[crimsonheadGCN]

Trent Oster ‏@TrentOster We'll be doing free feature improvements and existing content improvements as we go, but we are also planning some paid DLC.

https://twitter.com/TrentOster/statu...21633819934720

Oster used Twitter over the weekend to tell fans: "We'll be doing free feature improvements and existing content improvements as we go, but we are also planning some paid DLC." He later clarified that the DLC will be new stories and characters (more than "furry earrings +3"), and not existing content.

http://www.shacknews.com/article/746...-gate-enhanced

Also, for those who haven't followed the Steam thread, Beamdog was added to the Steam registry a few weeks ago, so either Baulder's Gate Enhanced Edition, MDK 2 HD, or both will be coming to Steam.

[fluffydelusions]

Paid DLC for a 14 year old game...

[Vamphuntr]

Good way to spit on a great classic.

[ToxicAdam]

Good way to spit on a great classic.

DLC will be new stories and characters .. and not existing content.

Where's the spitting, again?

[nyong]

Cool, count me in.

[CheesecakeRecipe]

This is why we can't have nice things.

Where's the spitting, again?

Milking every last dime and penny they can out of the game. It's a little sad that this all can't just be included in the base price for the game instead of charging extra for more shit that certainly won't be anywhere near as big as an expansion pack.

[Franklinator]

Cool news!

[Hoo-doo]

New stuff for a great game? I am okay with this.

[painey]

all these new characters and missions are essentially fan-made mods.. so fuck paying for that. Surely the original creators are pissed about this? I mean it's like some new publisher bringing out the Harry Potter collection and adding new a new protagonist.. if it's not by the original team, they should leave it alone.

[Ala Alba]

I don't have a problem with this, unless they advertise it in game or something stupid like that.

Otherwise, at worst it's just something you can ignore and at best it's a good way to add more to a great pair of games.

[Unity2012]

Wait... is this "Enhanced Edition" a remake, HD version? Or just the same game?

[Rufus]

^ Same assets, they're not remaking anything.

So long as they don't rip anything out, I don't have a problem with this.

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Paid DLC for a 14 year old game...

Pretty much my thoughts exactly.

How the hell do they expect to add it in to the pre-existing game?

Good way to spit on a great classic.

Why does having new DLC mean that it is an insult to an older game?

[Lancehead]

I would have thought an "Enhanced Edition" comes with all the extra stuff, considering there's already so much free fan-made content out there. But, okay.

[Durante]

Pretty much my thoughts exactly. How the hell do they expect to add it in to the pre-existing game?

Well, they are already partially re-doing the engine.

And, well, fans have been able to add countless characters and quests to these games without access to the source code, so you'd hope that a company with such access could also accomplish that.

[Skilletor]

This is why we can't have nice things. Milking every last dime and penny they can out of the game. It's a little sad that this all can't just be included in the base price for the game instead of charging extra for more shit that certainly won't be anywhere near as big as an expansion pack.

Isn't the game going to be, like, 10 bucks? Isn't it regarded as one of the best and most content packed RPGs...ever?

I don't see the problem here.

[Fugu]

Where's the spitting, again?

The "spitting" comes from the fact that they are modifying the canon of a game that has been out for a decade and a half -- a game that has accrued a lot of value and respect in that time -- and then charging players twice to see that content, knowing full well that fans of the series will have a particular imperative to see that content. It is particularly remarkable that they are advertising this fact now, as the game has been out for a very, very long time and therefore the vast majority of the work has already been done for them. Given that, it's pretty easy to interpret that move as one made with simple disregard for their customers; instead of appreciating the loyalty they bring to the table, they exploit it.

[wrowa]

So, what exactly is "Enhanced" about the Enhanced edition? If they want me to buy the game another time, I want to get additional new content too, you know.

[kswiston]

Boo playable - $4.99

[Glass Rebel]

Hope there's DLC to buy the correct name

[HP_Wuvcraft]

The "spitting" comes from the fact that they are modifying the canon of a game that has been out for a decade and a half -- a game that has accrued a lot of value and respect in that time -- and then charging players twice to see that content, knowing full well that fans of the series will have a particular imperative to see that content.

1) That's a hell of a lot of assumptions about the companies mindset.
2) It's not Beamdog's fault that some people are addicted to DLC.

[Apostate]

Have the GOG versions, as well as hard copies. This whole "HD edition rerelease" trend that's been going on for the past 2 years has done more bad than good.

[Lafazar]

Where's the spitting, again?

Just imagine if something like this is in the base game:


Source

[crimsonheadGCN]

Hope there's DLC to buy the correct name

oops

[Chacranajxy]

Fuck them

[Kintaro]

You have to admire the balls to add to a 14 year old game new shit and make it DLC. Takes guts.

