PS5 Disc: Does the Complete Edition with the DLC on Disc or Code?

[bendermac]

I saw it today at the local store and I wonder if the DLC is on disc or as a code. The store employee couldn't tell me. Does anyone know?

[Xylobe]

Looks like the PS5 version is unfortunately a code.

[trusasap]

Is probably cheaper digital anyway,70% off atm.

[HusKy]

Damn, DLC voucher is a no-go for me personally. Thanks for this thread, I would have bought the disc probably.

[bendermac]

crap. oh well

[communistwookiee]

Jesus Christ. Anyone who wants to buy the physical copy is gonna want all of the  content on the disc. Publishers need to stop pulling this shit.

[Infected Elite]

18 minutes ago, communistwookiee said:

Jesus Christ. Anyone who wants to buy the physical copy is gonna want all of the  content on the disc. Publishers need to stop pulling this shit.

could always be locked on disc tho

[turniplord]

Tried explaining this to a few stubborn people on Twitter, but they wouldn't listen and resorted to ignoring what I was saying instead. Basically...

On PSN, the physical disc has to mimic the digital counterpart exactly, depending on the version that's printed. So if the disc is version 1.0, it has to be exactly the same as the digital 1.0, Nintendo and MS are different, but this is how it works with PlayStation.


On PSN right now, there are two versions for Metro Exodus on PS5, the standard and Gold edition. But, the Gold edition is essentially just the base game with the upgraded season pass (two individual DLC packs to download). So, there's technically one version of the game, the base game. This is why the physical edition contains a code for the DLC, because there isn't a version of the game which contains the base game AND both DLCs combined into one product. If there was, the DLC would be on the disc.


Why didn't they just merge the DLC into the base game and have a digital edition which mimics a real 'complete' edition on disc? Because of confusion and cost. First of all, if it was like that then the PS4 to PS5 upgrade would be more confusing on the backend, as it would need a PS5 version with no DLCs and one with both, then it would have to know if you had both DLC or not to upgrade to the right versions; Plus, what happens if you didn't have the DLC but bought it after upgrading to the PS5 edition?

This is why 505 Games decided to re-list Control on the PS4 as the Ultimate edition - which included the DLCs within the base game and not individual downloads - that way it could be mimicked on the disc and allow the physical edition to contain everything.

When CDPR wanted to include all their DLC on the disc for The Witcher 3 GOTY, they also had to create a new product on the PSN store, which wasn't a free upgrade and was sold as a new product, which also led to it getting its own new trophy list due to the DLC now being combined within the base game. 

Regarding cost, each update a publisher puts out costs them, as does listing the game. So, if they had to update things they'd have to do it multiple times as well as fix issues within two different sets of code as a 'complete' edition would technically be different to the base + Season Pass version. So it's more cost-effective and efficient to simply release it as the base + DLCs via a code.


In terms of preservation, it is a shame the disc didn't have the DLC content, but there was a reason (above) - maybe they'll release an actual combined version in the future? I doubt it but you never know. I've seen people on Twitter complain about the disc being big enough to contain the DLCS (which it is) but that's not the issue. The issue all lies with the 1:1 copy with the digital 1.0 version on PSN - If you look, you won't find any physical edition of a game that's different in any way from the digital version, even games like Wonder Boy (which came with the original game) provides the additional content via a code and not on the physical disc, simply because it's not allowed. *Also, no, the DLC content isn't locked on the disc, it's literally the base 1.0 PS5 code*

--Funny thing is, the PS5 disc at least lets you play the entire game on the PS5, you just need to download the two DLC packs. On the box version, it's literally the Xbox One code on the disc, so you have to download the entire game and DLCs if you have a Series console. That means that if Xbox Servers go offline at any point, the disc is useless unless used for the BC version. However, I can't see XBL or PSN shutting down any time soon...

Edited June 20, 2021 by turniplord

[Obscure_Ale]

3 hours ago, turniplord said:

Tried explaining this to a few stubborn people on Twitter, but they wouldn't listen and resorted to ignoring what I was saying instead. Basically...

