dlc still required/test successful

Games Other Halo
1

so monday morning, 10am, and it is still dlc required? i thought this was a 2 week long test. i guess the test was successful?

i have truly enjoyed my time with halo 4, i certainly can not claim i did not get my 60 dollars worth from it, but this is the end then. frankly, the only reason i bought xbox live was for halo 4 in the first place. 10 dollars to recover previously possessed functionality is in fact a bridge too far, and i would even say that maybe video game players deserve legal protections from corporations behaving like this.

actions like this on the part of microsoft factored heavily into my decision to not purchase the XBOX1 when it releases.

i still hope i am somehow wrong and my go to online fps game is just lagging in updates, i would be very happy to be wrong.

2

Play team throwdown

3

team throwdown currently has 49 players and is dlc required.

4

This post has been edited by a moderator. Please do not flame or attack other members.

*Original post. Click at your own discretion.

Get over yourself and spend the ten dollars on making your gaming experience better. And if dlc is what is making you not buy an Xbox one then have fun buying it on PS4. There aren’t many games out today that don’t have some sort of dlc. If you really like halo so much how about putting 10 dollars into it to like it even more. I don’t get how someone can be so self entitled.

5

> team throwdown currently has 49 players and is dlc required.

Team Throwdown only requires the Forge Island DLC map, which is free.

6

thanks vector0. i will try it then.

as a preempt to all the people who think i or anyone else should just pay the extortion, please understand that maps should be free. the only reason they are not is because there is a monopoly on distribution. maps are not hard to make, they are certainly not worth 1/6th the price of a full retail release, or 1/2 the price of an excellent used title or downloadable title.

further, dlc maps split the community, making a worse experience for all. and what do i do when i buy the ten dollar map pack i dont want and morally object to, and then they decide i need to buy another 10 dollar map pack with the next update.

the only vote i have is with my wallet. 60 dollars was enough money for the game.

7

I hope it stays the way it is. I’ve enjoyed my time with the dlc maps. I sincerely hope you enjoy your 60 dollars worth of game. I want to continue playing what I’ve paid for.

8

> as a preempt to all the people who think i or anyone else should just pay the extortion, please understand that maps should be free. the only reason they are not is because there is a monopoly on distribution. maps are not hard to make, they are certainly not worth 1/6th the price of a full retail release, or 1/2 the price of an excellent used title or downloadable title.

I can understand that, and if that’s how you feel, okay. But from my perspective, I can see that you’ve logged almost 230 hours in Halo 4. For $60, that’s about 25 cents per hour, or 3.75 hours per dollar. That’s an incredible value. What’s the problem with spending an additional $10 for a game that you obviously enjoy more than almost any other game? Why is that “immoral” to you?

9

> Get over yourself and spend the ten dollars on making your gaming experience better. And if dlc is what is making you not buy an Xbox one then have fun buying it on PS4. There aren’t many games out today that don’t have some sort of dlc. If you really like halo so much how about putting 10 dollars into it to like it even more. I don’t get how someone can be so self entitled.

This

10

vector0, i presume you think the money doesn’t matter. it does. 10 dollars i spend on a map pack is 10 dollars i am not spending on the new batman game this month, or maybe buying that open world zombie game ign was hyping, state of decay or something like that.

even if the money was absolutely no issue, i love video games and this all you can eat gouge fest that is the modern dlc experience is killing video games on consoles. i would not give a friend who was addicted to -Yoink!- 10 dollars to buy more -Yoink!-, i will not support a policy that is absolutely strangling the long term prospects for video games in favor of short term extreme greed. i buy dlc, but i buy dlc that is actually worth something, and i dont buy it sight unseen like in those ridiculous season passes.

in the somewhat unique case of halo4, it is really the only reason i have xboxlive atm as well. the publisher of the title has already been getting hundreds of dollars from me for years.

to my shame, i have bought map packs a couple times in the past 5 years, never once have i been even remotely pleased with my experience.

i would also say, that if you see i have put so much time into halo 4, then clearly i already knew what i liked, and if i had wanted a map pack i would have bought it long ago.

