But Wait...There's More!

A discussion about Downloadable Content

Have you ever spent extra money on something you enjoyed? Maybe you went and saw a movie more than once in the theaters. Maybe you bought a T-shirt at a concert. Whatever the case may be, it can be tempting to spend a few extra dollars to get the full experience out of something that interests you. The same principle is true for video games and the most common way that developers make extra money is through downloadable content ( hereby referred to as DLC). The first example of DLC happened in 1997 for the game Total Annihilation. Since then, it has become a staple of the gaming industry.

The most common types of DLC are often additional missions or cosmetic items. Additional levels seem the obvious choice for most DLC packages. If you enjoyed the main game, why not spend even more time in this world? Cosmetic items are a popular choice because they usually don't tend to cause much uproar. Most people don't feel as though they're missing content if they don't have every single outfit or gear choice available. Cosmetic items are usually a safe bet for multiplayer games. Imagine losing every match because someone else had five extra dollars to spend and came away where they overpowered character or piece of weaponry.

Marvel's Spider-Man chose to add additional story missions in a three episode package

An important thing to remember is that DLC is made for die-hard fans. That's not to say that it's limited to those individuals, But the people who share a deep love of this specific game or intellectual property the game is based on are likely going to get more enjoyment out of it than the average player. Those people are the ones who would be willing to invest extra money after making the initial purchase. An example of this would be Hogwarts Legacy, the Harry Potter RPG that released earlier this year. For an extra cost, fans could purchase cosmetic items related to the wizarding world. Most of the items provide no in game advantages but since a large part of the game is character customization, it was a chance for lifelong fans to experience even more that the game had to offer. Hogwarts Legacy also offered a specialized DLC known as a pre-order bonus.

Everything included in the DLC package for Hogwarts Legacy. The pre-order bonus contained a special potion recipe and a different magical creature.

Pre-order bonuses are a limited type of DLC that is only available before the game’s official release. This is a marketing strategy that has become very prominent with most AAA titles. Most pre-order bonuses consist of cosmetic items or digital expansions such as a soundtrack download or artbook download. The strange thing about pre-order bonuses is that they usually don't appeal to the vast majority of individuals. Other types of DLC might be purchased later if someone gives the game a try and enjoys it. Pre-order bonuses have an expiration date. If you're not sold on the game before launch, why would additional cosmetic items hold any sway? Most people who are going to be enticed by the pre-order bonuses were already planning on buying the game.

An interesting subversion to the rule was Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a single player Star Wars adventure that was released in 2019. About a year after release, an update was added to the game that included all of the downloadable content and preorder bonuses free of charge. The studio was able to make money off the initial purchases and then allowed all players to enjoy every piece of content.

Both Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel Jedi: Survivor offered specific cosmetic items as pre-order bonuses.

All this isn't to say that there aren't some problems with the concept of DLC. Sometimes gamers can be cheated out of content because developers want to lock it behind a paywall. Other times, developers charge outrageous prices for simple cosmetic items. It can be difficult to equate the value of content with the price being charged. Ultimately, pre-order bonuses and DLC are going to hold different values to different people.

It's become very apparent that DLC isn't going anywhere any time soon, especially in this digital age. Although they aren't all necessary, ultimately the decision falls on the consumer.

This post was written by Vanessa Hart, creator of Deep Dive Gaming