PS3 News: Bethesda Won't "Carve Out" Skyrim Content For DLC - PS3 News

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Bethesda Won't "Carve Out" Skyrim Content For DLC

The more cynical gamers often wonder: how much content is kept out of games for the sake of paid downloadable content?

Quite a few publishers and developers have been accused of this practice in the past, but Bethesda makes it plain: they won't do any such thing with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

While the team has some idea of the extra content they'll deliver, they're not about to gimp the full game. According to Bethesda PR boss Pete Hines, any "good content" they create will make it until the retail production. After admitting they leave themselves "some wriggle room" just so they don't create something "so rigid" that nothing else can be done, Hines added:

"If you are nine months out and you are still thinking of good content, then that probably goes into the game, right? We have designers and artists and content people focusing on the base product until it is done. And once it is done and they have had the chance to catch their breath, then they can look at the other things that they might do."

As he says, there's no point in planning DLC content during the development process, because what if that "extra" content would make the game better? Why not just put it in from the start? Hines finished by making a statement that should encourage gamers:

"We don't believe in carving out a little part to sell as DLC later."

Related Game(s): The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Tags: the elder scrolls v, skyrim, bethesda

7/6/2011 10:46:38 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (26 posts)

Kai200X
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 11:02:52 AM
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Good for them. I think eventually they will have some DLCs but at least they are not holding out on us like many other game developers.

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Dancemachine55
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 11:10:09 AM
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I hope all other developers and publishers hear this, cos this is the right attitude towards DLC.

DLC is extra content that is created AFTER the game is released!! Maps and guns in FPS' should not be locked out if they are on the disc!! If it is locked out, let number of hours played or level of experience unlock it, not a key code purchase on the network!!!

My respect for Bethesda just skyrocketed with this news. It was evident with Fallout 3 when the DLC hit months later that the retail version wasn't gimped, and I'm sure Skyrim will be a quality product with all the content there on the disc, ready to be accessed through playing the game, not buying unlock codes.

I hope the person who came up with the idea of unlocking content on-disc with a network code purchase (I'm looking at you Kotick!!!) will burn in hell for the biggest act of greed next to slavery!!!

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Beamboom
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 1:12:10 PM

That *is* true. The Fallout 3 expansions were true, real expansions indeed.

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bigrailer19
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 11:17:27 AM
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This is a good attitudes towards DLC. Speaking in the case of Oblivion it had expansions and I hope Bethesda focus's more on that because those are actually worth the money. I spent the money on the shivering isles expansion for Oblivion and it was the longest, most dedicated extra content I've played. So if that's any indication of the type of quality content we should receive later for Skyrim, then I'm all for it.

Also the knights of the nine quest in Oblivion which came with the PS3 version for free was really long too, not sure of a price on it but I'd pay money for that too.

They've also done a good job with the fallout DLC and expansions also making them worthy of purchase. I would much rather buy Bethesdas content than anyone else's at this point if I had to choose, because it's more than worth it.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 7/6/2011 11:21:58 AM

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PANICinc
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 2:01:50 PM

The only thing that I HATE about Bethesda's DLC packs is the fact that they always put them out FIRST on the XBOX360. That's some money grubbing idiocy that needs to stop!
Hopefully with Skyrim we won't see this insult to PS3 owners, but, as long as Micro$oft keeps pushing stacks of cash their way, I don't see the business model changing...

It makes a sad panda seeing that kind of discrimination within the gaming industry!

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bigrailer19
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 2:32:52 PM

I agree with that. It's pretty stupid for a company like Bethesda to sell out like that. I respect them as developers but it's a practice I would hope developers would get away from. I lost interest in the fallout expansions by the time they hit the PSN and didn't buy them. It was only later when I found the goty edition for $25 that I was able to play them. I then sold my original copy of fallout 3 for $15 so I didnt lose much but gained a lot.

Anyways my point is if there is a large amount of onsumers out there like me then these developers are losing a lot of potential money. It may be minuscule to the amount they receive to keep it exclusive but consumers are what drive their business, it just doesn't make sense to me. I still havnt purchased the GTA4 DLC and don't plan to for this very reason, too much time went by and different things came up that intrigued me more. Obviously I dont condone this type of thing!

