Rumor: Mass Effect 2 DLC details leaked

Norwegian newspaper DagBladet is reporting DLC will likely be available day one or soon thereafter for Mass Effect 2. DagBladet says the usual items like armor and weapons will be available, but also other things, such as an unlockable planet and even a new ally by the name of Zaeed Messani, the grizzled bounty hunter pictured above. The piece also mentions an in-game store for unlocking DLC called "Cerberus Network," which sounds a lot like Dragon Age: Origins' DLC platform.

[chak_]

it's getting more than ridiculous.

I still won't buy (never bought any DLC), but seeing how this trend evolves, it seems most people don't act like I do, and I feel bad about that :(

[Government Cheese]

Huh? You mean you don't like gaming companies leaving out parts of the game so they can charge you another $15 on top of an already $60 game? You're crazy...

[BeaArthur]

Agreed, I hate DLC, especially when it comes out right after the release of the game. However for this game I will definitely pick it up. Although usually I only buy DLC when it's for multiplayer. Hopefully it will be free since they are releasing it so soon after the game releases but I won't be holding my breathe.

[OtherWhiteMeat]

If you don't like the DLC prices you could just wait a year and buy the Game Of The Year Edition.40 bucks and all the DLC included.I believe that's what Fallout 3 did.

[leila01]

WORST FVCKING CONSOLE GEN EVER! I swear I'm not paying full price for this game.

[nycredude]

Don't get me wrong as I don't condone this but seriously you don't like it don't buy it! Simple as that.

you can still enjoy the game without the dlc. It's not like you NEED the dlc to complete the game.

That would be tragic. You played 20 hours and all of a sudden the screen goes blank and it instructs you to buy dlc to continue. Sounds like something craptivision would do.

[ThanatosDMC]

Sad that some people disagreed with you. Seems they liked to be nickeled and dimed. Anyway, i love this game but those DLCs better be free. Why wasnt it included in the game? I'm shelling out $65 for this game.

Also, i learned never to purchase collectors edition or limited edition games anymore after i bought DMC4's. There was nothing great with the pack that was included it was all trash. There was those four episodes of the anime. But i downloaded that a long time ago in its perfect subbed version.

^ Fallout 3:Goty was a great buy. I saw the prices of each of those DLCs on PSN and each of them costs $10. Gotta love those guns you acquire from those places i dont use my hunting rifle anymore thanks to the weapons of those swamp people. Their double barrel shotgun seems weird though since its weaker than its stated damage by a lot.

[sack_boi]

Taking content away from a game and releasing it for full price SUCKS big time. Shame on you Bioware (Mass Effect 2), Ubi (Splinter Cell : Conviction) and Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain).

[blu_yu_away]

Sounds a lot like the Shale DLC that was available on release day for Dragon Age. If that is the case I'm guessing it be free with that included Cerberus Network card, it better be at least. As much as I love Mass Effect, I will not buy DLC like this. DLC is truly ruining games when used improperly. Things are clearly being left out of games (see Assassins Creed 2, Heavy Rain, RE5) and even further than that DLC is receiving higher priority than fixing problems in games. Just look at some of the game breaking glitches in Dragon Age. DLC is being released before essential patches.

[moneybuyseverything]

http://www.bravenewgamer.co...

Most of you will not be playing this game on either platform you're just in here talking sh*t.

[ThanatosDMC]

Shale DLC was free though. But i doubt it's because of storage limit since the Shale download was minicule. Less than 400mb? Shale is such a great tank but her def sucks.

[evrfighter]

"Don't get me wrong as I don't condone this but seriously you don't like it don't buy it! Simple as that. "

Nope I won't buy it but instead I'll voice my opinion on DLC by becoming part of a statistic that shows Bioware how much people played ME2 for free.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

The DLC if free, I know it stings but you PS3 boys will get over it.

[OtherWhiteMeat]

PS3 boys just buy on the PC.You know... the better version.

[aaronisbla]

Jason360, why so damn defensive? ps3 fanboys had nothing to do with this

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

aaronisbla yeah you did, you all came rushing in like you always do to scream "MS $$$$$" and now you have to eat your own feet :)

[aaronisbla]

@ Jason360:maybe u got me confused with someone else, i said nothing of the sort perhaps u thought i was saying im part of them.

No, but i do enjoy playing my ps3

[Rockox]

No surprises here. And I'm happy to drop MS points for more Mass Effect. I've spent far more on much less.

[Government Cheese]

Baa

[SmokeyMcBear]

people accepting this and eating this up is exactly what is wrong with the industry. Seriously, DLC day one... that means development time side by side with on disc content.. that is rediculous.

