The Problem With BioWare's Mass Effect 3 Day-One DLC And The Importance Of Building Brand Trust

Erik Kain, Forbes- DLC can be a huge addition to any game. Actual expansion packs with new stories and gear can bring new value to any game. But the “From Ashes” DLC appears to add cost rather than value. This is a big problem, and one that BioWare and EA can’t ignore forever.

Short term gain at the expense of your biggest fans and brand trust seems like a huge price to pay even for a subsidiary of the behemoth EA. Maybe some of the hate directed at BioWare is unjustified, but they’re not doing themselves any favors by pouring salt on the wound.

[MrMister]

The DLC should be distributed free to ME3 owners via a patch or optional download. Also to appease those who already paid for the Collectors Edition (or bought the DLC on PSN/Steam?Xbox Live) separately, EA should promise those people that they'll get the NEXT DLC free, while regular edition gamers only get the "Ashes" DLC free. That way EA can put this whole debacle behind them and hopefully never do this again. Day 1 DLC for a game that really needed the content in order to get the complete piece of the puzzle?This was a new low, even for them...

[NYC_Gamer]

EA won't give out the next dlc for free

[FrankDrebin]

While I didn't have issues with the DLC, I did have issues with installing with the Amazon Pre-load. Easy fix though. Amazon and EA did provide a free game (a free GAME!) for the trouble. You couldn't ask for a better company to work with!

[Nimblest-Assassin]

Well I am going to disagree with you on this. I honestly feel the idea of DLC as a whole has been tainted by publishers like Activision and EA.

What should be cool additional content now feels very wrong and dirty. But we as consumers must decide was the money I spent on the game worth it, and was this dlc worth the extra cash.

When I play ME3 without a doubt in my mind I can definatley say it was worth the 60 bucks. Sure I get it, day one dlc is a dirty tactic, but come on. People act as if they were ripped of due to this one mission and character. Even if you were to play ME3 without Javik, I still say it is worth the 60 bucks.

Consumer's need to decide if their purchase was justified or not, AND SHOULD NOT FLIP OUT AT DAY ONE DLC. Its a wrong practice, but you need to think logically rather than emotionally and answer the question. WAS THIS PURCHASE JUSTIFIED?

Also, one of the stupidest things I ever heard on the internet was someone raging at Uncharted 3, saying that because he bought the game, he should be entitled to all of the extra content free.

Thats BullSh*t.

With the 60 bucks you spend, you are entitled to a good game that is all.

Thats like saying "Hey, I watched one Star Wars movie, I am entitled to watching the rest for free" George Lucas had the whole story planned out, why don't we accuse him of nickel and diming us?

Because it sounds stupid. WE OURSELVES HAVE TO THINK IS THIS GAME I BOUGHT WORTH 60 BUCKS. AND IS THIS CONTENT WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY?

Hell I heard most PC players pirated it because of this one dlc-_-

Also, every game does day one DLC now. When you pre order a game, you are offered DLC now. That is still considered day 1.

Also, for those complaining Javik is a big deal, he really isn't. There is only the novelty of him being a prothean. You do not gain any extra real story value from him. He was a soldier, he froze himself, Shepard finds him and wakes him up. Thats it. Also, he just talks about the Prothean empire and how they used everything else as slaves.

Thats it. Personally the DLC is not worth 10 bucks, even though I bough the CE, if this DLC was seperate I would not buy it simply because I am happy that the money I spent was justified, nothing else nothing more

[jwk94]

With comments like this, I wouldn't be surprised if we were just given a title screen and then had to purchase the levels and characters next gen.

[JaredH]

The problem is a lot of people who didn't buy the collectors edition still bought the DLC. Like the whole gamestop thing saying 40% of the people bought the DLC codes with their purchase of normal version. It sucks but EA will probably not care since they're making money. Honestly I just beat the game and loved it except the end for the reasons people are saying.

[Les-Grossman]

I think Bioware has bigger things to worry about. Like the backslash over the endings then DLC

[Godmars290]

Was probably the mentality over DLC, plotting out the game then deciding what could be cut out and made into it, which lead to things like the crappy ending. Tali's "big" reveal.

[Mythicninja]

I haven't finished the game through yet. is the ending really that bad? what about it ( without giving away spoilers) is so atrocious?

[Nimblest-Assassin]

Yeah, I still haven't finished ME3 Im savouring it as I go..

But is the ending really this bad? Also, aren't there several endings? Im surprised people completed it so quickly.

Could someone explain why this ending sucks NO SPOILERS IF POSSIBLE.

But I want to understand why there is so much anger at the ending

[Gamer-Z]

@Mythicninja & Nimblest-Assassin

Well i haven't finished it ether but from what i read basically the ending makes you wonder if any of it (the war, reapers, etc) was even real to begin with.

[closnyc]

any choice you make through out the game, any choice you made in the first 2 me's will have absolutely zero effect on this ending. You will see why.

[Felinox]

Bioware was a holy word to me a couple of years ago, bu after dragon age2 and this DLC stuff im very dissapointed in what they've become. Thier actions are NOT paragon by any means. I blame EA.

[N311V]

If it were any other species it wouldn't be such a big deal. Prosthesis are central to the lore and I believe EA knew we would virtually be forced to buy this DLC. That is why most people are pissed.

[N311V]

Next time this happens I'll be waiting till I can get a cheap used copy. Then EA will get nothing but my $10 for their despicable DLC.