Eidos: Tomb Raider DLC Episodes Exclusive

[Soldier 95B]

http://kotaku.com/5059493/eidos-reve...underworld-dlc

Lara’s latest tomb-raiding adventure will be expanded with the release of two sets of DLC exclusive to the Xbox 360, Eidos today announced. Tomb Raider: Underworld sees the lovely Lady Croft visiting Mexico, Thailand and the Mediterranean as well as getting to gripes with Norse mythology on her search for Thor’s Hammer.
The first – Beneath the Ashes - will hit Xbox Marketplace towards the end of December and continue Lara’s adventures after the main storyline of Underworld has finished. Featuring a new and exclusive area, players will be able to kill new enemies as well as uncover even more secrets.
The second pack with the even more mysterious moniker of Lara’s Shadow will be released in early 2009 and expand gameplay even more by introducing a new playable character. Lara’s Shadow …. Lara’s Shadow …. Hmm who could the new character be?

I never played the previous Tomb Raider, though I did like the demo. I just didn't have the funds to buy too many games at the time. This Underworld title looks exciting though. I like the fact that they are expanding games even further with eposidic content these days.


Anyone else excited about Tomb Raider Underworld?

[Svetlana]

It irritates me that Eidos are talking about downloadable content before the game is even released. It irritates me even more that nothing has been mentioned for the PS3.

[Carl]

Grrr why does everything have to be exclusive DLC lol. I am getting the game, but on PS3. I would love to have some DLC but i guess i can live without it

[sainraja]

Another case of "Hey, we're giving you the game but if you want the full experience you should get it on the other console!" I wonder how their PS3 development team must be feel. All they effort they put into developing the game for the PS3 yet their publishing house wants people to get the 360 version.

Ugh, I am getting really tired of every developer signing exclusive deals....I mean, it's not like they couldn't get money from both sides by releasing DLC content....that they have to do this stuff?

Microsoft most likely like is paying for it and they are fine to do that but why are multi-platform developers signing the deals? Do they not care for their consumers anymore? Do they like to "alienate" part of their user base? Why should some consumers be punished for the console they chose to go with? This is ridiculous. I was okay with missing out on GTA4 content because I don't really care for it....and I am okay with missing out on Tomb Raider's extra content as well and I am not getting Fallout 3 (was never interested in it) so don't care for that either but this seems to be looking like a trend now....which I don't think is good. I hope Prince of Persia or other multi-platform games I am interested in don't follow suit. If Prince of Persia does follow suit, that would really suck. I feel sorry for the people that are interested in the DLC content for the games already announced to have them....but ah well, what can you do?

Next thing you know, Resident Evil 5 is going to have DLC content exclusive to the 360. I hope Capcom doesn't do that because of their stance but I highly doubt it. They have went back on their word before, many times.

[Soldier 95B]

Sain...my "guess" here is that Microsoft, similar to GTAIV's DLC, is actually floating these developers funding to make this DLC. I wonder if Microsoft is going to them and saying "here is X amount of dollars to cover the cost of creating new DLC content, and you will get X amount of dollars for each DLC episode purchased".

With that thought, I assume the developers are probably limited on time, AND, most likely, Sony hasn't approached them with a similar offer.

That is all a guess. But I think about it this way. Both games are coming out for both consoles, no matter what. Everyone is getting equal game for their money. Microsoft elected to have custom content created for their version to entice fence sitters to buy their version.

[sainraja]

Sain...my "guess" here is that Microsoft, similar to GTAIV's DLC, is actually floating these developers funding to make this DLC. I wonder if Microsoft is going to them and saying "here is X amount of dollars to cover the cost of creating new DLC content, and you will get X amount of dollars for each DLC episode purchased".

With that thought, I assume the developers are probably limited on time, AND, most likely, Sony hasn't approached them with a similar offer.

That is all a guess. But I think about it this way. Both games are coming out for both consoles, no matter what. Everyone is getting equal game for their money. Microsoft elected to have custom content created for their version to entice fence sitters to buy their version.

...even if that is the case and it is becoming a trend now with some MP games, it still alienates some of the fans who may not have went with the console they are releasing the DLC content for which I don't think is right. It's good that Microsoft is trying to get DLC content for people who have a 360 but I am sure there is some sort of a clause that says the publishers can't release this DLC content for other competitors? which is why I don't understand why publishers/developers are signing up for this....do they not care?

I have not been affected by it yet (I feel bad for those who are) but if more and more developers are doing this.....its going to suck. They can give us the game but essentially they don't want us to buy it for the console without the DLC....which I think is crap. It forces some people to go with two consoles if they are planning on sticking with one. I don't have the kind of money to have two consoles and buy the same game for both and even if I bought a 360 again (I do plan on sometime), I only plan on only getting exclusives for it. I don't want to have to buy the games I already have for the PS3 again for the 360...and as most of you already know that I prefer the PS3 (I have my reasons) which is why most of my games will be bought for it.....and this DLC content thing takes that choice away..