[dabri5]

While I don't like the idea of dlc being released day one. I do understand how its possible. ME2 has been done for a good amount of time. Now you may ask, then why hasn't it been released? Well that's because they then go through and iron out bugs and balance the game mechanics. Content wise, it is done. The team who works on content then starts on DLC content. It's DLC because they can't guarantee it will be ready by the time the game is released and do you really want the game delayed for another month just to get an extra hour out of it? A lot of companies including Bioware have made the compromise of, if the DLC is ready day one, then you get that DLC for free for a certain amount of time. After that time frame, then you are forced to pay for it if you want it.

[Raf1k1]

You can't say it's done and then say they're then going on and ironing out bugs and such since that isn't what you can call 'done'.

The content may be done but as far as the whole game development thing goes it's not really done as it's only done when it's 'done' if you know what I mean.

[divideby0]

totally agree regardless of game..releasing DLC on game release or shortly thereafter is just so wrong...I am amazed that some are actually for this...just blows the mind....
if the original game has enough content to last a week, you wont get to the DLC, so how anyone can be for it is just silly stupid

[dabri5]

One team can be done while another team (multiple teams in a developer)is not. For instance, the art team that creates all the 3d models and textures for a game will be done with all their work long before the game is finished. A team that designs, builds the actual content is a different team that balances that content. A good developer takes the teams with no work and gives them work. Normally by making them test to find bugs and or work on new content. I don't like the idea but as announced by bioware and stated by me, the content is free initially so whats the harm?

[FantasyStar]

The game isn't even out yet, and we're already talking DLC? OMFG....

[pippoppow]

Add-on content should be available no less than a few months after release. Releasing so soon after the full retail game is proof that content is being withheld. I wish gamers would wake up and realize how insulting Pubs/Devs can be. Fortunately for those in the industry their fanbase is mostly comprised of under 21 year old rabid gamers with little to no consumer conscience.

[Charmers]

Whilst I don't have a problem with the idea of DLC, in fact it should be welcomed if it is done right it can be a good way to extend the life of a game. I do however have a problem with this "day one" DLC, if it is day one then they should have included it in the actual game rather than try to fleece us for more cash.

This is not an acceptable trend and I won't be a part of it. I have pre-ordered Mass Effect 2 from steam (not much I can do about that now). I will enjoy the game but I won't be buying this DLC it is too much of a con job for me.

[pippoppow]

From lying about exclusivity, exclusive DLC for a multi-platform game, DLC unlocks to make available content already on the disc, day 1 DLC. Practices gamers should shun. I find some of these Devs insulting.

+ It is something how most of these greedy Devs tend to be US based.

[Raf1k1]

I agree but isn't Bioware in Canada?

[dgroundwater]

They are western, same deal.

[Darkstorn]

@6.1-
I know a handful of people in the industry, and ALL of them have said that it is the publisher's fault for mandating that developers separate content out for releases over time. My friend who's an intern at 2K Marin told me that 2K Games had the team actually remove parts of the game from the final build of Bioshock 2 to be released a month after release as DLC.
It is NOT the developer who is being greedy, it is the publisher who focuses on marketing, and that's just what this is - a marketing ploy.

[jakethesnake]

dgroundwater: Don't say Canada and the US are the same thing. Canadians define themselves primarily by what they are not (Americans) and therefore don't like being lumped together with them - even though what you say holds a lot of truth.

(Full Disclosure - I'm a proud Canadian)

[Bnet343]

Yeah right. Namco and Capcom do the same thing. RE5 multiplayer and Namco, we'll pretty much all their games are full of rip off DLC.

[pippoppow]

@ Raf1k1- Yeah Bioware is located in Canada but then I wrote "most". Clearly the DLC fever has caught on around the world.

@ Darkstorn- I would think Devs have the final say on DLC. I'm sure they can state clauses in their contract about game content they created and how it's delivered.

[Blaster_Master]

DLC shouldn't even be started on by the main dev team until after the game goes gold. This is totally uncalled for and makes me wonder if the game is worth even buying brand new right now. I could just wait and get the supposed "GOTY" addition that all games come out with and get the DLC for free. Or just buy it used from Amazon and just not worry about it at all.

[Somnipotent]

this is beyond ridiculous... release games unfinished, charge $10 more than games last gen (although with inflation and more demanding development cycles, this is somewhat forgivable), milk the consumer for DLC, and then release the game again as a GOTY edition and again charge full price. Thank you publishers and Microsoft (yes Microsoft, if you would have implemented HD DVD or higher density disc than DVD9, and incorporated a built in HDD, we would not need DLC) for bending us over and brutally raping us without lube.

[pippoppow]

360/DVD9 definitely a reason for these day 1 DLC's due to Devs wanting equal parity. Content could be added to the PS3 Blu-ray version but then it would highlight a negative of the 360 and make the 360 version even more inferior (besides sound, textures, inflated Dev cost for multiple discs).

