BA5 Contextual Studies #05

What Does DLC Offer Players? 

One of the biggest draws and positive effects of DLC is the ability to give players extra hours worth of content! I mean, who can say no to that? If you put the money issues aside DLC can actually begin to make sense.

I mentioned previously that 10-15 years ago, people would play through their games, finish them and that was it. There wasn’t an option to get any extra content for your game. Once the story was over you wouldn’t get anymore no matter how much you loved it. The only way to get more was to wait for a sequel or possibly expansion pack but these, at the time, were large games in themselves and not churned out like DLC is today.

So, anyway, I will still be addressing the positive and negative implications of story DLC (even though I personally think that it’s *generally* a good thing). Lets start with the Positive! :D  

One of my favourite games is Fallout 3, I absolutely love it. When I heard about the story DLC expansions I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to plunge more hours into that game and have new areas to explore and play with. This is why, in my opinion, DLC is a good thing and the way Bethesda put it into the game was good.

Players bought the game, put the hours in, and just when they wanted more or were starting to run out of gameplay BAM! Bethesda release  five additional add-on campaigns for fans to get stuck into. These five add-ons were: 

OPERATION: ANCHORAGE

 

THE PITT

   

BROKEN STEEL 

  

POINT LOOKOUT

 

MOTHERSHIP ZETA 

    

Each DLC added hours upon hours more gameplay for fans as well as new trophies/achievements, loot, gear and quest lines.  The story continues but it’s not crucial for the player to purchase and play them which is good. Whist Operation Anchorage takes the ending to the game and alters it depending on how the player plays but, as there is no sequel to Fallout 3, it doesn’t *really* matter if the player chooses to buy it. 

Another good example of story DLC within a franchise can be seen in Borderlands 2.      

Gearbox Software offered players the option to purchase the “Premiere Club” which would give them future DLC free/discounted. These future DLC’s were released to players shortly after the games release giving them time to actually play the game and be left wanting more. Examples of the DLC offered are:  

  

MR. TORGUE 

   

MECHROMANCER

    

Of course these DLC packs are fantastic, they add replay ability so that players feel they can jump back into or continue the game. Personally, even though they cost money, I think t hey are good. Id rather pay £15 for extra  campaign content than 50p (over and over) for new costumes and little small bits and pieces which are supposed to tempt me into spending more money.