Will Paradox consider streamlining their DLC business model for future games?

[Lemont Elwood]

That wouldn't change the two big issues of paradox's dlc model though: the complete product is still a very high number and price, and the list is still long, organizizing just masks that issue.

In the future, i think we need less dlc split into tiny bits (and over time, merge the ones that do exist whn possible to cut down on bloat), no graphic dlc that improves content i already had to buy a dlc to use: old gods and charlemagne both have minor dlc to improve characters who for any meaningful way, only exist in old gods and charly starts. and no dlc for things that really should be in by default - such as the african character dlc and the shieldpacks, accurate dynasty coats for a game about playing a dynasty and black skin shouldn't be paywalled.

It would help by clearing up some misconceptions about CK2's business model.

Basically, if you see 100 pieces of DLC, that makes it look like you actually have to buy that to get a normal game. That's not the case.

Presenting the game as a sort of tree of options would be better; it would reinforce the (true) idea that CK2 is perfectly functional and worthwhile in its vanilla form, while also showing major options, and people who buy the major options would be directed to the tertiary products.

I do agree that certain things should have been default (I almost didn't even buy Mongol and African facepacks because I was insulted that it wasn't part of the base game), but most of the rest is fine. I really wouldn't expect Greeks to have different faces than French, or Persian units to look different from Turks, unless I paid a bit more... and I prefer that I'm able to buy them at my will, rather than having them shoved down my throat with the rest.

Maybe I want to buy Rajas of India but don't give a damn if the Indian soldiers (who I rarely actually look at) have proper clothing. Maybe I don't ever play in East Africa, but I'm tired of seeing Turkish-looking people there.

 

[Lys91]

Did not the last DLC for EU4 packed everything in one piece? That seems a bit more reasonable. It will be good to hear someone from Paradox discussing their view on the future of DLC.

 

[Mauer]

Did not the last DLC for EU4 packed everything in one piece? That seems a bit more reasonable. It will be good to hear someone from Paradox discussing their view on the future of DLC.

Yes, much less clutter this way. The expansion DLC and content pack are also available to buy together as a bundle, cheaper than purchasing them separately, which is very nice.

 

[Spartanlemur]

The old ways are best. Begone heathens and let me buy my DLC piece by piece

 

[Alex_brunius]

This graph can be a little bit worrisome many people predict a game crash other say it's already happening, the only way to not be affected is by installing consumer confidence and real value on your products

http://www.vgchartz.com/article/259657/average-game-on-steam-sells-an-estimated-32000-units/

That graph only show what we already knows, that the last few years the number of indie games and DLCs (which often are counted as separate products/sales ) has totally exploded, which means huge number of low sales games flooding the market. This doesn't mean quality games sell any more or less copies, only that the average is lowered by DLCs/Indies. To get a better graph multiply the two together and you still have an extremly positive trend of total revenue for the games industry from steam since 2008.

 

[Irockz]

Season passes sound like a great idea.

Would people prefer a subscription. Just sign up and don't be bothered with the hassle of having to manually buy each DLC - for those that know they'll be getting every single one? subscribing might give you a discount or other special bonus?

/shams

I wouldn't mind paying £5 a month to get every DLC free - but I have to say this first:

£5 a month is £60 a year. £42.48 of DLC for CK2 was released last year, and £48.48 of EU4 DLC - Either the module would have to cover both CK2 and EU4 (bringing it to £90.96, more than 50% saved), but that would mean the amount of content produced a year would have to be steady, or there would have to be more advantages to it - a new icon and forum access, plus exclusive DLC and being able to enter backer-only polls that vote on what we want to see in DLC next?

 

[Mikalos]

I wouldn't mind paying £5 a month to get every DLC free - but I have to say this first:

£5 a month is £60 a year. £42.48 of DLC for CK2 was released last year, and £48.48 of EU4 DLC - Either the module would have to cover both CK2 and EU4 (bringing it to £90.96, more than 50% saved), but that would mean the amount of content produced a year would have to be steady, or there would have to be more advantages to it - a new icon and forum access, plus exclusive DLC and being able to enter backer-only polls that vote on what we want to see in DLC next?

All of that sounds terrible.

 

[BRK]

The long list of cosmetic and audio DLCs is definitely off-putting, IMHO. People would naturally want: a) more value for money, and b) less choice. Large DLC bundles that include ALL items under a given head or theme (say, a 'Master Portrait Pack' for CKII, as opposed to Norse portrait pack + Mongol portrait pack + a gazillion others, etc) might help. Higher conversion rate guaranteed (just ask your analytics team).

