Headlines - Bioware to combat piracy problem with more DLC

[HEXUS]

Bioware to target piracy by offering more downloadable content to loyal fans.

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[TheBloodyNine]

Thats all well and good but when was the last time a "loyal customer" pirated a game? And considering pirates bypass the copy protection on new games on the day of release how do you stop them doing the same to the DLC?

I like the idea of free games, dosnt everyone, but with free games comes a lack of attachment to game accounts for online play, and an increase in hacks and cheats, if your account is free who cares if you get banned.

Also buy charging for items and guns you start to create an unlevel playing field, people with lots of money get to buy all the extra special super guns and armour and thoose with no money end up getting dominated by players with an "unfair" advantage.

[kalniel]

Thats all well and good but when was the last time a "loyal customer" pirated a game?

There's no such thing as a loyal customer in the video games business.

Also buy charging for items and guns you start to create an unlevel playing field, people with lots of money get to buy all the extra special super guns and armour and thoose with no money end up getting dominated by players with an "unfair" advantage.

Not if the total cost of all the micropayments is less than the cost of a full retail game would otherwise be.

[TheBloodyNine]

Not if the total cost of all the micropayments is less than the cost of a full retail game would otherwise be.

It dosnt really matter how much the total cost of the micropayments are it will still create a two seperate classes of player, the haves and the have nots. It dosnt even have to be a case of not being able to afford the extras it maybe a simple case of not being old enough to have accounts with which ever payment method they require. Sure some kids will be able to ask parents to do it, but I know for a fact my parents wouldnt have given me more to buy guns and armour in a "free" game.

I know I bought up free games but Bioware are talking about doing this for standard games to get more people to buy more PC games, but I doubt DLC will be free for that either

[kalniel]

It dosnt really matter how much the total cost of the micropayments are it will still create a two seperate classes of player, the haves and the have nots.

How is that different from the people that have the game vs those that have not? Or those that have the expansion vs those that don't? As a gamer I think the more people that can afford to play at all the better.

It dosnt even have to be a case of not being able to afford the extras it maybe a simple case of not being old enough to have accounts with which ever payment method they require. Sure some kids will be able to ask parents to do it, but I know for a fact my parents wouldnt have given me more to buy guns and armour in a "free" game.

You're in a gaming minority if you are dependant on parents - most gamers are something like 20-40 years old, and while companies like to look to ways of expanding their market base (which they could do by offering pre-pay cards in retail outlets for example), they will usually tailor their systems to the majority market.

I know I bought up free games but Bioware are talking about doing this for standard games to get more people to buy more PC games, but I doubt DLC will be free for that either

*shrugs* I will always judge a game on its value here and now. If a game requires additional payments to be fun then I will assess whether the overall fun is worth the overall cost. If I don't think a game is fun without extra content then I won't buy it in the first place. Most of the market works the same way, so developers will always have to produce something that customers view as worth the money.

[Eagle]

Bioware don't exactly make multiplayer games, so having less items and guns won't really put you at a disadvantage, maybe make the single player a little more difficult thats it. Having actual stories or areas to explore, thats more likely what bioware are talking about. Like in KOTOR1 they had an extra area that XBOX users had to download (It came with the PC Game) but things like that are what i'd expect bioware to do.

Bioware make some incredible games aswell, so have some faith.

[TheBloodyNine]

Ok, my original argument has got a little lost here, the content of DLC dosnt really matter if it free or not.

The thing is they are assuming that by having DLC the game wont be pirated as much. But the only real way for this to work is if the DLC is actually something vital to the game, for example you go out and buy the game but it only comes with say half the game in the box, then you have to get the rest of the game via DLC. As it is most DLC just adds an extra hour or so of none vital gameplay, and based on previous releases the DLC will be pirated on the day of release and if it isnt then no big loss the games still completly playable.

So what I'm saying is DLC is great but not a particularly effective anti-piracy tool.

[kalniel]

The thing is they are assuming that by having DLC the game wont be pirated as much. But the only real way for this to work is if the DLC is actually something vital to the game, for example you go out and buy the game but it only comes with say half the game in the box, then you have to get the rest of the game via DLC.

Actually I don't think that's the idea - maybe the idea is that if you get lots of follow up support and goodies - especially if those goodies are easier to obtain with a registered copy of the game, then more people are likely to make the effort to buy the game in the first place to support the continued provision of future goodies.

[TheBloodyNine]

Thats the whole thing, I know thats not the idea but thats is really the level they will have to go to to stop or even reduce piracy.

A few extra maps, an extra quest or 2 really isnt enough to convince a pirate to buy a game over getting it for free. Any DLC will be a great bonus to the "loyal" customer base who buy the game but not much more

[kalniel]

A few extra maps, an extra quest or 2 really isnt enough to convince a pirate to buy a game over getting it for free. Any DLC will be a great bonus to the "loyal" customer base who buy the game but not much more

Maybe it's not meant for the hard pirates, rather the usually reasonable people who just can't be bothered to buy a game even if they like it a bit. Of which there seem to be tons

[Earlyflash]

The DLC for oblivion was widely pirated, so there's not much incentive there.

However, this is the right approach, since it'll stop the casual pirate, which is really who they are targetting (since this is where the lost sales really are).