The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
OK... There’s a couple of questions going on here, so please, bear with me :)
---
Pretty much every popular titles comes out with an Expansion disk/ Add-On pack...
From Half-Life, Elite Force, The Sims, Diablo, Etc...
When a game publisher announces its intention to release expansion pack, you never really know what to expect... It could be a couple of extra levels, made up largely of patches, new units and creature, etc...
Some only provide features that, if included, as a DVD's extras, would leave you feeling a little cheated, whilst others provide you with almost a whole new game...
There is a fine line in expansion pack creation, between creating a decent value for money expansion which re-invigorates a released (and swiftly dating) title, and just copying downloads from the games website onto a CD and sticking it on the shelves for fifteen pounds.
There is as yet no standardisation to expansion packs, the user has no minimum expectations, which the publisher can then use to create a must own expansion.
I'm not wondering here what the best add-on ever released is (Because Ashley has a post in this forum asking exactly that question)... But what you would expect for your fifteen quid.
Do you think that the current state of Add-Ons are all, by and large, a complete waste of money. Since the game has already been coded, adding extra levels and features should be, comparatively, easy (The game engine, graphics, level creation has already been fine tuned)
Or do you think that some developers are already pretty much on the ball with Add-On development?
What do you expect should be considered standard extras in an expansion pack..? (Given that extra level wouldn’t work for all games, you might consider them to be enough for the majority, so you could stick them in as a standard)
---
Now... This is all well and good for PC owners... Who get add-on pack releases all the time...
But what about consoles? ...
Why haven’t expansion disks been released already (okay, a bit of disk swapping may be required, (although not strictly necessary) but its certainly a viable option)?
Although especially with the release of Hard-Drives, the X-Boxes being included as standard, its definitely a possible direction
Are Add-Ons going to become a standard part of the consoles software library..?
Software developers have already created downloadable levels for titles on the Dreamcast, UBiSoft have stated their intention to do the same for PS2 titles...
What’s to stop them creating Add-On CD's to extend the life of their most popular titles (until the sequel emerges)
Would you want Add-Ons on your console (especially given the varying quality of PC expansion packs)?
Do you think they would be a great new feature, or a complete waste of time?
---
Just wondered?
---
Pretty much every popular titles comes out with an Expansion disk/ Add-On pack...
From Half-Life, Elite Force, The Sims, Diablo, Etc...
When a game publisher announces its intention to release expansion pack, you never really know what to expect... It could be a couple of extra levels, made up largely of patches, new units and creature, etc...
Some only provide features that, if included, as a DVD's extras, would leave you feeling a little cheated, whilst others provide you with almost a whole new game...
There is a fine line in expansion pack creation, between creating a decent value for money expansion which re-invigorates a released (and swiftly dating) title, and just copying downloads from the games website onto a CD and sticking it on the shelves for fifteen pounds.
There is as yet no standardisation to expansion packs, the user has no minimum expectations, which the publisher can then use to create a must own expansion.
I'm not wondering here what the best add-on ever released is (Because Ashley has a post in this forum asking exactly that question)... But what you would expect for your fifteen quid.
Do you think that the current state of Add-Ons are all, by and large, a complete waste of money. Since the game has already been coded, adding extra levels and features should be, comparatively, easy (The game engine, graphics, level creation has already been fine tuned)
Or do you think that some developers are already pretty much on the ball with Add-On development?
What do you expect should be considered standard extras in an expansion pack..? (Given that extra level wouldn’t work for all games, you might consider them to be enough for the majority, so you could stick them in as a standard)
---
Now... This is all well and good for PC owners... Who get add-on pack releases all the time...
But what about consoles? ...
Why haven’t expansion disks been released already (okay, a bit of disk swapping may be required, (although not strictly necessary) but its certainly a viable option)?
Although especially with the release of Hard-Drives, the X-Boxes being included as standard, its definitely a possible direction
Are Add-Ons going to become a standard part of the consoles software library..?
Software developers have already created downloadable levels for titles on the Dreamcast, UBiSoft have stated their intention to do the same for PS2 titles...
What’s to stop them creating Add-On CD's to extend the life of their most popular titles (until the sequel emerges)
Would you want Add-Ons on your console (especially given the varying quality of PC expansion packs)?
Do you think they would be a great new feature, or a complete waste of time?
---
Just wondered?
