In a somewhat surprising move, considering the vast size of the game and the nature of the IP, Nintendo has confirmed an Expansion Pass for DLC in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; it'll be available from the game's launch on 3rd March on both Nintendo Switch and Wii U.
Priced at £17.99 / $19.99, it'll include two core updates for the Summer and later in the year, along with some additional treasure chests that'll drop into the opening area right away. Details are in the text and video below, in which Eiji Aonuma explains what's included and some reasoning behind the DLC.
Immediately upon pre-purchase or purchase of the Expansion Pass, three new Treasure Chests will appear in the game's Great Plateau area. One of these Treasure Chests will contain a shirt with a Nintendo Switch logo which Link can wear during his adventure, exclusive to the Expansion Pass. The other two Treasure Chests will deliver useful items. The first content pack is scheduled to launch this summer and will include the addition of a Cave of Trials challenge, a new hard mode and a new feature for the in-game map. The second content pack will launch in Holiday 2017, and adds new challenges that will let players enjoy a new dungeon and a new original story. The Expansion Pass will be available for both the Nintendo Switch and Wii U versions of the game and are identical. Content packs cannot be purchased individually.

We've seen DLC come to tentpole Nintendo franchises before, such as Super Mario, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart, yet it is still rather surprising to see an expansion pack for a main-line Legend of Zelda title. It's also interesting that the content later in the year will include new Story content, very much following the DLC trends of modern RPG adventures.
What do you think of this announcement? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 537
Wow...
I'm conflicted on this. I mean, I'm going the get this because 1, they deserve it, and 2, I'm a Nintendo fanboy.
But, it kind of feels wrong to have DLC in a Zelda game.
I'm just hope everything will turn out for the better. It probably will.
EDIT: Thinking back on this, I really am fine with this. There's no doubt the game and new content will be awesome.
Have a Poochy!
For better or worse Nintendo are catching up to modern gaming practices.
I'm ok with this as long as the content is worth the price and it sounds like it is!!!!
Huh, didn't see that coming. At all.
Though I admit, I'm a sucker when it comes to season passes for the more 'epic' of games. For racers, shooters, et cetera, I usually don't care, but for open world titles and RPG's such as Just Cause 3, Final Fantasy XV and something like this, I just can't help myself.
EDIT: Which, in the case of Just Cause 3, was obviously a bad decision on my part. :')
Stop it, Nintendo. You're taking all the bad things about modern gaming and leaving the good things behind!
I am not happy but not angry either.
I will wait on some opinions from other people before purchasing the season pass for myself.
If the additional content is worth it then sure. I have not been disappointed by Ninty DLC thus far, but this is the first one with at least somewhat actual price instead of pennies that MK8 DLC cost.
the game is not even out yet. for what i hope is that there will be end game content, like, for instance, in diablo or something. with a system to replay the storyline but also to level up in an endless level cap.......
Really, hard/hero modes should be part of a game, not DLC :/
Other than that, I'm looking forward to the new original story!
Whether I pay for it or not will probably depends on how much I feel like going back to the game by the time pack one comes out as I'm sure I will have moved on to other things by then.
I'm really not a fan of paid DLC in general but at least there's nothing significant at launch. So it shouldn't feel like I'm not getting the full experience by not buying it.
Why would I want Link to run around with a Switch T-Shirt? Talk about immersion breaker!
The MK8 was like the best value DLC I ever saw so hopefully Nintendo continues this practice.
I'm only really interested in the "new story content" so may wait till Holiday 2017. As long as it's not essential to the main storyline, perhaps fleshed out a side character. Extra stuff to make the game "easier" never appeals to me. Challenge dungeons are fine as are enhanced difficulties as if done right they are almost like new game modes that require you to play differently.
On top, the £18 price is a nice change from the £40 price other publishers try.
The additional content sounds good, but I'm a little unsure of the price... it's basically a third of the price of the game for only a fraction of the content in comparison.
I'll still get it, but it'll need to be pretty amazing content in order to make it feel worthwhile.
This is terrible news. Totally unexpected.
Nothing wrong with more Zelda! They really do want to be the next Elder Scrolls don't they!
Edit: I'm more curious how much of my 32gb this will take that really isn't 32gb. More like 27gb, thanks Nintendo for all the space!
I don't even know how I feel about this.... but a new story..... OOOOH. Need.
Hard mode behind a paywall. I wonder how the fanboys will defend this.Still Expansion pass? Man that reminds me of the Witcher 3,god i love that game. What a masterpiece.
Hard mode? dont tell me they are going to charge for a difficulty setting...
So can you get the expansion pass well after launch and still get the bonuses?
I can't wait! The new content seems worth $20 and will keep the game alive long past its initial release.
Meh, it will keep us playing I guess.
DLC and a new amiibo line? Nintendo isn't pulling any punches with this one...
Et tu, Nintendo?
Awful, awful, awful. Was the Limited Edition not expensive enough that they're adding this expense on top of it? (And let's be realistic, any serious collector will be buying the DLC as well, so it would have made sense to include the DLC/season pass as part of that package). I get that publishers need to charge more for games considering how much more expensive they are to produce nowadays, and the added fact that mobile platforms are consuming so much of the market, but this is ridiculous. The Limited Edition already costs close to AU$200. I would have happily paid the premium if the DLC was on the cartridge in place of some of the useless paraphernalia. And don't get me started on the $300 or so worth of amiibo that constitute the Zelda line.
I'd rather have a slightly more expensive retail package and have everything on the cartridge, rather than have console-locked DLC.
Nintendo has been so receptive to adopting the scummiest modern practices of the industry lately. Conformity doesn't suit you, Nintendo.
While I can see how some people will rightfully hate this, I think they've earned a bit of goodwill from me for this. They've done a few tasteful DLC releases now that don't detract from the main game, and this sounds like more of the same.
Really don't care about treasure chests or hard mode (unless it's a Master Quest instead of Hero Mode), but the "original story" intrigues me.
bad news for me. With this kind of stuff playing games are most expensive than ever
I've just finished ffxv and I keep getting prompted to buy bonus packs. But after 3 months of seeing the same art style and playing the same mechanics, I have no desire to extend my playtime.
Lets see how I feel about Zelda DLC after I've played what seems like a large game for the next 3 or so months.
Apparently, the Hard mode said is actually a Harder mode.
The base game has Hard Mode.
Nintendo is charging for a difficulty mode? Even Capcom didn't do that with Resident Evil 7.
Oooh Nintendo. Why does it always seem to be -unpleasant-surprises with you lately...
Hard Mode as DLC never isn't dumb.
Cave of Trials I'm assuming is just a Cave of Ordeals affair (50 flies of increasingly tough enemies).
The pre-purchase stuff... eh, no real opinon on that.
New dungeon / more story is the part of this that actually seems pretty nice. Not being able to buy that by itself is kinda dumb though.
Pack 1 just looks like stuff they've removed form the main game to sell separately. Cave of trials, a hard mode and a map "feature"?!
Pack 2 sounds more reasonable as DLC with more story content and a dungeon.
No thanks... Never been a fan of paying 59.99 just take home a 3/4 portion of a game and then have the option to pay for the rest of the game at an additional charge. As long as Zelda or any other game is playable and can be finished without dlc then it's cool to me.
I'm excited for this! Normally nintendo give huge extra value with their DLC!
announcing dlc before the game is released really bugs me.
@chardir Fully agreed... I would have prefered an announced DLC pack with new story for 20 bucks period... Trying to make the DLC a season pass with stuff as 2-3 treasure chest, a dificulty mode and a map feature makes it looks bad IMO...
When did game developers suddenly change and bring out unfinished games? Then sell the rest of the game as a DLC, this is dissapointing
"You know Nintendo is moving into the modern market when they're announcing DLC before the game even comes out"
~Quote from Sam Wurdemann of Youtube.
@sillygostly Wow! Yeah good point for those who bought the special addition. I'm glad I didn't now especially knowing they would add this dlc stuff. .
@Bunkerneath Roughly five years ago.
Wow! Still don't know what the user interface looks like on the Switch but we know about frickin' DLC for BoTw.
Madness
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy You're trully honest ...
I wonder why they didn't just wait until a bit after the game released before announcing the DLC. Probably would have helped the reception.
@sillygostly You didn't need to make the same comment twice, you know.
@chardir It's apparently a "harder" mode-- the base game still has hard/hero mode.
Anyways, knee-jerk responses are knee-jerk.
I think they reveal this too soon, but bring it on!
Great, lol. I'm now tempted to cancel my limited edition and just get the DLC instead.
I don't like that they're putting hard mode as paid DLC. Perhaps if it's like a 'Master Quest' type deal where everything's changed around, but ... if the enemies just hit harder or whatever, then this isn't good, imo.
I think a part of this is to demonstrate to third parties how easy it is to monetise their games on the Switch, the other part being pure profit!
I will likely end up getting this, but I won't be getting it day 1. I'd rather spend the money on new games...
I literally want nothing more right now to play through this game with a switch Tshirt on Link!!!
Lol lol lol welcome to the new world of Nintendo. Expect more info like this for many of their franchises in the future. I wonder what they have planned for splatoon2. You poor ppl that bought limited edition zelda your not even getting the full game. I am buying zelda for wii u but won't be bothered with the dlc I can live without it
I'm still not keen on DLC, but I might get this if the content looks to be worth the money.
Possibly. I'll not be jumping into this based on the description of said DLC - seems more side of the main story/quest than anything essential. However, once I've played and hopefully completed the main quest, if I'm still thirsty for more I'll revisit the option. Key word, optional.
Hey remember. some people wanted Nintendo to copy the others. Here you go. I'm getting it
I'm only interested in the second pack.
Personally, I feel like that's a great use of DLC. I remember reading about how they skipped dungeons in Wind Waker because they didn't have time, back then I would have loved to have those dungeons as DLC. I'm glad that this is a possibility today, and that they're doing it.
I guess part of this is the release of the Switch itself. Since it will in all likelihood cover both handheld and console gaming for Nintendo in the future, it's less likely that we'll get the smaller/handheld experiences for LoZ in future so the gaps between games will be longer. With that in mind it's easier to release new content for an existing game that building a new one from scratch.
Another sign that Nintendo's younger, 'more with the times' staff is taking over. That's a good thing of course, Nintendo has needed to get with the times for a while. I'll also say I don't agree with business practices of a lot of companies, so there's always some concern, but as long as they look towards something like The Witcher 3, as opposed to Deus EX (great game that suffered due to poor choices by Square Enix), all's well that ends well.
good bye Nintendo, I loved you but you are no longer yourself, go, turn into that monstrosity that plagues the modern day while I remember who you used to be...
I'm so confused that I'm not even mad...but something inside me is dying...
Wow can't wait just seen the Nintendo video will be on my list to get.
I'm interested in the new story and new dungeon announced for the holidays DLC - the extra hard mode sounds interesting, but I probably won't try it - I still haven't finished Fire Emblem in Lunatic mode, and I'll asume hard mode is like that since they did inlclude a hard mode in the game.
I hope there's a way to pay only for the second DLC pack.
@CrazedCavalier : Connection problems on my end. I've deleted the double-post.
Don't milk it.
Just one pass & then stop...
While they're at it, why not add HD Rumble support in a later DLC? I'm sure the audience would love it and it'd be a great selling feature.
I have zero problems with this. I bought a couple of characters for Smash and both packs with Mario Kart and they made a great game even better. How cool would it be if the "New Original Story" teased in the Winter Pack turned out to be a Zelda mode
The exclusive outfit is a shirt with a Switch logo!? Are you serious!? So gonna get this, though.
I hate Season Passes they're a plague on the gaming society.
@CrazedCavalier I admit it's probably a knee-jerk response, but if Nintendo release a marketing video and my initial reaction is annoyance and disappointment then you have to say they've got something wrong.
It's all about the timing really. If I were a few months into the game, really loving it and wanting more, then this announcement would be pleasing. But right now it just feels like they're saying "sorry, you need to give us more money for this game you don't have yet"
I was not expecting this at all lol. But as long as Nintendo are putting effort into the dlc and not removing content from the main game I'm fine with it. The dlc for Mario kart was fantastic, as long as they stay with that business model and don't do an EA star wars battlefront to us I'm fine.
Eh, not a fan of DLC, but I'd pay if the DLC added a substantial amount of stuff to the game.
@G0dlike lol.
My comment of the day
Meh. I'm not the DLC type anyway.
This is almost as disgusting as seeing Mercedes-Benz in Mario kart 8. (Day one purchase for me ☹️)
Speaking on a high level, between finishing production and going gold (i.e. the eternal bug testing phase) there is a huge period of time where you've got artists and animators and writers sitting around doing basically nothing. You either lose them to other projects or you get them working on DLC. DLC always starts before a game goes gold. Once the game is launched/goes gold the work begins in earnest of integrating it with the final version/whatever iterative patch is going and then bug testing it. It can look like gouging and treating customers like cash cows, and that is often the case, but I highly doubt that that is what is going on here.
I'm not too bothered by this, personally. If Nintendo's got an IP which means their DLC conversion rate is going to be through the roof then that's hardly their fault.
This is nothing to be scared ... It was present at Hyrule Warriors, Mario Kart 8 and everybody nicely bought all avaiable dlc's, so Nintendo decided to invest hard this time. I would not be surprised if this came to the main Mario, Splatoon 8 e all future ip's ...
Nintendo has ALWAYS done DLC in a very fair way.. I have no problem with this. The content will be awesome!!!
I don't see anything mentioned that sounds worth worth the purchase price. If I complete this Zelda game and I want more content and reviews say it's good, then maybe.
Nintendo's dlc practices have been fine so far.
This is mostly a smart move. But I think it would have been better to announce shortly after the game released.
Hm...
What if the DLC is like Fantasy Life 3DS DLC ?
Finish the storyline first + require specific condition to continue optional side story.
Nintendo is currently the greediest video game company out there. Payed bad internet subscribtion, overpriced console, overpriced controllers, no bundled games with the console, now DLCs for Zelda... There are not doing that well in the gaming indistry to be this greedy....
Wow, another good reason to be jumping off the Nintendo ship soon. Day 1 paid DLC should not be a thing. Plus, with it being Nintendo, everything's overpriced.
@MarcelRguez
You don't even know what the side story consists of yet though. If it's 1/3 the length of the main game, $20 would be more than worth it. It's The Legend of Zelda.
@MarcelRguez What was wrong with smash?
Honestly, screw you Nintendo. In-game map feature behind a paywall?
Throws controller
@RainbowGazelle
Day one story content is an issue. A few items of clothing or weapons like we have here? Don't see the problem.
@Smug43 yea smash dlc was fairly priced 😉
Well now I'm not getting the Switch on launch anymore.
And possibly not Breath of the Wild either.
If opposition to paid DLC and season passes means I'm getting too old for video games, then so be it.
The timing is a bit odd but yes I'm so on board with this. MK8 DLC was good value and hopefully this will be the same.
The second pack sounds like proper DLC- new content and a new story. The first pack however... a cave of trials? Hard Mode? Those are things that are typically included in a Zelda game from the start, so I'm not happy about that. Will feel a little better if the Hard Mode is actually substantial like AI improvement or new attacks as opposed to just doubling damage across the board like usual, but I'm not holding my breath.
@ruinez Price is what you pay - Value is what you get. Nintendo is quality - Everything is priced fairly for the hard work, effort, research and development and quality of product followed up by support support support.
There are plenty of free games on Mobile if you want free stuff. . . .
Saw this coming since The Completionist interviewed Aonuma and Miyamoto.
https://youtu.be/9n7vqDy6mqE
Aonuma hinted at this last month:
"The development was certainly a long road. The approach this time was that we tried to 'nurture' the game and have it develop from there. Initially, we started by creating a field with nothing on it! — not even grass! After that, we'd go back and play the game over and over again to figure out what needed to be added, then repeated that process endlessly. We started adding everything else, such as the terrain and the buildings. Because we took an approach where we continuously added new ideas, although we're done, I still feel like we need to add more content. I'm still thinking of ways to address this."
I'm okay with this; other open-world games had DLC, and it's Aonuma's game anyways, so he shouldn't be restricted on what he can and can't do with it.
Dear, Mr. Tatsumi Kimishima and Eiji Aonuma. What are you planning for this Zelda games ?
Please, don't milk this Zelda too much.
I think it was too far...
Thank you.
Gamers have to accept the fact that dlc is inevitable. The costs to make a modern Game are sky high. For the most part nintendo dlc has been pretty fair. 29th a few exeptions. Take the wait and see approach to determine the value off the dlc and of it appeals to you.
@RainbowGazelle
>Day 1 DLC
>First pack to be launched in summer
I think you should at least read the article my friend...
The "Season Pass" will be available at launch, the content is still being made. This is pretty much a pre-order opportunity with a little, insignificant bonus on top (the three chests, mostly cosmetics or trash loot)
All the negativity is astounding to me: with MK8 we got superb DLC packs, why would these be any different?
Couldn't be more excited!
@Gamer83 It's a pay-to-win scenario, which I personally disagree with. Also, the first pack sounds like an absolute joke.
Welcome to the industry standard, Nintendo.
Please handle it with more grace than other companies I could care to mention.
@cfgk24 im not looking for free stuff m8... Im also looking for quality and nintendo is offering quality games, but the consoles they make arent worth the money... And the additional content for games is killing the quality
During promotion for Skyward Sword, Aonuma said that he would be interested in doing DLC for Zelda. I knew this day would come, I just didn't want it to.
Day one of course!
@RainbowGazelle
Come on, this isn't a competitive multiplayer shooter, there's no pay to win scenario.
@Order2Chaos Good man. The MK8 DLC was TOTALLY worth it, and I said back then that I hope this is the way they choose, if at all, to carry on doing it.
We can expect the same of Splatoon, ARMS and possibly (and by that, I mean hopefully) Mario Kart 8 DX.
SIGH...Alright... First of all, I'm going to give a couple of modern examples of what an expansion pass is supposed to look like:
https://www.gog.com/game/the_witcher_3_wild_hunt_expansion_pass
https://www.gog.com/game/pillars_of_eternity_the_white_march_expansion_pass
Next I'm going to give a traditional example of an expansion pass, known as the "Game of the Year" edition:
https://www.gog.com/game/the_elder_scrolls_iii_morrowind_goty_edition
(Yes, I know I just used GOG, but these are available on other digital shops.)
You see, Nintendo... Giving a few bits of DLC items, and an extra bit of dungeon and story.... That's not good enough to call it an "expansion pass" these days. That would be known today as a "DLC pass."
These aren't the GBC days anymore. You can't justify this cost with technological boundaries being in the way, as was the case for Link's Awakening DX. You have to do way better than that. Please either fix the terminology, or add more content to justify the "expansion" in "expansion pass."
This does not portend well for DLC practices on NS... Definitely going to wait until Holiday 2017 to make a decision on getting one sooner or later. (I still want those RPG's!)
season pass for zelda?
lmao. this is not the "modern" nintendo i wanted
I'm amused by people complaining that they'll have to pay extra for DLC content. It's like complaining that you have to pay extra for a slice of pie after the restaurant has already served you your steak and shrimp.
@Kid_Sickarus what good things are they leaving? We still get couch co-op with Nintendo at least.
@RainbowGazelle @Pod umm what?! It's a pay to play more Zelda!! Don't want to play more Zelda, fine don't buy the season pass.
@Gamer83 Okay, fair point. I just feel paying extra to unlock stuff at launch in a game you've already paid for shouldn't be a thing.
I actually shouted "Oh no!" when I saw this article... Why do they make us pay for the Hero Mode?! That doesn't make sense, it has already been included in every Zelda game so far! And now you have to buy it?! That's just burukuso! What the sexual intercourse, Nintendo? I love them, but they can be a real Tengu company sometimes! Oh wait...
@PlywoodStick we have no idea of the size of the content! Let's not judge yet
The negativity here is amazing
It really is a sight to behold that people flip their sh*t when more Zelda is announced
More content in Summer and Winter ? Oh noes ! Day 1 DLC...which is probably the longest Day 1 i've ever seen then...
DLC didn't kill Pikmin 3, it didn't kill Mario Kart, it didn't kill Smash 4...so...how is it going to kill a Zelda game ? Enlighten me, outrage sempai !
Well, more Zelda is nice, but Nintendo, no. Just no. Season passes are just as nonsense as paying for online access. But hey, I guess the market has chosen.
So.... uh, more Zelda, I guess!
The heck is wrong with people here?
This is excellent news! More Zelda = good thing!
Nobody's forcing you to buy it, though for the life of me I can't understand why any person buying the game wouldn't be interested.
People saying Nintendo's "taking the bad part of modern gaming". Don't be an ignoramus. There's nothing "bad" about selling DLC.
Seriously, wtf is wrong with people? The Nintendo fan base needs a reality check, and to start thinking with their brains. People hear complaints of content being stripped from games and sold as DLC in a few select games (less than 5% probably) and in their ignorance equate that to all DLC being inherently evil. Why? No reason. It's just evil for a game developer to sell more game content I guess. Just cause.