Kind of helps fuel the "Blu-ray not needed this gen" to assist the perception the 360 is good enough as is to the PS3's detriment.

[Somnipotent]

the only problem with that is it's a 360/PC exclusive... therefore why not include it on the get go?! oh yeah, they likes the nickel and diming.

[testerg35]

Weren't the devs for Heavy Rain talking about DLC also? Isn't that on BR?

[pippoppow]

@Test- Yes there is talk of DLC already for HR which if the content could have been included is nonsense. Now I'm not saying it is always the DVD9 limitations. Sometimes it's just pure greed. But for multi-platform games It has probably been a factor.

@somin- Same goes for the advantage of PC versions being able to compress more data onto a single disc that can hold a gig of data when uncompressed.

[TenSteps]

Then I'm guessing it'll be like the Shale/Blood Dragon Armor DLC for Dragon Age and it's going to be free with ever purchase of the game where the code only works once so that EA could discourage used game sales.

I mean EA also did this with The Saboteur and it's Midnight Show DLC I think that was the name.

[GameOn]

I really do hope that is the case because I never buy DLC.

[havikzero]

That's what I was thinking. People a seriously over reacting. There is no point in complaining until we hear more details.

[RageofReaper]

Dont like it, dont buy it.

Except you will, because you know how awesome its going to be. And you'll buy the DLC, for exactly the same reason.

Im ecstatic about it personally. More Mass Effect is more then welcome here. I'll pay whatever they want, because I love it, and that money goes to more stella games and DLC from them.

[cervantes99]

Well said my friend.

More Mass Effect is a good thing and the more DLC they sell the better chance of having more games on this quality released for us gamers.

Bubble up ++

[MSpence516]

I completely agree.

Also no one said anything about Borderlands DLC, which came only a couple of weeks after release. This was being developed before the games release and no one said anything about it because it came out on both consoles.

These fanboys are the kings of hypocrisy.

[Kal1138]

It probably comes free with the Cerberus Network Card (or whatever it's called) that's available with all new copies of ME 2. They will obviously release paid DLC later on, but I believe this is the free DLC for all new copies of the game.

They're going to announced the details on what the card offers soon, so I guess we'll see then.

[BeaArthur]

Normally I would think day 1 DLC would be free but this is EA we are talking about.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

I'm buying this DLC.

[aaronisbla]

why buy it if its free for people buying the game new?

[The_Nameless_One]

I have a feeling this will be handled in the same manner as the Stone Prisoner DLC in order to make people buy new copies.

[00]

that comes with every new copy of the game, most likely to reduce the sales of used games.

[Trebius]

They already know the Xbox community is brainwashed.

They're already paying for online and all the other bullsh!t that should come for free, why not milk them dry?

If 360 had actually TRIED to be next gen and evolve past the DVD, maybe it wouldn't be so easy to nickel and dime the masses with sh!t that couldn't fit.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

No charge http://n4g.com/xbox360/News...

[cervantes99]

Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc, are very lengthy games in their own right so having DLC on launch day is not that big a deal. This is especially true if the DLC is just armor, weapons, etc.

However, if the game was only 4-5 hours and the DLC is new levels, then we truly have a problem and I agree with those above me.

I'm also not forced to buy either - but this is ME so I will :)

[monkey602]

I thought the cerberus network was the DLC that comes with the special edition

[00]

on the ME2 forum said every new copy of the game has it, standard and CE.

[monkey602]

That's better again

[divideby0]

day one DLC = can you just screw a gamer any way possible.

this is just friggin wrong, regardless of game

[jdktech2010]

I don't like the DLC content craze either BUT if it's like Shale was for DAO and intended to stop piracy and/or used game sales getting all the business then I'm ok with it....things like Warden's Keep I'm not a fan of

[aaronisbla]

yeah i loved DA:O but the Warden's keep was a complete ripoff, 7-8 dollars for like 30 minutes of additional gmaeplay. I had buyer's remorse after i realized the little amount of gameplay that was offered for the price

[Belasco]

Can we at least wait to finish the goddamn game before we have to hear about DLC?

[nutcrackr]

Dragon Age DLC must have sold well. Otherwise they'd reconsider the release schedule.

[Kal1138]

The launch day DLC is free. Details will be revealed next week. It's obviously going to be the DLC available with all new copies of the game.

http://twitter.com/biofeed/...

[VanHalen]

DLC is bad for the future of games and people that play them! Game isnt even out yet and theyre already talking about DLC? Wow, just floored at this new money making scam trend. Its just wrong and needs to stop! Never bought any dlc and never will. I encourage others to do the same and maybe this greedy trend will start to die out! Some people are crazy enough to spend an extra $10, $20, $40 and so on for dlc. Its just wrong on so many levels!