Page:
Id expect about 50% extra games and some improvements to old features. It gan be hard to guage sometimes what is more game and what is reused but in games with levels it is a bit easier as opposed to sim games
For the work that goes into the development of an add on (consoles here) i'd personally rather have the sequel that much earlier.
The graphics on consoles improve with every game, and rather have the same game with another level, id rather have the sequel, with more levels than the add on pack would have supplied, uprated graphics and a better engine.
Given the choice of tony hawkes 1 with 4 more tracks or tony hawkes 2, its pretty obvious. Especially if th2 came out 4 months later because the team was working on the add on.
The graphics on consoles improve with every game, and rather have the same game with another level, id rather have the sequel, with more levels than the add on pack would have supplied, uprated graphics and a better engine.
Given the choice of tony hawkes 1 with 4 more tracks or tony hawkes 2, its pretty obvious. Especially if th2 came out 4 months later because the team was working on the add on.
I think with an add-on (and I don't play many PC games BTW) just an extra level or so just isn't enough. You need some features that improve the game too.
I played a demo of the Age of Empires Rise of Rome expansion before I ever played the origianl game, and found that in the original you could only create one unit from one building at atime. I found this so annoying as in the expansion you could 'queue' them so any number would be produced one after the other.
I played a demo of the Age of Empires Rise of Rome expansion before I ever played the origianl game, and found that in the original you could only create one unit from one building at atime. I found this so annoying as in the expansion you could 'queue' them so any number would be produced one after the other.
I think that the best add ons are the ones that aren't sold. The free mods you get from the 'net for games like Quake, UT, HL etc.
These add ons are made for the love of the game, by people who play the game. They're not made because publishers say "Quick! We meed some more cash! Knock up an expansion pack for Game X." Or whatever.
Some of these games have huuuuuge communities, making and creating new levels, missions, sometimes almost whole new games for some titles. Ok, you may not have the internet to get be able to get hold of these, but most PC mags put them on cover CD's, so you can get the best ones from there with out having the hassle of downloading.
One add-on that has been re-released as a stand-alone title is Half Life: Blue Shift. Originally this was going to be an extra for the DC version of HL. It was going to be included, for free, with the original HL. Why should PC owners have to pay £15 for it?
I haven't played it, but i've read some reviews which generally say that it's ok, but a bit too short. Why pay £15 for an add-on which won't last very long, when you can download (probably) better ones for free? Seems a bit of a rip off to me.....
As for consoles, well, I think Microsoft have actually been quite intelligent. How? Well, the XBox is simply an un-upgradeable PC. Therefore, it should play versions of games that are pretty similar to the PC versions. This makes me think that an add-on created for the PC version of a game, may well work on the XBox version of the game...?
If it does, then you will see add-ons for the XBox. I'm not sure exactly how you play them, i suppose it will have to be built into the game to check for any extras on the hard-drive, but that shouldn't be too difficult to do.
One thing console gamers will have to accept though, is that if they are able to download add-ons for the games, they will also be able to download patches as well.
Black and White anyone....?
These add ons are made for the love of the game, by people who play the game. They're not made because publishers say "Quick! We meed some more cash! Knock up an expansion pack for Game X." Or whatever.
Some of these games have huuuuuge communities, making and creating new levels, missions, sometimes almost whole new games for some titles. Ok, you may not have the internet to get be able to get hold of these, but most PC mags put them on cover CD's, so you can get the best ones from there with out having the hassle of downloading.
One add-on that has been re-released as a stand-alone title is Half Life: Blue Shift. Originally this was going to be an extra for the DC version of HL. It was going to be included, for free, with the original HL. Why should PC owners have to pay £15 for it?
I haven't played it, but i've read some reviews which generally say that it's ok, but a bit too short. Why pay £15 for an add-on which won't last very long, when you can download (probably) better ones for free? Seems a bit of a rip off to me.....
As for consoles, well, I think Microsoft have actually been quite intelligent. How? Well, the XBox is simply an un-upgradeable PC. Therefore, it should play versions of games that are pretty similar to the PC versions. This makes me think that an add-on created for the PC version of a game, may well work on the XBox version of the game...?
If it does, then you will see add-ons for the XBox. I'm not sure exactly how you play them, i suppose it will have to be built into the game to check for any extras on the hard-drive, but that shouldn't be too difficult to do.
One thing console gamers will have to accept though, is that if they are able to download add-ons for the games, they will also be able to download patches as well.