Doesn't sound like anything too significant. I'll be passing on this the season pass.
I swear to god, though, if Nintendo tries to sell us additional DLC in Splatoon...
Why not, everything else has DLC and season passes now days.
@Shellcore You mean like the GameCube, Ultra Hand, and R.O.B. in Majora's Mask 3D, or paintings of Mario characters in Ocarina of Time?
Kind of depressing... but then naive to think that Zelda would be sacred from such things. Though with regular DLC and amiibo DLC, getting the full, complete version of a Nintendo game is becoming very expensive.
Also, Aonuma-san, you don't need to make up an excuse for "why you decided" to come up with DLC. We all know the reason DLC exists, we're not idiots.
NO!
SCREW YOU, NINTENDO!
To the people complaining about this: shut the heck up! You know good and well that you're buying the DLC.
@Einherjar Oh, more Zelda isn't a problem for me. The main issue is that they've delayed the game for years, are overcharging for the base game (and Switch console), and yet have STILL held content back behind a paywall. Granted, Pack 2 sounds more content-rich, but Pack 1 unlocks hard mode, a map feature, and a new challenge. Both the former should have been in the original game.
@JaxonH
Maybe people still misunderstood about "Expansion Pass" means.
@BinaryFragger "Nintendo is getting praised for doing things that other companies got criticized for doing."
Are they, though? For goodness sake, there's already a lot of negativity here. Jeez....
@Ralizah Not like they didn't do that before. Remember you needed 3 amiibo to unlock costumes and weapons, though the weapons were just clones of the standard weapons, so it didn't matter. My point is, at the point where Nintendo sells DLC that includes new weapons, it becomes pay-to-win, but if they only sell costumes, it should be fine.
Everyone with the knee jerk reaction, lol.
Like Nintendo hasn't done DLC in the past.
I'm in! Give me more Zelda and I'll pay!
Funny how the youtube comments all focus on Hard Mode being part of the DLC. Haven't they seen this is an Expansion Pass. Not like they're putting part of the story behind a paywall, it is "additional content" which is always great.
Bit conflicted. I like just a singular experience with Zelda. That said, I've just bought all expansion for Skyrim (Xbox 360). The game had been gathering dust but now I'm very happy to revisit with all the new strife. Having a blast. So....yeah....I'll give it a go with Zelda.
Nintendo, you already have our money.
@allav866
Pay to win is only a problem if you can't win without paying, effectively forcing you to pay to win.
Optionally choosing to pay to win is completely acceptable and should be left to the choice of each individual gamer
@mateq of course we have no idea yet, but they said new hard mode, so I think that it is a hero mode and the game already comes with hard mode, but I can be very wrong...
I'm actually glad. It means more Zelda. We have to wait 4 years between console Zeldas, so this is good. If the Mario Kart 8 DLC is to go by, it should be exceptional. But pack #1 does currently sound like theft.
@RainbowGazelle
I can understand that, but I also think it depends on the content. to me, I'm fine with little stuff like clothing or weapons or weapon skins. Day one story content, or in fighting games, day one pre-order characters, bothers me. So I get both sides of the argument. This seems like nothing to me though, and The Witcher 3 has shown companies can do DLC right. So like I posted in an earlier comment, if Nintendo looks to that more than an SE published game like Deus Ex or Final Fantasy XV, it'll be fine.
LOL! For MK8 it was ok, as it was cheap priced and added a lot!
But..... 20 bucks for a trial Challenge, a hard mode and map feature????????
That is friggin' insane and a joke! /FACEPALM
@JaxonH Agreed, everybody is just jumping the gun saying that this is cut content and blah, blah, blah. It's like the community forgets that Nintendo has done dlc before and that is has been very good, fairly priced and worth the price. First we don't know if it's cut content ( which I doubt since it's coming months after) and we won't know until it release so some people need to learn the wait and see approach.
@RainbowGazelle The game is due in two and a half weeks. The thing is done and being made / shipped.
The extra content is due in summer.
If it had been deliberately withheld, don't you think they would unlock it ASAP to incentivize people to actually buy the darn pass on launch ? To get more than trash loot at first ?
@Jeronan
Story content as well. Which could prove well worth the $20.
There's no Day 1 DLC, so that makes it much better. I don't think people realize that you're just pre-purchasing the DLC that is set to release this summer (or getting delayed) and for doing so you get extra goodies for the wait.
@beazlen1 They basically just announced a modern version of the content upgrade that Link's Awakening DX represented. If they're going to justify the extra cost worthy of an "expansion pass," then they need to add enough extra content that it would be like linking the two Oracle games together, plus the GBA extras.
@sillygostly I think it is valid. They are not forcing you to buy, only those who want to spend more money will buy. I prefer to buy the main game 'cheaper' and decide later if I want to play more or not. The only mistake will be if the additional content is something important for the main story/gameplay.
@ZurapiiYohane64 The magical armour from twilight princess would be pretty cool too (as long as it doesn't eat your rupees away or it has aleast been reworked) .
Hm...
Guys, calm down !
Not everybody interested to play in Hard Mode or get additional stuffs (Especially the newbies who has never played Zelda games before).
If the DLC are optional way to play, not forcing us to buy those DLC to finish Main Storyline, it will be fine.
As you finished the main storyline, you can purchase those DLC IF... you want.
If NOT interested, you can continue playing your game without DLC.
@PlywoodStick We don't know the extend of the Story DLC.
With roughly a year to work on that, i reckon 20 bucks is reasonable.
"Nintendo need to get with the times, have a look at what PS/Xbox are doing and stop acting like it's 1998!!!"
"How dare Nintendo start charging for online and selling DLC passes like you get on Xbox/PS!!!"
@setezerocinco
Yup. I was thinking same way too about DLC.
Imagine Fantasy Life 3DS that have DLC for $9 and you can purchase and play that DLC after finished main storyline + at least lv 50.
Oh no, any game but Zelda!
@PlywoodStick The comparison with The Witcher 3 isn't really fair.
It's not representative of what you usually get with season passes.
It cost more (25€ vs 20€), on release at least
We don't know yet how long the additional story will be (it probably won't be 40 hours like it is with the Witcher, but we will see)
Overall I'm fine with it as long as it is actually additional content and not something they cut out of the game (which seen to be the case or it would be available at launch or close to it).
Plus nobody is forcing to buy it straight away. So I would just wait and see what we actually get.
Personally, it doesn't bother me - it's not like it's a paywall for on-disc DLC, the content has not been developed yet and will be released several months after the game releases. And there seems to already be a standard "hard mode" in the game, the DLC adds an extra layer of difficulty on top of that, so Nintendo is not locking any base features behind the season pass. I am all for paid DLC as long as it's worthwile (see Mario Kart 8 and Fantasy Life for examples of awesome extra content), so I'll probably pick it up, though I might wait for full details before I do so.
@Anti-Matter You have never played a Zelda game, so you don't know how it feels.
Not sure I like this. I'll wait and see what the expansion contains before I buy it though. If it's anything like MK8 DLC, it'll be worth every penny. I just hope that's what it turns out like.
@JaxonH I was about 45% tongue in cheek, with a further 10% hyperbole thrown in for good measure when I said that.
I was going to reply to you to converse over our differing opinions but then "ignoramus", really?
WEIRD! I need to process this before I know how I feel. Most of it sounds like'meh' except the new storyline and map feature.
What if the new story is the Majora's Mask equivalent of Breath of the Wild? That would be great!
Et tu, Aonuma?
Gross
Some of you are idiots. The game has already went gold, they've finished up their work on it. All DLC will specifically be after thought ideas, much like how Bethesda DLC is always stuff the developers do afterwards.
In my opinion, DLC should always take you to a new place with a new quest separate from the main story, but rivaling it in terms of plot. Also, that's a really good price for a season pass.
@Kid_Sickarus
Sorry, I get worked up when I feel people are being illogical. And acting like more content is somehow a bad thing is completely illogical.
I'm tired of people complaining about good things happening. This is something to rejoice over, yet here we are. With 165 comments raging over getting more of a good thing.
I'll pass on the season pass, at least out the gate. A Zelda game shouldn't need additional content to be thoroughly enjoyed. I just hope that nothing crucial is being left out in order to justify the season pass and that whatever is included besides a new shirt and a few useful items is worth the 20$. Usually by the time I get to the end of the game I'm not usually dying for more content. I don't have the time that I had when I was a kid to replay games. Nowadays it's one and done for me.
We don't know exactly what Hard Mode adds. Maybe there are new enemies, new bosses... new dungeons? Possibly! How about instead of typing a paragraph of why this is a bad thing, opt to wait and see if it actually is?
@JaxonH Reality check for you. They just announced DLC that could be for free. Like for example that stupid switch shirt,that chest, hard mode and that new feature for the in game map. They just pulled a Ubisoft, putting small things in this pass,so they can show people the pass is worth it. But in reality is not.
So please don't say the Nintendo fanbase needs to use their brain for once just cause you had a fanboy moment.
@G-Boy
Well... yeah. I admit if I have never played Zelda games before.
But I have ever played Fantasy Life 3DS, finished the storyline, bought the DLC and continue the optional story and side quest.
Well... at least same Action RPG, right ?
@th3r3ds0x Who says its not thoroughly enjoyable without that added stuff ? That's like saying every cake is bad if they don't have a cherry on top :/
And let the 2018 Breath of the Wild HD DLC comes!
More Zelda is always good... and buy who wants to buy. People complain too much.
atleast it's not switch exclusive.
i'll buy it, but not a launch, although i plan on getting The Legends of Zelda: BOTW at launch.
I CAN NOT WAIT! More time in Hyrule is always a great thing for me!
@TwilightOniAngel I just LOVE how people like you ignore the second pack that comes with it and focus solely on the first and the pre-purchase incentives xD
If they can't be purchased individually then I probably won't be buying them.....
Seems to be a classic glass half full or half empty scenario.
This is pretty disappointing to me. I liked that these games remained a singular experience that could be enjoyed by all players without an additional investment. It's not the worst thing in the world, but I hope it doesn't represent (along with microtransactions in Fire Emblem: Heroes) Nintendo becoming more attached to the industry's broader trends.
As long as the initial adventure is as much as we usually expect from a Zelda game, I suppose it's not a problem.
@setezerocinco : I'm not suggesting that everybody should be subjected to the "premium" price. Not everybody can afford it, and I understand that, but when Nintendo have issued a very expensive special edition, and didn't see fit to include the DLC/Season Pass with that purchase, then that's a problem (especially considering the amount of never-to-be-used and cheap-looking junk that they include in these things). The key reasons why I would even consider a Limited Edition is due to extra game content or a bonus that offers something useful (like the soundtrack CDs, which are always nice to have).
I would prefer to wait for a "complete" edition with all of the content on a single cartridge (premium priced or not), but Nintendo have not yet made a habit of making "Game of the Year" editions of their games.
I'll probably hold off until the summer or holiday packs go live to get this. I still want to know what the Breath of the Wild amiibo do, before I jump the gun in this stuff.
@Einherjar I think you've misunderstood what I'm saying. A Zelda game shouldn't need the DLC to be thoroughly enjoyed, which is why I don't foresee needing to drop another 20$. If there is something I'm truly lacking because I'm passing on the DLC then shame on Nintendo.
Paying for a brand new story and content? Sure, I'm down for that. BoTW is obviously a labor of love and I'd be happy to pay for more.
Paying for a hard mode and a challenge dungeon, stuff that's usually in a normal Zelda game anyway? I don't see how anyone could defend this practice.
@DiscoGentleman Let's take a shot for every time someone says Nintendo is too modern... cos lord knows they're the same people that wanted them to stop being so old-fashioned when they didn't have mobile games or region-free systems.
@19Robb92
Edit :Ignore everything after this paragraph. I thought that they included the entire unfinished dungeons but instead they included elements from them. Big thanks to @Seacliff for correcting me. Sorry for the misinformation.
Fun Fact (if I am correct) : the dungeons that weren't completed in time for the windwaker were actuallu put in twilight princess. That's why is has more dungeons compared to other 3D Zelda games. I know it's a bit random XD
@TwilightOniAngel
That stuff is just fluff. Tossed in to sweeten the pot. Fanservice. No different than the costumes you get in any other DLC.
It's not like people were complaining about a lack of t-shirt beforehand. Funny how people don't care it's not there, until it's announced in DLC and all of a sudden it's important to them to get it free? So DLC fluff shouldn't exist?
They're selling a package of extra content. Buy it or don't! But it's not like it's just t-shirts for $20. The meat of the content is the new story expansion. The rest just sweetens the pot. Why is that such a problem??? God forbid they sell DLC like every other developer in the industry...
But wait. Because one developer one time made a really awesome season pass with Witcher, now every season pass gets crucified for not being the same? It's nonsense.
Whatttttttg thia game will even be bigger with added story! Mannnnnnn this game is legendary
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy I'm generally negative about where Nintendo is going these days, but one place where I can absolutely give them credit is the DLC philosophy. Nintendo never hides main story content behind paywalls; it's always truly supplementary content. The way that they and KT handled Hyrule Warriors was the epitome of class and it ought to be a lesson to the industry: if you provide great additional content and don't fleece your customers with DLC that should've been in the main game, they'll be happy to pay for it.
@setezerocinco
I wonder how big for the DLC size ?
I mean some Gigabytes...
I must say I was surprised reading the headline,I didn't expect that at all.I guess that's because I am a "behind the times" Nintendo gamer.I'm not bothered about it all though,in fact I'm quite excited.I'm sure it'll be worth the asking price.
I wonder if they'll go for something completely different with the extra story.Maybe a Princess Zelda adventure?
@BinaryFragger I agree.. I don't mind paying for quality content as DLC as long as the base game feels complete (the witcher 3 comes to mind , mario kart 8, and world of final fantasy ). Many of us get upset about dlc practices due to the games feeling incomplete (final fantasy xv, street fighter v).
@allav866 The Mario portraits in OOT were more of an easter egg. Never played Majora's Mask 3D, but yes, exactly like that.
@th3r3ds0x Ah, gotcha !
Yup, agreed. And for the most part, what you get is mostly sideline stuff anyways. Incentives to pick the game back up months later.
Its all down to the Winter Story pack.
And if thats meaty enough, dropping an extra 20 bucks into a game roughly a year later is, at least in my eyes, pretty fair.
I'm so glad that Nintendo provided a good sized hard drive to accommodate these modern business practices. Isn't BotW supposed to take up half the internal storage?
Do you get a Wii U shirt if you play on Wii U?
"Pack 1 - Summer 2017
A new Cave of Trials challenge
Hard mode
"A new feature for the in-game map""
Pack one sounds more of a patch then DLC
@Moon The much better question: Are the sleeves of the Switch shirt detachable ?
@JaxonH Agree 100% here. So long as they're not ransoming main story points like WB did with Arkham City and Arkham Knight, there's absolutely no reason not to have DLC is a game as broad as Breath of the Wild.
@PotatoTheG Apparently there is already a hard mode in the game,the DLC includes a new "harder" mode.As for the challenge dungeons,maybe there already is on in there too and the DLC is an extra more challenging one.
Nope, I cannot accepted. Not form Nintendo and not with BotW. Five years of development and now BAM! Game is not released yet, but let sell season pass.
Sure Ill buy it. But now days Nintendo changed a lot.
I'll be getting it. But as many have said, this is where Nintendo skimping on memory comes back to bite us.
@OorWullie I mean... that's more excusable but there's no reason to not include this "harder" mode with the base game anyway. I guess we'll have to wait and see though.
@JaxonH truth is i always wanted extras after completing a Zelda title. The games are that good.. I haven't had much gripe about Nintendo's dlc practices because i never feel cheated.. however i often feel that way for some games by third parties. Like ive said before if a game feels complete I don't mind adding to the game later on.
@OorWullie Source on hard mode already being in the game?
Good! Don't see any problem with this. So far I think Nintendo has handled extra content very well. If I haven't had enough after the full game I'll probably get this DLC.
@eeyore Nowadays ? Like with Pikmin, Smash NSMB and Mario Kart ?
And again, since you folks don't seem to get it:
Its a pre-order. The content isnt out till Summer / Winter...geeze...
Didn't see this coming. Not interested in the first pack, but the seconds sounds intriguing. Another story/adventure in this wonderful world? Sign me up!
Nintendo is slowly getting rid of the reasons why I prefer Nintendo over all other video game companies. Before they'll be just like all the others and I'll lose interest in gaming completely. I don't get why they have to ruin good things. I will probably not be getting this DLC, but all I can say is the game BETTER be complete on March 3rd. No "well here's about 75% of the game and you have to pay for the last 25% through DLC". In essence if you want the FULL full game it's $80 now. Also it's almost pointless for me to buy the DLC because I'm playing the game March 3rd no matter what. Chances are good I'll be done with the game by the time the first DLC rolls around and I won't be wanting to revisit it. It also concerns me because if this is the start of a new trend for Nintendo I'm not going to be happy.
@WiiHawk I don't know which comparison is more amazing; the one between the people complaining and whiney customers at a restaurant, or the one between a game as meaty as Breath of the Wild and a plate of steak and shrimp! xD
I don't see what anyone can find anything wrong with this. From the sound of it, the game sounds like it's worth the $60 it will be and more. So anything extra is more than icing on the cake. Its sprinkles, M&M's and a whole host of other sugary sweet goodies.
@Dbang i agree they really have.. they may have reached a bit though with fire emblem dlc but those are some of my favorite games
@Eric258 They weren't just thrown in. Anouma just states that elements of the cancled WW dungeons were just used in future games, not the entire dungeon.
@Cosmic-K9 Why are you still here then ? This "Trend" has been here for ages. NSMB2 had DLC for instance. And comparably rather expensive ones too.
But please, explain to me how DLC released a year after the games initial release ruins the game.
I really want to know the answer to this....
Would love if the DLC installed directly onto the BOTW cart.
DLC is one of the worst aspects of modern gaming. Not quite as bad as microtransactions, but still pretty terrible.
I can't really blame them, though. This is the direction that the industry has been going in, for a decade.
@allav866 Nintendo becoming more modern such a double-edged sword, right? And we all have conflicting ideas about what parts of modern gaming culture that we'd like Nintendo to adopt, and which parts we'd like them to eschew.
For me, microtransactions, overly cinematic narratives and unfinished or un-QA/QC'd games are the scourges of modern gaming. DLC, while not something I'm crazy about, isn't something that I'm overly concerned about either. Heck, I even bought the controversial on-disc DLC for Mass Effect 3. There's part of me that loves the (for lack of a better word) 'purity' of a Zelda game - it plays perfectly out of the box and is an entirely self-contained experience, Oracle games aside. I think, if it doesn't contribute significant new content, shunting Hard Mode off to paid DLC is my biggest beef with the Season Pass; this feature was included automatically in Twilight Princess HD and Link Between Worlds, among other titles in the franchise.
That said, I'm willing to be entirely wrong about this. The first portion of the DLC, featuring largely whimsical cosmetic additions, is the kind of thing that offers additional value but which won't keep someone from feeling like they have the full product. Similarly, if they find ways to add expansive new content to what is already a solid, complete game (a la Mario Kart 8 or Hyrule Warriors DLC), then I think the consumer benefits.
Excellent news, another day 1 extra purchase....... NinSPENDo time
On a side note, does anyone, or any mods no anything about the online phone app business yet please?.... I mean, ive got a windows phone, is the online phone app going to be one of these android/ios only nonsence apps?.... and if it is android/ios only, then do we need a certain version onwards of android/ios for the app to work on?..... Is this another hidden cost for some of us or not??? Cos new phones on top of a new console isn't cheap and its something we need to know etc etc................
@Seacliff Oops I'm a dud. I'll change what's I wrote thanks for correcting me.
Oh man...
I was more or less okay with the Mario Kart DLC (although I didn't buy it and sort of wished the development team had just got any with making something new).
But I feel with a single player, narrative driven adventure, it just doesn't sit. It's like a novelist throwing in a bunch of extra chapters some time after the book is released. It breaks the sense of totality of the project; the beginning and the end, and everything in between.
It stops the product feeling as well defined if it's continually crawling outwards at the edges, which is fine for an online game like Splatoon (which keep feeling fresh), but feels extremely unnatural is something as previously self-contained as Zelda.
I know there a "what's wrong with more content for a great game" argument, but that content has to come from somewhere. Would we have ever received the fully realised Majora's Mask if Nintendo were busy updating Ocarina of Time with extra content? Probably not.
There's only so much one team of developers can do, and the temptation will always be to plug resources into something with an existing player base than create something new. This might not be a problem if Nintendo were shooting out games left, right and centre, but the Wii U's software droughts were very real.
Next it'll be DLC Odyssey worlds.
@Cosmic-K9 I feel like if we didn't know about this, your stance would be different. You'd probably would be praising the game for being a full experience for its price in a day and age where there are real examples of developers not giving you your money's worth.
Ultimately, everyone is gonna have their opinions on DLC and its worth. From everything it sounds like to me, you will be able to enjoy the game and its story as it is without ever indulging in these additions. This is just bonus content. That makes it quality DLC, in my opinion.