I'll stick with my GoG.com versions though, thanks.

[HP_Wuvcraft]

You have to admire the balls to add to a 14 year old game new shit and make it DLC. Takes guts.

Except the part where they said they would be doing free stuff, too, in the same exact Tweet. But whatever. Let the hatefest begin, GAF.

Just imagine if something like this is in the base game:

Regardless about how you feel about DLC, I fail to see how anyone's morals could be offended by a video game's gimmick.

But then again. People sent death threats over Wii Fit.

[Fugu]

1) That's a hell of a lot of assumptions about the companies mindset. 2) It's not Beamdog's fault that some people are addicted to DLC.

Well, let's evaluate their behaviour up until this point.

1. They obtain the clearance to do things with Baldur's Gate 1 and 2.
2. They decide to release an "enhanced" version of those games.
3. They subsequently decide to enhance those games further and charge for those further enhancements.

Unless they're planning on donating all of that money to the Baldur's Gate Foundation for Depressingly Sick Children, their mindset is pretty irrelevant.

It's not Beamdog's fault, of course. What is their fault is charging for the DLC. I don't consider "it's Capitalism" to be a particularly strong argument in justifying bad behaviour.

Have the GOG versions, as well as hard copies. This whole "HD edition rerelease" trend that's been going on for the past 2 years has done more bad than good.

It is particularly nonsensical for Baldur's Gate as these games use sprites and will already run at whatever resolution you want it to.

[Wildesy]

Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition*


*Enhancement sold separately

[Ninja Scooter]

Everything should be free! Gamers deserve it!!

[Glix]

People who have a problem with this clearly aren't thinking it through or are just... something else.

[Lafazar]

Except the part where they said they would be doing free stuff, too, in the same exact Tweet. But whatever. Let the hatefest begin, GAF. Regardless about how you feel about DLC, I fail to see how anyone's morals could be offended by a video game's gimmick. But then again. People sent death threats over Wii Fit.

I'm not offended by DLC, even though I strongly dislike the nickel-and-diming it represents. I guess my main problem is that this particular implementation is pretty immersion breaking.

[HP_Wuvcraft]

I don't consider "it's Capitalism" to be a particularly strong argument in justifying bad behaviour.

Bad behavior?

We're talking about a video game that you play on an iPad, not drilling in the arctic.

[kswiston]

Everything should be free! Gamers deserve it!!

They are already paying money for a game that was released 12 years ago and can be bought for $10 or less currently. I suppose if the enhanced edition is released for $10-15, it is not a big deal, but I have a feeling they will be charging more than that.

[_Keiichi_]

Not even old classics are safe from this DLC garbage. Nice.

Why does having new DLC mean that it is an insult to an older game?

It's a 14 years old game already filled with content, they are just fixing and upgrading it. Maybe they should stop cutting things so they can release them separately later planning things to add after the released and add them now with the freaking game.

[Revolutionary]

Are you guys adverse to the idea of any new content to the game or is it the term DLC that is turning you off? Maybe they should've just called it an expansion pack like the old days.

[Lumine]

This is odd, to say the least. If there's any game that doesn't lack content it's BG2...

[NIN90]

Geez, just don't buy the game if you are so offended by the additional DLC.

One would think fans would be creaming their pants when there is a new BG release around the corner.

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Maybe they should stop cutting things so they can release them separately later planning things to add after the released and add them now with the freaking game.

You do realize that not all DLC is cut content, right?

Geez, just don't buy the game if you are so offended by the additional DLC.

But don't you get it? They need to spend their $20-$40 on game they already own that they'll play on their $400 iPads or else they'll just die!

But now I get incredibly snarky. Back to bed for me and my hurt tummy.

[Durante]

Bad behavior? We're talking about a video game that you play on an iPad, not drilling in the arctic.

Is the argument that you're making here that there cannot be bad behaviour in the games industry since there is the possibility of significantly worse behaviour in other areas?

Are you guys adverse to the idea of any new content to the game or is it the term DLC that is turning you off? Maybe they should've just called it an expansion pack like the old days.

If that meant the same amount and significance of content as ToB (BG2's expansion), then I'm sure people would react far more positively.

[Ninja Scooter]

They are already paying money for a game that was released 12 years ago and can be bought for $10 or less currently. I suppose if the enhanced edition is released for $10-15, it is not a big deal, but I have a feeling they will be charging more than that.

Then buy it for $10. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy this version or buy the DLC. It's there as an option for those who might actually want it, but I see nothing inherently wrong with the idea of DLC.

