinary]

Pretty much what everyone else already said.
They're not THAT bad, with a discount an all the DLC but you do run the risk that you may be paying for DLC that's really not worth it.
I bought the Season Passes for Gears Of War 3 and Assassin's Creed 3 and so far I haven't been disappointed.
Well, HOPEFULLY the Tyranny of King Washington DLC is great, otherwise I made a big mistake...

 

[shintakie10]

No, I'm not kidding. So far, I haven't bought a game that has season passes with them (lucky, I guess.) Today's Jimquisition made me realize that season passes are apparently a thing in video games and that I've been completely shielded from them so far. So, what are they, what do they do and why are they detestable? If possible, please thoroughly explain why. Thanks guys!

All you need to know is that season passes are just as bad as "always on" DRMs for PC games.

Oh please.

The Saints Row the Third season pass was great. It was active the entire time that the three dlc packs active were on sale, meanin if you decide you wanted all three after readin reviews for them you could get all 3 for a discounted price. If you thought that 1 of the 3 was a turd you bought 2 and saved money that way.

Its only bad if you are impatient, buy it as soon as its out, then realize you got stuck with a bunch of dlc thats ass.

That's assuming you have access to those DLCs at the time of their sale. If you missed it (like me) then it's kind of moot.

Most go on for quite a while. The Saints Row the Third season pass went well into the third dlc packs life cycle which was plenty of time to completely evaluate whether it was worth it to the consumer or not.

But to your point, it is kind of moot if you missed the whole thing. You know what else is moot at that point? Any hand wringin over the idea of season pass dlcs. You've missed the boat entirely at that point so to complain that it's terrible or even beneficial has no impact on you whatsoever.

 

[Bat Vader]

I don't like season passes either. Since they are pry here to stay though they should at least make a season pass free if people buy the game new.

 

[Netrigan]

Keep in mind, this is the only industry on the planet that does this.

It's a subscription service. Pay a discounted fee upfront, which helps monetize the publication. Magazines have done it for generations and you find other industries use it from time to time. I subscribe to Doctor Who audio plays from Big Finish.

If the core game doesn't disappoint, then the odds are good the DLC won't. The only season pass I mildly regret is Saints Row The Third, whose season pass mirrored a lot of the issues I had with the core game. I most likely would have bought all four packs as my disappointment wasn't that deep.

As for pre-orders themselves, you generally have to lay down coin before learning if you made a mistake or not. Amazon allows pre-orders on just about everything they offer and the only incentive I really care about from them is the $10 or $20 credit for future purchases.

 

[Gatx]

It's because the concept of DLC exists and has mutated in such a way that it's almost seen as integral for devs that season passes exist, and it's something I personally don't like. However, ever since I rediscovered Steam three years ago after the abysmal initial days of its introduction and got sucked into sales, I've been tempted a couple times to buy them because they're presented as good deals, but so far I've managed to fight back the urge.

 

[Elijin]

Its a commitment to the DLC. You're paying for it all in advance (and receiving a discount for doing so), its used on games which have a lot planned DLC.

Note that word, planned? People seem to think this is paying for a product which even the developers dont know about yet, which is horseshit. They may not have made it yet, but the products that offer season passes know EXACTLY what and how many DLC's this is going to include. There's a difference between 'Not yet made' and 'No idea what we're going to do' yet the current gaming community just loves to give companies shit for online passes, paid DLC, and everything between, so they like to pile it on...


As to the purpose of a Season Pass, I see the discount as being secondary in purpose. To me its more of an attention keeper. Many games with a lot of planned DLC, will find towards the later DLC packs, people are over the game, and not prepared to go back to the game to try the new content. And due to this, they skip the late DLCs entirely. So I see that the Season Pass is offered at a reduced rate since something is better than nothing, to the publishers.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Yup it's pre paying DLC that doesn't exist nor is defined what it will be, and it seems the gaming crowd adores this shit for a while Borderlands 2 season-pass was outselling the damn game itself, apparently this is now evolving a demographic which demands there be DLC announced before they purchase the game... yes consumers have come to the point where they themselves demand an unfinished product.

But it is also morphing into yearly subscription fees with multiplayer (CoD/Battlefield) games where "special" functionality is be held off for the "premium" players who payed double.

 

[L4Y Duke]

I bought the season pass for Saints Row: The Third AFTER all the DLC for it that was affected was released. It saved me a little money, and the content was good anyway.

The main issue of these is if the DLC is no good, or in worst case doesn't come out at all.

Essentially, it's a matter of faith. Do you believe that the company will release DLC that is worth the money they are asking for up front? Or are you afraid you're going to get burned with shoddy DLC that you wouldn't have paid for?

 

[Strazdas]

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ok, am i the only one that actually tried clicking to see if its some funny link?

 

[Baron_Rouge]

It's not like you have to buy them...you can just buy the individual DLC packs when they're released for the normal price. It's an expression of confidence in the quality of the future DLC, and it's pretty good value if you're going to buy them anyway. I've bought the season passes for Borderlands 2, because a lot of the Borderlands 1 DLC was excellent, and the season pass for Black Ops 2, because I know I'll be getting at least 16 maps, among other things, and that's well worth it in my opinion. If you don't want them, they very rarely have exclusive content that you'd miss out on if you bought the DLC you wanted individually, and if they do it isn't much. Additionally, with the 2 I've bought, all the content is being developed post-launch, and I don't think I've been short changed by the base game in question. I don't see what the problem is.

