6) Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – Vietnam
Of all the pricing strategies that publishers use for releasing DLC, it appears that, for whatever reason, those that hold the reins for gaming’s biggest shooters appear to have the most trouble setting an acceptable price tag.
In recent memory, the most notable example that comes to mind is EA’s handling of Star Wars Battlefront‘s extensive post-launch plans. With a season pass priced at around the $50 mark (not far off the asking price of a full game), for a shooter that was already regarded to be light on content, not even a Jedi mind trick was enough to convince potential customers they were getting good value. Activision experienced similar backlash for its handling of Modern Warfare Remastered‘s Variety map pack, a re-release of the original’s DLC that charged full price, despite it being for a ten-year-old title.
Publishers are, of course, free to charge whatever they please, but the price disparity will always raise the odd eyebrow, especially when compared to past examples, i.e. Battlefield Bad Company 2: Vietnam.
Five maps, six vehicles, fifteen new weapons and newly recorded voiceovers for the American and Vietnamese forces were all packed inside Bad Company 2‘s major add-on and branded with a $15 price tag. As a final touch of authenticity, several contemporary music tracks were thrown in, making Vietnam feel like a remarkably polished piece of content.
Now, if we can just get a Bad Company 3, DICE, that would be just dandy.