[Skilletor]

They are already paying money for a game that was released 12 years ago and can be bought for $10 or less currently. I suppose if the enhanced edition is released for $10-15, it is not a big deal, but I have a feeling they will be charging more than that.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/a...ii-coming.aspx

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Boo playable - $4.99

Go for the eyes Boo

[FLEABttn]

Is the argument that you're making here that there cannot be bad behaviour in the games industry since there is the possibility of significantly worse behaviour in other areas?

Personally I would have gone with the argument that it's not bad behavior.

[Fugu]

Everything should be free! Gamers deserve it!!

Let's use this logic to extrapolate in the other direction: Everything should cost money! Gamers don't deserve it!!

Single player: Five dollars. Character creation? Three dollars. Imoen? $1.50. Minsc will come at a discount because, for some reason, he is a ranger. You can get Beserker Minsc for an extra fifty cents. I don't think this is going to happen, of course, but it is about as far removed from the reality of their argument (charging for new content for a fifteen year-old game) as your statement is from the reality of ours (stop charging for new content for a fifteen year-old game).

Having said that, I assume this is just a drive-by post that you've made with no intention of defending it. Feel free to prove me wrong, though.

EDIT: Seems you already have.

Bad behavior? We're talking about a video game that you play on an iPad, not drilling in the arctic.

Right, so the outrage is proportionate. If a company were drilling in the Arctic, my displeasure would be a lot more extensive and probably more visible. But here we're talking about a video game, so my opposition comes in the form of debating people on the internet during my break from work and not buying the game. There are varying degrees of bad decisions; people can make poor choices without being evil villains.

Then buy it for $10. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy this version or buy the DLC. It's there as an option for those who might actually want it, but I see nothing inherently wrong with the idea of DLC.

It ultimately comes down to how much value you see a game having as a cohesive entity. It's similar to the "games as art" argument, in that fragmenting the whole product and monetizing certain elements of the experience must inherently have an effect on the playing of the game as a whole, with or without that added content. It's also a concept largely without precedent, as there's no other form of entertainment where the product is sold in such a piecemeal fashion. There are other issues at play here -- the most relevant of which is the fact that they are choosing to do this to a very old game that they won't be doing much work on in the first place -- but, at least for single-player games, it ultimately comes down to this.

[ToxicAdam]

The "spitting" comes from the fact that they are modifying the canon of a game that has been out for a decade and a half -- a game that has accrued a lot of value and respect in that time -- and then charging players twice to see that content, knowing full well that fans of the series will have a particular imperative to see that content. It is particularly remarkable that they are advertising this fact now, as the game has been out for a very, very long time and therefore the vast majority of the work has already been done for them. Given that, it's pretty easy to interpret that move as one made with simple disregard for their customers; instead of appreciating the loyalty they bring to the table, they exploit it.

A game does not have "canon". That is reserved for religious text.

Entertainment just has a universe and there are numerous ways you can tell stories within that. Happens all the time in the Star Wars/Star Trek/Dragonlance/Dune universe.

As far as getting "charged twice", you do understand that these people have spent hundreds of hours coalescing all this information into a manner that makes it easy for all of us to play today? In multiple platforms and even a different control method. You don't think people should be compensated for their work? Maybe even make a nice profit in the process? It's not like it's a slam dunk that people will run out to buy this new-ish version of the game. Especially when it's pretty readily available for 10 dollars and it has a gamestyle and length that has long ago fallen out of fashion. There is still considerable risk involved in doing this project.

Just imagine if something like this is in the base game:

How would that be different than having a dot on a map or a new cave in an existing screen that represented a new area (different than the original game) that needed to be DLC unlocked?

You still need a physical manifestation of the new content that a player can see and still be representated within the framework of the existing game.

[Gentleman Jack]

I don't see a difference between this and buying Dak'kon's Zerth Blade in BG2's CE. Sometimes things cost money and oh no this time it means you get to play Baldur's Gate for a little longer.

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Is the argument that you're making here that there cannot be bad behaviour in the games industry since there is the possibility of significantly worse behaviour in other areas?

Of course not.

The argument I'm making is that it's completely up to you if you buy the game and any additional paid content, and acting like it is anything more malicious than that is bullshit.

Let's use this logic to extrapolate in the other direction: Everything should cost money! Gamers don't deserve it!!

You're really good at this False Equivilancy in Discussion concept.

[Lancehead]

Now I begin to wonder if they'd allow modding or add content that's already out there for free. Have they said anything about it?

[diffusionx]

They aren't removing content from the base game and selling it as DLC. They are selling new stuff as DLC. If all you want is BG1 with enhancements, don't buy the DLC.