Downloadable Content: A Blessing or a Curse?

Downloadable Content (DLC) has become all the rage for publishers and developers recently as a means of adding content to games after release either free or for purchase. This blog post will dive into whether DLC is a detriment or welcomed part of the video games we all love along with the positive and negative sides of DLC.

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As a gamer once you finish the main story campaign or spend countless hours on multiplayer you will find yourself tired of the experience being presented to you and want something new. Without DLC there are two options, either wait for the next release of the franchise or buy a different game.

Here are some of DLC’s positive points in regards to that problem.

1. Story/Single Player DLC – Why wait for the next iteration of your favorite franchise in 2 years when developers can give you additional missions or storylines to play between the gaps? DLC like this should be released over the span of the gap between the games and tie the two together and be a transition piece like Mass Effect 2’s Arrival DLC. The players get short but enjoyable tid-bits of their favorite game and the developers gain a slight boost in revenue between games. Developers can even go further and release full-fledged expansions to games that feel like their own separate game in their own way.

2. Multiplayer DLC – Every multiplayer game out there grows old over time. There is only so much excitement a player can have playing the same maps and using the same weapons match after match. Additional content whether it be maps, ranks, weapons, etc. through DLC(paid or free) for the most part is a good thing if done right and can prolong the life of a game’s multiplayer which helps both DLC buyers and those just picking the game up. Releasing multiplayer DLC shortly after release however is not a good common practice.

3. Free DLC – Everyone loves free stuff right? Developers that release free DLC such as CD Projekt(makers of The Witcher games) improve upon their games and even release free additional content after releasing a game. It might not sound like a great business practice at first, but in the eyes of those who buy your games it will have a beneficial lasting effect. Personally I am much more likely to recommend a game with superb support and a company that appreciates their customers over a company that nickel and dimes their customers for content.

4. Innovation – DLC can take a game in a direction that wouldn’t normally be attempted in a full fledged retail game. Whether this means adding some light-hearted and funny parts that surprises a player in DLC for a gritty hardcore game, simple bonus mini-games, Easter eggs, or game play changes. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Mass Effect 2’s DLC is a fitting example. Overlord, Firewalker, Normandy Crash Site, Arrival, and Lair of the Shadow Broker all tweaked the Mass Effect game play/story formula around and provided different experiences in game play while playing through them.

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On the other hand there are cases were DLC isn’t accepted with open hands by the game’s community. Price, timing, and quality all matter and sometimes it isn’t a good option to release DLC for a game.

Here are some negative points in terms of DLC.

1. On-Disc DLC – Some games release a game with locked content already on the purchased disc that requires the now owner of that disc to spend more money to unlock the contents. In no way is this positive thing for the video game industry other than publishers/developers looking to make a quick buck at the expense of their customers. Any content released on a disc or download for a game that is purchased should be unlocked and playable. Practices like this just anger consumers and makes people hate DLC.

2. DLC close to release date – This is slightly better than on-disc locked DLC however is still an abused practice that should come to an end. Any content that is being developed before the release of a game or content cut from the game should not be packaged up, labeled as “DLC”, and thrown out there within a month of a game’s release date. It just shows that the developers/publishers were either to lazy or greedy to put the content in the released game.

3. Unneeded DLC – DLC that is simply created “just because” always is a puzzle as to what were the developers thinking? Things such as horse armor in ES: Oblivion or character skins in Dead Space or Red Dead Redemption are blasphemy. That type of DLC should be small added Easter eggs or left out all together if they plan on charging for it.

4. Over Priced Content – DLC should remain in the $5-$10 price range unless if it is a full-fledged expansion to a game. Charging over $10 for something like 3-5 multiplayer maps is simply greedy; hell to me charging over $8 is greedy. It’s not like the developers have to build and entire game from scratch, they are simply going in and producing a small add-on (remember there is a different between normal DLC and an expansion) or map which takes much less resources.

5. Re-Re-Releasing the Same Bull**** - Games that release “classic” content such as a map like Desert Glory in Socom Confrontation or Overgrown in Call of Duty: MW2 usually either mess that legendary classic map/content up or just cut and paste it onto the new engine. There is a difference between bringing back a classic moment and simply a copy and paste job; just see Killzone 2’s Beach Head and Southern Hill DLC maps now that’s how you re-release content.

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Overall I enjoy most DLC and feel like it is a good aspect to gaming now that it can easily be distributed over the internet. However DLC lately has been turning less into extra content that is widely enjoyed by gamers and instead being twisted into a sour subject where DLC is already on a game’s disc, released right after release date, or simply is a pile a junk. I hope that DLC as a whole turns back away from the dark and gloomy road it is now barreling down on and turns back into worthwhile content that isn’t purely made to suck more money out of gamers.

Have your own opinion on how DLC should be?

And do you think DLC is a good thing or a bad thing in its current state?

Feel free to share below.