DLC Stranglehold?

"That is... Disgusting. Honestly, am I the only person outraged by the stranglehold game companies have on these items? Any other product, you can go out and get an equivalent one if the producer's terms are too harsh. DLC, however, you're forced to either get it their way or no way.

I dunno... It may just be that I remember when companies used to actually include all the content in the game when it was released. Occasionally, they even gave you more significant bits later. These days, you're lucky if they even bother looking at a game after the game-breakers are squashed."

I found this over on the Dragon's Age forum. I guess there are in game items that are only inculded in the game if you buy it new, however if you buy it used and your code is used up you have to pay $15 for it.

The problem here is that people have been telling the gaming community that this has been coming for years, and now that it's here and getting worse, the people who were saying "What, the companies don't have a right to make money? This will never happen anyway." are all acting shocked.

For the last 2-3 years the companies and retail storeshave dictated exactly where and when you buy your games anyway by throwing in "preorder exclusives". No one threw a fit when this happened even though there is never a good reason to preorder a software title. Now the game companies have realized that game consumers are suckers and will eat right out the companies hands and not make stands against these types of policies.

So 2 years ago these companies and stores like Gamestop were best buddies. having the monopoly on where and when you buy your games, but now the game companies would rather you buy the game new. Stores like Gamestop are going to suffer like never before if this becomes the standard. Most people with somecommon sense realize that $55 is way too much to pay for a used video game that sometimes isn't even 100% complete, but who in their right mind is going to pay $55 for the used game, and then pay out another $15 to complete the game? Not to mention that a store's profit on a new game is about $7-$10, and profit on a used game as it stands now is about $30.

Well there it is, it's here now, and it's going to get worse. The companies are going to continue to pull content out of games for no reason just to sell new copies. For people who trade in games, get ready to see your trade in prices fall through the floor because stores will have to compensate for the lack of content that must be purchased. Guess gamers will finally have to take a stand one way or the other.

I can see where you are coming from.

You could say that it will never get that bad but it easily could. Lets say they pulled this move with a very popular game like Modern Warfare 2.

Enough people would still buy the game even though they know they are being ripped off. Its actually kind of scary.

EA already did it with Madden. If you didn't buy Madden new you don't get online franchise. I think you can buy it from Live, but I don't know how much it is. But I'm sure a lot of people are going to find out the hard way when they buy a preowned copy of Madden this holiday. When the whole "power to the player preorder exclusive" scam came in I totally quit shopping at Gamestop. I personally don't like being told when and where to buy a game because I work nights, and I can easily walk into WalMart after work and get games hours before everyone else does.

We had a great debate a few weeks ago on this site as toif the 360 would become a good legacy system (I said hell no). Well since you won't be able to buy cheap used games with all of the content I'd say it's digging a bigger hole in the ground.

I did not know that? Damn its already starting. I really hope that this does not continue.

The pre orders used to be a way to intice people into getting a little something extra. Now its almost if you dont pre order its like them saying screw you.