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Over the last cycle of consoles DLC has become a part of everyday life for gamers. DLC is available for most games in one form or another these days. It could be a new campaign level, new characters and weapons or a simple Texture pack.
But what if DLC is a bad thing?
Don’t get me wrong, I think increasing the longevity of a game is a fantastic idea, it keeps interest in games and can bring people back for a second play through after they have abandoned it for the next new shiny thing.
I am in two minds about DLC. As I mentioned it certainly has its benefits, but I feel it also has its drawbacks.
In an age where we spend so much money buying a console, when games are expensive and a large percentage of people will get one game a month for their "treat", we pay for our online access so we can play with our friends and if you buy a game second hand chances are you will need to buy access in order to take the experience online.
My problem is that before the game is even put to disc the developers are more than likely already working on DLC content. Personally I feel that when I buy a game I’m really only getting half of what is offered. I wouldn’t mind as much if the DLC was made after the game is launched but in most cases that’s simply not what’s happening.
I see a day when we as gamers will have to buy a game, but that disc or digital download isn’t the full game, oh no, it’s the tutorial. If you want the campaign then that’ll be extra, you want to play online? That’s extra, and if you want the extended ending….. you see where I’m going. What if you want to change your character in mass effect 5 and play as a female character…. Well that’s going to cost extra too.
I worry about the gradual lowering of expectation we as gamers are showing and when this will end. It probably won’t come to this but if DLC is produced in line with a game's main content, and it is released a month after launch then why isn’t that incorporated into the actual game. Am I the only one that feels cheated by buying a disc that only has half of the game on it? So with our £60 games, our £40 Xbox live and PlayStation Plus subscriptions, if we want the full game we now have a season pass to buy and whatever else the developers decide to bring out that’s not included.
DLC is, on paper, a brilliant idea and has been executed brilliantly with some games. Other games it feels like a blatant grab for money.
What do you think? Is DLC cash cow that developers would be stupid to ignore or do you think that the benefits of DLC far outweighs the cost?
Does DLC kill gamers trust?