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XBox (Games)

Rare Still Leery of Downloadable Content 44

Posted by Zonk from the as-are-we-all dept.
GamesIndustry.biz reports on comments by Rare lead designer Gregg Mayles, who has gone on record saying that Rare will only do downloadable content if there is a need. The popularity of their Viva Piñata title notwithstanding, the company has no interest in making content if there is no interest. From the article: "'We've got plenty of ideas for what we can do with downloadable content because Piñata is such a unique game ... But the jury is still out.' However, the team does still see the potential of Xbox Live and the push for downloadable content, with Viva Piñata offering interaction between players over the service. 'That vision of sending Piñata to each other was around before Xbox Live even existed. That's why [Viva Piñata] began life on a handheld PDA device because we wanted one machine that could communicate with another,' revealed Mayles."
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Rare Still Leery of Downloadable Content More

Rare Still Leery of Downloadable Content

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  • I find it strange that they DON'T want to do downloadable content for this game. This is one of the few games I'd even want to see it done on.

    • Re:Oh come on. (Score:4, Interesting)

      by twistedsymphony ( 956982 ) on Thursday November 30, 2006 @10:57AM (#17049944) Homepage
      It think it's important to note that with the exception of sports games (which generally have gamer pics for every team) Kameo and PDZ both rank in the top 5 [achieve360points.com] for games with the most number of items available for download. Kameo has 38 items available for download. From strategy videos to gamer pics, themes, and even skin packs that are worth less then horse armor and perfect Dark Zero has 15 items.

      You'd think they'd be all over offering content for for a game where it actually makes sense. Perhaps they're soured by poor sales of Seasonally themed Kameo skins...

      Protip: maybe people don't want to buy insignificant chachkis for a mediocre game that only takes a few hours to complete. Maybe, just maybe, you'd have more success selling downloads of things that, I don't know, improve, extend, or refresh the gamplay?
  • Hey who knows, this whole networking thing could catch on... NAH, we'll just keep working in isolation and see if everyone else is wrong about it...

    • Re:Networking? Maybe... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by HappySqurriel ( 1010623 ) on Thursday November 30, 2006 @09:39AM (#17048764)
      Hey who knows, this whole networking thing could catch on... NAH, we'll just keep working in isolation and see if everyone else is wrong about it...

      I personally hope that everyone else is wrong about a micropayment based horse armor/episodal content system; personally, I don't want to spend $150+ to buy all of the race tracks and cars that were available in the base game in the previous generation.
      • the higher cost is exactly why industry will move to that. look at all the vista options. most consumers will say, "i could get the cheap one, but i REALLY want this!" and will fork up the extra cash. well, maybe i shouldn't say most, but that's what the various companies are banking on.
  • >> saying that Rare will only do downloadable content if there is a need.

    that is so lame. "we'll jump in the bandwagon only if we see other people are making money first"

    historically, its the one taking the risk that gets payed off in the long run. those jumping in later only gets fractions (ok, except for blizzard and WoW)

    If we're beginning to see downloadable content its because there's a need for it, it'll only become bigger now.
    • Lame maybe, but I'd argue that historically it's very rarely the ones taking the risks that get the big payoff, and generally those who stand back and see what works and then create a successful business model around it.
      • You should take that business model and go explain it to the hundreds of thousands of investors making money out of buying low and selling high. when they buy low, the shares they're buying are risky, then if they pick right, it boom, the value raises like crazy and they sell.

        not saying that every risk pays off (thus calling it a risk) but sitting back and watching sure isnt how I ride my business.

    • Re:that is lame (Score:5, Insightful)

      by mwvdlee ( 775178 ) on Thursday November 30, 2006 @10:26AM (#17049484) Homepage
      And I, for one, applaud Rare for wanting to release finished products.

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Programmer_In_Traini ( 566499 )
        Downloadable content doesn't necessarily means unfinished/unpolished content - it means episodic content. Are you gonna tell me that all MMOs out there are in fact botched products only rushed out to make a buck ?

        i think not.

        downloadable content is only the "online" version of single player/offline games.

        If you look at it, downloadable content just means "make money in the same business model MMOs do".

        I don't even see why its called a risk to begin with. They don't call it World of Warcrack for nothing, it
        • I read "unfinished" as "incomplete" - which is correct with episodic content since you can't actually play the game until the end before the last episode is out.

          Compare episodic games with a TV series:
          - Most episodes are more or less self-contained mini-stories with a beginning and an end, which take place in the "universe" created by the previous episodes and are slightly connected with previous stories.
          - Sometimes, there is a "big episode" which is split in two episodes. Things just hang at some point at
        • you need a good game to begin with, thats why a lot of MMOs are not making a lot of money, they're not good enough.

          That's because most of the MMOs out there are in fact botched products only rushed out to make a buck.
    • When was the last time microsoft actually paved the way and met with success? They only seem to succeed with their me-too-but-cheaper products. A headstart means something, buts a hell of a lot easier to watch some one else fall down 10 times and succeed and then copy them then it is to fall down 10 times yourself. I think there's an advantage to doing something first, but not as big as you would think. There's a reason patents exist, otherwise no one would do any research...they'd just wait for the other
      • you're mixing apples and oranges.

        First, I'll remind you that MS, *because* they were there first is now the biggest computer-related company. Gates also happens to be in the top 5 of the richest man - not sure if he is or not the richest man.

        I had wish you had taken another example than MS because i dont like the way they do things but you cannot take away the fact that whatever they did succeeded : The got the user base. meaning anyone wanting to get a PC now gets a PC with windows. Not so true in these da

    • that is so lame. "we'll jump in the bandwagon only if we see other people are making money first"

      Don't forget, Rare already pushed that bandwagon a year ago - Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero both have quite a bit of downloadable content. A lot of it is themes and gamer pictures, but they also released extra maps, online co-op and new game modes, some of it months after release. Some of it was picked up, a lot of it apparently wasn't.

      I don't blame them for not rushing into it this time, especially after the

  • For years whenever someone has mentioned Rare I've immediately thought of that old "Donkey Kong Country" intro with Cranky Kong listening to his old crank-operated record player.

    I guess Cranky still works there.
  • ...find it odd that Rare is more or less questioning the viability of downloadable content on XBox Live when they are owned by MS? They try to cover their asses a bit by saying the don't know if it's a good model for them, but in the end they are still questioning a business model that their parent company is promoting heavily.
    • They've also said basically the reason WHY there's downloadable content is because they are a first party company. They said really don't see it as a good model in the least.

      Even better unless the DLC is something that's worthwhile (A new car they couldn't get in time for a racing game.) There's little reason to get DLC, especially Rare's DLC which does little to improve the game. Free downloads is a great way to thank fans or do something special, but charging for additional costumes really gets fans ba

      • That doesn't mean DLC isn't worthwhile, but I think Rare understands that certain games don't really require or get enhanced by it.

        Well, Viva Pinata is a game that could, unquestionably, be enhanced by downloadable content. That doesn't seem to be the question. Rather, the question seems to be whether devoting resources to the development downloadable content will be as profitable as moving those resources to the development of full retail games.

        For example, one of the additions under consideration is

  • We've got plenty of ideas for what we can do with downloadable content because Piñata is such a unique game...the team does still see the potential of Xbox Live and the push for downloadable content

    The only "leering" going on here is Rare into my wallet.
  • This is probably one of those, "got caught with our trousers down", moments. Companies that make statements like this have generally been caught off guard. Xbox Live has been enough of a success that not only is Sony developing their own similar service for the PS3, even Nintendo has come to the online downloadable content party with the Wii. As another poster mentioned, Rare's development cycle has simply grown too long to keep up with changes in the market and technology.
  • Is this shocking to anyone? Why would you devote a team of developers to a game that is already finished? While a leisure activity, gaming is STILL a business. There are two things that will drive downloadable content:

    1) DIY, homebrew. Huge fans of a game or people with way too much time on their hands (depending on your perspective). The problem is there is a danger letting people write code for you machine. This would open systems to hacks or malicious content, so everything would have to be

  • Something tells me that if they decide to make Killer Instinct next-gen they'll have the interest and demand they seek by an exponent of no less than 10...please Rare please?
    • Hahaha... I've personally talked with some of the folks at Rare, and the mere mention of porting Killer Instinct drives them to the brink of insanity.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by hrrY ( 954980 )
        Really?! Then why? That is hands down 1 of the best games(fighting) ever made, it would be an utter shame if it never came back:(
  • .. is the seven pounds Microsoft charge to change your Gamertag. As I discovered when I tried to merge my pre-Live offline profile and my existing Live profile. That's as much as an X-Box Live Arcade game. Pure profit for something that takes their system two seconds to do.

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