@Maxz
Single player DLC content is the only DLC content I deemed worth buying. Nothing wrong with any DLC, but the only time I'm interested is when it's meaty, single player expansions.
@MegaAdam
"DLC is one of the worst aspects of modern gaming"
You're joking right? DLC is one of the best aspects of modern gaming. Why on earth would having the option to buy more of a good thing... be somehow bad?
@JohnGrey
Right.
I was ecstatic when Dark Souls 3 got its season pass, cause it's more of a good game. Same for Final Fantasy XV. And I'm relieved to see a pass for Zelda as well. No reason not to have more of a great game.
Idk why people have this anti-DLC hostility ingrained in their minds. What on this green earth is wrong with DLC?
@Mellor2000 "For better or worse Nintendo are catching up to modern gaming practices."
Debatable.
@timson72 welcome to the last decade of gaming outside of Nintendo's bubble.
@JaxonH Many bad apples. There are plenty of really bad examples of DLC out there, and im not even talking about "Horse Armor".
But so far, Nintendo has done a splendid job with their DLC, why should it be different this time around ?
Lol at the people acting like Nintendo has never done DLC before.
@Anti-Matter I would say around 1 or 2 GB. The main game has only 13GB...
@remag the way the things are, maybe they launch only for iPhone =P
A delayed Wii U game with a Switch port gets day one DLC?!?!
@JaxonH
Idk why people have this anti-DLC hostility ingrained in their minds. What on this green earth is wrong with DLC?
Probably because they've been burned so many times. The mentality of most large publishers is that DLC is really just a way for the cost of games to approach what they probably should cost, inflation-adjusted, without actually changing the base price and alienating loads of people outright. That said, I have absolutely no problem with DLC so long as not having it doesn't affect the completion of the main story.
Speaking of FFXV, I was actually surprised how communicative SE was about the issues with Chapter 13 and that they were active working to fix, along with providing another year's worth of additional content. That kind of commitment and willingness to listen to consumer feedback is very healthy for games.
And are you ready for Stormblood?
@Randomname19 No it doesn't -.-
@MegaAdam I think like anything, there is always a downside to any venture that doesn't necessarily negates its benefits. It's like the whole argument about social media. There are those who abuse and use it the wrong way or for nefarious purposes. But that doesn't negate the positives that can come from it.
@Randomname19
[sighs]
It's not day one. It's summer and late fall, or something like that. You can simply preorder day one, and get a t-shirt item or something like that.
@Einherjar
Well sure, but I'd chalk that up to just not being worth the price, not something that makes a game feel incomplete without. Is horse armor worth $5? Up to the gamer in question. Probably not for most. But is the game going to be less enjoyable without it? No.
I'd argue there's more good examples of DLC than bad, and as you mentioned, Nintendo has an immaculate track record with DLC and season passes.
I love DLC. One of the best trends to surface in modern gaming.
@Einherjar
[em]Many bad apples. There are plenty of really bad examples of DLC out there, and im not even talking about 'Horse Armor'.
But so far, Nintendo has done a splendid job with their DLC, why should it be different this time around ?[/em]
Goodness, I wanted to strangle Hayakawa when they announced that the TPP DLC was going to consist of three types of horse armour, the tuxedo (which was no longer unlockable) and a pack of costumes that could only be used inside MGO. Between that and no Chapter 3, it was my most hated game last year.
@NintySnesMan It is a a complete game this is just stupid accessories and a bonus dungeon
You still experience the full story.
@Maxz DLC Odissey would be a dream!!!! Imagine that we had an amazing game with almost hundred worlds to visit and after we finish we can pick up some more worlds and extend our fun.
@JohnGrey
I haven't played FFXIV yet actually. But I'm debating it. My brother says it's excellent. I feel like I'd have a lot of catching up to do at this point though
first, it's not day-one dlc. the content will be released many months later. second, nintendo isn't ubisoft. chances are this content will be at the same level as the mario kart 8 dlc. as for a switch t-shirt existing in the zelda universe, well, i can't defend that.
@Einherjar When other expansion passes like the ones I mentioned are a similar price, or even less during sales? What's been announced here just doesn't cut it for that price.
@allav866 The amiibo weren't a big deal. As you said, they didn't really bring anything new to the table, and were just bonuses for people who bought the amiibo. I have no issue with that. And, frankly, as long as we get another year or so of gradually unlocked content in Splatoon 2, I don't care if we get extra stuff in the future, so long as it doesn't include new types of weapons. But I'm nervous, between paid online and going overboard with DLC, that they might alienate the community that made the original Splatoon thrive.
@RandomNerds I never understood the hate for the mercedes dlc. It was free and not like you HAD to download it.
@jaymacx
Eh ?!
Street Fighter V was incomplete too ?
Hm...
Love all the people moaning, funny. As a Nintendo fanboy I am obviously fairly new to this extra paying, but as it's a new thing I look forward to the extra content rather than the inevitable cost.
Also nice to see Nintendo changing their ways and thinking, it's the switch era now, exciting.
Side Story sounds neat, though not really interested in the Hard mode or endless dungeons of trials and punishment. Also curious about the special items. The Switch shirt sounds lame and breaks the realism of being in the Zelda Universe.
As for the other two helper items, they could be neat. I also like that you can use Amiibo for an occasional stat boost when you need them, but I hope there's no "hand holding" mode like in the new Mario Kart.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
@JaxonH I think what most people fear is "Day1/Pre-Order exclusive DLC".
The stuff, that simply vanishes for everyone who didn't pre-order the game and is simply lost forever.
THAT sh*t gets under my skin regularly.
But standard DLC packs ? Half / Full year after release no less ?
Im totally down with that.
@PlywoodStick Again, the story DLC might as well be BotW's "Blood and Wine" for all we know.
Which would be worth the 20 extra bucks down the line.
And i think the winter pack is the main focus here.
Im pretty convinced that if they announced the Pass, but hadn't split it up like that, people would be more excepting, since it seems more wholesome.
You basically pay for the winter pack, and get the rest ASAP in advance
@JaxonH
If you've any reasonable experience at all with MMOs, it wouldn't take you long to get caught up; Stormblood doesn't release till end of June. If you're an ardent fan of FF, then it's definitely the one for you; one of the reasons that I never got into WoW was that I didn't care in the least about the Warcraft mythos.
@JaxonH @Einherjar If the expansion pass bonus isn't day one DLC,then what it is?
@Anti-Matter SFV is the poster child of incomplete releases.
It basically entered the market with two modes:
Versus (offline, online was pretty broken as well) and training.
Arcade, Story etc had to be drip fed over the coming months. It was a disaster...
@Ralizah
There is a Wolf Link amiibo at my local game store. Is that compatible with Breath of the Wild ?
And at the same time, Wolf Link amiibo is required to unlock Wolf Link... as ACNL villager if I want him.
@JohnGrey That's on the consumer. At this point, we know who the culprits are when it comes to releasing incomplete games or hiding features behind a paywall and calling it downloadable content. And yet, gamers continue to buy games from those developers in droves. Its all on the consumer. Not exempting developers from participating in the practice. But it isn't hard to assess who is putting out quality and complete games and quality DLC.
You guys right now: My game is incomplete because, I didn't get a switch t-shirt and bonus content post launch for free!!! It's all over, Nintendo has become garbage!!!😔. 😂😂😂😂😂😂
@Randomname19
Late summer and fall DLC. Which is when it releases. IT DOES NOT RELEASE DAY ONE. It simple GOES ON SALE FOR PREORDER, day one.
@PlywoodStick
I'm gonna have to disagree.
New story expansion and Cave of Trials for $20 seems fair.
Good story DLC is $10-20 nowadays.The first season pass was LA Noire Rockstar Pass, with a couple new missions (missions, not story expansions), couple outfits, and a new mode.
What do we have here? New story expansion, couple fluff items and outfits, and a new mode. And same $20 price.
This is standard priced DLC. And depending how big the expansion and DLC story is, it could be a bargain
@Randomname19 The content isn't developed yet. If it was already available for download on day 1, it would be day 1 DLC. This is just a pass they're selling for two future DLC content packs that will be available in the summer and then again in the winter.
$80 game
@Randomname19 You said it yourself, its a bonus for crying out loud...geeze...
Thats why the three chests only contain swag and loot and nothing significant like, say, a new kind of item or something.
Its a small bonus you get for pre-ordering the other two packs, nothing more, nothing less.
@Einherjar
Ah... I see.
I'm glad not purchasing Street Fighter V after heard that bad news.
@countzero On the contrary, it is a fair comparison. The "Expansion Pass" moniker was created to differentiate itself from "Season Pass" and "DLC Pass" content bundles. Those two types of passes are added onto with bits and pieces of content, or episodic content. Expansion passes differ by providing lump sums of a significant amount of content all at once, with perhaps only one, two, or three lump sums. (For example, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine would each be one lump sum.) In other cases, such as with The White March, each individual lump sum of content may be further expanded upon with updates, at no extra cost to the customer.
@UmbreonsPapa
That's on the consumer. At this point, we know who the culprits are when it comes to releasing incomplete games or hiding features behind a paywall and calling it downloadable content. And yet, gamers continue to buy games from those developers in droves. Its all on the consumer. Not exempting developers from participating in the practice. But it isn't hard to assess who is putting out quality and complete games and quality DLC.
I agree completely but where Nintendo is concerned, given that they've released so little DLC comparatively and with very little fanfare, it can be difficult for the average consumer to know if they're being taken for a ride.
@Anti-Matter AFAIK, its mostly fixed by now, so you'll get a "full" base game (IF you buy the plethora of character passes, that is...talk about bad DLC).
@NickOfTime90 That's fair, it was free. I think myself and others don't like it because not downloading it technically means you do not have all the content available for what is a historic and important franchise. Also, it's a slippery slope towards in game advertising that for now is opt in, but that could change one day. In other words it's just weird to see real world brands in iconic franchises.
@powersgenty I am mistaken,there's a Pro mode but it's for the HUD and not an extra difficulty level. I just mind reading "Pro mode'' in a headline the other day.
https://www.vg247.com/2017/02/06/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-has-a-pro-hud-mode-for-the-purists-among-you/
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy made a similar comment to me, maybe they know more about it?
@jwfurness very unlikely since a fully rewritable game card would cost much more than a read-only one
In general I don't buy DLC, but I don't fault people who want more content. A game should be able to stand on its own without its DLC, and BotW seems like it does that. If the DLC has something worthwhile to add, I might buy it, but I doubt it's crucial or it would be part of the main game. I find spinoffs and side stories to be superfluous 90% of the time. Even if I bought this DLC I would never wear that Switch shirt in game, talk about breaking immersion, but I'm sure some people will like it.
I don't see how this can be anything but good news though. The extra content being offered is not critical. If you want more, you can pay for it, and if not, then ignore the opportunity.
@RandomNerds As long as in-game advertisements don't reach CupNoodle propaganda levels, im perfectly fine with it.
The Mercedes DLC was extremely low key compared to that.
It really doesn't seem worth the price, but the main beef I have is that the individual content packs CANNOT be purchased separately. Why? That's absurd.
Honestly, I hope the new story content isn't worthwhile, because I'd like to not support this kind of content for Zelda. But we'll see.
HARD MODE?!! For Christ sake they have become greedy as hell.
@RandomNerds yeah, lets hope it does not come to that:/
@Iggy-Koopa Those are definite contenders as well I agree, and what about XC2, Fire Emblem and perhaps Mario Odyssey?!
I really hope the Zelda Wii U DLC are multiplatform so I don't have to pay twice when I eventually Switch over.
@manu0 Of course, but it's a pleasant dream.
DLC for Zelda....That's awesome!!!
@Einherjar True, assuming Nintendo actually does expand BotW at the level that the PC industry has long been known for doing. That would be great, and I'd have no problem with that, but I'm just not seeing that degree of content here. We'll find out for sure by Holiday 2017. Until that becomes reality, I wouldn't bother with buying the DLC.
@PlywoodStick
1/3 the total price seems way too high. But it also depends on what the content actually is. "one new dungeon" doesn't sound like much, but it's also a story mission in an open world game that emphasizes overworld play above dungeon play. So we don't know just how bit an expansion it is. If it's, say, a 6-8 hour expansion (the average length of a Playstation game's single player campaign) is that worth the $20 in your opinion? Does it have to be more, can it be less?
I'm not thrilled with the price either, but I'm also trying to keep it in perspective of what that "story expansion" may actually be, and the fact that they're releasing it 8 months from release, so it's far from rushed DLC, it launches after most people will forget about the game.
@Akropolon And what part of Just Cause 3 convinced you that after spending countless hours doing the exact same thing over and over again, you'd like to spend more money to do even more of it?
@Megal0maniac When do you plan to switch over ?
Because the first pack is releasing in summer, the meat of this DLC in winter.
So why not wait and get in on Switch ? Because i highly doubt that it will be a cross-buy item
@Einherjar Agreed, in fact when I take a minute to think about it logically it was free stuff that "added" to the game. That being said, no matter what it does come with that lingering fear of, "What else will they sell out to?"
You were suppose to end the trend of greed and DLC corruption not join them.
@ruinez So let's take that "greed" argument apart shall we?
Payed bad Internet: we have no way of knowing whether it will be bad and it is cheaper than in other consoles.
Overpriced console: For what it can do, no. But debatable.
Overpriced controllers: Switch pro controller has more functionality and for that it costs just 10$ more than otherwise comparable controllers (official prices)
No pack in game: This really is just the same argument as "overpriced console"
DLC: them doing that is not even anything special.
I hate double standards.
@JaxonH I suppose I've been looking back and forth between how consoles and PC handle DLC packages and incrementally updated retail versions for too long. At $20 these days, I expect a huge amount of extra content, as exemplified by games such as those I mentioned previously. The US dollar may be devalued in the real world, but in the virtual world, it goes further than ever, and that has forever altered my expectations compared to the past.
Hates on Valentines Day? Well... I kinda expected that for a while.
@PlywoodStick
Well anything compared to PC is gonna come up short. That's... the appeal of PC. But in the console realm, I think it's only fair to compare among consoles.
We can debate the shortcomings of console offerings vs PC on a macro level another time, of course.
I can't believe some ppl in here defends this news. Like is ok to be a fan but man to be so devoted to the point u justify them screwing u is ridiculous.
@Einherjar Yeah that is true. Full DLC will be ready in winter, right when I will probably take the plunge to Switch (if employed). So I might not even have to purchase it yet for Wii U. Thanks for that insight
@Order2Chaos I think, from this point on, anything is a potential contender.
@PlywoodStick MK8 basically doubled in content for an less than 50% extra price.
Im pretty confident that the story DLC will not just be a TP Mini Dungeon or something similar.
But you're perfectly right, i too would say that buying this pack up front wouldn't be all that clever. At least wait for the first pack to drop or infos on the second arise.
Its neither running away, nor does pack 1 contain anything you would need ASAP.
@RandomNerds Like i said, im generally pretty open to in-game advertisement. It benefits consumers as its extra money for the devs which doesn't have to come from us (excluding the usual suspects )
But it has to be tasteful. MK8 did a pretty fine job at that, it chibified the cars enough to not stick out like a sore thumb while still remaining recognizable.
Another possibility i'd be perfectly fine with would be the billboards in Splatoon for instance.
It doesn't hurt anyone if they are full of actual adverts. YOu can ink them if you don't like them
On the flipside, you have Cup Noodle XV, where one of your protagonists gives you a minutes long lecture on how amazing these noodles are. Thats a little too much "in your face" if you ask me. Other than that ? Pff, who cares if it fits.
New to having a profile on this site although I do read it every day and have for several years. But I had to comment on this article. So here I go. Personally, and again, this is just my personal feeling. I don't really like this idea of a DLC expansion for Zelda. For Mario Kart, sure...it worked and it worked well. Honestly I'm sure the Breath of the Wild expansion pack will work well too. But I feel a little burned by Nintendo with the Switch. It's so expensive here in Canada. The system, the accessories, the games...everything has gone up in cost. And I know a lot of that is inflation and the weak Canadian dollar right now. Now I already pre-ordered the Special Edition because I'm a HUGE Zelda fan...but now I have to buy the expansion pack. I also bought the amiibo because I'm a collector. I feel like some of this DLC could have been locked behind an amiibo as the "paywall" rather than an additional cost. Especially for that first treasure chest where it's just items and clothes. That should have been an amiibo. Sure the extra story content could have been an additional charge later in the year but some of this content really should have been through owning the Breath of the Wild amiibo. I miss the days when Nintendo's mantra was shipping a full, quality game at launch. So while I have no doubt the extras in this pack will be cool, I'm just feeling a little burned by the DLC game and the rising costs this generation. end rant
@Megal0maniac Yup, and the summer pack really isn't a game changer per se unless you're dying to replay the game on a harder setting and the bonus swag really is nothing to write home about either- ^^
@Jessica286 The same thing could be said for a wide array of other publishers. Right or wrong, it is what it is - buy it or don't buy it, nobody is holding a gun to anyone's temple.
I'm expecting at least one DLC for new breeds of fish, and nothing less!
@Jessica286 I don't understand how Nintendo could be screwing you. They're giving you new stuff for $20 to upgrade a fun game you already play and make it fun to keep playing instead of making us wait 3 years for a new $60 game
@Iggy-Koopa And a lot of DLC is fanbased, you give the people new stuff and sometimes answer fan requests but you can't always have it be free
Well, folks wanted Nintendo to embrace modern gaming...
As with all DLC I'm not really bothered by the whole thing. More stuff to do is always a good thing and I know that it takes time and money to make this content. Plus the game is HUGE as is. I won't even be finished by the time the new stuff comes out. So I'll consider it an early winter solstice gift.
@Moon haha. Was having a bad day at work. This helped a little
@JaxonH Granted, this is still astronomically better than what has been done for games like Killer Instinct on XBone. Charging full price for a game, then only allowing access to one... ONE character, with every other character and bit of extra content having to be purchased... In a fighting game. That is downright criminal. Nintendo has not done that here, not even remotely close. I'm still getting BotW for Wii U... I'm just throwing in my two cents about how this extra content is being presented.
@DarthFoxMcCloud welcome and I too has read this page for a long time only to recently start commenting. I totally get what u r saying, the console is price high enough not to mention the controllers and that u have to paid for dlc. All this is not very enticing to new customers. I think Nintendo is still stuck in the past in where they think their IPs and software is more than enough to justify anything else they do and any price they put and I feel like they will have a rogue awakening. Like you say all this would have been better as amiibo form since after all they are just that paid DLC, but oh no they release this and also they raise the price of the amiibo BotW line.
@beazlen1
Oh I won't.
And whether I will even buy the game depends on whether they put advertisement for the pass inside the full priced game. I was rather upset with how that was handled in Mario Kart 8.
@DarthFoxMcCloud
"I miss the days when Nintendo's mantra was shipping a full, quality game at launch"
So, you're saying those days are gone? That Breath of the Wild is not a full game at launch? That it's not a quality game at launch?
I didn't hear any complaints of it not being a full game before the DLC was announced, so there's no reason to say it is now. If a person was completely ok with the game beforehand, then there's reason for that... reason being it was already a full game. Simply selling additional, optional content does not suddenly make the base game any lesser quality, or suddenly make the game incomplete.
The amiibo already have a use... and it's far better than a simple t-shirt trinket.
And they have every right to fluff up a DLC pass with whatever they want. The amiibo already have content they unlock. I understand you think stuff is expensive in Canada but that's a whole other argument.
@Jessica286 So, you're saying that you much rather had this content locked behind the luck of finding specific figures which have been heck to track down in the past rather then a simple download available to everyone ? Yeah...sounds perfectly reasonable...
Geeze...you people....seriously
@Iggy-Koopa typical Nintendo fanboy to the rescue. So sad! How the hell would ppl not buy the dlc when it has a story part in it? That logic is way too flawed.
@Einherjar amiibo stock is easy to find nowadays. I see lots of Pit, Lucina, Robin and all others every single time I go to Best Buy.
Honestly was not expecting this. Looks like a fair value, particularly the winter pack.
About the hard mode: if it's the only hard mode, then I'm not a fan of that at all. If it's an additional hard mode (like the Ganondorf amiibo provides in TPHD), then I have no issues with it.
@Jessica286 It's only screwing the customer if this is content that is necessary to complete the game or finish the story. If it ultimately is, then you have an argument. Otherwise, its not screwing the customer and you can easily ignore and enjoy the game otherwise
@PlywoodStick The base game for Killer Instinct is free.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/killer-instinct/bp4s3xljg78m
@Jessica286 For you maybe, not for everyone else on this rock.
It was the right call not to lock more and more meaty content behind figurines that might go out of stock sooner or later.
