So I honestly don't like zombies very much. I will tolerate zombies, and sometimes enjoy games despite them having zombies, such as Half Life and yes, even Left 4 Dead. Played it initially mostly out of professional interest - Valve's developers commentary makes very interesting listening and the AI director is rather fascinating - but eventually had to admit it's actually a really good game, and despite not being much for brain-eaters, I was enjoying it.
 
However, when people just add zombies as a kind of nerd-shorthand for fun (with ninjas, pirates and robots being the alternative) to a game that has a great identity of its own which has nothing to do with the undead... when you add zombies to a spaghetti western... it just ruins it. It's like the developers don't even respect their own game enough to maintain its artistic integrity.
 
Somehow I am reminded of this.
 
Red Dead is not a game that needed zombies.

It's halloween and they are having fun.  You don't have to buy an non-cannon DLC pack.

Oh no a DLC made in jest that I in no way have to pay for that adds something to the game that it's cool to hate. This is atrocious and I've never experienced something similiar before.

I don't have the game, but I have to admit that it's fun when developers make something different for their games. Its the season, and it adds something different and unique to a game. It's a DLC so you obviously don't have to purchase it. But when I get the game I will, because its different and fun.

" @SethPhotopoulos:  True. If it was automatically included in the main game, that would be horrible... and it's not. Though on that note I wonder: if you did download this DLC would you be unable to thereafter uninstall it, like the (rather ugly) Golden Guns? That seems like it could be a problem. I don't know how separate they keep it from the main game, but I still think they lost something with this...  Plus it's an opportunity cost. I would've rather seen them work on some new singleplayer DLC that actually fit the setting... "

" @SethPhotopoulos:  True. If it was automatically included in the main game, that would be horrible... and it's not. Though on that note I wonder: if you did download this DLC would you be unable to thereafter uninstall it, like the (rather ugly) Golden Guns? That seems like it could be a problem. I don't know how separate they keep it from the main game, but I still think they lost something with this...  Plus it's an opportunity cost. I would've rather seen them work on some new singleplayer DLC that actually fit the setting... "

I know it's all in good fun, but I guess I just thought Red Dead was above zombie jokes. It just sort of deflates the sincerity of the whole thing.  I mean you don't see a serious tv series or book suddenly  doing a zombie episode just cause it's Halloween...
 
 I don't hate it, just think it's a little disappointing.

Spoiler alert: It was just a bit of fun and obviously its turned out well as a lot of people are enjoying it. Like Brad said, 'This is like a Halloween Simpsons episode'. Incidentally, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is not really a serious take on the West. Just like the normal RDR world is filled with jokes and inaccuracies. You are not being forced to buy the DLC anyway. Don't like it? Ignore it!

Edit: That paragraph is badly written but it serves its purpose.

Red Dead Redemption is full of jokes anyways. 
 
Also, dude, it's ROCKSTAR, the makers of GTA, not the kind of people who take everything as seriously as you seem to.

I think something can have a sense of humour and still be serious, but fair enough. Maybe what bothers me is if I tell someone who doesn't play a lot of games that they should check out this great game that's like an interactive western, they look up the site and go: "Oh, zombies..."

" So I honestly don't like zombies very much. I will tolerate zombies, and sometimes enjoy games despite them having zombies, such as Half Life and yes, even Left 4 Dead (!). Played it initially mostly out of professional interest - Valve's developers commentary makes very interesting listening and the AI director is rather fascinating - but eventually had to admit it's actually a really good game, and despite not being much for brain-eaters, I was enjoying it.
 
However, when people just add zombies as a kind of nerd-shorthand for fun (with ninjas, pirates and robots being the alternative) to a game that has a great identity of its own which has nothing to do with the undead... when you add zombies to a spaghetti western... it just ruins it. It's like the developers don't even respect their own game enough to maintain its artistic integrity.
 
Somehow I am reminded of this.  Red Dead is not a game that needed zombies. "

Zombies are awesome, and riding an undead horse is one of the best things that happened to me in RDR.