Call it whatever, it'll still cost us.

So I feel like it's time we addressed purposely withheld DLC micro-transactions, or what I like to refer to as pillaging of gamers everywhere. For those out of the loop, micro-transactions are in-game purchases that unlock or add content to a game. There are several games that get released and add levels to keep the play going or extra characters for a change of pace. Sounds great right? Well so does a steak until you find out that the steak was rubbed all over Snooki's backside. The only game that I will exclude from my extensive list of offenders is Burnout Paradise being as it's one of the originators of this feature - but their focus wasn't money, it was game play.

Did someone say steak?

Let me explain why I'm leaving Burnout out of what I think is a more unfair than fair balance. First: Burnout is a quality racing game that was fun and full of exciting changes - and was still popular over two years after its release. They added so much free content that most people who own it still haven't unlocked everything. They supplemented not having money given to them over those two years by charging for a few special car sets but beyond that about 80% of the game was given away. In addition to this, the whole game got several updates and level changes that kept it fresh without feeling forced. I know what you're thinking too: that I loved it because it's free, but being free doesn't make it good or make it last. Example: I have free crabs, would you like some? If you answered yes: then read the rest of my article, it's for you.

I'll now jump to my favorite offenders: and that would be every other game that has micro transactions and/or purposely withheld DLC, especially from the last year - where we saw so much content released that the content became individual games. Now, games are built around expanding, but not to reward gamers or because they want the game to be the best - it's all just for money. I love Halo, and Halo 2 got me back into FPSs and fueled my love of multiplayer games - but with the 3rd installment we saw that money became a huge factor. I don't blame Bungie so much as Microsoft for how that went down. The reason I use that game as an example is because you can easily see the steps that lead to the eventual pillaging of gamers. The first one was a surprise hit and became an instant classic. The second one changed how we viewed modern FPS and gave us the standard layout for every controller scheme since its release. With it came something new (XBOX live), and the chance to get extra levels to expand on the fun everyone was having - we couldn't wait for it and sucked it up like kool-aid. Then came the fall from grace in my mind: the point that publishers starting making games and withholding content for the sake of releasing it later to make money.

Don't drink the kool-aid, trust me.

                                          

The third installment of Halo was released and it was great too but even on the release day there was talk of levels that were coming out two months later. So why wasn't that content already in the game? Money is the simple answer, but the bigger picture is that companies now knew that they had found the key to forcing people to pay more money for the game they already paid full price for. I know it sounds crazy but here's an example to shine the light down on these dark times. Have you ever played a game online with a friend? Same game, same system and purchased at the same time. Then content comes out and you buy it for your game but your friend doesn't. So now he can't play with you unless everyone plays certain levels or he buys the content. So therein lies the trap: does he buy it to play with you, or should he beg you to switch maps just for his sake? Let's face it, most people don't buy new maps or content to play with the old stuff, so now he has to buy it or feel isolated. 

                                              

'Nuff said....

Micro transactions can be great, but this trend of withholding content for money has got to stop.  It's ruining the games and giving a bad name to game publishers. You see, game companies, we have this cool thing called "the internet." We can see when a game is getting released, and then for some reason content is dropped, and then magically it's added back into the game for the low unreasonable cost of 19.95. To add to this: companies make changes to games that benefit them and screw the rest of us, even if we thought of it first. Two great examples are the XBOX live market place and Diablo 3. Let's start with the lovely marketplace. You may or may not have know this but originally users were supposed to be able to create content for backgrounds and avatars. This all changed once Microsoft saw that there was money to be made, and they've never really mentioned why that changed or apologized for the lie. Diablo is arguably one of the greatest game series ever made and Diablo 2 will forever be a classic. So what's the big deal about a game that hasn't even been released you ask? Well I'll feed you, my little baby birds. The new release will have a market in it which is rumored to allow you to trade or sell items and characters for actual money, something that they banned players for in Diablo 2 - because they didn't get a slice of that pie.

       

Run your pockets homey!

    

Don't get me wrong: I love adding content to a game and I don't mind paying for it, but companies need to at least make it seem like I'm getting something new, and not something that they've just held back to line their pockets. The newest micro-transaction/DLC formula that EA has made popular is my least favorite of all. This is the game pass that they, which has gotten popular with other companies too - although it was all EA's idea originally. This refers to when a person buys a game and must enter a code that enables online play within the game. Without the code, you get no online play and the code is only good once per account - so if you buy a used copy, you have to pay to get a new online pass or you can't play it. Here's the thing makes me lose it faster than George W. Bush in a spelling bee. No pass means no online play and that's even if you already have a gold account.  You can still purchase extra content for whatever game and access it offline.  I know that they did this to stick it to the used game businesses (like Gamestop), but I think they went about it the wrong way. It's a full on pillage job, and we're the villagers being done in by the vikings - one game at a time. So like I said before: I would like this system if it was fair but I still feel like it's unbalanced - but in the mean time these companies will be more than glad to take our hard earned money.