Ace Combat 6 DLC totals $120+ and growing
by Dustin Burg 
{ May 2nd 2008 at 1:15PM }
We've joked around about the amount of and how crazy expensive Ace Combat 6's downloadable content is, but never really pulled out our calculators to get the full picture. But the crew at 1UP did and their findings will make AC6 fanboys' jaws fall to the floor.Let's get to it. The grand total of all of AC6's DLC (including new jets, skins, new missions and multiplayer modes) equals an astonishing $121.83 or 9,750 Microsoft points. Add to that the cost of the game itself and you've got a $181 "complete" AC6 experience. Outrageous! After doing the math, 1UP was able to ask NAMCO about the numerous / crazy expensive DLC and were given the standard we "pay very close attention to user feedback and comments", blah, blah, blah marketing runaround. But most interesting is the fact that NAMCO refused to answer 1UP's questions about certain items' pricing, what was up with the Beautiful Katamari paid unlocks and how they'll treat Soul Calibur IV DLC. On second thought, maybe NAMCO has taken the crown from EA for being most evil DLC developer.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
joey @ May 2nd 2008 1:24PM
Pay what you wan to pay...
Japanese developers and consumers are used to it.
joey @ May 2nd 2008 2:26PM
How much do you think the entire catalogue of Rockband is going to cost by this time next year?
dylan @ May 2nd 2008 1:34PM
As video games begin to eclipse summer blockbusters in terms of profit, we as consumers need to NOT buy into this crap and show them what we will and wont put up with. The only other game I know of that was 200 bucks was that giant mech game which came with the most epic of controllers...
Bryan T @ May 2nd 2008 4:42PM
Steel Battalion...and after playing it, it wasn't worth $200...you couldn't use half the buttons half the time.
But, it did look pretty sweet.
emirabal @ May 2nd 2008 1:40PM
That just sucks, make sure not to buy that game.
Terror @ May 2nd 2008 1:45PM
Anytihng and everything is worth what you can get for it. Me, I'll pass, 10 dollar map packs maybe, but I will never by a game twice on the back end. The free Halo map packs looks better everyday.
My2cents
xenocidic @ May 2nd 2008 1:54PM
Don't forget the cost of the flightstick, and we're up in the $300's
Gemini Ace @ May 3rd 2008 8:09AM
I think the point that us that don't like overpriced DLC try to make is this. We've already paid $60 for the game (which used to cost $50 last-gen). Now we're supposed to buy additional content for that game, some of which releases day and date with the actual retail disc.
It is true, no one is putting a gun to your head. That's a valid argument, but the point is that we're standing on a slippery slope here. All it will take is a company like Namco or EA to notice that we'll pay for extras that were developed with the game and released on the marketplace just so they can charge extra. We've already heard it happening in the new Mercenaries game. They have the DLC up and running on dev kits at the same time that they're working on rest of the game. That's a bad precedent to set. Very bad.
Knight Marquise @ May 2nd 2008 2:44PM
Who cares?
If you don't like the additional DLC: DON'T BUY IT!
I, personally, love it, as it extends my enjoyment of a game, and I don't mind paying a little to keep the enjoyment up.
This stuff didn't come with the game, why the hell should it be free???
Lastly, why isn't anyone bitching about the Rock Band DLC??? It's the same thing. It doesn't hurt anyone who doesn't like it nor wish to buy it, but it extends the game for those who do enjoy it. I don't like Rock Band, but sure don't begrudge them putting out song packs, nor hate on the people that purchase those song packs.
Jeezus, who would have thought folks who can afford a "nex gen console" could be so damn cheap and narrow minded.
AoE @ May 2nd 2008 8:34PM
I second that.
Gemini Ace @ May 3rd 2008 8:25AM
My reply up there to Xenocidic was meant for you. I'm a tard.
D Boy Flex @ May 2nd 2008 3:26PM
Wow. I hope the GTA content does not cost that much. Actually, that might not be a bad thing. Instead of releasing new 'expansion' packs, make them downloadable and that way, you could play all of the GTAs via the same game disk. That would be cool. Also, Rockstar says they won't rip us off (hopefully) and with that in mind, whatever the cost of the DLC, it will actually be well worth it. As for this Ace game, sorry, no relevant comment other than I hope it is worth it. I didn't care for the demo, but I am not a huge fan of flying games though.
jaybird1905 @ May 2nd 2008 3:42PM
I own this game ... but won't pay a penny for the bullshit DLC.
