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Why Final Fantasy’s DLC is a F#%kin’ Rip-off!

Why Final Fantasy’s DLC is a F#%kin’ Rip-off!

I’m not sure how I feel about Square Enix and Final Fantasy XV at this point. I find that I’m starting to lose faith in both of them leading up to the game’s release . This has nothing to do with the delay, mind you. I would much rather Square Enix and Hajime Tabata take their time with the game and release something polished, complete, and technically sound. The reason I’m starting to worry has more to do with the way this game is being marketed and supported.

It’s no secret that Square Enix has been spending obscene amounts of money not only on Final Fantasy XV , but on the Final Fantasy XV Universe as a whole. The game itself has been in development, in one form or another, for a decade now. The engine looks fantastic – almost too good, in fact. We’ll be lucky if the game runs at a semi-stable 30 FPS. In addition to this gorgeous epic, Square Enix has also produced a variety of side projects in order to suck us into this game world. We have a six-part anime mini series, a full-length CG movie, a spin-off mobile game, and a PlayStation VR game that nobody asked for.

All of this was seen as an investment on Square Enix’s end. We see loads of content, and they see risky investments that will hopefully yield an impressive ROI. The majority of that return will be derived from sales of FFXV itself, so you better believe SE will be looking to make as much money off of that product as it possibly can. That’s translating into some pretty scummy deals.

Remember that big to-do about the Final Fantasy XV Ultimate Collector’s Edition at Square Enix’s unveiling event? We were made to believe that this would be the ultimate way to experience the game. This was sold as the super-rare, limited-production, super-fan edition of the game. The damn thing costs $270 before taxes or shipping. Imagine our surprise when we learned that this “ultimate” edition of the game won’t even include the season pass for DLC.

And speaking of the season pass, there’s a good chance that it won’t nab you all of the DLC for Final Fantasy XV . That is the point of a season pass, right? You purchase the pass and then you’re good. You know that whatever DLC is coming down the line, you’re covered. In a recent interview with Famitsu, Tabata revealed that Square Enix is considering producing more DLC than was originally discussed. When pressed, he clarified that the additional DLC would not be included with the season pass and would be purchased separately.

Why Final Fantasy’s DLC is a F#%kin’ Rip-off!

Do these priorities seem a little mixed up to anyone else? Here we have an epic next-gen Final Fantasy – the biggest RPG from Square Enix in its history – and they’re already considering second-year DLC. The team is figuring out what else they could charge for, all while the base game sits in limbo because of performance issues. They’re already bracing us and tempering our expectations. We know that resolutions will be variable on both consoles and that frame rates won’t hold at 30 FPS. But never mind that: go watch the anime, go buy a ticket for Kingsglaive, spend $300 on the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, another $30 for the season pass, and still more on whatever else they manage to crap out.

Okay, I’m being dramatic. You see where I’m coming from, right? Let’s worry about releasing an unforgettable and stable video game first, Square. Why don’t we wait for the reviews and let players get their hands on Final Fantasy XV before we discuss additional DL, eh Tabata? Where do you guys stand on all of this? Does it seem like Square Enix is worried about the game and is trying to get as much money as possible as fast as possible? Or does it sound to you like they know that this game will be so special, and sell so well, that they can already count on demand for more content being through the roof? Let me know in the comments.

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