The Downloadable Content Dilemma

Last week I stepped out of my house twice over a five-day period. I ventured out once to visit the local supermarket and consume a tasty sandwich while surrounded by very old ladies.  The other time I found myself in the unpleasant, surly world that is the mall video game store.

That is why the thought of downloadable content and micro-transactions has had me so intoxicated.  The outside world is fine, but my home is a large and comforting playground, with an enjoyable cast of characters (my little family).  The idea of rolling out of bed and downloading “Call of Duty 7” used to fill me with uncontrollable excitement for the future of gaming.

Electronic Arts has smacked me out of my dreamy state.

When I wrote the first news item last week reporting the release of Madden NFL 07 “strategy videos”, I didn’t think much about them.  EA was asking people to pay for what some consider to be tutorials.

When the second press release, dealing with similar content for NBA Live, came across my desk (or screen to be more accurate) I started to get that queasy feeling.  When the announcement of shortcut “cheat codes” for PGA Tour 07 hit, asking players to pay a few bucks for what was commonly free in the past generation of gaming, I knew my last shred of innocence was slipping away.

There have always been walkthrough guides in print form that people have been willing to spend 10 or 20 bucks on.  Few people complained because the books allowed less skilled or overzealous players to uncover hidden gems and secrets, making the game easier to complete or just more rewarding.  Some companies offered the same thing through pricey 900-number phone lines.

The basics of gameplay, though, were usually covered in some kind of onscreen guide or tutorial mission.  To get the hang of new and puzzling controls for a game like Tomb Raider, you spent some time in Lara Croft’s mansion and got used to them.  The training wasn’t “sold separately”; it was just a part of the full game you bought and it helped the publisher build a loyal fan base, rather than a gaggle of griping gamers.

It is easy to argue that a series as old as Madden NFL doesn’t need in-depth strategy guides and that anyone who wants them should be willing to pay.  This position is cold and capitalistic, but being a bit frosty-hearted and greedy myself, I can understand the approach.  You could further argue that paying for useful game-related content is no worse - and in some ways better - than paying for kitschy gamer pics or decorations for your dashboard. 

A reasonable debate about “value” when it comes to gimmicky toys for a leisure hobby is hard to sustain.   “$1.50 for a logo of Darth Maul!  You got rocks in your head boy! In my day we wouldn’t pay over 75 cents!”,  “Oh yeah, old man?  I heard you paid 15 U.S. dollars for some stupid maps!”

I don’t mind paying for completely new content that expands the usefulness of a game I already got good use of, but I expect all of the fundamental game elements to be included when I hand over my $60.  If you disagree, you have every right to.

The really big problem with premium downloadable content, whether micro or macro, silly or serious, is that you are not paying to own and use as you please, but rather to lease and use at the publisher’s discretion.