This would be a nice touch of the old school expansions model. Mix and match until you hit the sweet-spot.

 

[Don_Quigleone]

Over time the issue is only going to get worse. Theoretically Eu4 and Ck2 could be updated indefinitely without moving to a new product version (EU5 or CK3).

Given that, I think they should just roll all the old dlc into the base version. For such old dlc, if players haven't already bought, they probably never will anyway, and less dlc and hence lower upfront cost, will make it easier for new players to buy the game, without being put off by the dlc. You could also give that dlc away to established players, for good PR, Putting everyone on a equal level.

It would also enable PI to revisit broken features from older dlc (for instance for EU4 I think most of CoP's features should be redone)

 

[Invader_Canuck]

Over time the issue is only going to get worse. Theoretically Eu4 and Ck2 could be updated indefinitely without moving to a new product version (EU5 or CK3).

Given that, I think they should just roll all the old dlc into the base version. For such old dlc, if players haven't already bought, they probably never will anyway, and less dlc and hence lower upfront cost, will make it easier for new players to buy the game, without being put off by the dlc. You could also give that dlc away to established players, for good PR, Putting everyone on a equal level.

It would also enable PI to revisit broken features from older dlc (for instance for EU4 I think most of CoP's features should be redone)

They could say, create like an old DLC pack for their games. Anything over 2 years old goes into the pot. Every year, add the new DLC that crosses that 2 year threshold.

I'm a hardcore paradox supporter, but things come up in life, gaming takes a backseat and then I return to CK2 or EU4 and I look at all the DLC and I say, I don't want to buy that, and I wander off and play something else.

 

[WankoStankins]

All I can say is that I'd like some of what Paradox was smoking when they came up with the current model of two million dlc's per game.

 

[Talq]

I agree entirely just make less DLC but with more content and do not inflate the price with Low detail Sprites and ask for 1$(just selling 100 of these already means they are making a profit), CK2 even with all DLC is not worth much more than 30€.

EXPANSIONS, DLC with more value and a much more stable price will give money, more customers and better consumer confidence.

This graph can be a little bit worrisome many people predict a game crash other say it's already happening, the only way to not be affected is by installing consumer confidence and real value on your products

http://www.vgchartz.com/article/259657/average-game-on-steam-sells-an-estimated-32000-units/

Just a comment - leaving aside that chart uses 2015 which isn't finished yet, and its not clear how its been prorated, thats average sales per game, which means the large amounts of early access/self-published/mobile conversions/kickstarter and other stuff thats flooded onto steam (as per 2014) a lot of which would not be selling terribly much are pushing down the average.

Or put another way, its a great chart for alarmism, but a terrible chart otherwise, particularly for predicting the health of the industry where you would start by using total revenue & total sales.

 

[InnocentIII]

Season passes sound like a great idea.

Would people prefer a subscription. Just sign up and don't be bothered with the hassle of having to manually buy each DLC - for those that know they'll be getting every single one? subscribing might give you a discount or other special bonus?

/shams

FWIW I'd like it.

Bundles also make a lot of sense except for the fact that I rarely zoom in close enough to notice sprite packs.

 

[BrokenSky]

This is not about people who are certain to buy all the DLCs or even regular fans of paradox that follow the news, read the DDs and so on. They will buy DLCs no matter what, a season pass (don't do subscriptions for a mainly solo game, ever, it's a terrible idea), might enable you to squeeze a bit more from this target audience, but it's not really relevant IMO.

It's about the new customers that hear about the games two year laters (or old customers that returns to the game after two years)

And they see this :

This would put off anyone from buying any game. The DLC list is larger than the game description ...


This is just telling people "you're not actually buying the full game for 40€, the full game will actually cost you 145€"

Also even though there are sales quite often, the price tag of the game or its older DLCs never changed.

This is technically wrong. During summer and winter sales, generally CK2 and all the DLC will be on 75% off for one day, except for sometimes the most recently released one (if there's a new one out for example)

 

[Mikalos]

This is technically wrong. During summer and winter sales, generally CK2 and all the DLC will be on 75% off for one day, except for sometimes the most recently released one (if there's a new one out for example)

paradox games dont go on sale twice a year only you know