BioWare is on the defensive after
receiving complaints from fans that its day-one DLC, From Ashes, has
no business being sold separately at launch.
This week, BioWare confirmed that the
DLC pack, which was always planned as free content for Collector's Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition owners, will be available immediately for everyone else at
$10 (800 Microsoft Points) when Mass Effect 3 arrives on March 6 in
the US, and March 9 everywhere else. This has prompted some BioWare
forum members to accuse the studio of charging extra for content that
should have been included in the original game. Defending the move
last night via Twitter, Mass Effect's Casey Hudson explained: “On #ME3
content creators completed the game in January & moved onto the
"From Ashes" DLC, free w/ the CE or you can buy
seperately.”
In
non-Twitter talk, that means From Ashes was never part of the
original game, but always planned to be included as DLC, which was
developed after work on Mass Effect 3 was completed. Producer Mike
Gamble relayed the same information on BioWare's forums, stating,
“The
content in 'From Ashes' was developed by a separate team (after the
core game was finished) and not completed until well after the main
game went into certification.”
Gamble
added the Collector's Edition has been sold out in many locations for
some time, so BioWare believes it's being fair by making From
Ashes available for purchase for all those who would otherwise miss
out.
So
why all the hubbub over one piece of DLC? Turns out From Ashes is a
fairly significant piece of DLC (warning: spoilers). As confirmed in
Gamble's post, the add-on introduces a Prothean squad mate and a
bonus mission on Eden Prime; two elements that should be of interest
to anyone who has followed the story. In truth, From Ashes doesn't
sound essential to enjoying Mass Effect 3, but it also sounds too
important to not
be
considered part of the core game.
Let
us know what you think of BioWare's day-one DLC, and if Mass Effect 3
fans have a right to be suspicious of the studio's launch strategy.
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