If they had some forethought and decided not to rape consumers ... maybe. But 800 points for one fucking plane? Are you kidding me?
bertram @ May 2nd 2008 5:28PM
if ace combat were done in the same way forza2 does their DLC, than that would be acceptable.
i may be way off base, but from a game programmer's point of view, i assume making a game car is not a lot different from making a game plane.
i got no probs paying 5 bucks for 8 or 9 cars, but 10 bucks for A plane is way not cool.
AoE @ May 2nd 2008 8:44PM
Just an observation here, but maybe the DLC for this game is kinda pricey because it's a bit of a niche game? I personally don't know too many (one actually) flight sim enthusiasts, I can't imagine this game moved nearly as many copies as halo 3... hell it probably didn't sell as many as Area 51. And considering that only a fraction of the people who buy the retail title will ever look into the DLC... well... I'm guessing the prices are higher to cover the development costs of said DLC; since there's a smaller base to aggregate that cost among, the price is higher.
I don't own the game myself, but if I were a flight sim fan, I imagine i'd be pretty happy that Namco's supporting the game with as much content as they are.
And... you all seem to be missing the key point here. Now owners of the game feel free to correct me if i am wrong, but when you buy the game, Namco doesn't send a thug to your house to put a gun to your head to force you to buy all the DLC for the game. It seems very rockband like, where you get the planes, etc. that you want to play with and leave the rest.
Dustin with all this in mind, please explain to me how it is that Namco is evil? Or is that just a statement borne from a lack of understanding of basic economics?
Knight Marquise @ May 2nd 2008 8:58PM
Amen!
LoyalistRevolt @ May 3rd 2008 12:33AM
You need to understand that If we don't buy the game it isn't doing anything to them they wait for you to buy the game then slap you in the face with the downloads...What we need to do it to organize, you have to find some may to destroy there PR and then they will take it seriously and to all thoughts who say if you don't like it then don't buy it. If you truly love the game you want to see everything not just the big but the small you have to look and play everything.
Alexander @ May 3rd 2008 6:15PM
There's a difference though, they have to license the songs which costs money. Adding in new models for a plane is different, and only is a little bit of time.
Muu @ May 4th 2008 11:38AM
9750pts is nothing... The Japan-only Idolmaster game has DLC content well over 40,000 MSPs, and the new L4U game is already approaching 20,000 MSPs in total content.
McCain @ May 9th 2008 2:48AM
If you don't like the DLC, don't buy it... it's that simple, but that's a rich idiots arguement. and rich idiots don't scour this site.. and if they do gimme $180 so i can buy AC4.
Developers are going to start focusing their games on DLC instead of what on the game disc. Like movies, who make a majority of their money apart from the box office ticket sales, butt hat costs like $10, not $60. Games are gunna get suckier and suckier, and you'll need to spend more and more. And while you don't mind spending $10 on 3 new maps, damn insane by my books, you're just doing what the companies want. Why do you think Microsoft/sony/nintendo doesn't just use monetary figures? 9250 points is an arbitrary number, you don't notice the money trickling out of say, grocery spending. And suddenly a $60 costs you around $100 on average with a bit of DLC. And than you're paying damn $100 per game. Honestly, $10 for 3 maps? that are remakes as well? Insane.
yeah yeah, $10 isn't a lot it adds up. For the mathematically inept, $300 system, $60, that's $360 for one gaming experience... $420 for two, and how many games do you have at home? 5? That's $300+$300 = $600, and than downoadable content which is overpriced... the things they release do not contribute to 16% of the game. If DLC costs $10, it should add at least arond 15% more gameplay. it doesn't...
Microsofts micro transaction (point system) was publicized as a tool for small, possibl less than 1 cent purchases. A damn tiny picture pack with 100 pixels costs $2.
Soon they'll charge by the pixel...
Shazaam.