Europa Universalis 4: Day 1 DLC? 40 Euros? Why, Paradox?

[Ordo Bravil]

Note: I would post this in the EU4 forums, but you need to have purchased the game first, and I haven't for reasons obvious if you've actually read the OP.

Greetings, fellow Paradox-Forum-Goers.

I would just like to say that, having looked at the latest price and the DLC, I am appalled. Long had I put my faith in Paradox as a trust-worthy publisher, if a little over-eager to release piles of expensive DLC, however now, looking at the Europa Universalis 4 pre-purchase, I am disgusted at Paradox. Their game isn't even released, and yet they're already preparing DLC to sell to those who haven't pre-purchased, and withholding actual game content to whose who don't purchase their "Digital Extreme Edition". I would have thought purchasing some form of collectors edition would include rewards such as forum titles, artwork, and other items related to the games development. Instead, Paradox is inclined to withhold content from people who have even bought the base game, offering the best experience to those most willing to wealthy enough to feed Paradox obscene amounts of money, which brings me to my next point. 40 Euros for the base game, not considering the current 10% discount, or 45 Euros for the "Extreme" (or, Complete) edition, again not considering the 10% discount. I am curious as to when Paradox will stop increasing the prices of their games, as I remember the days when games were reasonably priced and didn't expect you to fork out more after you purchased the base game.

I respect that Europa Universalis IV has been in development for a long time, and it isn't part of an immensly popular genre, but is reducing the amount of people who are able to buy it really going to solve that issue? And I'm not saying DLC is always a bad thing, but when you remove content from the base game, just so you can sell it, I'll be damned if that's seen as acceptable. I know this DLC is free if you pre-purchase, but I currently am unwilling to spend money on a game so expensive - am I going to have to buy parts of the base game, since I was unwilling and unable to pre-purchase the game and thus get the DLC for free?

I love the Europa Universalis series, I love the Crusader Kings 2 series, and I'm actually starting to enjoy Victoria, but Paradox, please, stop pulling these insidious business practices. I know you're running a company, not a charity, but that doesn't mean you have to be as greedy as humanly possible.

 

[FOARP]

Sheesh, this again? Look mate, it's quite simple: you're assuming that everything that's in the pre-launch DLC could be put in the vanilla game, but it's not that simple.

Instead pretty much all of the DLC is stuff that was only properly tested and compiled after the vanilla game was feature-complete and entered the testing phase, and was written by people who had nothing to do once the game went into testing. It cannot be integrated into the vanilla game during the testing phase because this would make all the testing work done useless.

Unless and until you can show that Paradox is actually splitting the vanilla product and putting some of it into pre-launch DLC, please stop whining about this.

 

[Arthasus]

These Day 1 DLC are things which in no way shape or form alter what you can do in game (unless you count event which gives you 5 prestige as game breaking benefit)

The Digital Extreme Edition includes the following:

STAR AND CRESCENT - 50 new Muslim themed event pictures, as well as several new events for the Muslim nations
HORSEMEN OF THE CRESCENT UNIT PACK - 12 unique cavalry modes for the Ottoman, Mamluk, and Persian nations. This enhances the visual experience of EUIV.
CONQUEST OF CONSTANTINOPLE MUSIC PACK - 3 tracks containing 10 new minutes of music masterly composed by Andreas Waldetoft

Why do you care about event pictures, unit models (which I presonally don't give a damn about) and 10 minutes of music?

About price: 40 euros (or less if you go to see in other shops) isn't really that much for so big game when other titles cost 50-60 euros.

 

[desertfalcon]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the Digital Extreme edition only like $5 more? That hardly seems like PI is trying to nickle and dime us.

 

[RX2000]

About price: 40 euros (or less if you go to see in other shops) isn't really that much for so big game when other titles cost 50-60 euros.

This. I paid $40 USD for the Digital Extreme Edition. Most games that come out nowdays are $60. I dont see how Paradox is being "greedy."

 

[riknap]

not to mention preordering "now" pretty much gives you a free copy of ck2 AND a ck2 dlc among many other bonuses, for free.

