Nintendo is one of the few companies that gets DLC right

It's really funny how ass backwards Nintendo can be some times, but in other ways, they can be unusually progressive. One of these ways is DLC- Nintendo might be one of the few companies in the industry that actually does DLC right.

They don't actually do it often, at least in the traditional sense (I guess downloadable events for Pokemon and Animal Crossing may be construed as 'DLC' but that's stretching it)- to my memory, the only major instances of them doing DLC so far were Fire Emblem: Awakening, Mario Golf, New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Pikmin 3- but when they do it, they do it right.

Take New Super Mario Bros. U, for example. When Nintendo offered DLC for that game, they didn't just offer a new world or a collection of new levels, charge $10-$15, and call it a day (as is the norm, usually)- they basically redid the entire game, created what could at least be a full fledged expansion pack, and at most be passed off as a quasi-sequel... and sold it for just $20.

With Mario Kart 8, they've outdone even that value proposition.

They have announced two new (incidentally awesome) DLC packs for Mario Kart 8, each of them offering eight new tracks, four new vehicles, and three new characters and costing only $8. While that is in and of itself some insanely good pricing, the real clincher comes if you get them together.

If you get them together, you pay only $12. You pay $12 for 16 new tracks, eight new vehicles, and six new characters. Just so you know, that is roughly half the amount of content the game shipped with (and since Mario Kart 8 had the same number of tracks and characters that every previous Mario Kart game has had, we also know there was no bullshit last minute cutting and holding hostage to DLC of content). Half the amount of content of a full priced game (veritably a full fledged expansion)... being offered for $12 (and you get some free goodies too!).

Hoooly shit.

That is how you do DLC right. That right there is a value proposition for DLC that actually extends the value of the game, while adding value to it, while also not gouging the customer. Given the general trend of DLC in this industry, which is tending more and more towards microtransactions, this is absolutely amazing.

This puts Nintendo in the league of a few elite companies that actually seem to get DLC right- I'd say the other ones are Rockstar and Bethesda, who constantly get it right (arguments may be made for Bioware, Irrational, Gearbox, and Naughty Dog as well). This is something that should be acknowledged and appreciated without qualification (especially since so many of us are so eager to call Nintendo out on everything they do wrong). It's also a little amusing because a company as oblivious to the internet can get something so thoroughly 'online' so right...

I hate DLC.

I'm fine with ordinarily hating it, but when it is done like this- this much content for this little money- it's really very hard to actually hate it.

I'm definitely getting this, I think you really are getting your money's worth with this DLC.

I hardly buy DLC as well. Hardly ever. Early 2005-2006 I indulged a tiny bit. I never bought COD mappacks though. In fact, I find I'd rather wait for a GOTY edition of games to get all content, and you can even wait longer and get that GOTY edition on sale.

Plus, with GOTY editions, you get all the DLC content and it's a retail/physical copy (at least on console).

Looks like OP never heard of Valve games. Valve is the only company that get all dlc right, has gave more than Nintendo ever, and everything for FREE.

Yep. If there is one thing other companies should learn from Nintendo is how to do proper dlc. Not that locked off pay to win shit Sony has in uncharted 3 and last of us multiplayer. Or purposely make a small car count in forza 5 to try and get people to buy the rest via dlc.

...shut up

You still poor and my slave.

Yeah, I deliberately omitted Valve, because theirs isn't DLC as much as it is full fledged expansion packs and constant game updates. Which is, of course, better than DLC any given day, but this discussion is about DLC.

Read my last post about Valve. You totally wrong

Slavery is illegal in the United States. You must live in a pretty shitty country to allow slavery

Well Valve games are all DLC, free map editor, 100 new map, new weapons, new skins, new sounds and stuff like that. They just give free DLC all the time, this is why it may look like that it´s just a update, not DLC.

So far i see Valve done right, they gave all DLCs for free meanwhile other companies asks money for that. 3-4 years and Nintendo is not supporting Mario Kart 8 anymore meanwhile Valve still supports old games. Huge differences.

although technically on the console side they had to pay for DLC for L4D, and there is definitely a lack of game updates (or so I understand)

US is immigrant country and slavery country.

That Villager doesn't look as bloodthirsty. :(

Sure, Valve does post release support for games right. That's for PCs.

Now, let's discuss it on the consoles side. Who's providing as much for as little money as Nintendo?

That TLoZ pack is a rip. Remove Peach and give us Zelda!

Alright, you have any discussion about slavery, immigration, or anything, take it to OT.

Yes, if we look a whole gaming, then Winner is Valve.

I agree that this Mario Kart 8 dlc deal is amazing. This is right now one of the best DLC deals on consoles. So yeah, Nintendo is doing right with console DLC(i agree with you).

well couldn't you make the argument that those things could/should have been just included in the game? I mean it's just tracks and skins

But yes in the realm of DLC map packs it is quite good considering something like COD DLC is $15 for like 4 maps

i think you are right i dont have a wiiIU tho

Technically, you can argue that all DLC should have been in the game to begin with.

That said, Mario Kart 8 shipped with the amount of content it should have- it had the biggest character roster in the aeries (albeit the roster still somehow managed to suck), and the same number of tracks that are expected in a Mario Kart game. It also had the most kart permutations of any game in the series.