11

I always have a good laugh when all you guys are complaining about 60 dollars being like the utmost that should be spent for a game, and I’m just sitting here spending 100 dollars minimum, and still get the dlc.

12

> Get over yourself and spend the ten dollars on making your gaming experience better. And if dlc is what is making you not buy an Xbox one then have fun buying it on PS4. There aren’t many games out today that don’t have some sort of dlc. If you really like halo so much how about putting 10 dollars into it to like it even more. <mark>I don’t get how someone can be so self entitled.</mark>

I don’t get how someone can be so rude. Not everyone wants the DLC, get over it. If the OP finds that he is unable to play certain playlists he likes then he has the right to complain.

I don’t care if you’ve paid $10 whole dollars more, stop acting like a brat.

As for you OP, you may enjoy this.

13

> What’s the problem with spending an additional $10 for a game that you obviously enjoy more than almost any other game? Why is that “immoral” to you?

So let’s say your TV provider decided to start charging $10 extra for certain programming - on top of your existing subscription. They have the same disclaimers as on the H4 box, by the way, allowing them to change the programming without notice. Anyway, let’s say that it’s only 4 hours per week of programming, or about 210 hours per year. Would your response be . . . well, I should just shell out the cash because I get so much enjoyment out of those shows? Perhaps . . . as long as you don’t mind sending the signal that you are fine with such changes. But refusing to shell out the cash and instead registering your dissatisfaction with the viewing restriction changes is also a valid response.

For my part, I’ve responded to that question many times. See below.

First here:

> To those who say, “It’s only another $10,” I really don’t care. That’s not the point. Forums and customer service feedback is great, but there really is only one way for customers to influence corporate behavior: by choosing to buy - or not to buy - a product. I choose not to buy the product.
>
> I do not choose this because $10 will break the bank. I choose this because I do not like having additional conditions placed on the service that were not present at the time I made the purchase. Choosing not to buy is the most effective way to provide this feedback, so long as a sufficient number of other people do the same. So your arguments that it is only $10 fall on deaf ears.
>
> To those who say, “It was this way in past Halos,” again, I really don’t care. I did not play past Halos, and even if I did, that doesn’t change the fact that I do not like when companies charge for additional gameplay-critical items beyond the initial purchase. That’s precisely akin to arguing that since lynchings have been practiced for thousands of years that we should be okay with them occurring today. Simply because something was done in the past does not automatically confer the status of “right”. The nickel-and-dime mentality (along with the increasing tendency of game developers to avoid full disclosure on the cost of making the game fully functional) is why - after almost two decades of playing EA sports games - I refuse to purchase anything else from EA. My PS3 sits gathering dust in a cabinet, and has done so since 2010.
>
> To those who say, “What about those who bought DLC?” again, your frustrations should be with the company that sold the product without providing an adequate means for you to use it. Do not blame me. Do not tell me that I must be the one to shell out additional money (however small) or restrict my service that I also paid for so that you can use your optional purchase. It was not my decision for you to buy the DLC, nor was it my decision that a proper means for you to use it was absent. If you bought it with the full knowledge that usage might be limited or impossible, the fault is yours. If you bought it without that knowledge, the fault is 343i’s or Microsoft’s. In no case is the fault mine. My obligation to your use of your DLC purchase is precisely zero . . . and emphatically so, as I disagree with the pay-to-play marketing method to begin with.
>
> And finally to 343i, based on the current IS population, it would appear that there are a number of others who feel the same. That DLC owners do not have sufficient use of their purchase is your doing. Feel free to take responsibility for selling a product without the providing the ability to use it. Note that passing it off onto the remainder of your customer base does not constitute taking responsibility.
>
> There are several solutions to this, should anyone at Microsoft or 343i be willing to listen. In the meantime, I suggest you try something other than obliterating the population of your playlists to provide DLC owners with a means to use what you sold them.

And more info here, which directly addresses smilingsaint’s point:

> But when it comes to “business principles”, you very well might be wrong. DLC certainly increases short term revenue, so doing things to encourage DLC purchases certainly contributes to that short-term revenue goal in a positive fashion. As companies like EA are finding (which is growing far less than the industry average, and actually shrank in both market cap and sales last year), such short-term goals may be outweighed by their long-term consequences. So I present a very small sample from the total evidence available from EA (who also pursues a DLC-heavy strategy) to support the idea that -Yoink!- consumers off - even in cases where it’s legal (and, in some cases, where it may not have been) - is a very bad business decision:
>
> CEO Resigns
>
> EA Sued Over Early Shutdowns
>
> EA DRM Backlash Prompts Lawsuit
>
> EAs 5-yr Stock Price Stagnant
>
> I can personally vouch for EA’s business strategy as the reason I have not bought an EA game since 2010.
>
> Nor is Microsoft immune:
>
> XBox One DRM Backlash
>
> Microsoft Does Unprecedented About-Face
>
> Rather than my reasons being not being good arguments, as you suppose, they are exactly the types of arguments that - when ignored by game manufacturers - may lead to long term falling revenues. Microsoft itself apparently believes it is not entirely immune.
>
> So your version of “how it really gets fixed” is to acquiesce to the microtransaction business model - to the point of denying others service, if necessary (even if you do feel that such action is undesirable). My version of “how it really gets fixed” is to let the market decide whether the game-critical DLC strategy has long term financial viability. As part of that market, I have registered my vote by not purchasing. And lest the reason for my vote be misunderstood, I have - and will continue to - exercise my right to explain it.
>
> There is nothing better business-wise than a loyal fan base available to purchase your next offering. There are few things worse than -Yoink!- them off to the point where they walk away (a la Madden fans). The online population - and 343i’s most recent obliteration of IS population - are pretty strong signs that some of that loyal fan base has already walked.
>
> I would argue it is a very bad business decision to give the remainder new reasons to do likewise.

14

Double post.

15

>

Thank you for that incredibly well worded argument.

16

If you buy the $10 map pack it’s your personal decision. The beauty of free will is that you don’t have to do do anything you do not want to do.

I stated my opinion in another thread that forcing players into buying DLC to play a core game type at this point is simply a poor decision by 343i. I’m sure there are players that can afford to shell out those extra 10 bucks, but why? This game is not worth putting the $10 into.

The DLC required decision did help me find Halo Waypoint. I have read the threads about how dissatisfied Halo fans are and I made the logical conclusion to hold out on buying anything extra that is going “enhance” my overall Halo 4 experience. I do not feel that this game is redeemable, and will hold out to see what Halo 5 has to offer.

I’ll play Halo 4 on and off. I don’t feel the need to be competitive in this game anymore. Halo 1-3 saw some of the best online gaming I’d ever had the pleasure of participating in. Reach was the beginning of the end, and with all honesty Halo 4 doesn’t feel like a real Halo game. While this franchise will always have it’s “core” fan base, 343i has done a great job of pushing away the very players that grew up playing Halo.

If you have the DLC content and ridicule those of us who have chosen not to purchase it,enjoy sitting there pushing those buttons. Enjoy the lag, the black screens and lack of true competitive play. I think the smart gamers look at this scenario and know when to step away for a while. I do hope Halo 5 can revive Halo, until then, I’ll be a that casual gamer holding for something better to spend my 10 dollars on. Why be competitive minded for a mediocre game?

17

This post has been edited by a moderator. Please do not flame or attack other members.

*Original post. Click at your own discretion.

Entitled children know nothing about business; it’s really quite sad.

Short Version:

  1. Buy the maps and enjoy supporting / enjoying Halo 4 online.

  2. Play other lists that don’t require it

  3. Find something else to do.

I can assure you that this is no different than how the real world operates (or other games for that matter).

If everyone didn’t expect to free load these days (entitlement of this generation) and did number 1 from above (support what you play, really it’s fairly cheap compared to other 60 dollar games that are 20-50 hours)… guess what; poof, no ‘DLC problem’.

