Sean Velasco, founder of Yacht Club Games, recently told Joystiq that Shovel Knight will not have any new additions or DLC after it’s finished. He stated that any additions that they make to the game will be in the form of a Shovel Knight sequel. He didn’t like the idea of DLC or any kind of payment after purchasing the game, explaining that if Mega Man were to be released today, it would have only a few bosses and charge players for additional levels. “I almost feel like the game industry has become very cynical,” he states. “Everything is so microtransactiony. Everything is, like, taking advantage of customers.”
“I don’t understand why they stopped making these types of games in the first place. I feel this is a totally valid and awesome form of entertainment. Why can’t we continue to make games that have simple controls, that are fun, and have humor and levity?”
As of this writing, Shovel Knight is closing in at its KickStarter goal of $75,000, which it has already hit. Yacht Club Games also released its list of stretch goals, which include things like an in-game music player, playable boss knights, achievements, multiplayer, and even a gender-swap mode. While it’s slightly disappointing that the possibility of these features coming to the game via DLC is out of the question, it’s kind of nice to have a game just be a single game.
Besides, given how some publishers have taken to the idea of microtransactions and DLC, I can’t say I blame Yacht Club Games for feeling this way.