Black and White anyone....?
OK... There’s a couple of questions going on here, so please, bear with me :)
---
Pretty much every popular titles comes out with an Expansion disk/ Add-On pack...
From Half-Life, Elite Force, The Sims, Diablo, Etc...
When a game publisher announces its intention to release expansion pack, you never really know what to expect... It could be a couple of extra levels, made up largely of patches, new units and creature, etc...
Some only provide features that, if included, as a DVD's extras, would leave you feeling a little cheated, whilst others provide you with almost a whole new game...
There is a fine line in expansion pack creation, between creating a decent value for money expansion which re-invigorates a released (and swiftly dating) title, and just copying downloads from the games website onto a CD and sticking it on the shelves for fifteen pounds.
There is as yet no standardisation to expansion packs, the user has no minimum expectations, which the publisher can then use to create a must own expansion.
I'm not wondering here what the best add-on ever released is (Because Ashley has a post in this forum asking exactly that question)... But what you would expect for your fifteen quid.
Do you think that the current state of Add-Ons are all, by and large, a complete waste of money. Since the game has already been coded, adding extra levels and features should be, comparatively, easy (The game engine, graphics, level creation has already been fine tuned)
Or do you think that some developers are already pretty much on the ball with Add-On development?
What do you expect should be considered standard extras in an expansion pack..? (Given that extra level wouldn’t work for all games, you might consider them to be enough for the majority, so you could stick them in as a standard)
---
Now... This is all well and good for PC owners... Who get add-on pack releases all the time...
But what about consoles? ...
Why haven’t expansion disks been released already (okay, a bit of disk swapping may be required, (although not strictly necessary) but its certainly a viable option)?
Although especially with the release of Hard-Drives, the X-Boxes being included as standard, its definitely a possible direction
Are Add-Ons going to become a standard part of the consoles software library..?
Software developers have already created downloadable levels for titles on the Dreamcast, UBiSoft have stated their intention to do the same for PS2 titles...
What’s to stop them creating Add-On CD's to extend the life of their most popular titles (until the sequel emerges)
Would you want Add-Ons on your console (especially given the varying quality of PC expansion packs)?
Do you think they would be a great new feature, or a complete waste of time?
---
Just wondered?
---
Pretty much every popular titles comes out with an Expansion disk/ Add-On pack...
From Half-Life, Elite Force, The Sims, Diablo, Etc...
When a game publisher announces its intention to release expansion pack, you never really know what to expect... It could be a couple of extra levels, made up largely of patches, new units and creature, etc...
Some only provide features that, if included, as a DVD's extras, would leave you feeling a little cheated, whilst others provide you with almost a whole new game...
There is a fine line in expansion pack creation, between creating a decent value for money expansion which re-invigorates a released (and swiftly dating) title, and just copying downloads from the games website onto a CD and sticking it on the shelves for fifteen pounds.
There is as yet no standardisation to expansion packs, the user has no minimum expectations, which the publisher can then use to create a must own expansion.
I'm not wondering here what the best add-on ever released is (Because Ashley has a post in this forum asking exactly that question)... But what you would expect for your fifteen quid.
Do you think that the current state of Add-Ons are all, by and large, a complete waste of money. Since the game has already been coded, adding extra levels and features should be, comparatively, easy (The game engine, graphics, level creation has already been fine tuned)
Or do you think that some developers are already pretty much on the ball with Add-On development?
What do you expect should be considered standard extras in an expansion pack..? (Given that extra level wouldn’t work for all games, you might consider them to be enough for the majority, so you could stick them in as a standard)
---
Now... This is all well and good for PC owners... Who get add-on pack releases all the time...
But what about consoles? ...
Why haven’t expansion disks been released already (okay, a bit of disk swapping may be required, (although not strictly necessary) but its certainly a viable option)?
Although especially with the release of Hard-Drives, the X-Boxes being included as standard, its definitely a possible direction
Are Add-Ons going to become a standard part of the consoles software library..?
Software developers have already created downloadable levels for titles on the Dreamcast, UBiSoft have stated their intention to do the same for PS2 titles...
What’s to stop them creating Add-On CD's to extend the life of their most popular titles (until the sequel emerges)
Would you want Add-Ons on your console (especially given the varying quality of PC expansion packs)?
Do you think they would be a great new feature, or a complete waste of time?
---
Just wondered?
Page: