2K: Why is the DLC 24kb only?

[doomed]

Are you charging for content that was already on the disc of the game we bought? And you're unlocking it now for those that pay extra money?

edit Gaming websites that are already reporting this:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=238826
http://www.destructoid.com/rumor-bio...c-166679.phtml
http://www.oxm.co.uk/article.php?id=18089
http://www.videogamer.com/news/first..._the_disc.html
http://www.maxconsole.net/content.ph...lready-on-disc
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/...eady-on-disc/1
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bi...lready-article
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37988/2K-s...k-DLC-backlash
http://www.gamedot.co.uk/2010/03/12/...y-on-the-disk/
http://www.xboxic.com/news/5743
http://brutalgamer.com/2010/03/12/bi...y-on-the-disc/
http://thegamingliberty.com/index.ph...ready-on-disc/
http://www.vg247.com/2010/03/12/it-l...y-on-the-disc/
http://www.el33tonline.com/past/2010...ew_bioshock_2/
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/62780
http://www.console-spot.com/2010/03/...ready-on-disc/
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/games...-install-discs
http://kotaku.com/5492303/bioshock-2...s-all-together
http://www.n4g.com/gaming/News-490881.aspx
http://www.gofanboy.com/go-fanboy-ne...ady-be-on-disc
http://www.qj.net/qjnet/news/2k-game...all-along.html
http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archi...y-on-disc.aspx
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3178326
http://playstationlifestyle.net/2010...ready-on-disc/
http://www.fragland.net/news/2K-Conf...he-disc/22715/
http://www.examiner.com/x-31345-Vide...e-disk-content
http://www.product-reviews.net/2010/...-ps3-xbox-360/
http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/03/15...oshock-2-disc/
http://www.destructoid.com/2k-confir...t-167007.phtml
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2k...-2-on-disc-dlc
http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archi...ayer-base.aspx
http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/0...lready-On-Disc
http://www.consolemonster.com/newspo...?id=0000006691

Awesome work guys! Let's make it clear that we are very dissatisfied with 2K's so called "DLC" model.

----
Moderator Note:
Too make it easier to find I am adding 2K Elizabeth's response in this first post of the thread. Nothing else in this post has been edited.

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/sho...619#post731619

[Vonderbach]

Are you charging for content that was already there on the disc and you're letting us unlock it now by paying extra money?

We need confirmation for this. If this is true, I will retract my prior support for 2K.

[doomed]

Screenshot from MarketPlace:

http://i44.tinypic.com/9vi98j.jpg

[Vonderbach]

I hereby retract my prior rabid support for 2K and their DLC model. I was suckered into believing that this was actually going to contain some legitimate content that was not in existence prior to the release. I suppose my capitalist mindset has fooled me into thinking that companies would not actually charge for an empty box.

Shame on you 2K.

[zerospaceA4]

On Xbox it is around 100 Kb. Of course it was already on the disc. It shouldn't be called downloadable content but unlockable content.

At least they could make the file bigger even if the information was already on the disc. People think that their investment in the DLC was more worth it if the file is big. At least I do.

[doomed]

To be fair we should wait for their response. But personally I can't imagine how they could compress the new content in a 24kb archive.

Hell my above jpeg screenshot is 100kb!

[Vonderbach]

Someone from the PC world should check to see what the file size is for the character models. If those are separate files?

[Ubertino]

You guys seem to mistake 2K for some sort of UNICEF/Mother Theresa organization. Their sole purpose is to make money. Money that is. Your entertainment or satisfaction is just a necessary side effect.

[Wraith]

Hahaha. Not only did they sell already existing content for another fee, but they did that even before releasing the "big patch" to fix the original game. Wow, 2K, you're lame.

[Ubertino]

Selling a product for profit is one thing. Selling a key to unlock a product that you already purchased is not a capitalist endeavor. Nobody is asking for anything for free jackass.

Thanks for the insult ! My point was that a company will try to increase profits and reduce cost. If they start developing DLC now it my take longer and it keeps a part of the team occupied instead of working on other projects. So they just resell you parts of the game you already own.