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Zen_Zarab
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 11:44:38 AM
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I just hope Skyrim will come with horse armor. xD

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maxpontiac
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 11:57:03 AM
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Well considering that Skyrim will be a 200-300 hour game (according to them) DLC might not even be needed for quite awhile!

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Clamedeus
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 1:38:59 PM

And this is the game I've been waiting for 300+ hours of gameplay! WOO!

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chedison
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 1:58:25 PM

Thats what I'm excited about. I wish more developers would take this attitude. Instead of taking out content from the game to sell for more money later, why not beef up the game its self? It woul give more sales and there would be no need to charge everyone even more to get "extra" content.

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Clamedeus
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 3:09:32 PM

I know some might not like this, but I wish more developers would make 300+ Hours of game play, or even more than that. I've always wanted more and more hours into a game I don't care if it takes a year to beat that's what I'm talking about.

You might think I'm crazy but I would love a game like that!

>:)

Skyrim is definitely on my purchase list when I can get to it.

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maxpontiac
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 3:37:55 PM

Clamedeus -

I don't think you are crazy at all. Money is a lot tighter for me than it used to be, so I carefully weigh my purchase options now.

If a game cannot offer me at least 50 hours of gameplay, whether it be singleplayer or multiplayer, I will pass on buying it new. Nothing speaks low value like spending money on a game that only lasts 10 hours or less.

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Clamedeus
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 6:09:29 PM

Max, that is very true for me as well. I need to do it a lot more with my health and doctor visits and such, and not a lot of money to spare for some games.

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ch303
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 12:15:29 PM
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This is why I love Bethesda :)

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Claire C
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 9:58:22 PM

Me too! =)

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Ultimadream
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 12:32:13 PM
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I give them credit for even noting this, Developers use of of DLC is barabaric nowadays.

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PANICinc
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 12:34:20 PM
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Well good for them!
Now, if only they could make a stable game, then I'll jump for joy!
Everything I've played from Bethesda this Gen. has been glitchy and broken. They make these huge worlds for you to explore that are full of all kinds of randomness and then, bam! We get artifacting and screen tearing. I would love to play a game that doesn't randomly drop me from the plane of existence to my doom!

"I just came in that door! Why can't I turn around and leave!"

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sha4dowknight05
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 1:47:23 PM
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I hope the new engine will be used in the new Fallout game that they decide to make.

Fallout will be so much better then it normally is without any of the technical glitches it experiences ever.

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Lawless SXE
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 2:00:00 PM
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Good. This is exactly what I like to hear. Now why can't more devs take this approach, rather than offering day 1 DLC and things that should have been in the game at release rather than nickel and dime'ing us later on. *looks at Ubisoft* Eh, Imma just wait for a GotY anyway...

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Claire C
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 10:03:25 PM

Wait for the GotY edition of Skyrim? Shall I let you know periodically throughout the 12 months or so wait you'll have to endure just how awesome it is? =^.^=

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Lawless SXE
Thursday, July 07, 2011 @ 1:39:32 AM

Feel free, I don't think that it'll affect me too much, and even if it does, I'm sure the local rental store will get this one (judging by their track record though...). >.<

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Excelsior1
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 4:33:53 PM
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that is exactly how dlc should be handled. good for them. i like this guys attitude towards dlc. short games spammed with early dlc is one of the things i dislike about this gen.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 7/6/2011 4:34:24 PM

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Milonakis
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 9:51:57 PM
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well if this is anything like recent bethesda, they can keep putting things in until a week before launch which is when the start debugging.

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Lawless SXE
Thursday, July 07, 2011 @ 1:39:54 AM

+1

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Fabi
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 @ 9:54:53 PM
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I'm dying to know what Ben thinks about that PSN Pass crap they are pulling with Resistance 3.

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___________
Thursday, July 07, 2011 @ 3:43:56 AM
Reply

unlike someone.......
cough ubisoft, cough crapcom, cough $E.
now only if they learned how to freaking debug there games they would become the perfect game company!

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