@NIN10DOXD
Yes my friend I know this. I was just feeling sorry for those that bought the special edition thinking they was getting the cherry on top edition but with this new announcement they r getting the cake without the cherry
Also I see pak 1 as pointless but pak 2 is great with a new story and dungeon it's the cherry missing from the cake (special edition). I don't have a problem with this DLC stuff I have a choice if I want to buy it or not
@JaxonH So, speculation time. Do you think this additional story could feature a playable Zelda in some sort of The Last of Us Left Behind type fashion?
@Jessica286
Ya.... just cause the DLC has its own story doesn't mean people have to buy it. Lots of story DLC exists. Doesnt mean it's part of the main story, just means it has "a" story.
Almost all AAA or polular games released get story DLC. And it's almost always a side Story independent of the main adventure.
That's... the kind of DLC single player gamers want.
@Einherjar I agree on MK8 additions, those were fair. (Although MK8 Deluxe will inevitably be the ultimate version, obsoleting the Wii U version, since there doesn't seem to be cross play...) Also, even this is still better than what has been done on other consoles. So I definitely don't agree with how this DLC is being presented for BotW, but I don't think it justifies taking an extreme measure like abandoning Nintendo over it, either.
On a different tangent, I did take issue with the Mercedes-Benz sponsorship at the time, based on immersion breaking. (Similar to the NS shirt DLC here in BotW) ...But then again, I've played Phantasy Star Online/Universe/Portable, which have flying Sega consoles, 20th century weaponry, giant bird suits, Kentucky Fried Chicken (referencing the long running Kentucky Fried Rappy joke), and plush cat paws on sticks that meow when you hit an enemy. So as long as something silly is added in, I don't mind, as long as it's at least slightly relevant to the game world. I think the NS shirt is better in that regard than the Mercedes-Benz.
This is great! I like how they've started distributing new content year-round for games besides Splatoon and Super Mario Maker. Excited to see the new storyline.
Well, it'll give me a reason to double-dip when I get it on the Ninty Switch in...4 or 5 years. Maybe.
@JaxonH But didn't you get the memo ?
The release of "Beedle the Bard" COMPLETELY ruined every other Harry Potter book out there ?
@IceClimbers
Doubt it. But who's to say...
@Yorumi
Cave was never a standard feature. It was added content in TP to enrich the remaster. And tied to Zelda BOTW from the day it was designed (beat it and your Wolf Link gets that many hearts in BotW).
Hard mode, you got a point.
@Einherjar
LOL ya. Touche
@PlywoodStick You had this before in a Zelda game. Remember the Tingle Tuner GBA in Wind Waker ? Or the Rumble Pack stone in OoT ? My best guess is, that the Switch shirt will be a black shirt with red and blue sleeves.
Silly, but i bet there are worse outfits to be found
I wouldn't have a problem with this if hard mode wasn't locked behind a pay wall. I don't care if it's an extra hard mode (not confirmed anywhere) it should be on the disc. The only acceptable barrier between the player and a higher difficulty setting should completion of the game on normal settings.
Oh no the evil "dlc" word was spoken!!
But seriously, some people have a very warped view on dlc. It doesn't always mean that they cut something out, it can also mean that they are simply adding something (mindblowing idea isn't it?) but why does that even matter? If the game without the dlc is still worth the miney , then why would anyone care? You can just ignore the dlc then and still get a great game! Now maybe the dlc is worth the money as well...
There is literally not a single logical argument against dlc if the game has enough content regardless.
One question on that matter: in Zelda WW they had to cut stuff out because they didn't have enough time. Would the game have been worse if they had released that content later as dlc?
Btw, dlc are nothing modern, they existed even before the Internet became big. Back then they were just called addon and were sold at retail.
@Yorumi At this point, we don't even know what "Hard Mode" is.
It could be a simple balancing thing, it could replace every enemy in the game, heck, it could even be Master Quest-esque.
Who knows.
But i do agree, if we are talking about a simple rebalance "take more damage, do less damage" mode, this should NOT be behind a paywall
If I was Nintendo I'd just have this for Switch. It would be a kick in the teeth for WiiU owners but sure... fair play to them for doing this on both systems.
Hopefully there will be some exclusive Switch dlc for BotW next year....
@JaxonH My gripe is that in a single player game is destabilises the narrative and sense of completion.
People often talk how adding paid for maps in FPS games (for example) fractures the player base, as only a certain number of users have access to them.
Obviously, in any single player game that doesn't hold at all, but I still feel that Zelda games establish a sense of community about their story and content, and that is largely due to that content being well-defined, self-contained, and readily available to anyone who purchased the original title. The Legend of Zelda series has become a legend in itself, with every aspect of every game poured over by fans. Having that split because some fans hadn't paid for extra content seems sad. You can't have the experience of having 'beaten' the game properly and explored it its maximum without spending an extra amount of cash.
I guess it comes down to personality too. I like to sit down with something, do it to completion, and then stick in proudly in the shelf (and maybe return to it if I get nostalgic). I don't always have the time in reality, but that ideal has real appeal to me, for whatever reason. It's the same with books; a bookshelf to me is as much a trophy case to things I've finished as a practical storage facility. It'd irritate me no end if my books started flashing and telling me I needed to spend a bit more for them be to 'complete' again.
And then there's also the fact that DLC is - by definition - download only, which plays into my larger physical/virtual preferences/bias. I generally like to be able to buy, sell and own things, as opposed to just having 'access granted' to them. Of course, this has plenty of holes. I'm writing this on a smart device, for which I obviously don't own physical copies of the apps (and don't want to). I don't think I've paid for any of them, but still, I've been very happy with the download only system there.
And for my Japanese 3DS, the eShop has been a godsend, as it means I have access to any game without having to pay for importing and customs. I actually forgot you could get retail games on the eShop, and so accidentally paid an arm and a leg to get the Phoenix Wright prequel. Now that it's here, I'm glad to have it physical, but it I could go back in time I'd definitely just have downloaded it for less time and money.
So there's that whole 'download only' aspect of it, and then as mentioned previously, there's the very hard-to-answer question of what isn't being made in the place of the DLC content. In fact, it's almost impossible to answer, but I'm fairly sure we wouldn't have seen something as unique as MM if the pressure to expand OoT was there instead. I'd rather teams got on with developing brand new experiences than continuing to work on existing games, some time after they've been 'finished'.
Call me a Luddite (please do, I am a Luddite), but I hope you can at least somewhat empathise with the Luddite-centric subjective stuff (i.e. most of it), and also acknowledge the more concrete fact that man-hours spent on DLC for a 'finished' game are therefore not spent elsewhere. I guess the real question is where they're spent most wisely (which gets us back into highly subjective territory), but it's something worth mentioning when DLC comes up. Simply not buying something doesn't mean you're not in any way affected by its development. It'd be naive to think that DLC for old games and droughts for new titles were entirely unconnected. Still, no droughts, no problem.
Maybe I'll have a different opinion given some time and more information. But I've been called a fanboy for favouring some of Nintendo's more traditional or 'unique' approaches to game design before, so I think it's a fair that I get my chance to be (at least temporarily) miffed when some of the modern trends I'm not keen on show their face.
Paying for this up front in March seems like a bit of a waste... but it seems like it would be a welcome addition to revitalize game play next fall, unless the price goes up.
It will be very strange when a WiiU game gets new content in late 2017.
@IceClimbers Yeah, I messed that up. It depends on how and when you bought more content. Free to play with Jago, but every character needed to be bought, which was more expensive 4 years ago than it is now. A retail definitive edition is available for $30 new at this point, which is certainly fair. However, If you bought the first retail Combo Breaker Pack, you still had to pay for the rest of the characters after the first pack of eight. Releasing characters in sequence before the definitive edition released, nickel and diming along the way, was a rather questionable move. Not sleazy like Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but unattractive nonetheless.
@Kirgo They're "offering" modes that have been traditionally included with other entries as a standard part of the package, a free in-game promotional T-Shirt and some ambiguous story content that probably won't be revealed until about 3 months after the Season Pass has been available. How are they not withholding content here?
And let's not forget that none of it will be available to download separately (at least according to Nintendo, so take that for what you will at this point), and you have a $20 pre-order for an expansion that won't release until the Summer. I don't know about you guys, but I consider that to be a desparate move no matter who's involved. I'll hold off for the inevitable bundled GOTY-esque version. Although, knowing Nintendo, it'll take a heck of an unreasonably long time for that day to come. Which works for me - that means I won't be financially rewarding what I consider to be a bad move within a timeframe that matters to their bottomline.
@Yorumi
Hmm, didn't know that. Still, doesn't mean it was originally meant to be included. I'm guessing Skyward Sword didn't have it. Maybe they were brainstorming DLC content ideas and decided to go with something they've done before.
Hard mode, ya. Idk. I never use it so it's meh. But I can understand. Still, if it's more than just reducing hearts and increasing damage, then it's fine. Probably won't be, but whatever. A small thing to worry about in the big scheme of things.
@Maxz
Ya that's unique to Nintendo only gamers I think.
People who have other consoles, we see this with basically every single release. It's standard stuff, has been for years. People cheer when they get single player DLC nowadays. And rage when it doesn't have story DLC. Story DLC is the gold standard of season passes now. Just how it is.
I'm a physical only gamer too, but DLC... it's just the way of the world now. Once you accept it and know you will never, ever, ever have a game collection all on disc ever again, it makes it easy to get past.
I collect base games on disc. No such thing as a complete game on disc anymore. Sometimes you might get lucky with a GotY release later on, but I wouldn't count on it.
@Maxz What you seem to forget in your equation:
Planning and development are two very distinctive steps in development. And the meat of the revenue made with a game flows into the latter part of it.
You can bet your right hand that as soon as Game 1 ships, game 2 is already in its planning phase.
But what to do with the developer teams after finishing a game and waiting for the revenue it makes ?
While Game 2 is in planning, why not let programmers further work on the already finished game ?
They could pick up left out concept ideas, could enhance the game based on consumer feedback etc.
Technically, you are not loosing manpower in the process. And even if they already started development, they are working with already established assets, engines etc.
Its a rather low-key effort at this point anyways.
We totally need more information about the content breadth to be able to judge if the price is fair.
The new hard mode and the map feature sounds like free update stuff, but they might be more than we think.
@NEStalgia I'm guessing it was a perfect example of cognitive dissonance. I enjoyed Just Cause 2 so much, I desperately needed to tell myself 3 was just as good. As it turns out, I'm only human. :')
Good for you Nintendo. No doubt it will be money well spent just like Mario Kart, Smash Bros and Splatoon. (That last one was for lols)
So the game being delay until March isn't enough for them to add all these craps in the full game? What is this, the Nintendo version of Street Fighter V? Can't believe you had gone this low Nintendo, now you make this Zelda game look like a cash-cow. Prepare to get millions of YouTuber rants on this craps.
I hate it. Or another way to look at it, the full game is $80 but you can have it for discount if we get to delete some stuff!
For Mario Kart 8 I loved it because the game was awesome and full and complete. Then months later... EVEN MORE!!!! The extra tracks felt like a great deal instead of releasing mk9 they gave me another half of a game free!
Smash was worse. But it wasn't like major game content. I can skip characters (and did) if I didn't care about them (which I don't). But to make me miss part of Link's adventure? Hmm....
But for Zelda? Extra dungeon and extra story sounds exactly like what I want. Cave of trials? Like Lufia 2 Ancient Cave maybe? I love that too! But this premeditated extra content means your game actually costs $80 not $60.
@JaxonH That's actually not what I'm saying. What I am saying is DLC is a grey area. Nintendo used to have the mantra of launching a full game. Nothing behind paywalls. But that seems to be in the past. You don't seem to read the rest of my comment where I said I have no doubt that the content will be interesting but it is a shame we have to pay again for it. The costs this generation are already huge. The other point I was making is that Nintendo released the Breath of the Wild amiibo. We still have no idea what they do. We only know what Wolf Link does and the 30th anniversary amiibo, but no idea what the BotW line does. Nintendo could have put this Expansion Pack data on those amiibo and therefore could have justified the cost of DLC and the rising cost of amiibo in general. The whole point of amiibo was supposed to be a nice collectable item with in-game rewards. I think the DLC should have been linked to them rather than a completely separate charge, especially when one of the DLC packs is just clothing and items. Look, I'm a Nintendo Fanboy too...but that doesn't mean that I can't think about something critically and actually offer a criticism. Does that mean I'm not going to buy Breath of the Wild? No, I already said I have the Special Edition pre-ordered. But I'm old enough to understand that I can like a company but still criticize some of its decisions.
@CanisWolfred
Well ya, preordering DLC is generally considered a poor move. Only time I do it is when it's a game I truly love... like Final Fantasy XV or, Zelda. I know I need that story expansion, must have, but I wouldn't encourage others to preorder. Not unless they know they want it for sure.
Something to take into account though is, as game size and scope increases, it becomes less financially viable to include past extras when the game you're getting for your money is 10x the content. It's like, yes they're saying this stuff has to be paid for now. But not without reason. The base game is guaranteed 5-10x the content of any past game. You have to draw the line somewhere for that $60.
If it was same scale and size as Skyward Sword... then I'd see a problem. But getting game exponentially greater in size? Ok, understandable then
Imagine they announced this.... and it was FREE!
Switch sales to a billion!
I like the idea of adding longevity, but announcing pre-release is SO... MS/Sony.
@JaxonH "Once you accept it and know you will never, ever, ever have a game collection all on disc ever again, it makes it easy to get past."
It's an accepted thing that companies will release "definitive editions" over a year after the initial release, the Season pass just gets it to you sooner for the people who can't wait. What you're "accepting" is bullcrap.
@retro_player_22 Are you folks even able to read ? Serious question by the way...
That stuff is not finished yet
The main DLC will release in a year from launch
@speedracer216 So did Mario Kart...which you apparently loved...am i missing something here ?
How is one game with extra stuff "complete and awesome", but another one isn't ?
@NEStalgia Considering most of the PlayStation games I played were RPG's with 60+ hour campaigns for $50, or in the rare case like Suikoden 2, 80+ hours for $100... And the length of BotW should be at least comparable to those... Even if the DLC provides an extra 10 hours, it would still be more expensive and not as good of a deal by content measurement for 2017 than FF9 or Suikoden 2 were for 2000. (Not a very good direct comparison, though... Those were huge games for their time.) This DLC would have to provide at least another solid 20 hours, bare minimum, to be worth it in my eyes at this point. And it doesn't sound as substantial as that, of which would have to be an actual expansion living up to the "expansion pass" moniker.
@DarthFoxMcCloud
That's fine. Criticism is fine. But I just don't see it warranted for the reasons you mention.
As you said, we don't know what those amiibo do, so how can you criticize them at this point? Sure, they could have put that content on those amiibo, but then they'd have to come up with different fluff for the expansion. One way or another, the amiibo will have its own content and the pass will have its own content.
They could have put it on the amiibo. Or, they could put better content on the amiibo and leave the fluff to the pass. Either way, the amiibo will have It's own content.
@CanisWolfred
As I mentioned, you MIGHT get lucky with a GotY edition. But not always. Not enough to count on.
What they do is just include codes for the pass. Like Dragon Age Inquisition. Lots of games never even get complete versions, like Tales games. Or Street Fighter V. Or Steep. Even Call of Duty now only seems to sell a gold edition with digital code for season pass. It's complete luck of the draw, and depends on sales and developer and publisher.
So ya, it may be bull crap, but you have no choice but to accept it because it's the reality of the situation. Accept it and settle it within yourself it's impossible to have a complete on disc collection nowadays in the age of DLC, or don't accept it and be perpetually pissed off every time a new game releases with season pass.
Up to you.
If the content is worth the price, I'll get it. Maybe it will keep me busy until Splatoon 2 comes out 😉
@Shy_Guy Since both are scheduled for summer, i think not ^^
@Einherjar Who cares if those stuff ain't finish yet, all those contents should had been in the game to begin with. The game is going to be release in March you're telling me right now "Oh by the way the actual game isn't the full game, you had to pay $20 to get all the other contents we didn't had time to put in there?" Like I'm going to excuse all that. This is the practice of greedy company milking you fans for all its worth. If you accept this practice then you're the problem that is deeply encouraging them to continuously built on this practice. If Nintendo is going to follow what Capcom, UbiSoft, and EA are doing, they will get the same opinion from me just like what I thought of those. It will be no different unless if they could prove me wrong and miraculously manage to get all these on the full game by release date. Defend Nintendo all you want, it still doesn't hide the fact that they are like Capcom, EA, and UbiSoft now.
@JaxonH What do you mean "not enough to count on"? If I wait say...15 months, and there's still no GOTY edition? I can still buy it, and I can still play it. And once I've played it, I can still get the DLC. What have I lost from being patient?
Like, I'm not even angry that DLC exists, personally - I meant to point that out in my previous post, and I guess your point was more directed at people who are mad about lacking on-disc content. I thought you meant that you'll still have to buy stuff separately, and will never get a complete package with a single purchase. At this point, there's not enough room on the discs themselves to handle everything on one disc, especially for stuff like Dragon Age.
@Einherjar Yeah, the GBA tuner was kind of like having the flying SEGA console MAG's on Phantasy Star Online. I thought the Rumble Pak stone was really clever, though. Honestly, I think that was one of the best implementations of the rumble mechanic of all time, in addition to being visually represented in an immersive way.
@CanisWolfred
Woah, hold up. I'm not against that. Be patient, that's fine!
I'm saying that the reality is, not all games will have complete physical versions. It's just the world we live in. No reason to get up in arms. Developers sell content via digital distribution, and it's no reason to get angry. It's a fact not all games will get complete physical versions, so why let it bother you?
If you wanna wait and see if a game done, that's fine! I do it sometimes myself. That's... just not what I was talking about.
@UmbreonsPapa any dlc for any company is screwing the customer. This practice is just plain wrong, we consumers paid for a complete product not just part of it. Now with this if I want to play hard mode I have to paid $20 more. How is that not screwing ppl?
@JaxonH Yeah, I realized that after I wrote the first paragraph, and the edit was suposed to reflect that. I forgot that edits don't show up unless you refresh the page, though.
@JaxonH "Just because the dlc has some sort of story doesn't mean ppl have to buy it". So you expect fans to play the incomplete version? Got it. What about if I find the basic entry way too easy? Oh no I also have to buy the DLC because the hard mode is in it. Geez this page is plague by fanboys.
@retro_player_22 You're joking right ? You can't be that ignorant...
How should stuff, that is scheduled for the end of this year be in a game that is already shipped to stores ?
Time machine ? Folded space-time ? Magic ?
This is stuff the team is working on post release, in between major projects.
What you are against are practices like Capcoms "On-Disc DLC" or deliberately cut content sold separately.
And trust me, i think we can all agree on that.
You and @Jessica286 really don't seem to have the slightest clue what you are talking about here. The product you buy IS COMPLETE. In every sense of the word.
Example: If you buy new seat covers for your car half a year after purchase, was it incomplete the whole time ?
Because thats your argument.
This is absolutely normal, basic stuff dev teams do inbetween major projects to not idle around. Later additions dont make products incomplete in retrospect, unless you manage to overcome the time paradox you try to create here....
Geeze...
@Einherjar
With MK it felt like they saved me from buying a second game by adding to the original. Same for Smash. Add levels and characters without making me buy a new game.
With Zelda it feels like it's the same game but they cut part of it out. So I bought the game... and didn't get it all. Maybe the genre/IP is part of what makes it feel that way. We don't all use every character in Smash or love every race in MK. But to miss one of Link's dungeons? We ALL play Link's story and now we'll ALL be missing part of it without paying extra.
See the difference? It might be technically the same, but the feel is different. One situation feels like something EXTRA when paying while one situation feels like something MISSING without paying.
The lack of it in any DLC proves one thing at least: THE GREEN TUNIC IS IN THERE SOMEWHERE
Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but when Nintendo says the DLC will include a "new hard mode" (as opposed to "the hard mode"), to me it seems like the game will already include a hard mode, and the DLC will add an either an even harder hard mode or a "different kind" of hard mode.
It's the same reason why Nintendo said the DLC will include a "new dungeon" and "a new story" as opposed to "the dungeon" and "the story." Dungeons and the main story are obviously already in the base game; the DLC will provide an additional dungeon alongside an additional story. By that same reasoning, a hard mode is already in the base game; the DLC will provide an additional hard mode.
@JaxonH Here's the thing. They should have put the first 2 Expansion Pack DLC sets on the amiibo. Save the story content for a 3rd "sold separate" DLC pack. I feel like the story content will be worth the money. But there's a line in the Talking Point article Nintendo Life put out that sums up my thoughts on the first 2 offerings.
"To be blunt, the initial content - some items including a 'Nintendo Switch' shirt for Link - are the sort of cheap early cash-ins that get condemned when they come from Ubisoft, EA, Capcom and so on."
This is what has me worried. Honestly dude I hope I'm wrong and this amazing content. But on paper it doesn't look to be. In Canada this is likely going to be $30 after tax. That's on top of $170 for the Special Edition I've already shelled out plus $90 for a Switch Pro Controller & extra $100 for a second set of Joy-Con for my partner because we are sharing the Switch. And then Nintendo issues a statement where they say basically say, by the way shell out more money for a Switch t-shirt. It rubs me the wrong way. I would have liked to see a continuation of piece-meal DLC. I would be more than happy to skip the first 2 DLC batches and just pay for the third at a reduced rate like Nintendo did for Mario Kart 8 DLC and Hyrule Warriors. Making me pay the full freight up front when really all I want is that final DLC pack is rather annoying. That's why I'm critical.
