This is a column about a subject. A subject first mentioned in the latest edition of BWF Radio, and that is the subject of Downloadable Content, or DLC for short. As this is a wrestling website (Although it will also be seen at those fine folk over at Bored Wrestling Fan), I will focus my attention on the WWE games side of DLC. With that said..

Cue the Opening

The subject of DLC is a touchy one. Sure, it’s a good thing to have extra content for your video game, especially if you have enjoyed the experience it has provided, and you wish to extend that for a few more hours. However, there is also a bad side to DLC, and unfortunately it’s the way most games are these days. It’s the fact that the DLC content is already on the disc. Which mean they could make it available as part of the game. But instead, they wait some time, and then charge you x amount to be able to play it, which is what the people at THQ have done with WWE ’13.

COMMERCIAL: The most awesome thing you will see.

During the roster reveal event for WWE ’13 before SummerSlam. They announced that AJ Lee, and Damien Sandow, would be DLC for WWE ’13. Although they showed no in-game footage at the time, it shows that they video game version of themselves was pretty much ready to go, and could indeed be included in the game if they chose to. However, they are not and are indeed included in the three DLC packages, but not where you’d think they’d be. For you see, AJ Lee is set to be released in the month of December, one month and a few days (depending where in the world you are Carmen Sandiego) after the release of the game. As for Sandow, well his character won’t be available until January 2013. So why announce them at the roster reveal, as DLC, if they are not going to be playable until at the earliest a month after game release. Why not just put them on the disc, as playable characters. Or, just don’t announce them all until the rest of the DLC is announced. Speaking of which..

Why have they announced DLC before the game has even hit shelves? This further shows that all DLC content, is actually on the disc, but game companies delay it, to attempt to squeeze every last cent out of you as possible, by adding DLC later on. The first set of DLC to be released, entitled the ‘Attitude Era’ Superstars Pack, and includes Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay of the faction ‘Too Cool’, Gangrel from the Brood and Val Venis. These characters, as well as an accelerator boost, which allows you to edit attributes, is available as DLC, on release day. THQ did the same thing last year by having the likes of Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole as Day One DLC for WWE ’12, so this isn’t the first time it’s happened, but to charge people any amount, for content that should be on the disc but isn’t, and release it as DLC on Day One is beyond a joke. Why not just put the content on the disc? Why make people, who have already spent funds on buying your game in the first place, spend more money for content, which could quite easily be on the disc, thus saving the consumer money, and making it more likely to buy more from your company? It’s nothing but greed on the developer’s part, and it’s a disgrace that developers do that. But, as is said by some people.. Money makes the world go ’round.

COMMERCIAL: Well, if someone’s going to tell you, may as well be him..

With the announcement of the Downloadable Content, the website for WWE ’13, rubbed it in by showing screenshots of each character in the game. This means that all DLC content is on the disc, but spanning it out over two months, either shows that THQ are greedy and money-hungry, or, it shows that the game itself isn’t going to be a game which captures your attention for any period of time, and needs to inject the DLC as quickly as possible, in order to keep the gamer’s mind occupied with their game, in what is sure to be a busy time for gamers with the sheer amount of games coming out over the next few months. But the DLC deals may not be the worst thing about all this. The pre-order content is the biggest money making scheme of them all.

That being the ‘pre-order’ specials that are made. The first comes with a code to add ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson to your playable roster from the moment you unwrap the game, and place the disc into your console. The second deal, dubbed the ‘Austin 3;16’ edition of WWE ’13, comes with not only a code for Tyson, but codes for another attire for Steve Austin, the ATV entrance for Steve Austin, a collectible art card signed by the Rattlesnake himself, foil packaging with embedded Austin skull, and a DVD from Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time. These deals are to encourage you to pre-order the game, for an inflated price. However, if you wait 90 days after purchase, then Mike Tyson, the Steve Austin attire, and the Steve Austin ATV entrance,will be available to download without having to spend the extra quid on pre-ordering the game. Thus making these pre-order deals pretty much useless (Unless you are me, and can pre-order the game with just the Tyson code, for the same price as you would pre-ordering just the game without any bonuses).

COMMERCIAL: Sounds about right..

Personally, I think THQ have missed a massive opportunity to make maximum income out of it. What they should have done, is make two games. WWE ’13 and a separate game for the Attitude Era, much like what they did with ‘Legends of Wrestlemania’ a few years ago. That way, the WWE ’13 game, could have the current roster of characters, plus a few legends of the sport, and the Attitude Era game can have all the characters from the Attitude Era. Allowing the option to combine the two into a super game, gives you the same or more characters to choose from, but twice the money due to consumers having to buy two games, in order to get the full experience. That way, you get double the money from game sales, and double the money from creating DLC for each respective game. Hire me THQ, I’m available. I’m like JBL when it comes to money-making schemes.

There we are, a small rant about how DLC is pretty much a scam to get you to invest in their product. However, with that said, if you are involved in the game to the point where you would invest in the downloadable content to extend the experience, or you are a fan of the product that you would invest just to get the maximum out of the game, then it doesn’t matter does it? Because you’ll just buy the game, then the DLC, giving the developer lots of money, and allowing them to scam you with deals which you should already have from the moment you buy the disc. At least THQ aren’t like Capcom.. who will sell a game, release DLC, then release an ‘Ultimate’ version of the game, with the same characters as the first game and the DLC, but 16 more characters that are only on the ‘Ultimate’ version, thus making those who bought the first game complete numptys for wasting their money. Isn’t that right Marvel vs. Capcom 3?

Also, if you noticed the link between the Opening and a website about professional wrestling.. aren’t you clever.

If you noticed the link between the Opening and a member of the extended Wonderpod family from Bored Wrestling Fan and Bored Hockey Fan.. then you should get out more. But thanks for reading our website.

I freelance write for BoredWrestlingFan.com, BoredHockeyFan.com and WonderpodOnline.com. So read their websites and enjoy their content. Especially the stuff I put there.. it’s awesome, and if it makes sense, the more power to you. For those who want to follow yours truly on Twitter for some unknown reason, it’s @ThatDamnDoubleC. I tweet sometimes. If you follow me, I’ll tweet some more.