2. Downloadable Content
Of the many things publishers to do squeeze a little more money out of gamers, this is absolutely one of the most insulting. Downloadable content should be a good thing. It allows developers to create new content and extend the life of the game while giving gamers reason to come back. And for a while, this was the case. However, within just the last two years, downloadable content has become something that infuriates instead of pleases, as instead of creating new content later down a games lifespan, publishers now have developers withhold content and charge extra for it, often on the first day of release! The most recent and controversial example belongs to Bioware and
Mass Effect 3. Released day one, From Ashes was DLC that involved the discovery of a living Prothean, the long dead race that battled the Reapers previously and gave the current races a fighting chance. The Prothean, named Javik, comes aboard the Normandy and becomes a member of the crew, and throughout the rest of the game you get to learn more about the Protheans and their past society. Youd think such an important aspect of the story would automatically be a part of the game, but instead it was offered as extra content as a way to get gamers to spend $70 on the game instead of $60. Such practice reeks of insincerity, and further demonstrates how the CEOs of these numerous publishers couldnt care less about the artistry of the industry, only the end profit. Worst of all, it taints it.
Mass Effect 3, a game that should have been known as the epic conclusion to a great trilogy, will now be known as just another example of how shifty business practices negatively impact a game. But this is just one example. Most big budget titles nowadays have day one DLC in some form. Downloadable content has immense potential, but when content is withheld from the game and labeled DLC, it ceases to be that and becomes an insult.