I love Zelda and I'm going to love this game I am sure. But I don't like how they're handling this DLC announcement and I'm really hoping this is not the future of DLC for games moving forward for Nintendo.
@CanisWolfred besides the fact that we don't know if that new hard mode really is similar to what we got for "free" in the past.
It might be something similar to master quest for all we know and something like that would, for example, be a LOT more work in this gigantic world than it was in past games.
What is that "modes that have been traditionally included with other entries" argument anyway? No matter what modes exactly you mean, they certainly hafen't been in every Zelda game. And what is your point? That BotW has less content because of those missing modes?
You also didn't answer the one question my post was all about: Is the game, without the dlc still worth its 70$?
I'm personally confident, that this game will be at least very good and that I will have at the very least 40h worth of content in that game.
That for 70$ is more value than most games on the market.
Why now, should I not buy this game?
Whether that additional content has been cut out (which I seriously doubt, honestly) or not is just irrelevant in the end.
If they think they have enough value to sell the game without the dlc content for 70$ then they have every right to do so. And in my opinion that is the case.
Just an additional question to you specifically as well:
Were you also angry when games in the past got addons later? Because there is not much of a difference here and they could very well have been cut out of the main game as well.
Today is Valentine's Day not April Fool's Day. Did Nintendo get mixed up? This is both awful and disgraceful.
@Jessica286 Im asking you directly again:
Did the release of "Beedle the Bard" turn the rest of the Harry Potter books incomplete ?
@speedracer216 Why cut parts out and release them a whole year later ? Does no one of you notice this ?
If its deliberately cut to be sold to inflate the price, why would they try and sell an empty pass and wait a year for the actual release ?
@SLIGEACH_EIRE How dare they release more Zelda on Christmas ! What a disgrace !
@DarthFoxMcCloud don't bother really, some people in here are way too much fanboys is like talking to a wall. I have every Nintendo console there is with the exception of GB Micro and Virtual Boy. I grew up playing their consoles and still do plus I have the Special Edition BotW pre-order and thats because I couldn't get the Master one BUT I also work and money doesn't come from the sky. The entry price is already a lot, plus add Pro Controller or a new set of Joy-cons so I can play with my love one party games. Add the price of the online plus the amiibo line of BotW that btw has higher prices than regular amiibo. And now add the dlc cost and you are looking at an entry price of above $500. Thats insane and it is not at all enticing to the general consumer aka not Nintendo fanboys.
"The Expansion Pass will be available for both the Nintendo Switch and Wii U versions of the game and are identical"
Thank goodness its also coming to the Wii u version! Might not download it straight away at that price, but a extra dungeon may be irresistable!
@Jessica286 Just to give you a frame of reference, in case you hadn't seen it before... Back when Elders Scrolls IV: Oblivion was released, they had the gall to charge $20 for... Horse armor. Yes. That's it. Horse armor. (The Witcher 3 would later lampoon this by giving away horse armor for free. )
I don't agree with the presentation of this DLC content, and quite frankly, after all the delays that BotW had, this should really be free DLC as a reward for everyone who buys BotW new. However... Until Nintendo starts charging $20 for putting armor on Epona, and nothing more... They haven't truly screwed us over. Not yet.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE once again I find myself agreeing to u. At first I thought u were a hater but now I see u r one of the not crazy justify all ppl in here.
@Kirgo Oh yeah, I'm not gonna say the main game is worth less without it. However, I don't think the Season Pass is even remotely worth $20. I would be less peeved if they didn't outright say "we won't be offering the content packs separately". That's just me, though, and even if I could only get pack #2, I'd still wait a while to see if I could get it on sale, mostly because I have other games to play.
@PlywoodStick as I said before just because other company does far worst doesn't justify Nintendo stance in this nor do makes DLC a great thing.
@PlywoodStick and they aren't charging for clothes but they sure are for hard mode.
@DarthFoxMcCloud
"this is likely going to be $30"
Well, that's because Canadian money isn't worth as much. $30 US is one thing. But your price reflects the value of your dollar. Nearly $30 CA is only worth $20 US. So it's not as much as it sounds.
But ya, just because this is the type of content that amiibo gets, doesn't mean it should be on the amiibo. As I said, the amiibo will have their own separate content. So you don't have to worry about that.
Other companies get criticized for only selling fluff, and for expensive prices. Like Bandai Namco selling costumes for $12 in Tales of Berseria. But simply tossing it in as a freebie along with meaty, substantial content? No one ever gets criticized for that.
It's not fair to just automatically say all fluff content has to be tied to amiibo. DLC needs fluff content too. Amiibo isn't the only thing that needs content. And DLC passes have been around far longer than amiibo.
@Einherjar lol thats not dlc thats a spinoff lol! U know what forget it, is really hard to talk to a wall.
@Einherjar
I'm not saying it's done being made and they cut it. Whether it's programmed already or just planned, the reality is there is MORE game to this game that is being held back.
If I love the game, I'll buy the DLC. That's why this works whether I like it or not. I skipped a ton of Smash DLC and it didn't hurt me or Nintendo (other than my completionist side). I just hope that the average cost of game doesn't go up to $80 because of DLC. For the average game, it's too much risk and not worth it.
There's a reason I still spend most of my money on SNES carts.
Considering the standard pricing for Season Passes are 30 to 60 bucks, with 15 bucks being a rare exception, 20 bucks for a season pass seems more reasonable.
@UK-Nintendo Aww man glad I could help. Hope your day turns around, there's still time yet! (most likely the minute you leave work)
@Jessica286 Uhm...no, its not a spin-off, its a book that acts as a plot device in the story the reader never got to read themselves until after the series was done.
It was extra lore, not a spin-off. It is exactly what these packs are, extra stuff ontop of an already finished product.
And according to your logic, the book series has been incomplete until the release of Beedle the Bard and other supplementary works such as Fantastic Beasts.
@CanisWolfred And that is fine. It is not like I want to tell everyone that this is great value, anyone has to decide that for themselfs.
Right now, for the dlc itself, I think it is hard to tell yet. We don't know how big that dungeon is for example.
I'm mainly confident because Nintendo dlc had good value for me up till this point. But that is just my opinion as well.
@Jessica286
the only one people shouldn't bother with is people like you who resort to labeling anyone who doesn't agree with your irrational pov as a fanboy.
@Jessica286 And as far as we know, you are getting a complete product. Everything that has been said about this game suggest you are getting $60 worth.
Ultimately, if you feel this somehow makes the game incomplete to you, then you are more in your right to feel that way. If it turns out you can ultimately complete the game and get the story without it, then by definition its not integral to the game and is just bonus content.
@speedracer216 No it is not. How can you hold something back that doesn't even exist ?
This stuff doesn't exist yet. What you got here was a preview of what is planned post release, nothing more, nothing less.
@Jessica286 Yeah, I was honestly expecting all of this stuff to be part of the game when they were first teased. I guess they must have ran out of time (again), and so they decided to release the content later as DLC. I don't really have an issue with that by itself, if that's what happened. What I do have an issue with is charging money for it, after years of delays, when they should be giving it away to everyone who buys BotW new. And yeah, for things like difficulty levels, I think it's inexcusable to charge money for something like that. If it isn't ready at launch, fine, make it available through a free update, like SMT IV: Apocalypse did. But don't lock it behind a paywall, that's sleazy.
@JaxonH Then sell the Expansion Pack as standalone as an option. For those who only want that final pack with the new story content, sell that individually. And for those who have to have it all, sure have the All-In-One price for all 3, but give the consumer choice.
@JaxonH the only fanboys here are u and Einherjar.
@Jessica286
LOL right. Because we're the ones taking a stand against your nonsensical ***
@DarthFoxMcCloud
I wouldn't be against that.
@JaxonH And the other reason I'm saying link some of this content to amiibo. It's because it's been done already. Nintendo has established that as precedent. Cave of Shadows in Twilight Princess HD was locked behind Wolf Link & Ganondorf amiibo made you take double the damage (a.k.a. a form of a hard mode). So really, I firmly believe a Nintendo Switch t-shirt and a new "hard mode" could have been attached to the BotW amiibo.
@Jessica286 Lol, typical idiot layman (or woman) on the defensive. Look around you - you don't have to like it, you don't even have to buy it. But don't bury your head in the sand, pretending that it isn't an industry standard nowadays (including extra storylines/sub-plots). You will just come off as a whiner.
@DarthFoxMcCloud exactly. That is why DLC such as the Mario Kart one and Smash work. They have lots of varying choices but in here u paid $20 or u get nothing. And don't act like a new piece of story, a new dungeon and hard mode scream to complete game.
@Jessica286 gasp Im shocked ! Namecalling at this time of day ? I think that mortally wounded my feelings !
Does someone have a fairy in a bottle ?
@Iggy-Koopa I just read bla bla bla, someone is attacking Nintendo I must defend it. Good talk.
@Einherjar oh so clever! rolls eyes
@JaxonH yeah because disagreeing with dlc is nonsense just as much as justify it.
@PlywoodStick
Look on the bright side, though, you don't have to wait 13 years, buy a 3DS, and a game cart to get the hard mode like with OoT!
In fairness, Zelda games didn't have "hard mode" for a long time (except Zelda II which didn't have a 'normal mode' ) , and recently they've been adding hard modes for re-mastered re-releases as a bonus (DLC in a way.) And caves of trials are, what, and 45 minute item if we're going by TP? I'm more worried about a "map feature" behind a pay wall (I'm playing at launch so I'll be done the game before the "map feature" exists anyway), and mostly interested in "is the expansion worth $20 or no? " and "is the main game incredibly huge and complete without the DLC or no?" If the answer to either or both those questions is yes, then there's no problem here. We'll know the latter in a few weeks and the former in nearly a year.
@Akropolon LOL....yeah...for the first hour or two it's tons of fun and you wait for the game to really open up and evolve. By hour 5 you figure out that's not actually going to happen. By hour 10 you finally swim back to the coast.... I can't imagine who greenlit DLC for that thing at all
@Yorumi and so far the Switch has Wii U label on it all over again. I wouldn't be surprised if it goes the way of Sega. Painful because they are still the ones that makes the great games.
@Einherjar
There you go! Drink up, it'll give you super powers...
@Jessica286 Don't roll them back too far. As Nietzsche already warned: Don't look too far into the black void
@Yorumi Yup, agreed. Their PR is complete and utter sh*te and don't get me started on their supply chains...
Which is why im glad they didn't lock that stuff behind Amiibos in the first place...
We had this discussion over on the leak topic already. Their utter radio silence on key aspects of both hard and software is really hurting them in the long run.
@Jessica286 because you clearly ignorant and have no reading comprehension, and you obviously want people to toil away behind the scenes and give you everything for free. It doesn't work that way, so unbunch those panties, my dear.
@PlywoodStick That looks...oh well gulp heart replenishing noises
Ahh, nothing better than a naked fairy in a bottle full of fluorescent...stuff
@Iggy-Koopa uju.
@Iggy-Koopa At this point, i just wish someone with access to US gift cards would gift her the 20 bucks to end this charade.
Like a child on cash-out who didn't get candy....seriously...
@NEStalgia Well, the original "hard mode" was supposed to be the Gaiden mode on 64DD... But it didn't materialized until the GCN Ocarina disc. It's also available on emulators now. That was okay for the time, though, due to the technological barriers. It's easy to take digital conveniences for granted, these days...
@PK_Boss11 Exactly. People are so entitled nowadays, they expect everything for free. A certain little lady here clearly wants it to be just that, ergo the butt-sting.
@Einherjar tskk give me some of that potion since u just hurt my feelings. lol!!!
Think whatever you aren't going to change my opinion that this is screwing the fans once again. If u don't like reading that then thats ur problem and before u say something u and the other boy are the ones that start replying to my opinion.
@Iggy-Koopa is not everything for free I am already paying for a game.
@Einherjar She's running out of arguments dude, and coming across as a spoiled child. Probably just hurt that her favourite company had adopted the standard practice now, and will likely continue to do so whether people like it or not.
@Einherjar Refreshing, wasn't it?
...You can hear the voices now, can't you?
@Jessica286 So bite it and carry on, be happy with what you have. If you truly believe that all the additional work that went/is going into making this should be free, then I don't know what else to say.
@Jessica286 Well, kudos for taking it with humor
But of course we reply. Thats what a discussion is supposed to be about ! And i still say your wrong with:
-Post release content addition rendering an already released product incomplete
and
-DLC are, in general, screwing over consumers.
Both points are wrong on many levels. So back at you: "If u don't like reading that then thats ur problem"
@Kirgo Bah, even if it was a really good, meaty dungeon & story content, I personally would rather that I pay less for it. But maybe that's just me and price-consciousness talking. I swear, if I could get a 1-dollar burger from McDonalds that was just a bun and a piece of cheese, I'd buy 3 on my way back from the Grocery store after buying a 6-oz pack of discount beef...
It is nice to have the option of dlc if you want it...
The game is huge anyway. So it is an added bonus if you want to pay for it. If you cant afford it or don't agree with dlc then don't buy it. Nothing to complain about here...
I will wait to see what it brings....
I'm more worried that I will hate an open world Zelda where Link can jump. Roll on 3rd March!!! Please be as good as the hype!
@PlywoodStick I can smell the future !
@Iggy-Koopa "running out of arguments" r u 12? I do not need that u or the other boy agree with me. It is a shady practice all this DLC business, it always has been. Locking a game mode does not make this not shady, not giving u options is also crappy on their part. But is ppl like u and the mentality of everyone is doing it so is ok that we have to pay $80 for new games that this keeps happening.
At least other game companies down price their games eventually or release a Game of the Year version with everything included. Nintendo never does that, so is not ok. I don't need you to agree.
@Jessica286 I have another one, just for you:
I'm pretty sure that's a Sangria. Let me know.
@PlywoodStick I doubt that BotW will be comparable in length to huge RPGs. RPG length is generally padded by ridiculous grinding for stats/items. Zelda games are pretty short in comparison, though longer than most everything else. I did spend probably 50 hours in TP though which was larger than most Zeldas. I think most sandbox games are 20-40 hours unless you're going for completionist.
Also, Silly stick, PS3/4 is made for Western 8 hour campaigns, didn't you know?
In all likelihood my best guess is that this is DLC designed to be ignored. Nothing significantly added to the game, and nothing worth the price of admission (and nothing that will feel missing from the game without it.) But it'll keep the signature title in the headlines near the Holidays for some free exposure, which is probably the real purpose.
But I'd love to be surprised and find out that it's worthwhile content that's a must-have to revisit the world.
@PlywoodStick lol!
@Einherjar The fact is the game is nearing release date, there shouldn't be anything missing from the game. The fact that they had to come out and tell us it still is going to be missing contents is like a slap in the face. Of course new stuff that has just being announce would take time to get release but those applies to game development, this is game contents and it's missing from the actual game. The least they could had done was shut up until Breath of the Wild's release, wait three months and then announce the DLC, that would make a lot more sense and would make fans more eager to support.
Announcing DLC before the actual game's release is like a big middle finger to the consumer. Oh all these extra stuffs, yeah you're not going to get them in the actual game, we're just telling you we are just starting to make them and you can buy them separately for $20 six months later when we're done with them. My disappointment is not about them doing DLC, it's them doing DLC wrong and the fact that they announce this after everyone had already pre-order the game expecting a complete polish game now had to endure the reality that the game you just pre-order is an incomplete game. Incomplete because now they had to throw in $20 just to had those stuff which should had been in the game to begin with.
To me, having announced DLC especially free ones months or years after the game's release is like a surprise, a nice additional content to get back to because I had already play the game and finish what was need to be finish so having more DLC to give me more reasons to play is a nice thing. Having announced DLC before a game's release though, that is unacceptable and it ruins what could had been a solid launch of the game. The best Nintendo could had done was not said a thing about this months until after the game's release. Cause now it sounds like a ripoff and to me it is a ripoff.
I think everyone could use a nice, cold one right about now...
Thank god its identical on Wii U!
@NEStalgia BotW looks like it'll be 80+ hours if you do everything to me. So Suikoden 2 levels of length, based on how much extra you do, at the least.
And yeah, western campaigns are usually pretty bad, the side quests are ironically better more often than not. (Unless you're talking Neverwinter Nights 2: Eye of the Beholder and things like that, but how often do those come around?)
@Jessica286
"not everything for free I am already paying for a game"
And you're already getting a full, content rich game in return for your money. You get what you pay for, as they say.
And unfortunately, game development costs have ballooned to the point that $80+ is what's needed for the business model to work. It is what it is. Budgets from the NES era Zelda to Switch Zelda... think about it. Yet game prices have not increased. We're fortunate we can buy extra content to help the model work rather than game prices simply jump $20 more without any extra content in return.
And Nintendo has not released enough DLC to definitively say they don't usually package a fuller version. NSMBU was the first, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the 2nd, and expect many more to come. And times are changing. Most 1st party releases now can be found for discounted prices, not the least of which is thanks to the Selects range.
@retro_player_22 For f*cks sake, there is nothing missing !
How can something be "missing" if it doesn't even exist ?
They did the same with Mario Kart, announcing the DLC way in advance, letting you pre-order it, unlocking a character in advance.
What is wrong with you people and not getting the concept of devs continuing to work on a project that has been released ?
That stuff isn't due for almost a year. You really think its "missing" content ? Really ?
No chance of it being "Well, we have time inbetween releases, might as well see if we can add some more in top of that" ?
Heaven help...
Everyone's missing a critical point here: WIIU DLC SUPORT THROUGH 2017 CONFIRMED!!!1!!
@PlywoodStick
80+ hours completionist, then? I suppose I can believe that. I've never been one for completionism as most of the "find everything" quests in a game tend to exist as time wasters like giving a kid a coloring book. Though I fall for it with RPG grinding to a degree.
Then there's Disgaea....the king of finding hundreds of hours of things to do for those willing.
@Jessica286
Well then what can I say. I like u and I have to agree with u it does feel like the wii u all over again and sega. Like u I have had all their machines except vboy I did have gba micro but I ain't no fanboy I actually prefer Sony but still like Ninty. Anyways I do feel like it's beginning of the end for Ninty as hardware developers when that will end I don't know but that bubble will burst in the future. Years back if u remember it was unthinkable that Ninty would become 3rd party software publisher's and that's exactly what has happened with them releasing on mobile platforms. It can't be buttered up any other way they r 3rd party now but somehow fanboys will deny this but it is what it is. Keep smiling
@retro_player_22 thanks someone actually understand. It is shady practice, ppl give Capcom crap to put it mild for lock content but because is Nintendo we are supposed to be cool with it? Hell no!
They did DLC right with Wii U but this announcement is just them copying the most shady gaming practices. I always defend Nintendo on ign forums but this is plain wrong specially when I see hard mode included in the dlc which tells me the game is incomplete on launch day.
To everyone who complained in the past about Nintendo being out of touch and needing to take more lessons from the competition: Here you go, be happy.
Seriously, though...Nintendo has done good with past DLC. It does help extend the life of the game. I'm sure this is quality. I just wish they waited a bit. The thing hasn't launched yet but it seems like there's an expensive sheen on everything.
@Jessica286 "ppl give Capcom crap to put it mild for lock content but because is Nintendo we are supposed to be cool with it? Hell no!"
You know the difference ? Because Capcom had the content on disc, Nintendo is still working on it for a year. Its as easy as that.
And honestly, name a source that "Hard Mode" was a planned feature from the start. That they planned on implementing it, but didn't until the game was gold.
@NEStalgia Oh yeah, if BotW is at least as expansive as Xenoblade, and has more things to do.... Mega completionists won't be done for a while. The FAQ's are probably going to be pretty substantial.
Disgaea takes grinding to way too much of an extreme. For me, as long as it's not as bad as Phantasy Star II, it's tolerable or better.
@NintySnesMan and is painful, at least for me, I will still support them. I have the Switch pre-order the Zelda Special version as well because I really like the company but it does feel like the beggining of the end. I game on PS4 as well but Nintendo always makes me smile while gaming and if they stop doing consoles their games just will not be the same.
@PlywoodStick I doubt it will take as long as, say, Xenoblade though. If we go by raw play time, you have to take into account that battles in proper RPG's do eat up more time than your action adventure hack-a-thons.
My expectations: A solid 40h in total, which is a good middle ground. Wouldn't want the game to overstay its welcome with needless fluff anyways.
@NintySnesMan
Sure, they're 3rd party now, right alongside Sony and MS with their mobile releases. So in context, it's not what it sounds like (made to imply you can buy all Nintendo's games on Xbox or something). MS released Minecraft on all platforms, far more than Nintendo has done.
