New Sonic Unleashed stages released

[Aregulardude]

Fail. Paying for DLC only encourages developers to sell larger and larger portions of games to you via DLC, meaning you're going to get less and less on the disc. I already paid for the game once, and that should be enough to experience all it has to offer. Either offer it for free or put it all on the disc in the first place.

Erm. I like to say that buying DLC keeps you into the game if you're starting to grow old of the content on the disc, imo. If there was everything preloaded onto the disc, It'd be fun, it would keep you entertained longer, but once that's done... then what? You can't wait for a bundle with more games to come, so I'd perfer it if they leave some things out and then give the rest out eventually to download. I don't even see why they need to be free either, bonus stuff you'd always have to pay extra for, and if you were the ones who bought the game for that considerable discount when it first came out, you pretty much got your money's worth on the disc. Also, when you download, some of the money that you used to buy the card goes to SEGA, for further support, as far as I know about the wonderful world of business. You may not agree, but I just want you to understand that in this day of age, some things just can't be bought for free...

...besides oxygen. *shot*

[famicommander]

Again, the more you pay for DLC, the more developers are going to think it's okay. There have already been rumblings within the industry of game endings being DLC. If you pay for DLC, larger and larger chunks of future games are going to be DLC. It provides developers incentive to leave things out of games on purpose so they can charge you for them later. It gives them less incentive to get it right the first time.

Video games are expensive enough as it is, and even if this particular set of DLC is very cheap, it sets precedent.

Edited March 12, 2009 by famicommander

[Aregulardude]

Again, in this day of age, businesses are going to do whatever it takes to keep their company in the black, whether you like it or not. You're just going to have to suck it up at some points, because that's the only thing that you'll be able to do.

...or you could not buy the cards for the DLC, your choice.

[JezMM]

Well, regardless of the effect it has, I still think this particular DLC is fine.

Plus, the majority of countries in Unleashed have 3 day stages and 2 night stages, with this content pack upgrading it to about 6 day stages and 3.5 night stages (counted the level re-arrangements as 0.5 of a level), and that is... quite a bit. The way I see it, their brief was to do so many levels for the disc, and then they'd work on DLC as neccessary. Thus it's not really possible to have it as anything other than DLC.

Of course I could be wrong and they did have all this planned and prepared from the start. But if I am right then I don't see how it's morally wrong at all.

And besides, video-games expensive? I see video-games as a lifelong investment. £40+ for something that'll last me a lifetime basically if I enjoy it enough (which I do).

[Aquaslash]

So NOW they wanna do patches. Should have done that for 06.

Call me when they put Super Sonic in level XD

[Solid SOAP]

I might get this, though I'd rather get the Unleashed premium theme in all honesty.

[famicommander]

Again, in this day of age, businesses are going to do whatever it takes to keep their company in the black, whether you like it or not. You're just going to have to suck it up at some points, because that's the only thing that you'll be able to do.

...or you could not buy the cards for the DLC, your choice.

I don't plan to, but if DLC failed then the negative effects would be null and void. But everyone buys it. And because of that, you're making the future of the gaming industry worse for everyone.

If people were informed about the consequences of DLC, they wouldn't buy it. But since people have no idea, they get duped.

[Aregulardude]

I'm sorry, but you're making it sound like that DLC is a freaking sin against God.

Look, I'll end it here, I think in my opinion, that DLC is fine, as long as it's nothing over the top, like endings to the game, as you said. But in all seriousness, DLC adds replay value to the game, gives producers chances to fix bugs or glitches in the game they didn't catch the first time around, and can optimize code and make frames run smoother. Sometimes they'll use it as a cheap shot to get more money, but that's life, man, there's a whole lot you can't do about it.

[famicommander]

I'm sorry, but you're making it sound like that DLC is a freaking sin against God.

Look, I'll end it here, I think in my opinion, that DLC is fine, as long as it's nothing over the top, like endings to the game, as you said. But in all seriousness, DLC adds replay value to the game, gives producers chances to fix bugs or glitches in the game they didn't catch the first time around, and can optimize code and make frames run smoother. Sometimes they'll use it as a cheap shot to get more money, but that's life, man, there's a whole lot you can't do about it.

The underlined portion can be done with patches, which are good and almost always free.

And you don't seem to understand that small DLC is used to test market large DLC. If people keep buying DLC, you will see more and more DLC. And the more DLC becomes prevalent, the more it will become the standard way of doing things. Which is how you end up paying to download the end of a game. It's how you end up buying keys as DLC which unlock the content that's already on the disc (which happens quite often). It's what gives developers incentive to leave thing out of games on purpose so they can sell it to you later.

Buying DLC is killing gaming as we know it. Period.

[SuperLink]

Let's weigh up all the good things about dlc against the bad

Pros:

- Developers who make games for the fans can increase the playability of a game by a very considerable amount

- Patches can be applied

- May well lower the amount of pointless yearly versions of sports or party games

Cons:

- An excuse for releasing a game before it's done and rushing

- Making you pay for stuff that should have been on the disc to begin with.

Generally you can't stop dlc. It's most definitely not a completely bad thing. The best you can do to stop lame dlc being made is simply not buy it. A lot of games have genuine dlc, and this Sonic Unleashed pack probably has at least a couple of genuinly new stages. Then take into consideration that Unleashed already has more stages than most 3D Sonic games, and yeah, it's sounding pretty good.

