Outrage as Bioshock 2 publisher 2K Games charges extra for content already on install discs

 

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Posted on 12 Mar 2010 at 15:52

Bioshock 2 players who recently bought the new "Sinclair Solutions Test Pack" DLC (downloadable content), supposedly an update to the original game, were surprised to find that the download was only 24KB in size, which means that the "new" content they've paid for was on the original discs all along. The update costs 400 Microsoft points, or about £4, from the Xbox Live Marketplace or Games for Windows Live Marketplace.

Bioshock 2 is a first-person shooter set in an undersea dystopia in the 1960's, and is the sequel to the highly acclaimed Bioshock which was released in 2007. The game has both a plot-driven single-player game and multiplayer aspect, which uses Microsoft's match-making service to connect players.

The update adds new playable characters for the multiplayer section of the game, and lets players increase their rank to 50. It also adds a set of weapon upgrades and items, and 20 new "trials" for players to undertake. Trials are challenges which, once completed, unlock new items for the player.

Members of publisher 2K Games' forums were outraged by the discovery. "I hereby retract my prior rabid support for 2K and their DLC model," said one long-time member. "I was suckered into believing that this was actually going to contain some legitimate content that was not in existence prior to the release. There's no excuse for charging money to 'unlock' content that already existed on the disc."

A UK spokesman for 2K Games told us that the company was aware of the issue and would have an official statement on Monday, as it had to be approved by 2K's head office in the US.

However, 2K's forum community manager had this to say: "The way our engine and game structure works is that people need to have the exact same content for people to play together. One of the challenges with post launch content for MP is that it can split the player base, and we want to avoid that whenever possible. For this content, creating the DLC package the way we did allowed for us to not split the player base – so whether you purchase the new content or not, you can still play with your friends."

Author: Barry de la Rosa