Difference between revisions of "Downloadable Content in Video Games"
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===Boycotts=== | ===Boycotts=== | ||
Revision as of 19:17, 30 September 2011
Contents
Downloadable Content (also known as DLC)
Downloadable Content or DLC, as it is commonly referred to in the gaming community, is a form of digital media marketed as supplemental content for video games that is optional and available separately from the game itself.
Background
User Created Content
Downloadable content for is a mix between user and developer created modifications to in-game characters, environments, and game modes. One example of user driven DLC is the creation of texture packages to improve graphics in games, such as NVextures for Deus Ex and NewVision for Fallout: New Vegas. Other content made on the user end is creating custom maps and game modes using game-specific map world editors [ halo and starcraft/warcraft], from which games like DotA [tag] and various tower defense games [tag] originated.
Developer Created Content
Developers also provide downloadable content to consumers, available separately from the original game. Developer created content tends to be new maps and game modes. Notable examples of developer provided DLC are the Call of Duty: World at War zombie map packs "Shi no Numa" and "Der Riese', the Halo 3 "Legendary" and the "Mythic" map packs, and Fallout:3 and Fallout: New Vegas DLC, which allows players to explore new areas and play more quests.
Criticism
Pricing
Although the user created content provides more variety of modifications (textures, maps, game modes), it isn't sanctioned by the developers and charging money for the work would have some copyright implications. Given the large range in the quality of user created DLC and copyright implications, user generated DLC is free.
Developer produced DLC is priced differently depending on the game type, developers, and the platform of distribution. Companies, such as Valve, releases DLC for PC games for free for unknown reasons [tag]. However, on the console ports of their games, there is a regulated pricing regimen. Other companies, such as Bioware, have equal pricing of DLC for both consoles and PCs.
Unlocking
One of the more vocal complaints from the gaming community is that DLC oftentimes isn't newly developed environments and game modes, but rather, a code that unlocks environments, items, and objects that were already available in the game. This brings up the ethical issue of making consumers who unknowningly paid for most of the game pay a little bit more to unlock the rest of it.