[Gatestormer]

I have payed for, downloaded and am enjoying the extra content Bring it on for all the continents!

The underlined portion can be done with patches, which are good and almost always free.

And you don't seem to understand that small DLC is used to test market large DLC. If people keep buying DLC, you will see more and more DLC. And the more DLC becomes prevalent, the more it will become the standard way of doing things. Which is how you end up paying to download the end of a game. It's how you end up buying keys as DLC which unlock the content that's already on the disc (which happens quite often). It's what gives developers incentive to leave thing out of games on purpose so they can sell it to you later.

Buying DLC is killing gaming as we know it. Period.

That's a business tactic.

Not a destroy the economy tactic.

It's how developers can make more money off the consumer so they can make more games.

[famicommander]

Patches. DLC.

NOT THE SAME THING.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

I can't believe these extra levels were included in the original Japanese PS3 copy of Sonic World Adventure...and WE have to pay extra. (Or do we?)

But I am now going to go on the PSN store everyday to check if the DLC is there. =D

Edited March 12, 2009 by Spicylicious

[SuperLink]

Patches. DLC.

NOT THE SAME THING.

With the technology to patch comes the technology for dlc. You can't really have a console with one without the other.

To wish away dlc is to wish away patches.

[Master hunter]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned this.

The Art book 40 Glitch is fixed!

First thing I did was check Shamar and sure enough the Quiz Lady was there. I now have art book 40 meaning I have all Records/videos/artbooks, all achievements, and all missions done with S rank (well apart from the DLC, Werehog is done, I need to practice the Hedgehog stages more)

Disappointed there are no new achievements. This and Sonic 06 both had DLC without new Achievements and are the only games I remember which have done that.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

Well there could be still more DLC to come...who knows? ^.^;;

[Aregulardude]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned this.

The Art book 40 Glitch is fixed!

First thing I did was check Shamar and sure enough the Quiz Lady was there. I now have art book 40 meaning I have all Records/videos/artbooks, all achievements, and all missions done with S rank (well apart from the DLC, Werehog is done, I need to practice the Hedgehog stages more)

Disappointed there are no new achievements. This and Sonic 06 both had DLC without new Achievements and are the only games I remember which have done that.

Are you serious?! Ok, now that's fixed I'm going to buy the dlc, definitely. I was wondering for some time when the Ouiz Lady dissapeared, where did she go? But if they fixed that, along with ironing out the frame to run smoother, some of the bugs for the mission cleared glitches, and the new content that comes with it, buying MS points is now totally on my to-do list.

(I like the concept art from Unleashed, and also in any game, in case you didn't know.)

Edited March 13, 2009 by Aregulardude

[SuperLink]

It's entirely possible that the Quiz Lady is fixed with the patch, meaning the dlc could be unecessary.

Worth a check anyway, you may wanna get the patch and check it out before you buy something you don't really want.

[Detective Shadzter]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned this.

The Art book 40 Glitch is fixed!

First thing I did was check Shamar and sure enough the Quiz Lady was there. I now have art book 40 meaning I have all Records/videos/artbooks, all achievements, and all missions done with S rank (well apart from the DLC, Werehog is done, I need to practice the Hedgehog stages more)

Disappointed there are no new achievements. This and Sonic 06 both had DLC without new Achievements and are the only games I remember which have done that.

That's odd, I checked to see if the Quiz Lady had re-appeared after I downloaded the patch last night and she still wasn't there I'll have to check again now I've got the DLC too, maybe it was fixed with the DLC?

[Adamis]

I can't believe these extra levels were included in the original Japanese PS3 copy of Sonic World Adventure...and WE have to pay extra. (Or do we?)

This is false.

[SuperLink]

I'm pretty sure it was just on Japanese PSN first (as in before XBLAH in the rest of the wurld). They still had to pay for it.

That's odd, I checked to see if the Quiz Lady had re-appeared after I downloaded the patch last night and she still wasn't there. I'll have to check again now I've got the DLC too, maybe it was fixed with the DLC?

My mistake xD

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

This is false.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/12/sonic-un...longer-leashed/

^ Not false.

[Mollfie]

^ doesn't bother me, don't have a PS3, but that does suck for PS3 owners if it's true.

[Blue Blood]

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/12/sonic-un...longer-leashed/

^ Not false.

False. This DLC appeared on the Japanese Marketplace shorly before our ones. The Japanese version comes with the patch already, but not the extra stage in Chun-Nan.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

False. This DLC appeared on the Japanese Marketplace shorly before our ones. The Japanese version comes with the patch already, but not the extra stage in Chun-Nan.

Sega's Sonic Unleashed has a new DLC pack available: "Chun-nan Adventure Pack." Weighing in at 528mb, it features 4 new daytime levels, as well as 2 new Werehog locales within a "mountainous region best known for its dragon roads and majestic peaks." The levels actually aren't new to the game, as they were included in the Japanese PS3 release, but all the same will set you back 250 on the Xbox 360. The DLC will supposedly be available for PS3 owners sometime later today, if the self-abuse of already owning this game isn't enough for you.