Maybe you're right. Maybe that bubble will burst one day. But it won't be for lack of providing an excellent gaming system, that's for sure. Some people sound all too happy to flaunt that scenario as a possibility. If it happens it happens. Until then, game on. Switch might not be another Wii, but I'd be surprised... no... I'd be amazed if the Switch wasn't a good enough console to at least earn back some of the market. Enough for Nintendo to remain as they are, providing console and handheld games to us for the rest of our lifetimes. I mean, even if it didn't work out, pretty sure they'd just make cheap handhelds. Which means the likelihood of that scenario is being perhaps... over embellished.
@PlywoodStick
Suikoden 2 was back on PSONE, no? Those old school JRPG'S took ages for gameplay to unfold.
Huzzah! I'm totally down for Nintendo expanding our Zelda experiences after the game releases. It makes it so that I can get excited for more Zelda after 4 months instead of 4 years.
My wallet is open Nintendo. Give me ALL THE DLC!!!
And, seriously, the game is much bigger than a $60 game, so paying a little extra for more content is justified here.
@JaxonH If Nintendo could survive the WiiU disaster, im pretty sure it takes a whole lot more than that to actually take them down for good.
@retro_player_22 I would consider this to just be extra stuff they ran out of time to implement. But yeah, I feel like this would have gone over better if they said, "Hey, y'all have been waiting way too long, so we're going to give this stuff for free as a reward for everyone who buys BotW new at retail, and new digital during 2017. Everyone else can get it later for a nominal cost. Things like the hard mode will be given away for free forever, with an update coming later this year. It's the least we can do, thanks for waiting everyone!"
@Einherjar I don't even think the Switch will be a disaster. We all saw the Wii U disaster coming, but here I see more success.
@Einherjar That's certainly a more sophisticated way of looking at it, and some food for thought.
@Einherjar
I'm neither pro nor against, I'm on the wait and see camp, but we have no way to know if it is removed content or new content. It's a bit of a strawman to assume it's new without knowing.
IMO announcing it now to money hat from the early adopter crowd is the major optics error here. If they announced it in September to reinvigorate the game for Holiday shoppers, most people here wouldn't even care anymore because it would be so old. They stuck their foot in it to milk the hardcore fans while the iron's hot.
"Hard mode", is certainly only the very most core fans. On one hand it's just sleazy to fans, on the other hand, why even develop and test a hard mode that only a tiny percentage of the player base will even use? Plenty of games have one size fits all difficulty including many Zeldas, master it or don't. There'd be less complaining if they didn't offer the feature at all.
@JaxonH "And unfortunately, game development costs have ballooned to the point that $80+ is what's needed for the business model to work. It is what it is. "
yeah, that's the core of it. And if they ever up the retail price of games, I fear the industry will take a massive blow. They drove graphics and game size costs through the roof, and never stopped to figure out how to pay for it. Nintendo's going to have some odd pricing schemes and mismatches ($50 Pushmo and $20 map unlocks for Mario?) trying to sort it out as the latest entrant into that world.
Then again if Bomberman R can be $50, Zelda can be $80 and western Hollywood CGI games can be $100
How on earth does $19.99 convert to £17.99?
@PlywoodStick Free DLC on WiiU. Paid on Switch. Seems fair to me. Switch owners didn't patiently endure delays for it. WiiU owners were shown the game years ago and promised a release date for last Fall.
Disgaea....I WANT to love that series. I've tried. The stories are so lovingly put together. And then I try to actually PLAY it and walk away confused and miserable every single time.
@Anti-Matter yeah, street fighter v was incomplete upon release and it had not one but 2 season passes at 29.99 usa each
@NEStalgia Its just logical. Why would any company try to sell an empty content pass for at least half a year and then wait another half to release the rest ?
That gives no incentives to get the pass, basically cutting down their release month figures (the most important sales figures).
It just doesn't make sense for them to withhold finished content for such a long time, ergo, its far more realistic to assume that its content that is still in the works, hence the stuff merely needing balancing and tweaking being released first, the major content batch being released even later.
And again, MK8 handled it the exact same way. DLC was announced months before it was done, but you could pre-order it immediately after announcement, again, with a little swag on the sideline.
Heck, even Hyrule Warriors did the same twice in a row !
And no one had a temper tantrum there.
Looks like Nintendo want all my money! I will probably get this. I'm just not sure what amiibo I want first bokoblin or guardian...
@JaxonH
I have to agree with Ninty getting market share back well some of it anyway. The switch is a great product and deserves to be a success it can't do any worse than wii u did,tbh I thought wii u was great the Off-tv play was genius. I don't see the bubble bursting anytime soon but in the future I do. It won't bother me cause I will probably be dead by then lol
"with some additional treasure chests that'll drop into the opening area right away."
I hate this practice SOOO much.
Often on Steam, you can get the "complete" edition of a game with all DLC bundled, and these always feel like lazy cheats meant to subvert the challenge and discovery native to the game.
Sometimes you can disable them specifically, sometimes you can't, and when you can't you know it's there so you have to make the choice to know you have an advantage and just "pretend" it's not there.
If Nintendo are going to do this, I hope it's something you can toggle or adjust while allowing the player to explore the additional content.
@JaxonH True, although I think it gives them a more book-like narrative style. Nothing tops Planescape: Torment in that regard for literally being like book reading, but I think there's a certain charm to gradually taking in the narrative, rather than being thrust into high octane situations constantly.
@Jessica286 "r u 12"..... I wouldn't be asking that question if that's how you are going to respond.
I'm probably twice your age, if that's of any consequence.
I'm so done with being asked to preorder DLC. If games need to be $80, just make them the damned $80 and be honest about it. Oh, and stop actually offering $80+++ editions that sell out weeks before you announce "Oh yeah, and we're going to want you to pony up extra for DLC when you buy the game too."
"Season pass," "expansion pass..."
I'll just pass.
@Action51 I can think of one good way to make that palatable: when Link opens the chest, an N64 pops out, and he starts screaming like the N64 kid.
"OH MY GOOOOOOD!!!! IT'S A NINTENDO SIXTY FOUUUUUUUR!!!!!"
@sillygostly you don't have to buy everything but hey it only happens like once every 6 years that we get a new console Zelda game.
@speedracer216 Yeah, this is roughly how I feel. The sense of narrative and completeness are much more crucial to a Zelda game, and not having that all in one package feels like it dilutes that experience.
@Fath Well, lucky for you that this isn't pre-oder DLC then.
@PlywoodStick That....would be pretty amazing actually
@Einherjar Some of it could be alright. It largely depends on the price. MK8 was done well. However, charging for Hero Mode is disgusting. It takes no effort at all, it's a line of code, hidden behind an artificial paywall. It was free in previous Zelda games.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Is it Hero Mode though? It says "a new Hard Mode" whereas Hero mode is always referred to as "Hero Mode".
@Einherjar It might be logical, but without knowing that, it's 50/50 whether the long delay from pre-order to release is because they content isn't done yet but they want to cash in on the eagerness of early adopters, or if it is done, and they want to time it with the Holiday period to keep the momentum and public eye on the game with new content to keep the news cycle going.
Zelda almost always launches for Christmas. Because of the delays and console launch timing, it isn't. That's a good way to push it through the "new Zelda content!" news cycle along with "new Mario" in time for November/December. It's also logical it's designed around that.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE If it includes mirror imaging the dungeons again, there's a fair amount of work and testing that goes into that. Even that depends on what it actually includes. If the main game is bigger than both mirrors of the dungeons of TP, I can see them not including that as a freebie. Especially since, in the past, it's been mostly used as a perk for double-dipping on updated re releases.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE The issue is: You don't know what "Hard Mode" actually means. You are basically making assumptions.
What if it turns out, that this "Hard Mode" comes with new enemies ? Or basically is the equivalent of Master Quest ? What if this "Hard Mode" may even come with other changes, like a new character ?
We don't know if its a simple re-balancing act. We know jack all what it means.
@NEStalgia I highly doubt that you can make a holiday sales impact with a DLC for a now 1 year old game...
If they purely wanted to cash in and get the last few people on board, they'd release a new, full price "complete edition".
Those 20 bucks in DLC wont make a dent in their figures.
Or, if they are so hell-bent on releasing Zelda content on christmas, they now have a console without backwards compatibility and Skyward Sword still hasn't had its remake.
There are a plethora of other ways to actually cash in on christmas than with the DLC of a year old game, trust me.
Boooooooooooo
@Einherjar Honestly not seeing how you're justifying that this isn't a case of being asked to preorder DLC. If you're claiming it by the items available immediately, that's the tail wagging the dog. That junk could quite reasonably be described as being nothing more than a preorder bonus for the DLC we're being asked to preorder.
@Fath "Pre-Order DLC" and "Pre-Order*ing* DLC" are two drastically different things.
One is entirely lost (potentially forever) for customers who didn't pre-order the game.
The other is basically just paying money up-front if you are sure that you want said content no matter what.
And it contains nothing you won't get if you buy it later. Just that its release is staggered.
Ergo: there is no "Pre-Order DLC" since you won't gain or lose anything based on when you purchase it, its just the opportunity to pre-order upcoming content packs.
BINGO!
@Einherjar Sure, then to be clear, I'm taking issue with preorder*ing* DLC, particulary before or at the game's launch.
Not a fan of preorder DLC either, of course, but that's a different beast, and I can be thankful that Nintendo's at least not going there this time.
@Einherjar It's a new Zelda game that hasn't had a Christmas yet, and Nintendo's biggest sales season is Christmas. Of course they're going to make a push to sell this game at that time, and sales will be fairly large for it. It's not COD that if you miss the first 5 months, it's not worth buying. It's Zelda, that if you miss the first 29 years it's still worth buying
If Nintendo's typically shoddy marketing team has learned one thing, it's that their internet viral marketing is effective, and their keeping things in the spotlight over long periods of time via DLC, free or paid, keeps their game in the news cycle. So you can bet they're timing this DLC, regardless of if it's new content or removed content, to land for the holiday buying season on purpose. If it's removed content they're holding it to keep it in that sales season and renew interest, and if it's new, they've set the dev timeline to wrap up in that sales season and renew interest.
It's not about the income from the $20 DLC. It's about all the free advertising and discussion it generates online for the $60 game and the $300 console to play it on. When the DLC drops, sayt Nov 29th, NL will have an article on it. We'll be here talking about it. IGN and GameFaqs will be ranting on it. Yahoo News will run a story on the long tail of the game. Forbes will run a .com piece on Nintendo's new console entering an uncertain market for it's first Holiday and how they're trying to keep the lineup fresh with new content such as the $20 DLC. It's all about the mind share. DLC goes from "oh yeah there was a zelda game last year" to "oh, maybe the kids want zelda for christmas, I forgot about that." It's a cheap easy way to buy marketing AND make some money.
I'd love to see a Skyward sword remake though. Too soon for that following a BotW release though. It's still BotW's first Christmas, and they need to sell strongly this year. There will be plenty of time for an SS remake in the 5+ years wait for the next Zelda. At least the Joycons mean they actually CAN rerelease SS!
@Fath Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page since, as you said, Pre-Order DLC is an absolute abomination and as anti-consumer and sleazy as can be.
I really don't see any issue with offering the opportunity to preorder that stuff in general. Again, as long as no Pre-Order DLC is included.
It doesn't hurt anyone, you don't have to do it and you're not missing out on stuff if you decide to get it when its out.
Just compare it to, say "Shadow of Mordors" Season Pass, which literally only offered skins and "challenges", which were simply rearranged enemies on the same world map.
THAT is what i call rip off. Why ? Because unlike this case here, you had no "up and coming" plan for what you are going to buy / pre-order.
Another thing people seem to be willfully overlooking here. You aren't completely buying into this blindly. You at least have a certain grasp at what is going to be added in advance, even if its extremely vague.
@NEStalgia Again, why withhold finished content that could ensure a bigger starting impact and keep on filling it with minor DLC and updates later on ?
Heck, even the years old 3DS Animal Crossing got a rather recent update.
Its not like Nintendo could create a buzz with "Hey, here are some festive costumes and a DLC fitting for christmas, something about a tree !" until then if they had the manpower for it.
Because more stuff = more money.
I stand by it: Sitting on finished content is just illogical, even for Nintendo.
I'll get this just for hard mode. Sick of overly easy Zelda games (compared to the original!)
@Einherjar It doesn't ruin the initial game but adding DLC is a cheap way to make more money on a game, simple as that. Imagine restaurants start charging you for the bread a lot of places give you at the start of your meal. Some people go "yay more food!" But some content should've been included in the game itself. Specifically the summer DLC. What irks me more than anything about this is the game isn't out yet. They should've surprised people a few weeks/months after it released by announcing it.
Also how is it that the recent Animal Crossing New Leaf update was FREE? 200cc mode in Mario Kart 8 was FREE. All added maps and guns in Splatoon were FREE. What makes it okay to charge for content that should've been included in the game to begin with? Do you think Splatoon would've been as popular of all those free updates were paid DLC? Hell no!
@Einherjar "why withhold finished content that could ensure a bigger starting impact and keep on filling it with minor DLC and updates later on ?"
I think you might have missed with EA, Ubisoft, and Activision have been doing this last decade Definitely not illogical, and selling it as "day 1 DLC" would be an even bigger slap in the face anyway.
We just don't know. It's equally possible it's done and not done, and we probably won't ever know unless Miyamoto leaks it accidentally in an interview months from now
@ruinez How is th eConsole not worth the money?
How does the extra content kill the quality?
I'm mystified. . . .
@NEStalgia THIS IS A FANTASTIC POINT!
"@Einherjar It's a new Zelda game that hasn't had a Christmas yet, and Nintendo's biggest sales season is Christmas. Of course they're going to make a push to sell this game at that time, and sales will be fairly large for it. It's not COD that if you miss the first 5 months, it's not worth buying. It's Zelda, that if you miss the first 29 years it's still worth buying "
Zelda at this point has gone gold and is effectively complete. So I would like to assume that this dlc is extra work that's they plan on adding on in the future.
I feel like nintendo could have avoided a lot of trouble if they had simply explained the situation a bit better. Even simply stating something like "now that we've finished the game, we plan to work on brand new content to add on to it" and explaining what's the DLC is in more detail would've gone a long way. Instead of being as vague as they were. They could have also just waited until E3 to announce this stuff.
@-Green- Agreed. But it's Nintendo. If they communicated facts better they'd be unrecognizable! Confusion has become an IP of it's own. I imagine that's what the Nintendo theme park will be. It's a bunch of blank faced buildings that look like ride entrances that have no names on them and posted notes saying "we will reveal more information about this Fire Emblem themed ride at a later date, so please look forward to that!"
I understand why they didn't wait until E3. The early adopters will have forgotten or moved on from the game by E3. It's an impulse buy, so striking while the iron's hot, in this case, at launch, is important to get the money from the early adopters. If they're offered it now they might buy, but if they're not, they'd pass by it at E3, being onto the new thing.
However it also would have looked a lot better presenting it later on and been received as a positive.
I also think Nintendo, being in the bubble they are always in, probably doesn't understand the negative impression and jumpy reactions consumers have of DLC based on antics from the AAA's.
Lol at the drama queens here.
This content sounds like pure milk with a game this freaking huge already so doubtful I'll be bothering with it.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I dont quite like the idea of a zelda game being incomplete and having to buy dlc if you want all the story and dungeons
@Cosmic-K9 What do yo expect ? Nintendo creating a Patreon account and relying on pity bucks ?
As for the free updates:
MK8s 200cc is a fun, but heavily unbalanced mode, simply put out for the heck of it. And the amiibo update for AC is an "extra content carrier" financed through amiibo purchases.
They could offer these for free because a) they didn't bring significant changes with them that would have taken considerable workload and b) because these games already sold well enough.
As for Splatoon, it literally was cut content that wasn't finished on launch, and they openly communicated that. And you said it yourself: It sold well enough
Why is BotW DLC not free ? Because they have to make freakin money ! Have you seen the financial damage the WiiU caused ? Of course they are now starting to put up safety nets everywhere they go. Online subscriptions without incentives, payed DLC.
They have to make up for these losses
It's plain and simple.
You people can't wine about how bad the WiiU did but at the same time complain when a company tries to get that money back.
@NEStalgia EA, Activision and Ubi are, compared to Nintendos situation, swimming in money and can afford such a charade. Nintendo would be better off producing more and more content for one of their surefire IPs if they could.
@Jessica286 Being ignorant doesn't help at all. Nintendo is delivering more content to please and meet the wants of the consumer. That is also completely optional. If you want to buy it awesome, if you don't awesome. I personally will buy my DLC and enjoy it from my favorite game series ever, thank you!
I...don't know how to react to this (and I haven't read the hundreds of comments here yet as I type this).
On one hand, more Zelda is always a good thing. I love the series, and one of my favorite aspects is the storytelling, both the overarching story and the side quests. That bit about the original new story and new dungeon intrigues me.
On the other hand, I'm not a fan of DLC. I'd rather DLC stick to optional cosmetic extras (like the Switch shirt, for example). I feel like the "story locked behind more $$" idea is a step backward; it's totally optional, yes, but is still a bit of a blow to those like me who enjoy side quests in such games.
Impending future DLC might not be a bad thing as long as it's handled well, but I'll definitely revolt if they pull an "Unlock the true ending for $$$!" idea.
That's just my take on the matter. I don't really expect anyone to read a comment this far down.
Whoa! 472 comments! Must be a new record, but seeing the article it's with, I shouldn't really be surprised.
@Einherjar It's actually the other way around. Ubi's bleeding at the margins, EA's spent themselves into a massive debt hole with their acquisitions frenzy, while Nintendo's sitting on a pile of liquid cash. Activision is recovering nicely after Vivendi spent them into a debt hole. Vivendi has its sights set on Ubi now. Nintendo can afford forward investment much better than those three, or at least two of the three.
Has anyone made the most relevant comment to this whole article?
EXCUUU UUUUSE ME!?, PRINCESS!
Season pass (a really lacking from the looks of it), Day one DLC, locking hard mode away behind a paywall and the fact that you cant buy the DLC separately, again shows me that Nintendo has learned nothing from their past mistakes. Seems with each passing day, me pre-ordering this game is less and less likely.
Who knows how long the story dlc is. Could be an hour long, or it could be 20 minutes! Never know with Nintendo these days.
I don't see why you guys are complaining! The game itself that costs around £45 has A LOT of content packed into one game, and considering that they are charging £17.99 for additional content really isn't bad! They deserve it, and by not getting the DLC, you still have a lot to play with!
I'm not sure if anyone's going to see this 500 comments down, but the thing I'm wondering is what's an "additional map feature"? Makes it seem like the game won't be complete on March 3rd.
Not a big fan of this, especially since to play this game I'm already buying a Switch, MicroSD card, and Zelda game cart...and none of my old games transfer over, there's no cross-buy, and no discount or upgrade plan for games or VC titles I already own or want to get for Switch.....
@MasterWario Total speculation, but the map feature could have to do with making the game easier in a way that they don't want normal players to access. Like, for instance, it could be a feature that reveals enemy camps on the map and put markers for other useful finds as well (crafting materials or the like). Or it could be something less cheat like, I guess, we just can't say right now.
Other than the additional hard mode, I see no problems with this. Hopefully the dungeon is substantial enough to warrant the extra cash. If not, I just won't buy it since the game seems complete enough for me. I'm mostly okay with DLC from Nintendo and a lot of other companies since I don't really pay attention to the bad offerings from most companies. With this, I might have something to look forward to in the winter.
Well, holding hard mode for the DLC expansion seems like an...odd choice. Then again, the Hero Mode in Twilight Princess HD is the main reason I've considered purchasing that game, after already having bought the original back in 2016. So, I guess if I'm going to spend more money for a hard mode, might as well add it to the original release.
Wow I never expected this. I doesn't worry me though, the only thing that appeals to me is the additional dungeon/story pack so I can save up for when that comes around. I am so ridiculously hyped for this game. 16 DAYS YO!
No, not interested. The game is enough. By Christmas I hope to have played, finished and traded the game.
@JaxonH RE post #300 - It's a long quote sorry,
Oh, different thread, not following up on our other conversation about Gamecube VC.
Quote - bold mine, if it took
"So, you're saying those days are gone? That Breath of the Wild is not a full game at launch? That it's not a quality game at launch?
I didn't hear any complaints of it not being a full game before the DLC was announced, so there's no reason to say it is now. If a person was completely ok with the game beforehand, then there's reason for that... reason being it was already a full game. Simply selling additional, optional content does not suddenly make the base game any lesser quality, or suddenly make the game incomplete."
End quote, my turn.
Part 2 of the DLC is this - "a new feature for the in-game map"
Now I have no idea what that means, but that does kind of read to me like the current game isn't complete. That isn't an addition, it's a "patch" or "update" at best, and does seem like something that should have been there at release. So it isn't story, it isn't really an addition, it sounds more like a "fix" worded as DLC, so getting back to that games not being a full quality game at launch" yeah it kind of reads that way.