I see your point or I see what you are trying to say but I just don't like this "new" direction most MP publishers/developers are going....oh well I suppose.

The best way to sum up my point is that I know why Microsoft would do it (fund the development or pay for exclusive content.) I don't know why MP publisher/developer would do it. At some point you have to look at your consumers on both sides....I would hope.

[Soldier 95B]

but I am sure there is some sort of a clause that says the publishers can't release this DLC content for other competitors? which is why I don't understand why publishers/developers are signing up for this....do they not care?

Well if Microsoft gave them the funding and paid them for the content...it would be almost like Microsoft Studio Game content (as my example), and it was paid for by MS, meaning it wouldn't be able to be used by anyone else (unless, say Sony wanted to pay MS royalties).

That was my example. I have no clue if that were the case for this. I am totally guessing here.

I can't see any other reason why Eidos would not want the content on the PS3...seems like it would obviously be more revenue for them.

Maybe there is some equation out there that Microsoft is selling to Eidos. Are they looking at it like...there are 14 million PS3s out there with a potential of an additional $7,500,000 in revenue in DLC episodic sales ($15 x 500,000 DLC's purchased). If say 75% of that $7.5 million is profit, that is $5.6 million dollars. MS could go in and say "here is 5.6 million dollars to make the DLC exclusive to us, plus you get your profit from the sales on the XBL Marketplace". Imagine if the XBL Marketplace gave them say, 750,000 DLC's purchased at $15 each, that is $11,250,000. Eidos would get say 75% of that, which is 8.4 million. The other 25% that MS made (11.25 million less the 8.4 million) is 2.85 million.

That is a cost of 2.75 million dollars to make it exclusive to the Xbox 360. How can MS make up that 2.75 million? I suppose in some additional console sales, which would lead to additional software sales down the road for other titles, as well as additional royalties for selling more Tomb Raider titles than they would have, had it not been exclusive. If they sold 45,833 more copies than the PS3, they will have made up their losses. Any more sold than that, would be clear profit for them, brand awareness, marketing and a larger fan base signing up for Xbox Live annual premium.

That is probably one of the most far fetched stories I have ever made up, but I would gander that Sony or MS could think of something like that.

[sainraja]

Well if Microsoft gave them the funding and paid them for the content...it would be almost like Microsoft Studio Game content (as my example), and it was paid for by MS, meaning it wouldn't be able to be used by anyone else (unless, say Sony wanted to pay MS royalties).

That was my example. I have no clue if that were the case for this. I am totally guessing here.

I can't see any other reason why Eidos would not want the content on the PS3...seems like it would obviously be more revenue for them.

Maybe there is some equation out there that Microsoft is selling to Eidos. Are they looking at it like...there are 14 million PS3s out there with a potential of an additional $7,500,000 in revenue in DLC episodic sales ($15 x 500,000 DLC's purchased). If say 75% of that $7.5 million is profit, that is $5.6 million dollars. MS could go in and say "here is 5.6 million dollars to make the DLC exclusive to us, plus you get your profit from the sales on the XBL Marketplace". Imagine if the XBL Marketplace gave them say, 750,000 DLC's purchased at $15 each, that is $11,250,000. Eidos would get say 75% of that, which is 8.4 million. The other 25% that MS made (11.25 million less the 8.4 million) is 2.85 million.

That is a cost of 2.75 million dollars to make it exclusive to the Xbox 360. How can MS make up that 2.75 million? I suppose in some additional console sales, which would lead to additional software sales down the road for other titles, as well as additional royalties for selling more Tomb Raider titles than they would have, had it not been exclusive. If they sold 45,833 more copies than the PS3, they will have made up their losses. Any more sold than that, would be clear profit for them, brand awareness, marketing and a larger fan base signing up for Xbox Live annual premium.

That is probably one of the most far fetched stories I have ever made up, but I would gander that Sony or MS could think of something like that.

You're probably not far off from what actually happened....and that certainly explains things a little but I don't really like this new trend.....I guess I just have get used to it and it's not like I haven't bought two copies of the same game I like across platforms before. =/ Games that didn't have any extra content based on platform so I guess if the content is really worth having I could do the same.....but like I said it really does take your choice away....ofcourse it all depends on the content in the first place...

[ahsaan786]

i dont are too much about the dlc, altho it wud be nice, will be getting the game on ps3 neway...

[BluShock]

Tomb Raider is my favourite game series, so obviously I'm very disappointed I won't get the chance to play this extra content.