[Vonderbach]

Thanks for the insult ! My point was that a company will try to increase profits and reduce cost. If they start developing DLC now it my take longer and it keeps a part of the team occupied instead of working on other projects. So they just resell you parts of the game you already own.

You insulted everyone here by implying that we were trying to obtain something for free (i.e. your UNICEF, Mother Theresa jab.) There's no excuse for charging money to "unlock" content that already existed on the disc, none.

[doomed]

FYI: I have contacted several major websites that report gaming news about this.

[blissskr]

Because as most of us mentioned weeks ago they're ripping us off by charging for content they removed from the game that we already own but need a license to access.

[Ubertino]

You insulted everyone here by implying that we were trying to obtain something for free (i.e. your UNICEF, Mother Theresa jab.) There's no excuse for charging money to "unlock" content that already existed on the disc, none.

The UNICEF/Mother Theresa was to contrast between an organization that cares about people and an organization that cares about profit. It was not aimed at anyone on the forum.

[The Helvetica Scenario]

Well, think of it this way: was the game advertised with these features? Would it really have made a difference if they had kept the finished code on their own servers and waited for a month after the game was released?

[Vonderbach]

The UNICEF/Mother Theresa was to contrast between an organization that cares about people and an organization that cares about profit. It was not aimed at anyone on the forum.

If it wasn't your intention, fair enough. But the inference seemed otherwise.

Well, think of it this way: was the game advertised with these features? Would it really have made a difference if they had kept the finished code on their own servers and waited for a month after the game was released?

Yes, it would matter. And yes, it may be semantics, but the fact remains that the game seems to have shipped with the DLC installed. That's not a very scrupulous move on their part and if they plan to make this right, we had better see some major ass kissing from 2K in the very near future. Let's not forget that they are labeling this as DLC, when it appears to be anything but.

[doomed]

Well, think of it this way: was the game advertised with these features? Would it really have made a difference if they had kept the finished code on their own servers and waited for a month after the game was released?

No difference at all, I would still be mad at them.

[Ubertino]

If it wasn't your intention, fair enough. But the inference seemed otherwise.

I appreciate you standing up for the denizens of the forum.

On a side note, 2k should have made the DLC free ( like DICE did with Bad Company 2). It would have been good PR .

[Vonderbach]

FYI: I have contacted several major websites that report gaming news about this.

Kotaku is already reporting on it.

[soodle]

Can they work on fixing the game instead of working on more content that will require more fixing?

[Ubertino]

Can they work on fixing the game instead of working on more content that will require more fixing?

Patches don't make money.

[Vonderbach]

Patches don't make money.

Not directly, but they certainly help to convince prospective buyers. The bad press from all the bugs are actually hurting sales I'm sure. And this DLC debacle is not going to help matters.

[Ubertino]

Not directly, but they certainly help to convince prospective buyers. The bad press from all the bugs are actually hurting sales I'm sure. And this DLC debacle is not going to help matters.

I agree , but remember that a lot of people don't go on gaming sites or forums so they have no idea that the game needs more work.

[The Helvetica Scenario]

Can they work on fixing the game instead of working on more content that will require more fixing?

I don't understand- isn't the complaint that the DLC was already finished?

[Mr.Big_Daddy]

Whoa, and here I thought 2K were going to provide us with DLC that actually was created after the game shipped. Definitely gonna not buy it until they fix the game now.

What proves is the 360 and PC versions space, as you know there disc size is small compared to that of the PS3's Blu ray, so they could have had it on the blu ray disc and what proves this is that neither of the 3 versions have it on the disc.

[Vonderbach]

I don't understand- isn't the complaint that the DLC was already finished?

Not just finished, but included on the original disc. It was a premeditated cash grab from 2K. At some point during the development cycle, 2K had a meeting at which point they decided that they could make X additional dollar in revenue by simply omitting some of the content.

