As you'd expect from its name, the Level Skipper DLC forBeatshapers' downloadable PS Vita and PlayStation 3 game StarDrone Extreme allows players to skip levels in the portable game. What'snotable, however, is that the DLC costs a one-time payment of $0.99to unlock in the first place. Following complaints from both the press and players alike, thedevelopment studio and Sony came to a decision to make the DLC packfree from today onwards. "We would like to update that we together with [Sony ComputerEntertainment Europe] made the controversial StarDrone Extreme Level Skipper DLC completely free," said Beatshapers founderAlexey Menshikov.
"Sometimes we make wrong decisions and would like to apologize forthat," he continued, before later adding, "I apologize again." Some gamers and developers will be rather confused as to what allthe fuss is about. After all, casual and mobile games have beenincluding these sort of "pay to get further" options for a longwhile. A prime example is Angry Birds ' Mighty Eagle -- a paid feature which allows players to skip alevel every hour (although there is added value when it comes tothis feature, as it essentially adds an extra feather-collectingmode too). And certainly players in Asian markets expect to be ableto pay for advantages.
I was one of the people who complained about StarDrone 's DLC, going as far as to say I wouldn't recommend the game based on this move alone. My logicis as follows: if I've paid money for a game, I shouldn't have tothen pay extra money on top of that if I get stuck due to a game'sdifficulty curve. The argument against this, of course, is that if I don't want topay for the DLC, then I simply shouldn't, and it's only there as anoption for those people who don't have as much spare time on theirhands, and want to zoom through the game more quickly. To that I say: surely this DLC should just be a feature of the gamein the first place? I paid money for the entire game, not for thepart that I'm capable of reaching.
I shouldn't have to top-up mypayment if it turns out that the game is too difficult for me. Essentially, by offering a paid level-skipping feature, you'reasking less-skilled players to pay more than those who are able tobeat your game unaided. Surely it's obvious that there's somethingvery wrong with that? Now, offering players the ability to pay to speed-up the process ofwinning -- for example, giving double XP if you pay a premium price-- is an entirely different angle altogether, and sits much betterwith me (I still wouldn't utilize it, but I respect that there arepeople who would want to). Having said all this, there are clearly people who don't agree withme at all.
After I joked about a similar system being added tohard-as-nails Xbox Live Arcade title Trials Evolution , in which you'd have to pay to unlock medals on the levels youcan't pass (no, the game doesn't really offer this), Gamasutra'sown Simon Carless admitted that he would "probably pay for it" ifthis option was available. The real question is, is this sort of in-app purchase really a stepin a direction we want to take? I hope not -- can you imagine ascenario in which developers are purposely making the latter levelsof their games as taxing and frustrating as possible, simply sothat you'll throw more money at them?. I am a professional writer from Furniture & Furnishings, which contains a great deal of information about wooden gun cabinet , wood gun cabinets, welcome to visit!
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