DLC and Patches? F@@k that!

Back in my day, we would insert a cartridge or disk into a game console, and viola! you played the game. I LOVE that. Games were whole and complete unto themselves, nothing more needed. That is not the case any more.

Now we have down loadable content, or DLC for many games. Now you not only pay 60 bucks or for a game, now you can pay extra money for new maps, new weapons, new outfits or what have you. A lot of people seem to enjoy doing this, and it is supposed to 'extend' the 'life' of certain games. Maybe it's just my generation, but isn't that what sequels are for? For the money one can put into DLC for one game, one might be almost be able to pay for a sequel, probably with a new story, weapons, characters, enemies, etc. But in this economy, why not throw more money into buying stuff THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE DISK ALREADY. Remember, in my day, everything was on the cartridge or disk...and stuff the developers could not fit on this game, they could put on the sequel.

And now it seems that develpers not only have money coming in from DLC, they don't even need to put money into quality control. Something screwy in the game? Fix it with a patch! I'm kind of surprised that publishers do not force players into paying for patches....although Activision will probably start doing that soon, evil empire that it is.

I admit that much of this bile comes from the fact that game consoles are now connected into the internet 24/7. My belief is that the internet on computers is a good thing; on consoles, not so much. It seems apparent game consoles connected to the web, while a necessary evolution I suppose, is just away for game developers to siphon even more money from game players' pockets. Although one could argue that for the web in general, I suppose.

Don't even get me started on how popular downloadable games have become. Topic of another blog, for sure.

Maybe DLC and patches just make my favorite hobby that much more complicated. I yearn for the simpler, less expensive and patch free times, but one does get that way when one reaches my advanced age.

What say you? Love the concept of DLC? Are patches a now necessary evil, or should they not exist at all?