What's wrong with DLC?

by Tiberius Jonez

There's been a lot of debate during this console generation regarding downloadable content, or DLC as it's commonly known. Some people love it, others, not so much. I've always been of the opinion that DLC, like most anything, is great when done properly and useless, even insulting, when done wrong.

DLC falls into three general categories for me. First is expansion packs. To me, an expansion pack is new content that adds significant value to an existing title. New levels or missions in GTA IV or Elder Scrolls: Oblivion are good examples of expansion packs. I would even consider the map packs for Modern Warfare and Gears of War to fall into this category. These kinds of new content add potentially tens or even hundreds of hours to the original game's playtime. At $15 or less, I consider these to be decent to excellent values.

Next is original stand alone games like Shadow Complex from Xbox Live Marketplace or Pixel Junk Shooter on PSN. In fact, these are probably the two best examples I can think of of games that could easily be sold at retail, but are perfectly suited for sale as DLC. Again, at $15 or less, these games represent fantastic value for the gamer and a great source of revenue for publishers who maximize profits by eliminating packaging and all the infrastructure required to get products to brick and mortar retailers. By the way, if you haven't played either of these games, do yourself a favor and check them out - you won't be disappointed. These are two of the 20 or 30 best games to come out in the past two years in any format.

Finally, we have micro-transactions. This last category is where things get more dicey. This includes everything from new outfits for your Xbox Live/PSN avatar or Mii, to individual cars for Forza Motorsports 3 or EA's "unlocks" - such as paying $10 to unlock all the courses and equipment in Tiger Woods Golf without having to play through the game to "earn" them. Some of these, such as the EA unlocks, can represent a significant value. If I want to play Tiger Woods online competitively but don't have the time to invest 40-50 hours of offline playtime to level up my golfer, then the cash to unlock my character's levels and equipment would represent a decent value to me. However, offering me Horse Armor (pictured) for my Oblivion steed for 200 MS points is just silly. EA's offering to sell me the NFL Jersey of my favorite team for my avatar and charging $5 (400 ms points) doesn't represent a good value to me either when I can go to Walmart and buy a real Miami Dolphins shirt on sale for $7.

What actually bothers me more than the items offered as DLC is the way two of the three console makers price their offerings. Microsoft sells items on Xbox Live using "Microsoft Points", which are offered in 400 point increments. Each 400 MS points is roughly $5 real money. Microsoft recently changed the pricing structure of their DLC in response to complaints from customers. Previously, most items for sale on Xbox Live Marketplace were structured in such a way as to insure you were always short 100 points or had 100 points left over. It was basically a way for MS to force you to either forfeit that extra 100 points or buy 400 more points so that you could buy some other item. Nintendo uses their own "Wii points" price structure similar to Microsoft's points. 400 Wii points is also roughly equivalent to $5 real money. Fortunately, Nintendo does not seem to price items in the same way MS used to.

Why is it Sony is the only console maker with enough sense to simply offer their wares for actual real currency? It is simple, when I add $5 usd to my PSN wallet, I know $5 usd is coming out of my bank account and this simplicity actually seems to have the affect of encouraging me to buy more software rather than less. Plus, they price many of their micro-transactions under $1. I bought a cool hat for my PSN Avatar, and it cost me 38 cents. I thought it was a fair price and gladly paid it without hesitation.

I find the points systems used by Microsoft and Nintendo to be insulting. There's just something about the points systems that makes me feel dirty. I never feel like I know what I'm actually paying for any given item with those pesky points, and honestly, 1200 Microsoft Points just feels like more than $15 dollars to me, which may be part of the reason why I don't buy much add-on content through Xbox Live Marketplace.

As DLC becomes more prevalent, and eventually (a decade or more) all software is purchased via electronic delivery, it would be nice if all three console makers would just get into the mode of offering good values for real money. As the industry continues to expand their customer base, conventions like these "points" systems will only confuse new customers and potentially turn them off from DLC completely.

DLC can be a great tool for publishers and developers to increase revenues and extend the shelf-life of the games they create, while (hopefully) offering gamers more fun experiences at a good value. But, for DLC to reach its potential, console makers need to make the pricing of DLC simple and transparent.

Nintendo does not plan to increase western game development

Even with the Wii's phenomenal success in America, Nintendo has no plans to ramp up video game development here, so says senior vice president George Harrison. When asked if Nintendo wanted to develop more games tailored for the North American audience, Harrison told Wired News, "I'm not aware of any plans to push for more software development here in the U.S."

"The actual decision about producing more software and who should do it is driven by Satoru Iwata and the management team, including Mr. Miyamoto, in Japan," he said.

This statement seems confusing considering the Wii is seeing its best sales in the U.S. market. Nintendo is moving about half a million consoles per month here, well above what they are currently selling in Japan. So what gives?

Believe it or not, it's an honest admission from the famed creators of Mario and Zelda that they're really not very good at producing games for the western market.

Nintendo's recent history with western-style games is less than stellar. While one of Nintendo's top-selling Wii titles in North America, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, was developed by Austin, Texas-based Retro Studios, that success is the exception rather than the rule. Project Hammer, an action game developed by Redmond, WA based Nintendo Software Technology was shown at E3 2006 but is now officially "on hold."

And that's the only other Western-developed first-party game that's ever been announced for the Wii, other than Mario Strikers Charged, which was developed in Vancouver.

Nintendo attempted to expand into North American development during the GameCube era, but never managed to create products as highly-rated as their Japanese titles. The now-defunct Exile Entertainment was chosen to create a game called Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball, which was canceled, presumably for quality issues and a first-person shooter called Geist, created by Florida game makers N-Space, was released to a critical drubbing.

On one hand, the fact that a game maker as respected as Nintendo can't seem to find the magic touch when it comes to western style games is a bit dumbfounding. Then again, if they can manage to sell consoles without them, more power to them. But you have to wonder, how long can the keep that up?

I Love the Xbox 360, but I'm Not Biased!!

Just as any other journalist covering the world of gaming, I am occasionally perceived by readers as biased towards one system or another. This past week, after I posted the story "Why The Xbox 360 is Crushing the PS3", I received a few emails accusing me of being biased towards the Xbox 360. I even received a comment attacking me personally on a level so juvenile it doesn't warrant further discussion. I rarely feel the need to defend myself or my opinions, but in this case I felt it necessary to set the record straight on a few things.

While I admit the title of the piece was somewhat inflammatory, the fact remains that throughout the story I provided MANY links to other sources supporting my thoughts on the subject. Not one person that called me "biased" offered any shred of evidence to support a counter view. Apparently, they disagreed with me but didn't know why.

Several readers assumed I only own a Xbox 360 and said that if I owned a PS3 and/or a Wii then I wouldn't come to the conclusion that the Xbox 360 is leading in the current console hardware battle. To me, that kind of thinking is the absolute definition of bias. First of all, as I said in the story, I don't consider the Wii to even be in the same race as the PS3 and 360 for several legitimate reasons. Inferior processor power, much lower price (though not as much so now with the $279 Core Xbox 360 now available) and the fact that Nintendo is admittedly targeting non gamers with the Wii are all reasons to separate it from any discussion of competition between the PS3 and 360.


However, for the record, I own all three consoles. Those are my controllers at the top of the story. Specifically regarding the PS3, I bought one shortly after it was released and sold it a few months later due to the severe lack of software. Honestly, I got sick of looking at what was essentially a big black paper weight. But now that there are some quality titles on the horizon combined with the much lower priced 40GB model, I recently got a new PS3 (pictured above next to my 360 and PC).

My basic assertion that the Xbox 360 is presently in the best position of the three going forward had nothing to do with bias and everything to do with recent history, present sales, future software expectations and developer support. It's not my fault that Sony is more concerned about pushing Blu-Ray than giving gamers what they want...namely games. Just as it is not my fault that Nintendo is more interested in quick profits than they are in giving hardcore gamers what they want...eye candy and good online gaming.

