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I'm so old. What is a season pass?
MightyUnclean
Member EpicPosts: 3,531
I keep hearing that game developers are now charging extra for something called a season pass. What does this mean, exactly?
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Vault-Tec analysts have concluded that the odds of worldwide nuclear armaggeddon this decade are 17,143,762... to 1.
I've never played a single game where every bit of DLC was worth the price of the Season Pass. In fact, with the Fallout Games in particular, and the Far Cry games as well, there's usually only one good piece of DLC in the entire roundup and none that couldn't wait 12-24 months to pick up on a 75% off sale on Steam and play then.
거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다
The gaming world in general works like this these days:
A home builder is building a new house. He's got a good reputation so far and has built a few houses that people really love. He's building another house, and you need one and want one of his homes because they've been so beautiful in the past. So you give him your money up front thinking about the beautiful homes he built other people.
Then he finishes the home and you go see it... and it's nothing like what you expected. Not only that but parts of it aren't functional. Some of the plumbing is missing. Some light switches don't work or do unexpected things like turn your shower on instead. It's the right color and has the right amount of rooms, but everything else is a disaster. But you've already paid, so there you go... enjoy.
Buying a season pass is paying the same home builder, up front again, because he promises to add four different upgrades to your home in the future. He won't tell you what they are, what they'll add to your house and you don't get to have any say in the choices. Just pay him now and see what you get.
The first thing he builds you is a dream dog house in the back yard. It's got AC for summer, heating for winter, an automatic feeder and watering system. It's every out door dog owners dream... except you're allergic to dogs, don't own any, won't own any ever and have no use for it, but too bad cause you paid for it up front and technically he fulfilled his side of the bargain.
My very long-winded point is this: Never, ever ever pay someone upfront for work that they haven't already done. Pay someone, and pay them well, for good quality work that they've already finished that makes you happy.
I get that this might be only me, but I look at DLC's like "Mini-Expansions", in the form of dungeons, or maps, races, classes, etc. They are adding to the game as the game goes on. This also keeps them making more of the game, building, developing, adding to the game world if they want to keep an income going. As opposed to lootboxes or cosmetics, or pointless fluff items, that don't add to the game, but become the focus of development.
Also with DLC directing their income, what I buy drives what they make. This way, I am directing the games development with my wallet, not by ranting on the forums.
Unlike say, Lootboxes or Cosmetics or Subs, where the source of the money is obscure, and can't be effectively traced, this allows some loud minority to direct the development of the actual game, which is a horrible idea IMHO.
Just my feels on that payment model.
Since then, I've seen all kinds of single player, non-story based games use this scam. It is set up to lure in the impatient with wonderful marketing words and terms when in fact, if they could wait a year or so, the "Complete", "Gold Edition", GotY", or any other "package" would be much, much cheaper, after all DLCs are released.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Furthermore i am pretty sure ALL ,like every single one of these games operate with cash shops.Sooo if you pay us we will allow you to access our ongoing updated cash shop to spend MORE money.this is the era of selling $30 games for 10++x more than they are worth.
We have purchased shooter games for 30+ years and only paid ONCE and we gave the community the tools to make mods/maps/assets etc etc .NO ADDED costs.
This new idea of seasons pass is SCUMMMY and should not exist.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다
Vault-Tec analysts have concluded that the odds of worldwide nuclear armaggeddon this decade are 17,143,762... to 1.
Borderlands 2 season pass is an example of a good one. Lot of content for the money that was on par or better quality than the rest of the game. Probably 4 times the amount of stuff you typically get in a season pass.
Pillars of Eternity 1 'expansion' pass was pretty good.
Destiny 2 current season pass is hot garbage.
The Division 1 season pass was hot garbage.
There's more bad examples than good overall...
"Hey man, pay me for this."
"Eh? What is that?"
"You'll see."
"What? No, tell me what i'm paying for."
"We haven't decided yet, but it'll be great i promise."
"But... how much of whatever it is will i get?"
"Well that depends on how well we're doing and how much we can make."
"So i might get nothing?"
"I guess. But we'll try to make you at least one thing for sure."
"Sounds like a bad deal man."
"We'll throw in a super special sword, totally unique with glowing stuff on it."
"Deal."
Enters game. Sees everyone running around with the super unique sword.
"Well, shit."
There is nothing dodgy about the season pass by itself. If someone has experienced something shady (which can be discussed) it doesn't taint the concept in any way.
It seems the word "scam" in the gaming world is the equivalent of "snowflake" or "racist" of the political atmosphere; we just yell it out for no good reason whatsoever.
Coupled with a decade ago if a game sold 100,000 copies it was considered a successful title. A game today that sold 100,000 copies is considered a resounding failure, leading to a hugely different consumer market reception and that's not even considering the impact of company stock price, another hugely important factor. Eg. A game a decade ago sells 100k copies and gets rave reviews, one could expect consumer demand to increase for the studios next title, 150k would be a conservative outlook. If a game today sold 100k, it would get slammed in the media and the studio could expect consumer backlash on their next title even if it was a marked improvement and could potentially sell even less, such an outlook would be represented in stock price.
TLDR; You're getting ripped off, and if you defend such practices you are a fool.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED