Paying for more Content

[Mael Sechlainn]

I just wont EVER buy DLC, I don't have a problem with expansion packs that release a good amount of content however things like the recent MW2 map pack thing(something like £10 for a few extra maps) are just off limits for me. I miss the 90s when a game company hired only a handful of people with real desire to make a game, now it's just about hitting targets.

[Red Adept]

Originally Posted by Mael Sechlainn

I just wont EVER buy DLC, I don't have a problem with expansion packs that release a good amount of content however things like the recent MW2 map pack thing(something like £10 for a few extra maps) are just off limits for me. I miss the 90s when a game company hired only a handful of people with real desire to make a game, now it's just about hitting targets.

I see that the system has changed in the last 20 years. I don't remember, were there any expansions for Civ 1? I'm willing to purchase good content either incrementally or in expansion packs.

I also have faith in Firaxis (until proven differently) that they'll provide good content and I don't think they'll price content at £10 for just a few maps.

[Bobbtjoe]

Originally Posted by BobeBrown

I get the feeling from reading the articles that via a internet connection CIV5 ingame will let you buy more content like civilizations and other features.

Lots of games have gone down this avenue to boost profits.

I hate it when games do this. Please Sid, don't give in.

[Sherlock]

I've bought all the expansion packs for Civ IV. I'll never buy DLC.

[Snake Eyes]

I Have no problems with DLC, For all I know, it looks to me like it's the future of gaming.

I left The SIMS community a year ago because of the fighting over the paysite issue, it Just wasn't fun anymore because people had to attack everything. Please do not let the same vicious infighting destroy our community

[Loppan Torkel]

Why not release DLC if they can earn some extra money from it? It's not much different from before really.

You either -
1. Buy the vanilla for ca 50$ and perhaps add 1 civs/month via DLC for 5$ each, and pay a bit more to have the extra content earlier.
..or..
2. You buy the vanilla for 50$ and buy the expansion for 30$ that has the extra content bundled a year after civ5 was released.
..or..
3. You wait for the gold edition with the vanilla and all expansions bundled for 50$ a few years later.

I'm going for option nr 2.

[Donkeyman]

Originally Posted by Dale

I play you in MP. I have purchased Civ X or unit Y. You have not. I choose Civ X, game crashes (as you don't have the xml for that Civ).

Not necessarily, Firaxis could include the art assets for all DLC in patches as they come out and simply allow only those who have purchased the DLC to use them (Company of Heros did this with the new armies it added in it's expansion pack, you could still use those armies against vanilla opponents but they were restricted to the original factions.)

[The_J]

If the art is there, we'll be able to use it .

[Impaler[WrG]]

I really cant see any way this would happen, Firaxis/2K clearly seem to be aiming to support modding and mods have always been free. Adding payed-4-content (other then expansions packs) into that mix to compete with community mods just a bad idea, it could sour the whole community.

The only thing I think they would even consider is providing moders with some kind of tool/system to allow them to charge for their mods but I think most moders would even use it as their is such a strong open source spirit among us. Even supposing semi-commercial operations are set up I don't see how anyone could ever make a dime either as their would always be WAY too much free content to compete with. On the other hand allowing an optional pay-pal donate option inside this mod-hosting-shell would be nice, would allow fans to show their appreciation for mods they like.

[Sonereal]

I can see them releasing free civilizations as DLC because, let's face it, making leaderheads this time around may be more difficult than the average modder would reasonable put up with.

I don't see why they wouldn't release it as free though. It isn't like 18 of the 50 dollars I'm going to pay for the game is for the civilizations that come with the game.

Besides, I don't have a problem with playing a civilization that has a static leaderhead that doesn't even speak.

[civ_king]

features>eye candy

[KingYosef]

I heard that they will allow mods that have been reviewed to be an option for DLC. Seeing that others will be creating the mods, I don't see how they can charge for this content.

I prefer an expansion pack, but simple DLC would be nice also. Perhaps more resources, terrain, ect.

[kivanc]

maybe a firaxis employee has just created 15-20 cfc users and write posts about DLC's better sides, all the time

this dlc issue really doesn't fit supply/demand theories. 50$ for vanilla is already expensive. even if they implement dlc's, so few will pay for it.

[mjs0]

I guess it depends how you look at it...when I think how many hundreds of hours of enjoyment I get out of each Civ game the price looks very reasonable especially when I compare it to other entertainment options like a trip to the cinema or a sports event.

Our kids were asking us last year why we couldn't eat out more (I wonder what's wrong with my cooking)...when I explained that each trip to TGI Fridays cost as much as a video game they got it immediately and have since taken to complaining about the cost when we do eat out.

[KIEJ.MANIK]

Hell no I ain't paying, I'll pay for the game, not for mods

[Ajidica]

Please no DLC. They are like failure expansion packs saying "We're too lazy to make a real/non-beta game so here are some things we should have included in the game but now you get to pay for the wonders of 4 extra units you'll never really use and mess up multiplayer and all mods!" (Please note my experiance with DLC is entirely based on Empire Total War.

[Duuk]

This was discussed in detail in the DLC thread.

It's a great idea and they should have C5 DLC.

And it wouldn't kill the MP community. Options not loaded are unavailable, end of story. Much like when you connect to the MP lobby using Warlords and it tells you that you can't join a BtS game. If you start a game using the PolandCivPak, only people that have the PolandCivPak will be able to join.

[Duuk]

Originally Posted by kivanc

maybe a firaxis employee has just created 15-20 cfc users and write posts about DLC's better sides, all the time

this dlc issue really doesn't fit supply/demand theories. 50$ for vanilla is already expensive. even if they implement dlc's, so few will pay for it.

The overall success of DLC proves that to be incorrect.

Rock Band cost $200 when it came out and sells a ridiculous amount of DLC.

[phungus420]

DLC simply wouldn't be viable with the mod tools firaxis are stating they will be implementing. Any minor download beffiting of DLC content would be ripped off/coppied and improved apon by modders in days, and made available for easy download by the in game modding downloader. Firaxis simply could not compete with that, trying to do so would be like banging their head into a wall, and would force them to take draconian steps that would be counterproductive if they tried to fight the modders.

Firaxis has made the decision to make DLC like content free and easily available to players in a user friendly way with their mod downloader system. Basically they are counting on the modders to enhance the experience and playability of the game, with the small cost of the initial software to support the in game mod downloader, this allows their employees to work on other, more long term products, such as expansion packs; while still giving the community the experience of DLC like content for free, and at virtually no cost. This was a buisness decision that must have been made when Firaxis chose to go with an automatic mod downloader, and the decision is pretty much irreversible at this point.

[CivGeneral]

Ben through it with Fallout 3's DLC. I know some non-Steam players of Left 4 Dead had to pay for there DLC while Steam users gotten it for free.

Hopefully this would not happen for CiV.