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pokoko on 21 June 2015
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RolStoppable said:
pokoko said:

I know, I remember that.

But if you've paid for the disc ... how is that content free?  Is it not already paid for?  Isn't that one of the primary arguments against on-disc DLC?  And, if you've paid for it, is it really okay for someone else to dictate when you can access it?  

It's kind of confusing to keep all the arguments straight, especially when some people change their arguments in an arbitrary fashion.  Not saying you've done that; as you've said, you had already approved of this before-hand.

However, it is very interesting to watch attitudes change.  Not so long ago, this would have been universally condemned. 

I'll break up the four questions that you put into a single paragraph:

1+2. If we go into semantics, then Splatoon's unlocked content isn't a bonus, but merely the completion of the product you have already paid for.

3. The primary argument against on-disc DLC has always been that you get charged extra for it, so it's $60 plus whatever a publisher felt like charging on top of that. This is obviously not the case for Splatoon, so it's an entirely different situation.

4. If we once again go into semantics, games commonly dictate when you can access content. This includes forced tutorials and mindboggingly boring sections you have to go through before you get to the good parts; or having to beat the entire game on normal difficulty, because hard mode (what you actually wanted to play) is locked. Of course, this is not the exact same situation as Splatoon, but paying for a video game more often than not means that you don't get to play what you want and how you want right away. The thing that is the same across all games, including Splatoon, is that it's up to the individual to decide what is acceptable. Since Splatoon is an online multiplayer focused game, anyone who bought it already planned to play the game for several weeks, if not months. That makes the staggered release less of a problem than it would for, say, a single player game. You see opinions differ; people who play the game a lot would obviously want new content to be released at a quicker rate, but those who only play the game a few hours per week don't get burned out on the available content.

As for your closing remark, and I think this is really your key point, I refer you to answer 3. Splatoon isn't guilty of doing what other games have done in the past.

Don't get me wrong, I don't really have a problem with what Splatoon is doing, not as long as people are aware of the format.  However, I don't think content you unlock by playing is an apt comparison, as that content is unlocked by your own actions and pace, not the publisher's.

As for point 3, that's not completely true.  I've seen people upset over "free" on-disc DLC before, though I suppose it's not exactly the same, as that's generally gated off for people who buy a used copy.