Now, the intent of DLC was, ideally, to extend the life of a game post launch with post launch support, and in that case, this is how it should be done- this is basically half as much content as you get in a full Mario Kart game, except you get it for a fifth of the price. This is an amazing (and somewhat dangerous lol) precedent here.

Outside of the fact that Nintendo is asking for money upfront, for DLC that doesn't even come out for nearly a year, they seem to be handling it well.

You don't have to pay it upfront lol, you can pay for it any time you want. You just pay for it now if you want the Yoshi and Shy Guy skins.

Then yeah, pretty good. Honestly never heard anyone complain about MK8 or its content, so I doubt many will be upset about cheap DLC.

I don't have any connections to the Nintendo Ecosystem, so I just never heard much about DLC. Heck I didn't even realize they did paid DLC

Yeah, I mean, MK8 is still pretty barebones compared to MKDS, but MKDS was ridiculous in the sheer amount of things it offered, and also a one off aberration (unfortunately). That apart, this is right in line with Mario Kart Double Dash, Mario Kart 64, or Mario Kart Wii, and more content than Mario Kart 7.

And yeah, Nintendo themselves almost never do DLC. When they do, it's like New Super Mario Bros. U- where they redid the entire game's mechanics, and offered eighty new levels for $20- or like this, where they're offering 16 new tracks, six new characters, and eight new vehicles for $12. Which is why I think that they are one of the best companies around when it comes to DLC.

of course nintendo a gaming company that does things for gamers makes the best gaming content.

the subscriptionstation and the xbonelive consoles just care about what subscriptions they can come up with, while trying to sell tv's, phones, computer software, headphones, laptops etc...

I've actually never purchased any DLC at all. This will be my first! Congrat's to Nintendo, they definitely got it right.

*edit* I lied actually, I did purchase the Fallout 3 addons on disk so that sort of counts.

That is indeed a pretty good deal. I still think it should've been free to make up for the lack of things in MK8, but this is nice nonetheless. Wait.. I got a free game with my MK8 copy.. scratch that. :P

Btw, I'm sooo gonna use Tanooki Mario..

i agree with you, when its done right DLC can prolong the lifespan of a game. and mk8 is a great game.

lets hope the solid snake dlc is true for SSB, or include him in the regular version.

I'm extremely happy about this. It's pretty much half the content of the game given at quarter the price.

"May 2015"

**** that.

If you were to get the bundle immediately, do you have to wait to use the DLC 1 or not? Cause I only read that you can use the colored yoshis and shyguys immediately

Seeing how well the DLC has been done for Mario Kart 8 gives me great hope for how it might be handled in Smash Bros. as well.

DLC Pack 1 releases in November. So you can't use it before then.

well i know that. I just mean if i were to buy the bundle, would I be able to use dlc pack 1 on the same day as people who just bought pack 1 or do I have to wait until both packs are out? (former seems obvious at first, but latter explains why it's so cheap. it'd be the catch to the offer)

Ahhh. No, you could use it as soon as it came out. In fact, as long as you leave your Wii U on standby, it will just download the DLC by itself in the background, so you won't even have to download it, you can just switch your system on in November and the DLC will all be there =)

cool. will likely have to go for this then. doubt im gonna use this wii u for too much because my tastes always been odd, but i figure I'll get maximum use out of it with what games I know I'll care about and then maybe gift it to young family when I'm done or something.

Nintendo is swinging back and forth between total bro and EA tier. Right now they are currently in the Total bro section.

Companies that get DLC right

Nintendo
Rockstar
From Software
TaleWorlds
Bethesda
Valve

Outside of me putting Mario Kart 8 on the same list as Mortal Kombat 9 (which I still want to get), Oblivion, Skyrim, and (recently as we just got this) New Vegas in preferring to pick up a complete edition if possible, I find it... kind of sad that ONLY by DLC are they adding more Nintendo characters and stages NON-Mario. This is playing catch up with their former rivals, SEGA... since 2010.

One minute, Nintendo are "too good" for DLC, that they would never sink so low as to provide game extras. The second they announce they're of course just like the rest, the fans change their opinion. All of a sudden, DLC is fine and dandy, and Nintendo are simply the best at it!

I can't get over this. Honestly listen to yourselves. There are tonnes of developers doing similar DLC. Some don't. They're no better than the rest.

The best DLC is free DLC.

@Micropixel: Of course it is, but I don't have an issue with DLC that is enhancing a truly finished game. Like the recent Dark Souls 2 DLC, which shits all over this, as well as Undead Nightmare, which is better by far than that. A few tracks and racers is merely par for the course. A campaign like Undead Nightmare with hours and hours of gameplay, taking the whole open world and changing everything so drastically, changing the story, enhancing the online, that's a standard bearer.

I know Nintendo are new to all this, but god what an overreaction.

On GT6 we get brand new tracks and cars all the time for nothing. A few months back we got a track on the moon and a moon buggy to drive it in. We then got an Ayrton Senna tribute which was gigabytes of new stuff. We get new concept cars every time I load up the game. All for free.

@charizard1605

Okay I guess its okay for Nintendo since they only release so many like one game in one franchise in one generation.

But still, Lulu is conflicted, perhaps they should call it something else. :p

Here's the best way to do DLC: don't do it.

EDIT: unless it's purely aesthetic. That's fine.

@SolidTy

Yep, Complete Editions are the best ! Its why I haven't played certain games yet... Still waiting for them to wrap things up.