With AAA releases like Arkham Knight, Assassin's Creed and Sim City being basically broken on release, I'm wary of paying full price for a game until the kinks have been worked out and the initial wave of mainstream reviews have been supplanted by actual user reviews.
Add to that between Steam, GOG, GMG et al a full price game can be had for less than half price within a year of release, and for a lot of games this will include all of the DLC that can easily double the price of game ownership if bought on release.
Apart from multiplayer games where I want to play with my friends before they all get bored and move on to the latest and greatest game, why would I want to spend £40 + DLC on a game now when in a year's time I can get it for a fiver when they've worked out all the kinks?
Some people just have a minset by where they want the newest thing on release and don't mind paying for it.
Personally, I think it is bonkers but I suppose it takes all sorts.
Pre-ordering and DLC are a cancer in the games industry. You won't affect any change while multitudes of people throw their money at devs/pubs on a wing and a prayer based on a single sneek peek video.
The CoD franchise is a shining example of how retarded gamers are these days. The game has been reskinned with minor changes many times and then sold for a premium and people lap it up. But it is a game you need to buy on release because in a years time you won't be able to play it (not even that long in the case of AW lol!). There will be nobody to play with.
The entire industry is predicated on minimum effort, minimum risk, maximum sales revenue and completely cynical business practices in general. There is a complete lack of vision and initiative with most AAA titles these days being the same core game as the title that was released 4-5 years ago. Farcry 4 - basically Facry 3 and Farcry 3 was very similar to FC2. CoD - lol it has basically been the same recycled game since MW2. Fifa titles - lol. Basically the same game but updated players - that will be full price £££'s please! Assassins Creed - same core game just slightly better graphics. I have no problem with games being reskinned and recycled per se, my problem is they charge £40 for it + £20 for a DLC season pass (more if you are a console gamer). Skill ceilings are getting lower and game mechanics are getting dumbed down to suit the lowest common denominator. All in all, it is a pretty poor show.
I have been an outspoken critic of the gaming industry in general for a good while now (Yeah I know, change the record right?) and will continue to be so until they buck their ideas up. Fortunately CDPR and R* have done a good job with their recent releases, and I hope Eidos/Square can do a good job with DX:MD.
If you want real change you have to hit them where it hurts. Vote with your wallet. Even if you want the game sooooo bad - don't blow your load early (arf
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Trouble is, I think, that a good portion of sales come from kids who are too young to know any better and mummy and daddy just buy their games for them religiously.
It is the only real explanation I can come up with because I struggle to believe that intelligent adult gamers would be retarded enough to pre-order and splurge on DLC without evidence of the game being a cracker. I mean, that can't be what is happening can it? Right guys? Right.......?