We have the option to not purchase it. But we also have the option to complain about such deceptive uses of the term "DLC." If they were truthful, they would tell us that it's a $5 key. End of story.

[Mr.Big_Daddy]

Not just finished, but included on the original disc. It was a premeditated cash grab from 2K. At some point during the development cycle, 2K had a meeting at which point they decided that they could make X additional dollar in revenue by simply omitting some of the content.

We have the option to not purchase it. But we also have the option to complain about such deceptive uses of the term "DLC." If they were truthful, they would tell us that it's a $5 key. End of story.

Totall agree, now it makes me wonder if the upcoming single player DLC which is said to be releasing is already on the disc. If so they would have shortened the game for a quick extra buck oppourtunity.

No wonder reviewers called the game shorter than BioShock 1, we may actually know why now!

[Vonderbach]

Totall agree, now it makes me wonder if the upcoming single player DLC which is said to be releasing is already on the disc. If so they would have shortened the game for a quick extra buck oppourtunity.

No wonder reviewers called the game shorter than BioShock 1, we may actually know why now!

I didn't feel as if the story lacked finality, but there were definitely holes in the story. It would be really awkward if we revisited the story again with Delta, considering that he's dead.

[zerospaceA4]

But didn't you guys kind of expect that the DLC was going to be on our discs already and that it was done before the release of the game? I mean we saw the convict ("new" DLC character) in a multiplayer trailer which was released a few weeks before the game.

[Vonderbach]

But didn't you guys kind of expect that the DLC was going to be on our discs already and that it was done before the release of the game? I mean we saw the convict ("new" DLC character) in a multiplayer trailer which was released a few weeks before the game.

It was assumed, at least on my part, that there was to be something tangible in the DLC. Whether it be some new achievements, or new textures, something. Hell, a bug fix + DLC would have been worth $5.

[Mr.Big_Daddy]

But didn't you guys kind of expect that the DLC was going to be on our discs already and that it was done before the release of the game? I mean we saw the convict ("new" DLC character) in a multiplayer trailer which was released a few weeks before the game.

Charging $5 for something that only consists of a 10 level increase, two new characters and other stuff WITH NO new trophies/acheivements is very very bad in my opinion.

[zerospaceA4]

Charging $5 for something that only consists of a 10 level increase, two new characters and other stuff WITH NO new trophies/acheivements is very very bad in my opinion.

Yes I agree, I too am not satisfied with that. But we saw the new characters long before the release of the game, they are even included in the official art book. That means that the dlc content was developed along with the game so there was a pretty big chance of it being on the disc already.

[doomed]

Whether we realized it before or just now, makes no difference. It's unacceptable. I do not want to pay for content that I already own.

[The Helvetica Scenario]

Whether we realized it before or just now, makes no difference. It's unacceptable. I do not want to pay for content that I already own.

Thing is, you don't own it. You have the code on a disc that you purchased, but do you not have the rights to play it. There is a very large difference between ownership of physical objects and licensed intellectual property.

[doomed]

That's exactly why it's unacceptable.

[zerospaceA4]

Thing is, you don't own it. You have the code on a disc that you purchased, but do you not have the rights to play it.

That's what I wanted to say but couldn't find the right words, thanks.

[Vonderbach]

Thing is, you don't own it. You have the code on a disc that you purchased, but do you not have the rights to play it.

You're stating the obvious. The point is, why was this decision made? Why did 2K decide to hold back material for additional profit? And more importantly, why are they calling it DLC, when it obviously is not.

[doomed]

I wasn't informed during the installation of the game that some of the content that's included in it won't be activated if I don't pay again.

[Vonderbach]

I wasn't informed during the installation of the game that some of the content that's included in it won't be activated if I don't pay again.

That's a unique perspective too. It's almost a psuedo-scam. We'll sell you this game, but if you want to play the whole thing, you'll have to pay us more money.

My cousin Vinny says he can make all your problems disappear for $500 too.

[The Helvetica Scenario]

I have to ask again though, at what point were you told the game you purchased would include the two extra characters, levels and weapon upgrades?