DLC, best served early?

I know that downloadable content is good business. And there ain't no business like good business. Show business is far more cutthroat than you've been lead to believe. No one wants anything to do with that stuff anymore. Not even dying people.

You can't argue with numbers, because they'll cuss you out and say things you haven't even heard before. Guitar Hero and Rock Band are living (in an odd digital way) proof that offering up a steady supply of DLC will line one's coffers quite nicely.

But times, they are a changing as someone once said. I think it was Hideo Kojima or Atsushi Inaba. Somebody had to have said it.

See, for the longest time, DLC would come after a game's release. Well after. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's first expansion pack was released a year after it's initial release on the Xbox 360 and PC. But, as time goes on that's become the exception. Downloadable content was no longer a business mechanism used to reinvigorate sales once the game's relevance began to slump. Instead, it was used to support a game from the get go. Saying support gives off the impression that DLC was primarily used positively, but any discussion with most gamers would reveal the opposite to be true. Many came to the conclusion that this quickly released DLC was not material that was picked up off the cutting room floor. Instead, many believed it was content that was purposely omitted for later sale. 

This idea became even more widespread when extra content was seeing release day and date with the retail copy of the game. Soulcalibur IV launched with extra costumes and the like on day one. It was a tiny purchase, but it's highly suspect that this was not intentional.

And today DLC progresses, some would say regresses, even further. EA's upcoming survival horror title, Dead Space, has an extra set of armour available for purchase, 4 days before its release. What makes it sting even more is that thing content is game changing, the armour provides a different experience due to its exclusive abilities.

Everyone knows of pre-ordering a game, but who's ever thought of pre-loading a game with content? Is this a way to get around the critical eyes of those disgusted with day one content? Or possibly this has been done to get money out of those who may just rent the title.

In general, I gladly support DLC. While I favour Burnout Paradise's free content packs, I'm not opposed to paying for something that deserves payment. Warhawk for the PS3 is a great example, there's been three game altering booster packs released, but there's still plenty of people and servers that don't consider them a necessity. But if this trend of insubstantial DLC continues, we'll be buying shells of games before we know it. It's like pre-purchasing a hamburger patty before the bun's eventual release, and I can't stand by it.

Comments

[Brian "sQuiz" Belida]

Word on that. The trend is a bit scary and quite annoying for the customer.

I think many companies need to re-evaluate how they handle DLC.