Another part of the 2nd batch of DLC is a "hard" mode. That also sound like something to me that would be a free update in most other games. So I can see your point about additional story DLC being a good thing, I'll be buying this, but the way Ninteod presented this is kind of a mixed bag. I'll be taking that up further after dinner w/ einjar, I'll CC you in at the end.
@rjejr
Eh.... I think you're reaching on that one. The hard mode, maybe, depends if it's same as before or not. But the new map feature? No, I think you're just imagining it's a fix 😉 (What could possibly be wrong with the map that needs fixing? It's probably shrine locations or something like that, or enemy/Wild animal locations)
@whodatninja The DLC "packs" are just expected release dates. The bonus pack is what can be ready at launch, the Day 1 pack will be available this summer, and then Pack 2 offering the most this holiday season. Obviously no one "needs" to purchase any of it but the point of this season pass is really just to set a timetable on content, giving justification to those who might buy early. You have to take the content for $19.99 as a whole package, and the value of that content can't be known until this holiday season.
If Nintendo needs to justify the cost of development by offsetting with this cost then so be it, gamers who want the base game shouldn't miss out on much. But gamers who want the complete experience could get their money's worth.
@JaxonH I would think you are right on with what the map feature will be, likely locations of certain objects after maybe a shrine location is found. Possibly even pinpointing the shrine locations themselves. We'll have to wait and see, but I imagine it's just an enhancement to make things easier, those without will just need to explore more thoroughly.
@Grawlog
Holy cow, guys... I think all these comments and clicks have paid for the NL staff's retirement years.
@PlywoodStick I think there was an article on this site with over 700 comments. Just wait until there's an article that announces Nintendo going 3rd party or something like that, and watch the comments surge.
...
I just hope they come at a reasonable price, like the MK8 DLCs.
I probably won't get them rightaway, but maybe after I have finished the game.
@Einherjar @Gamer83 You guys are seasoned vets at this DLC stuff from the Sony side compared to some of the Ntinedo only gamers here, I'm surprised you are both so no questions asked on board w/ this. I tried to read all 500 comments, may have missed a few. A few observations.
1. I know $30 and $40 DLC are the norm now so $20 looks cheap, but don't companies usually still give you the option to buy what you want? $10 here, $15 there. Looks like Nintneod said "all or nothing" on this, which makes it look a bit pushy to me. MK8 had 2 packs, $8 each, but you saved if you bought both for $12. Same w/ Hyrule Warriors and DBXV, 4 $10 packs for $30. Where's the choice? Where's the savings? $10 for Pack 1, $10 for Pack 2, bonus items if you pre-pay for both. People like a reason to buy now - save, bonus - I don't see a reason to buy before Christmas.
2. Yes, it's a bit early for some people, "Day 1 DLC" is always going to have a negative tone, but for me it's late. It feels like Nintneod withheld this news until all of those Switch $80 and $100 Special editions sold. If Nintendo would have announced this "Expansion Pass" first, and then announced those 2 special editions, you just KNOW people would have asked - "Wait, why aren't those Switch shirts and treasure chests in the special editions?" I mean things are already pretty bad now, can you imagine if they announced this the same time as those? As they probably should have to be fair.
3. Content and context. Watching the vid I think he did a good job explaining the 2 packs, and the other stuff is an extra bonus. On the pic it looks like 3 packs - the first is worthless, the 2nd should have been in the game at release, the 3rd has potential.
3a. Does this stuff really all belong together? I bought the FFXV season pass, and I'll probably buy this, but it doesn't look like a season pass to me. Part 1/Bonus looks like pre-order "Day 1 ed" which I usually get on game discs 6 or 8 months after release depending on where I buy the game. The Switch shirt could have been a bonus all of March for the Switch version. Doesn't strike me as "expansion pass" material. Part 2/1 - hard mode, map improvement, challenge, is a "patch" or an "update", probably free on other games. The Witcher 3 sold a season pass but they also had free updates. Same for FFXV, I think even the Carnival was free and also part of the season pass. Part 3/2 - new original story, sounds like a separate DLC, I'm fine w/ that, might even be worth the price of admission. But it doesn't belong all together under "Season pass". It's their DLC, they can call it what they want, but it looks like a bunch of odds and ends hastily thrown together 2 weeks before release under an umbrella "pass".
4. amiibo - This game already has 5 of it's own amiibo - not counting Wolf Link - that together cost $80 at retail. We dont' really know what they do yet, they may be important, maybe not, but we might need them to get the "full game experience" like the Spaltoon amiibo that unlocked challenges in the game. I can think of no other game that has both a season pass and toys to life to buy. Skylanders and Lego Dimension require you to buy toys to get the most from the game, COD, FFXV, W3, FO4, require a season pass. Zelda is the first game I can think of that has both a $20 season pass and $80 worth of amiibo.
I think Nintendo should consider themselves lucky that this thread was as positive for them as it was. 50% of 1,800 votes said they intend to buy it. That's a huge win for Ntinedo, especially after only 5% bought Super Mario Run. Their stock should be going up tomorrow. But I still think they did a poor job on the presentation, timing, price and the content. Well price is probably ok, if we don't need to spend $80 on amiibo to open the ending. I still think we'll get a Zelda ND next week covering amiibo. Demo on Wii U would be nice for making us wait.
The new adventure and extra dungeon are all I'd want from this set so why aren't they offering each one individually? I couldn't care less about some 'Switch' shirt or a Hard mode.
@JaxonH "fixing? It's probably shrine locations or something like that, or enemy/Wild animal locations)"
You just described "Fixed". It's like what's the difference between "new and improved" laundry soap. They are improving it, making it better. Why not just do that before release? And you know I'm already mad abut the map coming out of the Wii U version so it's the same as the Switch version. Telling me they are now going to make the map better after release, BUT ONLY IF I PAY FOR IT, not making me happy. You game a a lot more than I do, a map improvement doesn't sound like a free "update" or "patch" to you? Don't games like MH and Pokemon get updated outside of a season pass? Oh, and I forgot to add you to #498 above. I had intended too, but I wasn't sure where to put you in, then I forgot. Oops.
I'm going to go play FFXV. The game that has a $25 season pass, but also adds things for everyone for free, even when they don't buy it (the season pass, not the game), b/c it makes the game better.
@rjejr
???
Are you honestly that clueless rjejr???
It's like when you get a special treasure map in FarCry, that reveals secrets. Something they charge for. Or the secrets map in Forza Horizon, that they charge for. It's a little extra extra to help you. Something you can pay a little extra for if you want to sidestep the game a bit by revealing all hidden locations in the game, which some people like.
Honestly man you're getting as bad as the rest. The game is built on exploring and finding secrets. Stuff like that is a cool little pick me up for completionists. It's cheating, really. But one thing it's definitely not... is a fix
@JaxonH God forbid anyone actually criticize a company's practices. Cause to you and every other fanboy on here. Were just whining and crying.
Reality check for you again You chose a company over a fellow fan or better yet a community of fans. You happy about that? A company who can give 2 poops about you? A company who only cares about your dollar bill?
@TwilightOniAngel
Here we go with the "God forbid someone criticize, you're just a fanboy" attacks again, is that all you got?
Which is basically a license to be irrational, illogical and downright nagging, dismissing anyone who calls you out on that nonsense as a fanboy. It's the de facto defense from zealots around here
I'm not choosing a company over anyone. I'm just a dude who plays video games. But unlike you I don't get my rocks off by banding together to witch hunt Nintendo every article that drops.
You want to criticize them? Criticize something worth actually criticizing them for. I'm sure people like you probably have a list made that you update on a weekly basis. Sorry, but if having a Master Quest in a DLC pack is the extent of our problems, and I'd say we're doing pretty good.
Sick and tired of self righteous people like you labeling anyone who's not part of your witch hunt bandwagon as a fanboy.
No, I'm just a fan who has bigger problems and concerns in my life going on right now then I f****** hard mode in a video game
@JaxonH I suggested everyone knock back a nice, cold one during lunch. I think it's time for another one.
As a bonus, here's a fun drinking game: take a shot every time someone exclaims, "OMG FANBOY RGWGVLEROPGEM"
On a side note, my cats really like freshly grated organic parmesan cheese, for some odd reason...
@rjejr
1:
Ask yourself: Would this whole outrage have happened if Nintendo announced the DLC as a whole and not staggered ?
At the end of the day, the price point will come down to the content the story DLC in winter will offer, as that is clearly the key point here.
So, at least in my opinion, the first mistake is to see these packs as "separate offerings" in the first place.
For one, as many pointed out, the content in pack one is...questionable and two, no matter how you look at it, the real meat of it comes in winter.
MK8's Packs both offered the same kind of content, thus making them viable to be purchased separately.
If you'd split BotWs content packs, do you really think people would be paying 10 bucks for pack one ?
So pack two would need to cost more to compensate anyways...
Why not bundle them up in one neat package, release everything as soon as its ready and call it a day ?
Im all for consumer choice, trust me. But given that content...is there really a choice ? Would people ponder what pack to get ?
1.5:
It says pass bonus, not pass pre-order bonus. So its safe to assume that you will get the swag chests even if you purchase it in winter. Why the separation ? Because its the only content already available on purchase which makes it the "pass bonus".
You're not quite getting the content packs, but here are goodies for your purchase anyways.
2:
I honestly don't even know what the special editions contain.
But this out of the blue answer sounds like the whole thing being a last minute decision, hence the huge delay between release of the game and release of the content itself. Again, the minor pack will take half a year, the major one almost a whole year.
That doesn't sound like they have been working on that since the game went gold, let alone earlier.
So yeah, if it was a last minute decision, that's your answer why its not in the collectors editions. Because they are already on their way to the stores.
3:
"Should have" belonged in the game. Sure, but saying that they have been considered during development is an assumption.
Maybe the idea of a harder difficulty didn't work out with the new format, but they got new ideas while playtesting the gold version ? Maybe, as mentioned several times already, this "Hard Mode" is more than a mere balancing ? We don't know.
3.5:
The first part really is just swag for the sake of swag.
Nothing to really write home about. If you ask me, another indicator that this move was a last minute decision, without much stuff prepared for a giveaway.
Same as with Pack 2. Think of it:
The "Cave of Trials" has been an endurance dungeon. What are some of the new features of BotW ?
Hunger mechanics, breakable gear, harder heart replenishment...
You know what that sounds like ? Completely unfit for a Room-to-Room combat endurance marathon.
Which is probably why it wasn't part of the initial development process. Same with Hard Mode. Maybe playtesters gave them some new ideas, who knows.
As for the map features, well, its anyones best guess what that's supposed to mean in the first place.
Could be fast travel (which could have ruined the vanilla experience and was left out for a reason), could be basically anything and nothing.
As for the story pack, again, if you ask me, that is what you are paying the 20 bucks for. Pack 2 just releases earlier because its finished faster. Also, you'll notice that its called an "Expansion Pass" not a "Season Pass", which are actually two separate things.
And yes, it probably is "a bunch of odds and ends hastily thrown together 2 weeks before release under an umbrella "pass"" And why not ?
Its optional. That it was so hastily and clumsily put together and announced mere weeks in advance should tell anyone "Hey, look, its just optional fluff on top". Nothing more, nothing less.
4:
Amiibo are a rather tricky topic to discuss, as they don't really serve a singular purpose (Unlocking stuff JUST for BotW) but might also turn out to just do exactly that.
I highly doubt that they will lock away anything majorly important, though i have to agree, Splatoon was a major d*ck move, as it basically hid away massive single player content.
My best guess ? They will spawn random loot, or spawn in enemies or something silly.
Overall, fair point, but it depends on how "major" the content is behind the Amiibos. If its just fluff, well, you're not missing out by not getting them.
Then again, the content will be released (fully) this winter, thats almost a whole year, plenty of time to save some change on the sideline for everything if you want it all.
Im just really glad its not pre-order nonsense that you HAVE to get ASAP, or its gone for good.
But consider: Would it be beneficial if Amiibos virtually did nothing ? For those not getting them, sure, they are not missing out. But for everyone who buys one ?
We complained often enough about about the Amiibos general uselessness in certain games.
Would that really help ?
Bottom Line:
Way too much speculations, way too few hard facts.
Lets hope you're right about the direct.
@PlywoodStick Don't....we'd be dead by the end of the week....
2nd DLC i dont mind paying for but the first one is just screaming cut content that was supposed to be in the game and that expansion pass bonus is plain disgusting
@Snow-Dust Ever considered seeing this as a whole package with staggered releases ? Any way you look at it, you still have to wait almost a year for the meat of the DLC, might as well release the parts that have already been finished, don't you think ?
Let's play a drinking game!
Anytime someone says "fanboy", "hater", or "should of been in the base game/update", take a drink.
You'll be dead in 5 minutes.
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy I think if you do it retroactively and scroll through the 500 posts, you won't even make it to the 5 minute mark...
Your only chance of survival is if you don't have enough booze available
@Einherjar IF this is a whole package, it will now depend on the cost which Im not going to put any input yet since we dont know the price but if its not? How would you feel about it?
Also in regards to having to the latter part. That wouldnt be better since if they are already finished, why are they cut out from the final product? why is it not tied to the whole new story that is featured for DLC 2? If they put the whole thing as one, it creates the impression that this big new feature is worth paying for but having it spliced is just questionable.
@TwilightOniAngel
I'm sorry for losing my cool in that response. But your accusation of being a fanboy is not appreciated. You have to understand the mindset of people who are different than you. Not every person obsesses over Nintendo to the point that they critique every little thing they do.
Some people go to their jobs and complain about it all day. They find every reason in the world to complain. I'm underpaid, Jonny doesn't do anything, why did Fred get promoted, the insurance sucks, this comany sucks... is just endless complaining all day long by the majority of people any workplace. Then you have someone like me who's thankful for their job, loves going to work, and really sees no reason to complain. It's the same thing I see here. We've got it so good and so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to, but all anyone ever sees is this little tiny bit of bad that they can pick out of the haystack, and like those workers, will over exaggerate it as much as possible for maximum drama.
I'm just some stranger to you and I know you don't care anything about my life, but bare with me. I just play games cause it brings happiness. I come to the site to share in my excitement for those games that bring happiness. to talk with other Gamers who are excited for the switch and excited for Zelda and excited for the content to come. But every day I come to the site, people don't want to talk about that. They want to rage over whatever the hot topic of the day is, and every day it's something else. People don't want to talk about games anymore, people don't want to share their excitement for games with others anymore. It just want to band together and complain about every single thing they can find they can point a finger at.
I mean good grief, I don't want to spend my life on this website complaining about video games until I'm in my grave. And that's what it's coming to. If something truly upsets me I'll speak out about it. This??? Not only does this not upset me, I find it to be excellent news! I'm not scouring for reasons to nitpick, I mean you got rjejr up here complaining over a new map feature, people saying DLC is evil... I just want to play games. Everything they showed sounds cool to me,
If Nintendo abandons Switch right after launch like Sony did with PSVR, you'll hear me speak up. If Nintendo straps half the main game out and sells as 2 $35 expansions, you can count on me speaking up about it. If we don't see GameCube VC by the end of this generation you will definitely hear me speak up about it. But all this daily complaining on every single article about every single thing... to the point a $20 DLC pack from Nintendo is now considered some horrible offense and how dare they?
That's not why I come here.
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy @Einherjar According to this, maybe that would actually be a chance to escape from prison for free...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVMZxH1TIIQ
OR IS IT? DUN DUN DUNNNNN! Does death really exist?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOCaacO8wus
@Snow-Dust Im pretty sure it was set at 20 bucks.
Also, im starting to sound like a parrot here:
What company in their right mind would sit an entire year on finished content. pretending to be working on it if they could simply release it and continue to work on even more stuff they could sell ?
Does "Will be released in winter" really sound like something they cut out of a game released on 3.3. ?
Would offering a Season Pass for DLC releasing a year from now really sound more plausible than "Get some swag now, stuff we can finish early in summer and the rest in winter when its done" ?
And again, if they would split it (evenly, a.e. 10 bucks each) do you really think it would be justified asking the same price for pack 1 as for pack 2 ?
If not, pack 2 would automatically be more pricey to compensate that. So why not make it one packaged deal to round of the price ? Pack 1 wouldn't hold water on its own, pack 2 (especially if it turns out to be meaty) would cost more since it actually brings in more content. Whats so bad about paying for the whole thing, but getting the parts that are finished first earlier ?
I'm honestly excited about the DLC, paid or otherwise. My only personal gripe is how Nintendo allowed millions of people to preorder the game before announcing the Season Pass and DLC and then releasing them at launch. They should have been more upfront about the idea of paid DLC
@Einherjar You are sure but you aren't confident. Dont count your chickens before they hatch.
If it's complete, why isnt it being released along with the final product right now?
It is only a couple of months away to release them into one big DLC as opposed to trickle some content here and there. If Every company suggest to have your formula of releasing DLC. We'd have content releasing weekly/monthly to release this "cool new skin or extra map feature".
Actually, it would! common business practice is to separate things and sell them separate at higher cost but not so high that it would scare consumer away. Why else do you think buying products in bulks are cheaper. Many candy store do this practice where they let you take a candy for let's say 20c for one candy but when they bought the candy in packets, there was 20 inside and the packet itself cost $2. You keep making prices up out of nowhere and keep thinking they are fact. The content could've been $15 but to get that extra 5, Nintendo decide to make 2 separate DLC to amp up the price of the first one, but not too much that it will deter you.
The fact is these content are already complete! why are they offering them as DLC when it should be packed in with the game especially the expansion pass. A hard mode shouldnt even be considered as DLC expansion. That shouldve been a free update or packed in with the game in the first place. What if games forces you to go through pay walls everytime you want to play a different difficulty other than normal? that would be disastrous.
@Snow-Dust You are aware that we now even have entire games being released staggered, right ? This is nothing new, not even in the slightest.
Also, amazing that you complain about others "making assumptions" while you yourself keep repeating that "the content is already finished"
You could use a self-reflection DLC my friend
And again, i have no clue how many times i had to repeat that now: We don't even know if "A New Hard Mode" is just a balancing thing. It could come with a whole new set of mobs for all we know.
Heck, it could even be a Master Quest mode, which would require even more testing and balancing.
We have no infos on the extend of the offered stuff, we don't know if "A new Hard Mode" means that it is the only other difficulty option or just another one on top of the already available ones.
But i find it funny that people always feel "forced" to buy extra stuff Its optional content, you're not missing out on anything.
Or are you one of those folks who believes that future content updates will render a product retroactively "incomplete" ?
Thanks for the drinking game @PlywoodStick, i think my liver is already protesting....
@Einherjar And now you are just saying that doing these kind of practices is ok since everyone else does it. No it is not ok at all for any company to do that.
Now you are just trying to be a smart ass but is the expansion pack not complete? why is it being released on the day of the game being released? that's not assumption, that's fact.
They did not call Master Quest hard mode, you think if they have something akin to Master quest, they wouldnt go around bragging about it like how they did with Master Quest? it's probably less food you can find on the overworld, putting extra moblins on the map wouldn't take too much time either and the possibility of new enemies will likely be a yellow moblin as opposed to blue.
I dont care what you repeat, what makes you think I have the time to read all your comments that you replied to other people, stop saying that you repeat yourself, when you decide to reply me, expect to repeat everything again as opposed to me reading your white knight comments from before.
It doesnt matter if it's a new difficulty on top of ones already exist. Fire Emblem dont do that, they offer easy, intermediate and hard and also lunatic on top but they dont charge you for that lunatic mode, why is it ok for Zelda to do so?
I didnt say I feel forced, I just say how disgusting it is to do these things. I was going to buy Asura's Wrath but finding out you have to pay to get the ending, I dropped the game. I buy my yearly Assassin's Creed and I never buy any DLC unless they were like Adewales campaign and not somthing like Chapter 12 and 13 or something missing in AC2. Why are you white knighting when it's clearly not ok. You'll then probably cry "b-b-b-but other company does it! so nintendo should too!". NO! that's not ok and just because other company does it, it doesnt make it right. Unless you are one of the console fanboys that will white knight anything a certain company do, are you?
Wow, 80$ for a tablet game.
I know its Nintendo, but YOWZA.
Should give the hacking community extra incentive, at least.
@Snow-Dust For starters, stop putting words in my mouth, would you ?
That you lack basic reading comprehension is the only evident fact here. What is available at day 1 is the Expansion pass itself, which comes with nothing but the "three swag chests".
The actual content you pay for is due in summer / winter respectively.
Oh nice, i don't think we had the childish "white knight" accusation in this thread. Way to go pal !
Anything else ? Lowlife ? Basement dweller ? Anything creative ?
Also:
-"now you are just saying that doing these kind of practices is ok since everyone else does it."
-"Fire Emblem dont do that"
Quod Erat Demonstrandum. Great Job ! AAA score on that one.
And before you start: Its developed by IntelligentSystems, a different dev team.
Also again, assuming the mentioned difficulty, of which we don't even exactly know what it is, has been part of the development plan from the beginning.
Ok, if you say "white knight" one more time, im going to make a special white colored Cecil Harvey "Dark Knight" perler and probably even write your name on it !
