My Theory on DLC

[Schwartz]

Sorry if the subject is to close to the subject of other DLC threads. I wont be offended if it gets locked.

Here's my theory on the way most video game companies produce DLC these days. I used PD as an example because their DLC provided the original spark for these thoughts. What do you think?

The way the world works these days, people want things and the want them NOW, no matter the price. So if the demand is there, the company is doing the right thing by selling DLC. Just imagine if GT5 hadn't released any DLC by now, GTPlanet would have been burned to ashes with all of the angry people mobbing and iRioting.
Just think of it this way, if GT5 were released fully finished, it would most likely be at the same point it is now, with people begging for more and saying how PD is crap for not giving them everything they want NOW.

But, since PD released the game in a very very unfinished state, they have left lots and lots of content to give to the people over the 5 plus years they are waiting for GT6.

Now this gets me thinking... Does a game's status at release dictate how long before the next game in the series is released? GT5 releases an unfinished game with a long time between releases, while Forza releases a pretty well finished game while their releases are not nearly as spread apart as releases in the GT series are.

Now this leads me to another thought... Does GT5 have all or almost all of their future DLC finished and they are just waiting to release it in incriments until GT6 has been released? This could all be carefully planned planned out by PD to keep people happy for 5+ years until they have finished GT6 and it comes out.

In this case, I have no problem with PD not releasing all content right away because I know it will keep others playing the game for years to come.

All in all, I think that video game companies may work on a game for a long time but when they are finished, release an unfinished version of that game by taking some of the content out. Then, while they are working on their next game that will take x number of years, they release the content they had finished before so they can put all their man hours into the new game, instead of taking focus away from the future and trying to patch up the old game. It only makes sense.

Some may think this is a rip off, but I see it as a great way to keep people interested in Gran Turismo while at the same making money. If GT5 were released in full form originally, it would be such a massive game it would be worth $100+. This would have been an outrage. Instead, PD is giving the option for you to pay as much for the game as you think it is worth by releasing small DLC's, which when all is said and done will most likely be worth over $100. You don't have to buy all of them, you just buy as many as you think is worth it to you and your financial situation.

Let the bashing begin!

 

[MOTORTRENDmitch]

And from this point on, all other DLC threads will be directed here.

 

[Bhowe83]

Well it seems most game producers are just cheating you out of your money with their DLC's.
Take EA for example, they usually have DLC available they day of purchase for games, and alot of times very expensive. Now that easily could have been in game.

But PD's DLC on the other is actually new content that couldn't have been in game first day, since it was either still in production or not even started to be created yet.

 

[lmracer24]

idk, im still dissapointed with gt5's dlc. I mean forza gets a audi r18, the new panoz gt1, etc. these cars are like new and yet forza is able to get a well designed car out faster than gt5. I'm not a forza fan but looking at the content that is available in their dlc's make me wonder what is pd even doing. I mean i dont think forza could have got their hands on a r18 before it even raced. atleast I dont think they did.

 

[kieran177]

idk, im still dissapointed with gt5's dlc. I mean forza gets a audi r18, the new panoz gt1, etc. these cars are like new and yet forza is able to get a well designed car out faster than gt5. I'm not a forza fan but looking at the content that is available in their dlc's make me wonder what is pd even doing. I mean i dont think forza could have got their hands on a r18 before it even raced. atleast I dont think they did.

What PD is doing is adding cars they can. Remeber how many people work there.

 

[Ravicale]

idk, im still dissapointed with gt5's dlc. I mean forza gets a audi r18, the new panoz gt1, etc. these cars are like new and yet forza is able to get a well designed car out faster than gt5. I'm not a forza fan but looking at the content that is available in their dlc's make me wonder what is pd even doing. I mean i dont think forza could have got their hands on a r18 before it even raced. atleast I dont think they did.

The development studio that creates forza is a little over twice the size of PD.

 

[NotSoSilentBob]

Just imagine if GT5 hadn't released any DLC by now, GTPlanet would have been burned to ashes with all of the angry people mobbing and iRioting.
!

GTPlanet was around BEFORE GT5 was even thought of, much less announced.

 

[CorvetteConquer]

DLC should focus slightly more on the current cars that are making headlines, because well, that's the world we live in. The here and the now.

There's always time to model the classics and to include them as GT6 models. But to fall behind on some of the new cars is just enraging. Stick with the times and snag some of the newest and coolest rides today.

Forza's DLC balances both well. They have so many current cars, but they also tip their hats to the classics. Their carlist caters to the enthusiast very well. I have hope for PD!

 

[Schwartz]

GTPlanet was around BEFORE GT5 was even thought of, much less announced.

What does this have to do with my comment? Or do you just want hipster glasses?

 

[Jawehawk]

I'd say it differs greatly from different developers.

