MirrorOfKagami

 

As much as I tried to appreciate your position, I find gamers like you *are* the reason the gaming industry is in a battle with its customers.

A battle which shouldn't even be around.

Where you lost me was with this comment: "They're really for the people who, at any level, put in the time and extra effort to practice and try to get better, no matter their actual skill level."

In the old days, this dedication was necessary to be *rewarded* with those unlockable characters. Those who did spend the time mastering the game did so because they wanted to get 100% of the game.

Now, we've gullible gamers who'd rather provide their credit card numbers rather than invest in the game they've purchased. Makes me wonder why these people continue to game if all they do is make excuses regarding their invested time.

More importantly, you fail to realize this issue isn't just about unlockable characters. From "missing chapters" to "superior weapons", the gaming industry seems it would rather do more to get you to supply your credit card number than create a product, complete, to justify the purchase to begin with.

I've watched this industry change over the years, and it's all been for the worse. Every time there's a news statement about losses, a few weeks later is news about a game's record-breaking sales. To "combat" these losses, game publishers have pushed for ads *in game*, reduced the playing time (which can be a blessing in some cases, admittedly), and are now charging customers for things like horse armor.

I don't mind these types of add-ons, honestly, because it is up to me to decide. However, have you seen the descriptions for these on consoles? They're purposely designed to mislead people, fail to give an accurate picture of what we're about to buy, then laugh to the bank when we've lost our money.

Case in point: Catan's "original art" pack. Here I was thinking it was the 3D imagery the game uses extensively, and it turns out it's nothing but a set of the ugliest art I've ever seen. I'd like my money back, but it should be no surprise of the "no refunds" policy *every* console pushes.

Here's an idea, Nate: stop whipping out your credit card. Stop giving this industry the notion it's okay to continue treating gamers this way. Play the game at 100%+ to unlock those items, because you've invested a good portion of your income on the game itself.

Try it for 6 months to a year. Then come back and let us know how well your gaming experience has been *without* the DLC.

You may find yourself surprised you really don't need it no matter what the industry says to the contrary.

Every time customers open their wallets to DLC, they set gaming back another step.