Downloadable content for Halo Wars is not only planned, but is pretty much finished too.
The main thing is that DLC was built into the game design from the very beginning so we've actually been working on DLC all along," lead designer Graeme Devine told CVG.
"It was never the plan to finish the game THEN start work on the DLC," he went on to say, adding that the DLC was pretty much done already.
So why not just give it all to us to play, instead of holding parts of the game back for us to buy later, we asked? "That's a good marketing argument," said Devine.
"I think the thing with DLC is that, if you release it all, how do you sustain interest in the game? One of the ways of sustaining interest in a game is with [the timely release of] DLC. So I think it it's there for that purpose and does a good job."
Devine went on to justify: "I think if you get it all it's like a massive blitz of content in your face and you don't get all the value of everything we've put into the game. I think the game contains an awful lot in the box already so DLC is a good way to be able to add to that experience."
Halo Wars is due out early next year. Check out the full interview right here, in which Devine explains why he believes Halo Wars is the first pure-breed console RTS.
"So why not just give it all to us to play, instead of holding parts of the game back for us to buy later, we asked?" This would have been my question too. However, we both know the reason really... Money.
If the Halo Wars main campaign turns out to be a 5 hour job, this news just twists the knife.
I hate the way DLC has become. Its now either a way to release unfinished, buggy games or to fleece the gamer out of more cash. It should all be on the disc. Not half on the DVD and the other half cluttering up my hard drive.
As for his excuse, It would be nice if I bought a game I could say " O.K, i'll give you 20 quid now and i'll get you the other 20 when I can be bottomd. I don't want you spending it all at once now!
This reminds me of how they release the first half of a season of Prison Break and make you pay full price for it, then release the second half of the season for full price and then release the entire season for the same price.
Is it b******s. That is a good question in general, marketing doesn't come into it, unless by that he means that they are commiting marketing suicide - 'Buy this 95% complete product now at full price and then, that's right, THEN pay for the extra 5% of s**t maps a couple of months later!'
I can agree with what they're saying to an extent. Good DLC released a few months after the games release helps keep you interested and stops people from trading in games. On the other hand, if they've already got it complete then they should be releasing it on the disc and then when they've finished the game, get to work on some proper DLC. So looking at it from both sides, we are either getting ripped off or juts good planning from MS to get DLC development under way when they team are in full flow.
I think you are all waking up to the con of DLC far too late in the day. It's institutionalised now. It's acceptable to chop games up and sell them to you in chunks.
You only have yourselves to blame for paying for map packs for Halo and such.
I think you are all waking up to the con of DLC far too late in the day. It's institutionalised now. It's acceptable to chop games up and sell them to you in chunks.
You only have yourselves to blame for paying for map packs for Halo and such.
i agree. i flat out refuse to purchase "DLC" . they are just selling a portion of the full product at the full products price. why do they get away with it ? because the desensitized majority will lap it up and say how good it is.
bring back having to play the game more than 5 minuets to achieve something and unlock what the game Dev's had already added at no cost.
Unfortunalty im probably preaching to the converted here but if you dont like the DLC or the way its being handled then dont buy it. PC gamers have been used to free addons for years but console gamers are losing their minds and paying £2(and up) for silly extra characters or even timetrial modes that would normally just be included with the game. Ive just looked through the crap on PSN and why, WHY you would justify buying the stuff is beyond me. It should all be in the game on release!
I think you are all waking up to the con of DLC far too late in the day. It's institutionalised now. It's acceptable to chop games up and sell them to you in chunks.
You only have yourselves to blame for paying for map packs for Halo and such.
The Halo map packs were created by Bungie after the game was released so it's fare that they get money for their work. But the Halo Wars DLC is already done and is being chopped off instead of being included in the game from the start, now that's bulls**t.
Im getting sick and tired of developers doing this to us consumers. Seriously do they not realise not all of us have fast internet connections for xbox live
Hang on a minute.....They say they`ve finished some of the DLC for the game and it`s released in febuary as i recall??????????? sounds like M$ have outdone themselves in the [ennypinching department yet again,proving that nobody cares about money quite like they do.
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