Take Activison, and their CoD developers, IW and Treyarc. They release the same horrible PoS every single year, aswell as a couple of very expensive DLC's. There's no doubt that the only reason they do this, is to make money. That has nothing to do with extending the life of the product.

Other games like Dead Space 2, Forza 4 and Gears of War 3 has DLC availible on release, that wasn't in the game for the sole reason that they wanted to make extra cash from it. It's amazing how puplishers and developers get away with stuff like that. Hell, GoW 3 actually had content in their BETA, that you had to pay extra for in the final release. They're not even trying to hide the fact that they're ripping off their customers.

If you look at GT5, you could certainly argue that some of the DLC's have been slightly overpriced. But. Unlike a lot of other games, we've recieved a ton of updates that have included both bug fixes(which should be mandatory if the game has problems, IMO) aswell as new content. On top of that, it's pretty clear that what we've recieved was stuff they either never planned to have in the game, or simply did not have time/money to do so.

Now, had the game only been 1-3 years in development, I'd say that time is no excuse for leaving out content. But seeing as the game had taken so long in development, I'd say it's pretty fair. Espicially since they started to work on bug fixes after release, rather than starting to work on stuff that they might have wanted in the game.

And as you've already stated, unlike games that have DLC on release, or close to it. GT5's DLC actually serve to extend the life of the product. Though it would be nice if they actually included some DLC specific events along with the DLC's .

 

[Schwartz]

Take Activison, and their CoD developers, IW and Treyarc. They release the same horrible PoS every single year

^Yes, and nobody seems to understand this.

 

[NotSoSilentBob]

What does this have to do with my comment? Or do you just want hipster glasses?

GtPlanet was around BEFORE GT5, when GT3&4 did not have online ability aka no DLC.

 

[Slash]

This game is still very unfinished. There is so much more it needs, and even the little things I prioritize before the DLC. Get the promised features in there and little things besides the fact, fix the bugs and crashes, then release the most requested and most appropriate DLC when all is said and done. Problem solved.

 

[Rudenut]

This game is still very unfinished. There is so much more it needs, and even the little things I prioritize before the DLC. Get the promised features in there and little things besides the fact, fix the bugs and crashes, then release the most requested and most appropriate DLC when all is said and done. Problem solved.

Both dlc and feature/bugfix can be done in tandom. 3d modelers and texture gurus are not generally not code monkeys.

Once a car is modeled and rigged it is a simple matter of applying said model to a template and a the intern can do that.

Writing code and scripting is generally unrelated other than a few gui related changes.

It is a misconception that new content drastically hinders bugfixes and feature changes/additions.

 

[BlazeTheCat05]

All I can say about this is that PD should've focused more on GT5 then GT PSP. Also there was no need for GT5 Prologue when nearly a third of the cars in that game never actually made it into the final product. Had they not done these two things, they could've easily made more standard-to-premium conversions and new models ahead of time and had them implemented into GT5 from the very beginning. Now instead we as the consumer have a decision to make as to either not purchase the content that should've been in the game already, or to give in to PD's idea of us paying for DLC that should've been provided to us from the start. This is just my opinion, so please don't flame me if you disagree.

 

[Schwartz]

GtPlanet was around BEFORE GT5, when GT3&4 did not have online ability aka no DLC.

You can't complain about something that doesn't exist, hence there was no complaining about DLC before GT5.

 

[phil_75]

The development studio that creates forza is a little over twice the size of PD.

GT is a bigger game than Forza, its Sony/PD's fault, they should have more people working there!

I think all DLC was planned from the start they just didn't dare charge people until a year later after the mauling they got for releasing an unfinished game!

No DLC car is something PD couldn't have done 2 years ago, even the GT-R is a 2011 model which was released in 2010, they just upped power slightly and called it 2012 model, proof is the interior buttons which changed name on the 2012 version but the ones in game are from an older model, thus proving they didn't model the 2012 car!

Tracks are what we need!

 

[taz]

idk, im still dissapointed with gt5's dlc. I mean forza gets a audi r18, the new panoz gt1, etc. these cars are like new and yet forza is able to get a well designed car out faster than gt5. I'm not a forza fan but looking at the content that is available in their dlc's make me wonder what is pd even doing. I mean i dont think forza could have got their hands on a r18 before it even raced. atleast I dont think they did.

Turn 10 outsources work to other studios so that they can get more cars into the game faster. The problem with that is, a lot of the cars don't have the same level of detail, so some of their cars look a lot better than others

 

[NotSoSilentBob]

You can't complain about something that doesn't exist, hence there was no complaining about DLC before GT5.

I am not complaining but I am stating fact that this website was going STRONG before the age of internet gaming and DLC.

 

[Schwartz]

I am not complaining but I am stating fact that this website was going STRONG before the age of internet gaming and DLC.

Okay, let me explain. I said that other people could not mob and riot about not getting GT5 DLC on GTPlanet because you can't mob/riot about something that does not exist yet. I knew GTPlanet was made a long time ago.