There are few times where it is popular to jump behind a multimillion dollar corporation, especially when it appears they are price gouging consumers, but here goes nothing. I don’t expect to win any friends by writing this, but I am so damn tired of hearing other people complain that I feel like something needs to be said. Battlefield: Bad Company’s downloadable content plan isn’t really a bad thing. It isn’t, and if you really think that it is as terrible as websites like Sarcasticgamer say it is then you should seriously rethink your position. SG is obviously just trying to get hits out of this, and they are coming across like douche bags – it is to no surprise at all that Destructoid has jumped onto the pile.

First of all, there is a difference between disliking the downloadable content of a title to the point of not wanting to download it and disliking the downloadable content of a title to the point of boycott. I don’t mind people growing weary of this idea and fearing a slippery slope, but that doesn’t mean that DICE or EA are to blame. If the DLC is successful and other companies actually do something worth complaining about you should hate them, especially because Battlefield: Bad Company is far from the first title to have downloadable content for a price that should be free.

Forza (and every other racing game developer, for that matter) has made it a custom to make available cars for download in their games. These vehicles usually come in packages and cost a few dollars to buy. If charging for a few extra guns in a shooting game is seen as a sin, then so should charging for additional vehicles in a racing title. No one ever complains about this stupidity, and I ask you: why?

The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion charged a few dollars for a cosmetic change to your horse. That’s right, a few bucks to make your horse have fake armor that only you could see. At the time, people laughed at it for its stupidity, but no one bothered to boycott Bethesda. Again I ask, why?

Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, and Rainbow Six: Vegas have all made available multiplayer map packs for download, the average price being nearly $10 for usually three or four levels. Since these levels are being released after the launch, they are usually superior to the ones packaged with the game and have more polish. This is never seen as a bad thing, and fans eagerly await these packages and gladly spend the money to further their fun. Seriously, people, what makes these so different?

The idea of boycotting EA or the game Battlefield: Bad Company for offering weapons that are usually only available for promotional purposes (which no one ever complains about) or special edition versions of the title (which no one ever complains about) is insane, and it only hurts the industry. Since the last generation, game publishers have made deals with companies like Best Buy and Gamestop to allow for in-game rewards for purchasing it at select stores, this just allows for those who choose not to do that to purchase the in-game materials anyway.

If you are adamantly against downloadable content you can be comforted knowing that the downloads are not mandatory, and the weapons are no better then those that come with the game. It is easy to say that this downloadable content is a slippery slope, but that makes all DLC just the same. Hell, the Godfather game did the exact same thing and no one said a word back then. Sit back, think about it, and quit complaining – the game is going to kick ass, don’t miss out in it because you are rallying behind an uninformed cause.

 

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