Suddenly Halo 4 community isn’t divided and everyone gets to play the new maps to keep the variety high. Longevity problem fixed.

18

Oh, and guess where that 10 dollars does? Think about it…

Hints:

  1. It doesn’t go poof
  2. You love to play Halo in the past, present and the ____.
19

> 2) Play other lists that don’t require it
>
> 3) Find something else to do.

Way ahead of you.

> Suddenly Halo 4 community isn’t divided and everyone gets to play the new maps to keep the variety high. Longevity problem fixed.

Oops . . . it appears #1 is the only authorized option. My bad.

> Entitled children know nothing about business; it’s really quite sad.
>
> If everyone didn’t expect to free load these days (entitlement of this generation) and did number 1 from above (support what you play, really it’s fairly cheap compared to other 60 dollar games that are 20-50 hours)… guess what; poof, no ‘DLC problem’.

Because, you know, a real business man:

  1. Always pays list price. Because that’s what the company needs man, to keep rollin out the goods.

  2. Never holds out and never ever ever leverages group buying / withholding power.

  3. Always buys updates and add-ons because, you know, he spent so much money already.

  4. Always assumes that when a supplier executes a disclaimer that the supplier had his best interests in mind.

  5. Knows that continuing to shell out money for add-ons for a disappointing product will always be interpreted by the seller as a demand for a future product that is better out-of-the-gate.

Thank you so much. Now I see the light! I can haz MBA? I is redy to be a reel bizniss man now!

P.S. Dr. John Bridges, Defence of the Government of the Church of England, 1587: “A foole and his money is soone parted.”

20

This decision is appalling. It is shocking and definitely feels like a betrayal, both from a game perspective and business perspective.

Infinity Slayer was meant to be the de facto main playlist of Halo, correct? That is, medium sized team slayer is the basic Halo experience? I assume this based on past iterations. If this is not true (someone, please, please tell me if it is or not true), then I suppose 343 can do whatever with it.

But if it is the BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL Halo experience, it makes zero sense from a game perspective to lock out people from buying it. A friend recently bought Halo because he enjoyed playing Infinity Slayer at my house with me. Now he can’t play! We can’t play! There is some $$$ down the drain.

Why is nobody talking about this fact? This problem?

<mark>You CANNOT play the BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL Halo experience RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.</mark>

That alone should cause chills. No matter WHAT service you are looking at, you can always do the BASIC service without add-ons. Xbox Silver/Free accounts can still play games and get updates. TV subscribers can still get basic news channels if stuff gets more expensive.

Another thing from a game perspective - previous Halo games never had a lockout like this. I don’t care if I can’t play ranked/doubles/snipers/“speciality” gametypes without DLC. I care about the BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL gametype. Even H3, after the ODST Mythic Disc, still had Social Slayer DLC free.

From a business perspective, what does this mean? Does it mean $60 is no longer enough for a game? For those who say all games require DLC, yes, but you can play the basic experience WITHOUT DLC as well. DLC is meant as an ADD-ON to games, not a supplement for basic parts of the game. Why should I be marginalized as a Halo player because I pre-ordered and paid full price for the game? Why should I have to pay more for a BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL Halo experience? Is the full retail price of the game not enough? And please do not tell me that I am “not a true Halo fan” or “not a supporter” because I did not just “shell out the money”. I played this game A LOT since its release, regardless of what others see to be imperfections. I stayed faithful by playing the game. Is that no longer enough to be considered a valued Halo player? Is only money the main objective?

And then there is the stuff that I, Maximus IL, frans11, and several others have suggested (both DLC-owners and non-DLC owners, but all Halo 4 owners, if that matters) - have a separate playlist for Slayer. Keep your Infinity Majestic Slayer. Your sub-grand population will be unaffected. Then give us back another Free Slayer playlist. Or rather, call it “Bought Halo 4 Slayer”, because that is what it will be - Slayer for people who bought the game.