Game of the Year editions represent great value for money to the consumer, and a way for publishers to continue selling their games, long after launch.
These days, you can’t buy a game without hearing about the developer or publisher’s plans for downloadable content. Whether it is content already developed during the game’s development cycle, included on the disc and unlocked via a 100kb download, or a massive add-on that will see you downloading all through the night, DLC is definitely this generation’s buzz-acronym.
So, when everybody knows that a game is going to get loads of DLC, the consumer is faced with a dilemma. Do they buy the game immediately, pay premium prices for the core game, and then for every DLC pack that will subsequently be released? Or do they wait, delaying their enjoyment of the game, in the hope that all the downloadable content will be consolidated onto a future pressing of the game disc and sold for a far reduced rate?
It seems impossible to predict which games will receive GOTY editions. Titles such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion; Fallout 3; Motorstorm; Little Big Planet; Batman: Arkham Asylum; Resident Evil 5 and Modern Warfare all received GOTY editions, and featured all the paid-for DLC up to that point included on the game disc. At the same time, other games with plenty of DLC available have been looked over for GOTY editions, including: Call of Duty: World at War (three map packs); Motorstorm: Pacific Rift (two DLC packs, including more tracks); Brutal Legend (two maps packs and already in the bargain bin); Everybody’s Golf: World Tour (three extra courses, many characters and character costumes); Killzone 2 (three map packs); Valkyria Chronicles (5 mission packs as far as I know) and Guitar Hero: World Tour (imagine an edition which includes all the DLC released for this game).
If we look at the games which have received GOTY editions, they have all been highly acclaimed games, while those which haven’t been repacked with DLC have generally received lower review scores. Don’t get me wrong, they are not bad games, but just performed critically and commercially worse than their GOTY brethren.
So, aside from review scores and actual game sales, what else can be a factor in a game’s GOTY edition potential? Well, we have to look at a title’s history. Does the developer have a habit of including DLC in future releases? Oblivion and Fallout 3, both published by Bethesda, both received GOTY editions, and so it can be assumed that their future games will likely feature the same. If we take into account the amount and cost of the content; that may also give an indication of GOTY potential. Resident Evil 5’s GOTY (called the Gold Edition) includes two multi-player competitive modes, new costumes and characters for multi-player, and two new single-player episodes. Retail price for all these episodes would be approximately as much as buying the game itself, and so the Gold Edition is excellent value for money.
So, taking everything into account, what current games should we expect to be rereleased at a later stage as GOTY editions? Borderlands is the immediately obvious choice for me. Three DLC packs have been released already, and an add-on disc with two of the three has been released already too. The fact that the current game is on sale for a ridiculously low price also seems to point this way: as obviously they will want to clear current stock before bringing in the GOTY edition.
Uncharted 2 seems another likely candidate for an eventual GOTY edition. There has been fantastic DLC support, with new maps, game modes, character skins and even a prequel motion comic been made available. There is also no sign of the DLC stopping any time soon, and why would it? Being the game of the year last year, anything to continue sales momentum will be welcomed, and I’m sure fans will appreciate more content.
I think eventually Killzone 2 will receive a GOTY package, simply because of the acclaim that the game received. I hear it still has a huge following online and a GOTY edition will really revitalise sales. In much the same way, Modern Warfare 2 will almost certainly receive a GOTY release, simply due to the popularity of the game. Of course, this won’t happen anytime soon, due to the newness of the current DLC – the so called “Stimulus Package” – not to mention more DLC still in the works.
What are your thoughts on GOTY packages? Do you hate them? Love them? Let us know in the forums.
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