Day 1 DLC: Creative Topic #1"Creative Topic" #1: Day 1 DLC  Before I give my opinion on this topic, I just want to explain just what Creative Topic is going to be. It’s going to be a new series where I just talk about not a product but just random crap in the entertainment industries going anywhere from anime to books. They are only my opinion, and in the end are only that. They are suppose to just be open-minded discussions that could be anything from a rant to a reason why I praise a certain product. Now to get started, I’m obviously from what the title reads talking about Day 1 DlC. The practice is occasionally used in the video game industry popular more with some companies than others. It’s basically the developer/publisher of a game taking out a part of the game before it comes out, selling it separate the day of the game’s release, then possibly giving a half ass explanation of why it wasn’t in the game already, and why they slapped a price on it. Some developers even include them as Collector’s Editions for the more hardcore players. This started for me personally when playing Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, which both use Day 1 DLC. I love both games, and in Mass Effect 2 I played through several times even though I never used any DLC. I was upset that I didn’t get the extra character, and thousands of other people were. I’m far from rich, and after spending money I probably had to earn I don’t really feel like paying extra for something that should already be in the game. Then they did the same for Mass Effect 3, with a character to this day I know barely anything about. But a year after Mass Effect three, and I finally was able to buy a character from Mass Effect 2, and played that DLC. It was fun, and helped the game I already would give a ten out of ten. But why wasn’t this in my copy I had and adored for years? The reason is money. If it was possible to include the part of the game, even if delaying it, you could say that should have been done, because we all know it was possible. Now I could go on to some bullshit "I already bought the game why am I buying more?” explanation but I won’t. It’s simple that a lot of developers need can’t make an Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty, and need to find other ways of simply selling the game to make money. And if games like Call of Duty make millions from selling material already made post release date, why shouldn’t other developers and publishers? In the end developers just need to find clever ways of doing this, but it can’t harm the player they are trying to entertain. For instance Game of the Year editions or well made DLC expansions made far beyond the game’s release date are business practices I think are really good for the industry, and don’t generally harm anyone who just wants a simple play through. But then again, I love Mass Effect 2, and found it a full product even though I was without a character, so why would I bitch to the people who made my entertainment about what’s in it. Sure I bought it with my own money, but I knew what I was buying so why should I complain? In the end as the technology of our consoles continue to grow we should expect practices like Day 1 DLC to grow, especially since they make big money and people continue to buy it. These obviously shouldn’t be included in every game, and shouldn’t include anything I thought I was paying for. They should be little extras that aren’t essential to the game, and could be enjoyed by hardcore players. But when developers or publishers use these practices not everybody should be bitching and wining because of it. I still am missing material that was made before the game was even out, but I still had an awesome time, and Bioware made a shit ton of money by players who did want that extra character. Call it unfair, and it kind is, but things like this need to happen on occasion. So don’t bitch about it to much, but don’t let the developer walk on you and sell half the game to you for extra money if this trend continues.
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