Hey guys, I know it's been a long time, I'm gonna try to update this blog more often. Anyway, I just need to vent a little frustration I've been having with my DLC of late.
Apparently, some companies (Bioware in particular) have changed the format of their DLC so that it can't be played offline. Now every time I attempt to load a Mass Effect 2 save game I get an error message saying that the game can't be loaded because the DLC is corrupt. I've had the same problem with Fallout games in the past and it really bothers me.
If I buy content and download it to my hard drive that copy of the content should be mine, not contingent on a factor like if I am currently connected to the internet. Especially at home, I play a lot offline and it is a real hassle to connect to the internet. My family's router is in the basement and my Xbox is in my room. I don't feel like shelling out $100 for a wireless adapter for the Xbox.
So if I ever want to have DLC I need to make sure I am connected to the internet and sometimes my connection isn't the best. The internet in my dorm is touch and go at times and I couldn't play Mass Effect 2 yesterday after I downloaded the new Arrival DLC because of it. I paid money for that DLC and now because of it, and several other pieces of ME2 DLC that I've purchased, I can't even play the game because all my saves have the DLC in them. So I would have to start a new game just to play at all, and that new game wouldn't feature the DLC that I paid for.
This whole system is completely messed up, it reminds me of the Amazon e-book thing, where the e-book wasn't authorized so they basically pressed a button and everyone who had a copy just didn't have it anymore. This caused a stir and for good reason, digital download may be quick and easy but it also lacks the permanence of a hard copy. Short of someone coming to your house, no one can take a disc or book away from you but apparently digital downloads can easily be stripped from you when the company feels like it.
This might not be quite as annoying if it wasn't so clear that the industry is heading towards more and more digital distribution. Most likely, game companies and console manufacturers will try to push all digital games and people won't be able to access them unless they are online. Online is great but it isn't accessible to everyone all the time, I don't feel it is a necessary step to be able to play a game. Needing a TV? Sure. Needing electricity? Fine. Having to be connected to the internet? No. Even if all Xboxes (is that the correct plural?) have WiFi, mine doesn't by the way, it still isn't fair to make a customer have a constant internet connection. What happens when we can't connect to the internet? We play video games, right? But if this keeps up the two will be in the same boat, when the internet goes down we also can't play games.
I connect to the internet at home only to download content that I can then play offline. If I want to play on Live then I use my brother's Xbox which has a wireless adapter. I might be in the minority with that but I still feel that a good amount of people have spotty internet connectivity at best and this really hurts their ability to play a game. At the very least it's a nuisance.
We'll that's my little rant, I'll try to post Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime and Mass Effect 2:Arrival reviews soon but I guess that all depends on if the internet is being nice to me or not.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
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