 

[WoW Killer]

The Borderlands 2 SP has worked out alright so far, but I can understand why people would be skeptical. The DLC for the original Borderlands was of inconsistent quality (e.g. Knoxx versus Moxxi), and the developer is well known for outsourcing (so you don't even know who's making the product you're buying). Plus, the exact details of the deal isn't entirely clear. We've already had people caught out because they thought the Mechromancer DLC would be included. If you read the small print, there's nothing stopping them from releasing a whole load of extra DLCs that aren't included in the season pass. For example, they're on about a level cap rise. They could, technically, release a new expansion included in the season pass, but then put the level cap rise in a separate DLC that even the pass holders had to pay extra for. I'm certain they won't do that, but it's technically possible.

 

[Eleuthera]

ok, am i the only one that actually tried clicking to see if its some funny link?

You were not...


OT: This was the first I heard of them as well. But it's sounds like it's just an easy way to "upgrade" your game to the GotY that will follow anyway.

 

[lemby117]

But it is also morphing into yearly subscription fees with multiplayer (CoD/Battlefield) games where "special" functionality is be held off for the "premium" players who payed double.

Just going to pitch in on BF3 here, I bought premium *dodges rocks* because I liked the BF3 multiplayer, It gave me two weeks early access to new maps AND it is cheaper than just buying the dlc AND it does come with some bonuses. Safe to say I am pleased with my purchase and I'm looking forward to the new maps in march.

 

[Ranorak]

No, I'm not kidding. So far, I haven't bought a game that has season passes with them (lucky, I guess.) Today's Jimquisition made me realize that season passes are apparently a thing in video games and that I've been completely shielded from them so far. So, what are they, what do they do and why are they detestable? If possible, please thoroughly explain why. Thanks guys!

All you need to know is that season passes are just as bad as "always on" DRMs for PC games.

No, no it is not.

Always On DRM can, potentially, make a game unplayable.
As for a season pass, that's only a OPTIONAL discount, for when you judge that the DLC might be worth it.

Having doubts of the DLC?
Wait for some reviews.
There, You didn't lose any money, or the ability to buy DLC, if you want, or any other negative side effect.

 

[gorfias]

Sounds like having bought Walking Dead 1-5 w/ a "season pass" I do own them now. It's not like I only get to play them for one season, correct?

 

[Altorin]

despite the obvious dangers, it should be noted that if you are fully committed to already buying all of the DLC for a given game, whatever its state, it's worth it to save yourself some money. That being said, I can't think of a single game that I'd do that for. Maybe a new fallout game, if it had the option, i might, as I've at least not regretted the actual purchasing of any nexgen fallout DLC. It's certainly not something I'd do on a whim.

 

[hutchy27]

People realize they can buy a season pass once all DLC is out, that way you get it all cheaper once you can find out whether the content is worth it. I did it with Gears of War 3, Mortal Kombat(9) and I'm doing it with Borderlands 2.

I did a similar thing with Gears of War 3, however I only waited until like half of them had came out before buying it.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

I bought the BL2 season pass because I knew I was going to buy all the DLC anyway (not to mention I got it together with BLops2 for $55).

Keep in mind, this is the only industry on the planet that does this.

You mean the "pay for preorders" right? Because there are tons of "pay before you get it" industries out there. Movies, food service, etc.

When you goto McDonalds and hand over your cash you know what your going to get to a certain extent. In this case, THEY don't know what your going to get so how could you?

I know I'm going to get a hamburger, I don't know the quality of said burger. I know for a fact it will not look as good as the picture does, so isn't that also false advertising? How do I know the meat hasn't been sitting there for 4x longer than it was supposed to? If I pay money to go see the new Resident Evil movie when it came out, I knew what I was getting (a Resident Evil movie, which I liked the first four), but I didn't know it was just going to be a "best of" the last four movies. Same goes for games and DLC with the season pass. I know I'm getting Borderlands 2 DLC, but I don't know if I'll enjoy it or not (it is safe to assume I will, since I like the game, and so far I have enjoyed the DLC).

 

[Trivun]

Well, no need for me to explain what they are, as others have already done so . That being said, my opinion on them is varied. In some cases I think they're okay - if the DLC has been announced and is in active development, or has already been developed and is simply awaiting testing and release, then I think they're a great deal because they save money and gurantee instant access to the DLC on release. And before anyone starts saying that anything completed by release should be in the original game, I refer you to the image people often post on these threads about the development cycle and why DLC is actually agreeable and beneficial for customers and developers alike.

However, if the DLC isn't already planned and announced, or if we're simply buying a season pass in speculation, then I do have a problem with it, because it's essentially a gamble, and as has already been pointed out in this thread, no other media industry in the world does this right now. I don't buy a CD and pay extra on the off chance that I'll get access to 'bonus songs' a few months later, do I? Or a Blu-Ray with half the behind-the-scenes footage missing where I have to pay to have a chance of getting it later, right?