[EyeSight]

DLC is pissing me off. games are expensive enough already without having to buy small add ons. i know you don't have to buy them but it's just a slap in the face to those who buy games full price expecting to get the full package

[coolguy]

that's great that the 360 verison will some some DLC. and yes people are still hyped about the GTA DLC..
they are not really talking about it yet

[Soldier 95B]

Now that this is extending the life of this game even more, I am sure I will buy it. I am glad they release this DLC on top of the full games instead of giving us less content.

Thank god for the 120gb HDD

[REFLEX]

Exclusive content for DL is not a bad idea all the time this generation, but exclusive content hurts your game owners, why on earth would you want to do that? I'd say the same thing if it were exclusive to the PS3. I think its a bad idea, and shows that the game developers don't truly care about the people that buy their games. No respect.

[Outrage]

Well this certainly seals the deal for me. I was on the fence for quite some time on which version to buy.

On the subject of DLC, I don't think it's such a bad thing. If anything, it encourages gamers to keep their games, instead of simply trading them back in to Gamestop. The reselling of software is one of the biggest problems in the industry today because it kills publisher/developer profits.

[REFLEX]

Its not DLC that I hate, its exclusive DLC, for any platform.. PS3 or 360, it needs to stop.

[Byoushinn]

So
Exclusive DLC for the 360
Demo for the 360
Achievements for the 360

No DLC for PS3
NO Demo for the PS3
No trophies for the PS3

EPIC ****ING FAIL Eidos
No buy.

[maltrophstitan]

Its not DLC that I hate, its exclusive DLC, for any platform.. PS3 or 360, it needs to stop.

Its not that Edios doesn't want to make dlc for ps3, its Microsoft going to publishers and asking them to give there customers the option for more of what they like.
I don't see exclusive dlc as a problem, i can see it being a problem for people that want it and either can't have it or don't want to do what it takes to get it.
it would be a bigger problem if each version had different dlc content because then you would have to buy the game for the dlc for each platform.

[REFLEX]

Exclusive content is NEGATIVE for gamers. Just because a certain chunk of them can get the content, based on what console the own, means the other chunk can't. So how is that positive for gamers? Its not at all. Which is why it makes me angry. Give both systems DLC, and be a friend of the gamer.

[Byoushinn]

when one version has upto SIX HOURS exclusive content, it's pretty clear which one is the gimped one
and when they ain't even giving us a demo for the gimped one, they're gonna lose a lot of sales/ and so they should.

[Naxi]

It's just an extra effort from microsoft to please their fanbase.Without their funding there wouldn't be DLC and i doubt MS would want to fund the ps3 version also or invest into something and let the competition get it for free. The game still gives you the full experience, DLC is just something extra for 360 owners.I don't get how this exactly hurts gamers.

[Metfanant]

It's just an extra effort from microsoft to please their fanbase.Without their funding there wouldn't be DLC. The game still gives you the full experience, DLC is just something extra for 360 owners.I don't get how this exactly hurts gamers.

i want some of the kool-aid that you are drinking...

MS doesn't care about you or ANY other gamers...they just care about their fat bank accounts...this is not an effort to please anyone...its an effort to shut out the other platforms and convince you to buy the game on their system....

where is ANY proof that this DLC could not have been made without MS funding? where is there proof that MS money is even going towards the funding of this game??....both games DO NOT give the full experience...there is more to the story that only 360 owners can experience now...thats udder nonsense...it hurts gamers that are fans of the series but happen to own a PS3 and not a 360...thats how it hurts gamers...

[bluvi69]

great news, for xbox 360 owner

- Fallout , DLC exclusive
- TRU, DLC exclusive

next maybe mirror edge ?

[Acid Snake]

Exclusive content is NEGATIVE for gamers. Just because a certain chunk of them can get the content, based on what console the own, means the other chunk can't. So how is that positive for gamers? Its not at all. Which is why it makes me angry. Give both systems DLC, and be a friend of the gamer.

Negative? How so? I doubt that Eidos is going to give DLC to both consoles freely anyway. I don't think the whole exclusive DLC thing is going to change anytime soon either. Ms decided to pay for it to get more sales and Sony didn't. End of story.

[Metfanant]

Negative? How so? I doubt that Eidos is going to give DLC to both consoles freely anyway. I don't think the whole exclusive DLC thing is going to change anytime soon either. Ms decided to pay for it to get more sales and Sony didn't. End of story.

its negative because it alienates your customers...its negative because its a predatory business tactic by MS to push sales to their console by opening up the check book...its said that a business that is supposed to be about enjoyment and having fun is being ruined by greedy corporate thugs...

and as REFLEX said, this is not a MS or Sony issue...it would be the same thing if Sony was buying up exclusive content...its just flat out not good for the industry...