Microsoft is not perfect...by far. I hate Windows Vista and have no urge to put it on my Gaming PC. I fully documented their issues with faulty 360 hardware and the steps they have taken to resolve them. But those issues don't change the fact that when you examine their gaming operation as a whole, they are presently doing the best job giving gamers all the things they want and expect from a modern gaming console; quality hardware, a huge library of excellent games, the very best online gaming, digital distribution of movies and television programs and more.

If anyone can show me that I'm wrong, I am always open to being enlightened. But let's be clear...understanding the facts and pointing them out, even (and especially) when it's not popular with some readers doesn't make me biased. It actually makes me unbiased. I don't have a grudge against Sony or Nintendo; quite the contrary. I want nothing more than for them both to be hugely successful, because I firmly believe competition is the only thing that drives innovation. If Sony and Nintendo start providing me with great games and experiences with their consoles, I will be the first to sing their praises. After all, I voted for them both in the only way an American truly can...with my wallet. And I actually voted for the PS3 twice. Doesn't that make me biased toward the PS3? Hmm.

AMA wants Video Game addiction officially classified

Do you think you are addicted to video games? If not, do you know someone who takes gaming to an extreme and perhaps harmful end that you would consider an addiction? I'm not talking about someone who plays 3 or 4 hours a day. We all know at least one person who plays World of Warcraft for 8 or more hours a day...are they suffering from an illness? A medical group says yes.

A group of the AMA (American Medical Association) wants to have Video Game Addiction officially recognized as an illness so that patients can use their insurance to seek treatment.

The nation's leading doctors' group could vote on whether to add video-game addiction to a widely used mental-illness manual at a national meeting this weekend in Chicago, a move that would raise awareness about the issue and make it easier for patients to file insurance claims for treatment.

The debate among AMA members is expected to be heated. For starters, there's not even agreement that playing hours and hours of the latest game for Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii or a multiplayer online role-playing game such as "World of Warcraft" is a true addiction, similar to dependence on alcohol or drugs.

According to Dr. Jon Grant, a psychiatrist at the University of Minnesota Medical School who specializes in studying and treating addictive behaviors in adults, there's a lot to consider before heavy video-game use is called an addiction. Players, including younger ones, may turn to games out of boredom, depression, loneliness and more. "Is it a problem, or is it the symptom of a problem?" Grant said. "I don't know if we actually know that yet."

Some websites give video gamers and their loved ones a forum in which to share their stories of playing addiction, such as Gamer Widow (http://www.gamerwidow.com/) and On-Line Gamers Anonymous (http://www.olganon.com/). But many players and those in the industry are skeptical.

St. Louis Park, Minnesota resident Justin Riss, 31, said he has played video games since the 1980s and found the AMA's move "absolutely hysterical."I have no physical or emotional side effects due to the use of playing games. I still play," he said. "Furthermore, I consider my hand-eye coordination better than most other individuals, and I attribute that to my days of sitting on the couch playing games like 'Tecmo Bowl' and 'Double Dribble.' "

Eric Hanson, 29, a Web developer at the University of Minnesota said: "While video-game addiction could be real, it is time that psychiatric science simply limit diagnosis to 'addictive predisposition' rather than trying to classify every conceivable behavior as having an addiction."

Andy McNamara, editor-in-chief of Minneapolis-based Game Informer magazine, said the AMA's actions are another sign of how video games are misunderstood.

"The simple fact that society calls too much gaming an 'addiction' and too much eating a 'disorder,' gives you an idea how the video-game industry is treated by the people who simply don't understand it," he said.

Some players do see potential pitfalls in playing too much of games such as the immensely popular "World of Warcraft."I play this game actively and can attest to its addictive properties," said Sean Carter, 31, a Denver technology manager who commented through the Star Tribune's website. "The social interaction and forced cooperation with other live players combined with the open-ended story line can easily draw you in. It's a great example of the digital world replacing real life."

The AMA could vote on the proposal by Monday, but even if approved, it will not appear in the mental-illness manual until the publication's next edition in 2012. So don't call in sick to play games just yet.

Read the full story from Randy A. Salas of the Star Tribune here.

NPD online gaming report shows Solitaire still dominates WOW and Xbox Live is King!

The NPD Group has released Online Gaming 2007: The Virtual Landscape, which is a marketing report containing statistics pertinent to the growing field of online gaming. It is a statistical breakdown of who's playing what online when and on what devices. The information contained in the report is of vital importance to game, console and PC developers who will use the information for formulating future strategies for maximizing revenues.

For gamers it is interesting to see exactly what types of games are the most popular online and it might reveal some interesting future online gaming trends.

Their research indicates that 62% of all gamers play online games. You may have expected MMO's like World of Warcraft to be the number one genre of online game, but the fact is MMO's are not even second. The top dog of internet games is still casual card, puzzle, arcade, and word games, which represented 44% of the online games available across all platforms. Meanwhile, family oriented games made up 25% of the share while MMO games of all types held only 19%.

According to the NPD's research, 42% of all online gamers are female, which may account for the high popularity of casual games genres. In addition, the report also reveals that the majority of online gamers fall within the bracket of middle income ($35,000~$75,000) households.

In terms of the most popular gaming consoles, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has solitary control over the top spot, with the highest percentage of actual online use at 54%. However, owners of the Nintendo Wii may be the most internet savvy, as 76% of Wii owners surveyed are connected to the internet. The percentage of connectivity for the other two next-gen consoles hovers at around 70%.

While Nintendo Wii owners may have the highest percentage of internet connections, they aren't spending most of their time online with their Wii's. According to NPD's data, Xbox 360 users spend the most amount of time online, with an average of approximately 7.1 hours per week. The PS3 came in second at 6.1 hours a week, while PC/Mac users spent about 5.8. All other connected consoles amounted to less than four hours a week of online playing time.

If you think about it, none of this seems very surprising to me except maybe the amount of Wii owners with an internet connection. Otherwise, I would always expect casual games to dominate the online PC gaming space. People have a lot more opportunities for playing those types of games during the work week than they do to sit down and waste 4 or 5 hours playing WOW. Xbox Live is the best console online gaming platform available so it dominates the Console online space.

Will Apple supplant Sony, MS and Nintendo to become the dominant video game console maker in 2015?

With the well documented problems facing Sony in attempting to retain it's market dominance in the video game console space, I got to thinking about past trends in the gaming industry and where we might find ourselves in the not so distant future.

The console industry has always been very cyclical.

If you go back 30 years (has it really been that long?) to 1978, Atari was the dominant game console manufacturer, having replaced Pong as the console of choice for consumers with their Atari 2600. After two generations of hardware, they were defunct as a viable console maker and in 1983 the industry as a whole imploded as a result of willy nilly licensing and a string of monumentally bad titles. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial takes most of the blame for this, but in reality that title was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

In 1985 the industry was resuscitated when Nintendo hit it big with the Nintendo Entertainment System and soon "Nintendo" became as synonymous with Video games as "Coke" is for soda pop. At one point, one in three American homes owned a NES. For over a decade Nintendo ruled the console world through two generations of systems with some mostly light competition from Sega's Genesis.

Sony first entered the console market space in 1988 when they partnered with Nintendo to create a new NES that would feature both NES cartridge functionality and CD-ROM multimedia technology, but after a series of questionable moves by both companies well documented here, the hybird NES was dropped, Sony's now forgotten Play Station (space intentional) was never released and the two companies became eventual rivals instead of partners.

Steve Race, Sony Computer Entertainment Of America's (SCEA) then CEO, stated, "Since the deal with Nintendo didn't come to fruition we decided to put games on a back burner and wait for the next category. Generally, the gaming industry has a seven-year product life-cycle, so we bided our time until we could get in on the next cycle."

In 1994 Sony did release the first "Playstation" in Japan and by the end of 1995 Nintendo had fallen prey to changing market conditions, and some say to it's own hubris, in being usurped by relative newcomer Sony as the king of console gaming.

In 2001 Microsoft released the first Xbox and although Sony overwhelmingly dominated that generation of hardware sales with it's own Playstation 2 which came out a year earlier, Microsoft impressed many gamers and game developers with their hardware and commitment to quality games and the universally praised Xbox Live. Microsoft sold only a fraction of the consoles Sony did, but they made invaluable in-roads and had cemented a place in the console game industry.

Then in 2004 Microsoft dropped a bomb on their competitors when they announced the Xbox 360, catching both Sony and Nintendo completely off guard. With a planned November 2005 Launch in North America and worldwide by the end of December, Microsoft virtually assured themselves of at least a one year headstart on either of their competitors possible Next-Gen offerings.

Which brings us to the present. Despite some hardware issues, Microsoft has done an excellent job selling Xbox 360's around the world, except in Japan where it continues to stagnate. Worldwide, more than 10 Million 360's have been sold. Nintendo's Wii is currently selling out everywhere it is released, and our last Gen leader, Sony is struggling mightily to sell PS3's, which come with a pricetag a full $200 higher than the Xbox 360 Premium system.

So, if things actually remain on course for Microsoft and they parlay their success with the 360 into a true market dominator with an Xbox 720 in the next "Next Generation" due sometime around 2010-2011, who will enter the fray then to dethrone them? History says it will happen. So far NO console manufacturer has managed to dominate beyond two generations.

Apple has made it clear they have an interest in gaming with the recent release of games for the Ipod Video. Rumors have floated around for the better part of two years about a possible Apple Handheld gaming console, and now with their Apple TV hardware, they have entered the digital delivery space previously dominated by Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace.

Are these moves the portent to more grandiose Apple gaming plans down the road? In 2015 will we all be playing Apple Igame consoles? Is Sega a sleeping giant waiting for the right time to be awakened? Will someone else emerge from the ether and surprise us all? Or will Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft be the only players in this game for another 10 years?

Lose Weight the Wii Way!

So we know the Wii is a great way to keep seniors moving and active and it certainly seems to appeal to a diverse range of people, but can it really help change your life for the better?

Well yes, it seems maybe it can.

After being inspired by the Wii Sports Experiment, J.R. (last name not given) who goes by the online name "Eldorian" has created his WiiWeightLossPlan, incorporating the Wii along with some mild lifestyle changes to create a weight loss plan that seems to be working for him. He has tracked his progress over the past six weeks and he claims he is the lightest he's been in eight years. He started at 270 lbs and now weighs 254 lbs. Not bad. His goal is to lose 80lbs and get down to get down to 190lbs. That's a lot of Wii Bowling and Wii Boxing!

Keep it up J.R., maybe you'l'l inspire some of us to get up off our duffs and sweat to the Wii.

"Win a Wii for a buck" or "Luckiest Kid in the World"

The following video is of the luckiest kid in the world. He actually won a major prize from a Stacker machine, you know those games you see in the mall, restaurants, arcades and movie theaters. And this kid didn't just win the biggest stuffed animal in the machine, he won a Nintendo Wii! Unbelievable.

Warning, the video is most definitely NSFW or school...the kids with him drop 20 megaton f-bombs in celebration of their friend's victory...and rightly f'n so!



I want that kid to come rub me for good luck! Wait, what I mean is...oh, never mind.

Nintendo Wii Hits the High Seas - on Cruise Ships

To the list of Nursing Homes, hospitals and bingo halls you can now add cruise ships to the places that the Nintendo Wii can be found entertaining the geriatric set.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today announced it is the first cruise line to offer guests a chance to experience Nintendo's red-hot Wii on board its ships. Wii systems are currently on all NCL America ships and will be rolled out on the rest of the NCL fleet by next month. The systems are equipped with Wii Sports, Wii Play, WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Excite Truck.

"With its active, engaging and inviting game experiences appealing to every age from kids to parents to grandparents, the Wii from Nintendo is a natural fit for Freestyle Cruising," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and CEO. "With the addition of Wii to our on-board activities, we can now offer bowling, boxing, golf, tennis and baseball across the entire fleet. Cheering, yelling and high-fives will be highly encouraged."

Whoohoo, take THAT Grandma...I own you!!