On PSN, the physical disc has to mimic the digital counterpart exactly, depending on the version that's printed. So if the disc is version 1.0, it has to be exactly the same as the digital 1.0, Nintendo and MS are different, but this is how it works with PlayStation.


On PSN right now, there are two versions for Metro Exodus on PS5, the standard and Gold edition. But, the Gold edition is essentially just the base game with the upgraded season pass (two individual DLC packs to download). So, there's technically one version of the game, the base game. This is why the physical edition contains a code for the DLC, because there isn't a version of the game which contains the base game AND both DLCs combined into one product. If there was, the DLC would be on the disc.


Why didn't they just merge the DLC into the base game and have a digital edition which mimics a real 'complete' edition on disc? Because of confusion and cost. First of all, if it was like that then the PS4 to PS5 upgrade would be more confusing on the backend, as it would need a PS5 version with no DLCs and one with both, then it would have to know if you had both DLC or not to upgrade to the right versions; Plus, what happens if you didn't have the DLC but bought it after upgrading to the PS5 edition?

This is why 505 Games decided to re-list Control on the PS4 as the Ultimate edition - which included the DLCs within the base game and not individual downloads - that way it could be mimicked on the disc and allow the physical edition to contain everything.

When CDPR wanted to include all their DLC on the disc for The Witcher 3 GOTY, they also had to create a new product on the PSN store, which wasn't a free upgrade and was sold as a new product, which also led to it getting its own new trophy list due to the DLC now being combined within the base game. 

Regarding cost, each update a publisher puts out costs them, as does listing the game. So, if they had to update things they'd have to do it multiple times as well as fix issues within two different sets of code as a 'complete' edition would technically be different to the base + Season Pass version. So it's more cost-effective and efficient to simply release it as the base + DLCs via a code.


In terms of preservation, it is a shame the disc didn't have the DLC content, but there was a reason (above) - maybe they'll release an actual combined version in the future? I doubt it but you never know. I've seen people on Twitter complain about the disc being big enough to contain the DLCS (which it is) but that's not the issue. The issue all lies with the 1:1 copy with the digital 1.0 version on PSN - If you look, you won't find any physical edition of a game that's different in any way from the digital version, even games like Wonder Boy (which came with the original game) provides the additional content via a code and not on the physical disc, simply because it's not allowed. *Also, no, the DLC content isn't locked on the disc, it's literally the base 1.0 PS5 code*

--Funny thing is, the PS5 disc at least lets you play the entire game on the PS5, you just need to download the two DLC packs. On the box version, it's literally the Xbox One code on the disc, so you have to download the entire game and DLCs if you have a Series console. That means that if Xbox Servers go offline at any point, the disc is useless unless used for the BC version. However, I can't see XBL or PSN shutting down any time soon...

So basically Sony are still living with ancient PS3 storefront tech and need to pull their fingers out and modernise it so we can have complete games on disc.

[turniplord]

8 hours ago, Obscure_Ale said:

So basically Sony are still living with ancient PS3 storefront tech and need to pull their fingers out and modernise it so we can have complete games on disc.

It's just how the store and the process deal with things. It's like how every single PS5 game has its own trophy list instead of merging them, due to it seeing it as a 'new product' instead of the same thing.

I imagine changing the way the store works would require completely overhauling it - which I think is what they started with the new store, hence removing access to the old version, but I believe the front-end visuals are just the beginning of the backend restructure. So, things could change in the future, but probably not for a while considering they're extending access to the PS3 store because people complained about it being removed and Sony moving forward.

[da-Noob123]

On 6/20/2021 at 5:19 AM, turniplord said:

<snip>
 

Thank you for taking the time to explain that, it has been bugging me for years. I haven't always had internet so this code thing always infuriated me. Now I at least understand why and can somewhat forgive the devs.

[Property_Damage]

Wow in 2021 this is still a thing? Physical media shouldnt have to connect to the internet to work, that defeats the entire purpose

if you have a complete edition on disc but need to then plug into a network to “download” the rest of the game, thats taking a step backwards