In White of course, you really seem to like that color !
But jokes aside, do i really have to repeat the "You are talking about deliberately cut content, while the topic is about content still in development" line ?
Probably, reading comprehension and all.
But what do i, a puny white knight know about all of this
Cheers @PlywoodStick ! Im probably going to die of alcohol poisoning ! At least i die as a galant white knight !
@Einherjar Oh please you hypocrite, youve been doing that since the dawn of ages and you are having a cry about it, likewise to you who should really revisit primary education to get your basics straight first.
Are these "3 swag chest" not making you pay for it? stop white knighting mate, just stop.
Oh, and your accusation of feeling "forced" does not fall into the same field. Just stop mate, please, everyone is disagreeing with you for a reason.
Is Intellegent System not part of Nintendo? do you HONESTLY THINK that Intellegent system gets the final say on their price module etc?
Also again, doesnt matter. Difficulty shouldnt be charged at all. WHY ARE YOU WHITE KNIGHTING THAT?
Have you ever developed a game? it's not easy to produce anything of fruition within a few months. To release content of that scale, you need to have started at least a year to make all these possible.
Also FYI, throwing these childish insults about reading comprehension doesnt make you right and instead, just makes you look desperate as you stand on your last fragile leg.
@PlywoodStick ew sangria I have a bad memory with that drink 😂 (Made a mistake of drinking a bunch of that and beer one night)
As long as the story content is worth it but I do think it's reallllly stupid to have to pay for a higher difficulty setting
@Ralizah hey if they make cool dlc in splatoon it could be worth it like clothing or something
Yay...
More than 500 posts now.
Time for cooling down your brain and talk positively, okay ?
@Anti-Matter
+1
But, oh well...; This is not Discussion Forum, This is Internet!! (insert and use Spartan expression)
XD
Are there Skulltullas? I want Skulltullas back
@ClampedDownHard lol
Please show me a tablet game that looks anywhere remotely as good as Breath of the Wild. Please...I'm waiting...
@sailornic
I remember paying $80 for Super Mario 64, $80 for Chrono Trigger, $300 for Metal Slug 3, $60 for Sonic and Knuckles, and $90 for Phantasy Star 4 in the 90s. US btw.
I'm surprised games have stayed at $50-60 so long TBH as inflation would have them near the cost of $70-80 by now and that's how I view passes and DLC anymore: the true cost of the game.
Edit: Paid $60-80 for a lot of 16-bit games tbh and never felt ripped off. Its also why I laugh at nerds that cry at Steam/eshop games that only last 3-4 hours for $10-20.
@TurboTEF I also bought these games with my owned saved up money (birthday/holiday/bottle returns)/side job money (made $200-300 twice a month working on a farm emptying hay wagons with my brother) as a 13-17 year old kid with no issues.
now you just rent the game. 80$ in the 90' are not the same 80$ of today
@gatorboi352 im quite aware its been going on for years,doesn't make it any less annoying.
@Snow-Dust Sweetheart, you are dense as a brick of osmium...
1: Your silly little namecalling game. Yeah, great. Fun for the whole family I'll tell you when you find something original.
2: Who the f*ck said something about you don't having to pay for it ? o.O Have you ever pre-ordered something without having to pay ?
You are losing the plot, man...
Again, say it after me:
YOU PRE-ORDER THE DLC, WHICH WILL BE RELEASED IN SUMMER AND WINTER RESPECTIVELY
THAT IS WHAT YOU PAY FOR
For the love of everything that is holy, please look up what "Bonus" or "Swag" means. Or "Buyers Incentive" for that matter...
3: Who the f*ck said something about IntelligentSystems having a say about pricing politics ? Mate, you talked about Fire Emblem offering a plethora difficulty modes, so why doesn't Zelda do it.
Because its a different dev team probably with a vastly different vision. No one said anything about the price issue.
4: Do you muppet even know what the internet term "White Knighting" stands for ?
There is a difference between having an argument, having an opinion and white knighting. And no, not everyone who disagrees with you is a white knight. i know, i know, hard to believe, especially since you seem to be the holder of the one, sole truth.
5: Funny, how stuff that "should't be sold seperately, since its so quick and easy to make" now "takes at least a year"...
That...basically what i was trying to say...
6: YOU, of all people on here, complain about others namecalling ? You must be joking pal...
@Einherjar "So, at least in my opinion, the first mistake is to see these packs as "separate offerings" in the first place. "
Are you saying that is my mistake or their mistake? I didn't create the graphic, they showed it in the Anuma video (1:20 in the NL copy and paste w/ the Alex intro video). I don't see it as my mistake for seeing it that way, that's the way it was presented, which was my point, it was a rushed and poorly conceived "expansion pass" that is really 1 DLC story pack and some improvements bundled together and divided out. Made even worse by the fact that it is 2 packs and a "bonus" but it looks like 3 packs in that graphic they made.
1.5 Let's face it, they made a bonus shirt for buying 2 packs together, like they did in MK8, but they didn't give you the option of buying them separtly, thus defeating the reason for the bonus b/c it isn't really a bonus at that point, it is Pack Zero. "Bonus for what?" I ask you. Pre-oder, digital order, buy before date? What exactly is the "bonus" aspect there, b/c I can't find one if EVERYBODY gets it no matter when you buy it, that's part of it, not a bonus. Bonus implies extra for doing something extra.
"Im just really glad its not pre-order nonsense that you HAVE to get ASAP, or its gone for good."
Has that ever actually been the case? Ever? As far as I can tell all of the pre-oder bonuses for FFXV are now available for 49 cents each on PSN, and that's only 3 months after release. I've always assumed every pre-order item goes on sale eventually, at least on the Sony side of things, Nintendo does tend to do things differently.
I don't really think Nintnedo will lock the end of the game behind amibo, that was just me being a jerk, I'm sure you understood that, but I would like to know what they do. After watching this game for awhile the first thing that really excited me was the wolf side kick which is supposed to only be aviable w/ the Wolf Link amiibo. There was another video w/ a dog, so I'm now hoping Link gets a dog pet in game and the amiibo just reskins the dog as a wolf. I can live w/o a wolf skin.
http://apptrigger.com/2017/01/13/can-befriend-dogs-breath-wild/
My speculation on the other amiibo has always been basic stuff - archer amiibo gives you unlimited arrows, Zelda replenishes health, Guardian would unlock a dungeon challenge or hard mode - now locked inside the "pass", horse Link would give you a horse immediately, Bobikin could call enemies for training (have that in FFXV, never use it.)
But regardless of what they do, if they do anything you can't do w/o them, that's DLC. Why have a season pass when you can lock stuff behind toys? And both seems like a lot. Oh, and the 2 "Special" editions were just physical swag, no DLC at all far as I can tell.
I'm guessing people will accept it over time, but the news was never going to debut well. And whatever the map "thing" is, it really should be free for everyone who pays $60 for the game, you shouldn't get a "better" game w/ a "pass", just more or different stuff, the base game should be the same for everyone. "Fixes" and "patches" should be free. If the $60 game doesn't already have fast travel and some way to get up hill fast - leaf is fine for down - I'll never play it. Hopefully those airships will be available later in the game.
Thanks for your time, and not responding to me like you did snowdust (don't know him), you're apparently the star of this thread, for better or worse.
@JaxonH "Are you honestly that clueless rjejr???
It's like when you get a special treasure map in FarCry, that reveals secrets. Something they charge for. Or the secrets map in Forza Horizon, that they charge for"
Well yeah, I am clueless about all of that, never heard of charging for cheats on a map as DLC. I have played several games, Zelda TP, SS or WW included I think, where later in the game you get an item that shows you treasure chests on the map and then I go back and find them (I'm almost positive 1 of those 3 Zelda games had it, I can see the map in my head, but can't recall the game) , but I've never ever paid for that function in anything more than my time in locating the item or special map. I feel like in a lot of games you get a map like that at the end. TR reboot had those GPS things I think that gave you locations. If selling those items as DLC is the new thing in gaming, well that's why I asked you, you're much more diverse in your game playing, I've always had those included in game.
And really, since Ninteod is selling $15 amiibo don't you think that would be a good use for them, un-hiding map secrets, rather than part of a "pass"? Map seems like an integral part of the game, it should be the same for everyone, skins, characters, extra story. Charge extra for those extras, in a huge open world game like Zelda the map is integral, it should be the same for everyone who buys the game.
That's my story and I'm sticking w/ it. I'll never buy a game that has a map if they tell me I have to pay extra for the map or to fully use the map. Map skins are fine - parchment paper, ancient scroll, water color, acrylic paint - theme it however they like - Hyrule Warriors did a good job w/ their maps, SMM w/ the different Mario game versions - but the map and everything on the map needs to be the same and included for the retail price.
@rjejr Sorry for cutting this short for a lack of time on my end.
-""Im just really glad its not pre-order nonsense that you HAVE to get ASAP, or its gone for good."
Has that ever actually been the case? Ever? "
Off the top of my head ?
DragonBall Xenoverse offered two tacky gold and silver pants and SSJ4 Vegeta as pre order bonus.
It was never released afterwards and thus, lost forever.
World of Final Fantasy offered a Sephiroth summon for preorders. It has never been released separately.
Dragon Quest Builders offered quite a lot of swag for preorders, like different blocks, crafting plans for statues etc. Never released on their own.
This actually happens quite often and its always a gamble if the stuff offered will eventually be released later on.
Amiibos / Dogs / Wolfskin
I also heard that if you finished the extra Amiibo dungeon in RP HD and save it on your wolf link amiibo, the canine in BotW will have other / better stats. If thats just made up stuff or if theres an actual source for that, i dont know.
Regarding the pass not being in the CE:
Like i said, my best guess it, that the pass really was a last minute plan, when the game was already shipping.
Recalling them now to pack in a download code would cost them quite a lot. But i wholeheartedly agree that after all these delays etc, much of the stuff from the pass, mainly pack 1, should have been a free consolidation for everyone.
As for Snowdust: "What goes around, comes around".
Im a big fan of civil discussions, even if they get heated. Im not a big fan of in-/outgrouping, name calling etc. So yeah, Decent people get decent answers, if time allows
But like i said, what do i, a white knight, know about all of this
White knighting stuff i wont even buy myself because if find it silly 'Tis the way i roll.
I'll see if i manage to answer the bulk of your reply later on. Should i forget it, feel free to reply again and force me to answer
Have a good day and dont fall for @PlywoodStick's drinking games ! They are lethal !
@rjejr
That's like saying the content should be the same for everyone, despite not everyone paying the same amount.
The content and map IS the same for everyone who pays $60 for the game. but to those who pay more, they get more. It's not a functionality, it's a cheat. People pay for cheats all the time. Don't want it, don't buy it, simple as that.
So ya, the map and everything on the map is the same for everyone who buys it. But those who pay extra will get extra. Extra content, extra outfits, extra help playing the game.
It's a standard type of content included in passes. I know you wanted your game pad map, but this is completely unrelated. Separate the two.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/forza-horizon-3-treasure-map/9NBLGGH4RLFT
@rjejr @Einherjar
And yes, if you beat the Cave of Trials or whatever in TP, however many hearts you have can be saved to Wolf Link amiibo, and Wolf Link will have that many hearts in BotW.
I have all 20 hearts saved to my amiibo.
And rjejr, if people weren't complaining about the special edition not being worth the money before, it's irrational to say it should have included a $20 pass after the fact. Why? Just cause you want something for free?
Final Fantasy XV special edition was $400 and didn't include the pass. So what? Either it's worth buying or its not. Both sold out, so clearly there was no shortage of value. Just because DLC exists doesn't mean it should just automatically be handed out free of charge. The SE wasn't sold as a Complete Edition, or Gold Edition. It was sold as the game with physical collectibles.
If it had the pass it would have cost $20 more. So what's the difference between that and, as you said before, having the choice between buying one or the other or both, rather than forcing everyone to buy both
@Einherjar I appreciate all your time, don't worry about it, we all have lives that matter, this stuff doesn't. Oh, and after my post I went back and reread stuff, yeah, that other guy is a bit...
@JaxonH Wow, that Forza map, what BS. I knew the entire industry was going in the toilet, but that's a new low for me right there. Give me horse armour any day. So, I stand corrected. Of course we won't actually know what this new map feature is until they tell us, so I'll reserve judgement, but I can't imagine I'll like it being withheld from people who paid $60 for the game. Cosmetic is ok, people don't need make-up and color schemes and stamps and stickers, but function, improving the game should be for everyone. We'll see.
@UK-Nintendo well maybe it has to do with the amount of time in order to balance everything.. it did see a little pricey but the time it takes for creation and balancing takes a LOT of time.. testing etc..
@rjejr
Part of the reason I'm not so against what Nintendo is doing is exactly because I've become desensitized to this season pass/expansion pass stuff on PlayStation and Xbox. Some of it is done well, some of it is crap, I go case-by-case, company-by-company. My question is, has Nintendo ever delivered poor DLC? Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8 were big experiments and both went well. Now, you've ready my posts at PushSquare and here enough to know I'll call any company out on its bs, but I'm just not seeing any here. I do agree that maybe the timing was slightly off, unfortunately that's not a problem exclusive to Nintendo with this stuff. As far as the pricing and splitting things up, it still does happen, but this is where we get into the emotions of gamers (which are all over the damn place) and companies are damned if they do, damned if they don't. I believe every, single piece of DLC should be sold separately and priced according but then you get idiots who cry 'Oh my got dammit! I can't take all these microtransactions!' even when it's silly bs that doesn't effect the game and doesn't have to be bought. Sometimes it's easier for a developer to lump in all the DLC together in one season pass to avoid that crying but then you get others who go 'won't buy, they should be sold separately I only want the story DLC' or 'I only want the maps.' There's no winning here. As Nintendo will find out as time goes on and it gets more and more involved in these kind of business practices because this is the current industry whether people like it or not.
@JaxonH "Final Fantasy XV special edition was $400 and didn't include the pass."
And did people complain about it? Yes, they did. You were post #29 telling people to stop complaining about it even back then.
http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2016/08/final_fantasy_xv_ultimate_collectors_edition_doesnt_include_the_season_pass
Nintendo is still fairly new to this whole DLC thing, as am I, and I think they could have taken some time to go see what other companies have done, what they themselves have done, and found a better way to present this. DLC is a very tricky thing, people almost ALWAYS complain about it, always, but there are exceptions. Must people have liked Witcher 3 content, most people were happy w/ the MK8 season pass. There are always going to be complainers, but I think 70-30 is a good split to reach for, not 50-50, between those who like a decision and those who complain about it. This is less an "Expansion pas" and more a hodgepodge of ideas thrown together that people have to choose all or nothing.
One thing Nintendo is good at, Nintendo Directs. I've been waiting for a Ntineod Direct to tell us what the amiibo do. They could have had a Zelda Direct to cover the different editions of the game, the expansion pass, and what the amiibo do, so people can really think about how they want to spend their money, not everyone is going to get it all, that would be about $200 - 1 version of the game, amiibo, season pass.
And it's always good marketing to throw people a bone. I don't see a bone related to the season pass.
@Gamer83 "As Nintendo will find out "
I think it's half Nintnedo who needs to find out, and half Nintendo fans. Desensitized is a good word.
I'll probably begrudgingly buy it, but the funny thing is now my family, which was torn between getting this or HorizonZD first, is now leaning towards Horizon, as it seems best to wait for holiday to get Zelda and the season pass, if it's worth it. I'm sure HZD will have DLC at some point, like no doubt, but it may be a separate story I don't need to play. Never played the 1 from Enslaved or TloU or Infamous. i tend to top caring after I'm done and move on. I think something like a map feature would be done as a free update or patch on a Sony console if it improves the game.
At least after this I think we've past the point of - "Nintneod would never do that, it's not right" so nobody should be surprised when Mario Odyssey has a season pass as well. This is Zelda, if this has it, anything can have it. I may never buy a game again until the "Complete" edition releases. "Live" games.
@rjejr
Wasn't New Super Luigi U DLC for NSBMU? Truth is Nintendo fans should already be used to this and there shouldn't be any surprise or blow up over a game as huge as a Legend of Zelda game getting DLC. It makes total sense in the modern-day gaming market.
@rjejr
Well, just goes to show I'm not biased for Nintendo (as some like to carelessly accuse). I stand up regardless of who it is.
But ya, bones are cool, but it's not mandatory. If you get a bone, cool, if not, it's not like you're getting screwed. Still getting what you pay for, no less.
Besides, Nintendo throws bones alot, free Pikmin DLC, free Fire Emblem DLC, free NSMB2 DLC, free free free most of the time. So there's been plenty of bones to go around.
And with the map, nothing is being "withheld". That's the point. They would NEVER just show all the secrets on the map right out the gate. So it's not "withheld". It would never happen normally... never. But as a paid extra, it's cool. Big difference between something being withheld. Withheld means it should have been there in the first place, and even you know that would NOT be kosher to just spoil every secret in the game as soon as you fire it up, against your will. That is not the kind of stuff that "should be included for everyone"
@Gamer83 " It makes total sense in the modern-day gaming market."
Sense? 32GB storage, no web browser or Netflix on a 6" touchscreen tablet like device. Nintendo doesn't do modern-day gaming sense, why should their fans expect it?
I feel pretty sure that Luigi DLC was announced months after NSMBU released at Wii U launch, so "Day 1 DLC" issues never arose. People were mostly positive for this news, even me, and I think you know I hate everything. Important note - this was before email replies, so there was less insulting and personal attacking when people disagreed, lots of short comments, no page long diatribes.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/02/new_super_luigi_u_confirmed_as_future_dlc_for_new_super_mario_bros_u
It was sold as $20 DLC but it was also sold as a $30 disc. I think Ninteod did a good job of presenting it as a $30 full disc game that people could get a good $10 discount on if they already owned NSMBU and were willing to download it.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/05/new_super_mario_bros_u_update_arriving_with_luigis_dlc
I think that gets back to presentation. You convince people DLC is worth $20 b/c its $30 as a new game on disc. And people were happy about Pro controller support, that everybody got for free, no season pass required. Throw people a bone while you are asking them for more money.
@JaxonH Well we won't know what the new map thing is probably for awhile, so lets just wait to see what it is we are paying for if we want it. And Nintendo giving free DLC for all of those other games but not for this one doesn't make things look better, it makes them look worse. A t-shirt to me seems like the perfect item to tie ZBotW in w/ MyN, register the game, get a free Switch t-shirt.
It will very likely all be worth $20 in the end, but it was presented poorly. I think it would have worked better w/ the shirt and chests being available until May 31 or something, summer DLC being free, holiday story being $15. Maybe if you pre-order the story DLC before May 31 you get the shirt, other chests available until May 31. It just doesn't work as is for me.
@Ryu_Niiyama "BINGO!"
Well played, collect your prize at the counter!
@WiltonRoots You've started something. I print out the list before going into an article or if it is something that I know will cause a snowstorm I update it on based upon what I think might happen based upon the article title and tag line. So you will likely see me call out BINGO on a few articles.
The second DLC pack sounds fine since that most likely brings huge amount of content to the game. The first pack however sounds like a ripoff.
Also it will be just way too weird if Wii U's DLC also includes some dumb Switch costume.
@NintySnesMan you do realize that the game is already completed? It's no time unfinished...
@PK_Boss11 I am not ignorant just not a blinf consumer that thinks that because it is its favorite company doing it is ok business practice. Ironic u call others ignorant in this case I must say.
@Iggy-Koopa If u r twice my age act like it.
@Jessica286 Act like it? Do tell me where I have been immature or unreasonable in the light of your tantrums. Besides, I'm not the one responding to a 4-day-old comment for the sake of an argument.
@Iggy-Koopa true; you are the one responding to my opinion, getting offended by it and defensive plus answering right away.
I'm ok with this. It sounds like added content, not cut content. If you don't want it, don't buy. Simple! I myself may skip pack one and get the second. Unless it's a game with 3+ packs coming in a season pass, I often do. The first bit of content is often a challenge mode or something minor (the first Mass Effect comes to mind). I know people are upset about the difficulty, but Zelda usually doesn't have a difficulty setting to begin with. It looks to me like that pack is to add challenge modes. Nothing in it that will damage to game if you don't get it, compared to 360-era Bioware games which had that phase of characters removed and made pre-order incentives plus online passes.
@Jessica286 uh-huh.
@Iggy-Koopa my God u bore me.
@Jessica286 The pot is calling the kettle black. Lol.
@Iggy-Koopa ahhh ok whatever.......
Revisiting this, it’s funny how @Einherjar thought that the hard mode would make new set of enemies or be like Master Mode when all it gave us are enemies with different skin colour and floating platforms with lizalfos on them.
@Snow-Dust Well, you made me skimp through a 2 year old thread, congrats.
No, i didn't. I speculated, since we didn't know any details whatsoever. 2 years ago, it could have been everything and nothing.
The argument was: "Don't judge the content of something, you know nothing about".
It could have been "just" a rebalancing job (Which is harder than it sounds for such a game) or it could have brought completely new content.
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