DLC

It's no secret that I play computer games. I certainly don't qualify as a hardcore gamer, but why would I want to? In recent years, there have been a few shifts in the financial model of games.

One of these shifts has been the sale of downloadable content (DLC). Different people have different feelings in regards to this practice. I have decided to share my view point.

The general idea of selling additional content for existing games is not really that new of a concept. In the past, this came in the form of expansion packs. The current trend is to make more content sold in smaller packages.

Personally, I like the ability to expand my games. This is especially true when the alternative is to buy more standalone games that effectively resell content that I have already purchased. That is, of course, if DLC is not used for content that should have been included in the base game, or content that adds nothing to game play, such as cosmetic items.

A lot of gamers have developed a completionist mindset. They feel that a game is incomplete unless they buy everything available for it. For these people, an aggressive DLC push can result in a lot of money being thrown at content that a full standalone game could have included. Because of this, we need to change our mindset when it comes to computer game purchases. We would be better off sticking just to the content that interests us.

There is still variability in how DLC is handled. The Sims franchise has generally embraced two types. They have expansion packs and stuff packs. Their expansions have generally been good. They include enough gameplay mechanics that they could turn these games into full-price standalone products. By treating them as expansions, they can cut the price and interact with other expansions. The stuff packs, by contrast, are primarily cosmetic and generally not worth the price being charged.

There's a game out there called Train Simulator. This is the kind of game that drives completionists nuts. There has been a lot of content developed for this game. Many are $20 focusing on a specific train on a specific route. To buy everything, it costs over $4,000. This is a good example of why people should stick to the content they want.

There is one final area that I want to cover, sports games. The traditional approach has been to update titles on a yearly basis and charge full price each time. Many people end up repurchasing these games solely to obtain updated rosters. This is a type of game that really needs DLC. If a gamer is only interested in the rosters, that is all they should have to pay for.