 

[antigravitycat]

These Day 1 DLC are things which in no way shape or form alter what you can do in game (unless you count event which gives you 5 prestige as game breaking benefit)

Why do you care about event pictures, unit models (which I presonally don't give a damn about) and 10 minutes of music?

About price: 40 euros (or less if you go to see in other shops) isn't really that much for so big game when other titles cost 50-60 euros.

Agreed. I did not buy the extreme edition because the content doesn't interest me. Same with the rest of the DLC, don't want it, leave it. The base game is there and the price is, reasonable.
But I do have to add and agree with, as many forum users posted before in various threads, that the DLC flood is getting a bit out of hand. It may be a good way to make some bucks for less work, it may also keep the game fresh for a longer time, but there's a breaking point when it turns to be a cheap money source.

 

[digital_soda]

I don't mind the dlc, the game is done and it gives their employees something to do.

As far as the price I can't complain about that. Batman Origins is $60 when Arkham City was $40, now that's some bullhonky. Like how you gonna just jack up the price $20?

 

[wolfing]

The DLC is not needed at all. You can play the game at release and it's complete. The DLC is basically 'fluff' (songs, unit models, flavor events, etc). So, if it bothers you, just ignore them.

 

[ryu2999]

1. You could have posted this in the EU4 forum, you don't need to have pre-ordered the game to do so.

2. You can also read the threads in the EU4 forum without buying the game.

3. If you had done so you would have seen this topic has been done to death.

 

[Verrucosus]

Paradox gets to decide what is part of the base game and what is not, and I will be very surprised if the base game on its own is not good value for money. All the games in the Europa Universalis series, even the weaker ones, have a replay value that makes 40 € sound ridiculously cheap. Think about it like this: What else can you buy for 40 € that gives you as much pleasure over time? I don't like the DLC concept myself, but since it's easy to ignore, lots of other people are paying for it and it keeps a studio afloat (even comfortably afloat I hope) that produces my kind of games, I have no problem at all with it.

 

[duhsveti]

Crusader Kings 2 also sold for 40€, and had 2 preorder DLC's. It's not like this is new for paradox.

 

[MrQwerty]

Please say that day 1 DLC is not only what makes you so appalled and refuse to buy the game.

 

[Ols]

Has anyone got that picture that illustrates why Day 1 DLCs are the most cost effective and fair way for developers to produce content (with the illustration of what the different staff would be working on at certain times)?

 

[Carbon]

...offering the best experience to those most willing to wealthy enough to feed Paradox obscene amounts of money

...willing to wealthy enough to feed Paradox obscene amounts of money

...feed Paradox obscene amounts of money

obscene amounts of money

Dude, it's 5 bucks.

 

[unmerged(616751)]

So what you are saying is that day 1 dlc is always a greedy move, no matter what? As said above, it's only 5 more dollars, and now you get ck2 for free.

 

[Kadanz]

I can't believe that people feel the need to complain when pdox asks 5$ more for a dlc where you get extra pics, music and sprites + A copy of crusader kings, EUV and the converter...some people can never be satisfied, no matter what you give them. They complain just to complain..

 

[SirAstonMartin]

This game is cheap when you gonna compare how many hours you can play this. So i think youre argument is invalid.

 

[mattyh1995]

Sheesh, this again? Look mate, it's quite simple: you're assuming that everything that's in the pre-launch DLC could be put in the vanilla game, but it's not that simple.

Instead pretty much all of the DLC is stuff that was only properly tested and compiled after the vanilla game was feature-complete and entered the testing phase, and was written by people who had nothing to do once the game went into testing. It cannot be integrated into the vanilla game during the testing phase because this would make all the testing work done useless.

Unless and until you can show that Paradox is actually splitting the vanilla product and putting some of it into pre-launch DLC, please stop whining about this.

This.

 

[Samip15]

buying a game is like buying a car these days, stupid add-ons and extras that you have to stump up the required capital for, even if you've been a loyal customer for 10 years - while it seems Paradox are motivate in some part by corporate greed, it's just another cynical addendum to the western system of crapitalism.