If you have been gaming for the past I don’t know, 10 to 15 years, you know what DLC or Downloadable Content is. Recently we have seen developers and publishers pump out Downloadable Content for almost every single game. Whether it be the latest FPS like Call of Duty or a in-depth strategy game like Sid Meier’s Civilization. My question is, when more content too much?
Let’s start with an example. Currently, I am deep within the grasp of an FPS game called Payday 2 for PC. As of this article’s publishing, there has been 34 total pieces of DLC released for this game. Out of that 34, 9 of those were free to the Payday 2 community. Six of the 9 free pieces of DLC were playable maps and 7 of the paid DLC were playable maps for the game. The rest were essentially new weapons and customization items. Keep in mind that Payday 2 was released in the summer of 2013. Although I love the game, part of me, and a large number of people wonder if the many purchases were worth it.
Now let’s talk about a more well-known game, Call of Duty. Call of Duty was first released in Fall of 2003 for the PC. Since the birth of this well-known franchise, there has been well over 50 pieces of DLCs expanding over 11 base games, not including micro-transactions. These expansions include new maps, skins, and weapons. Maybe because of the brand recognition and triple A status, DLC is a big way to getting back what they lose in advertising.
Moving off of FPS games, let’s talk about Sid Meier’s Civilization. Civilization, or Civ for short, is a turn-based strategy game that was first released December of 1991. As of now, there has been 6 base games and 11 expansions over those same 6 games. That is a huge gap from the previous games mentioned. Could this be due to the fact that Civ is a completely different genre of game? Possibly, but the capitalist in me says “If there’s a will there’s a wallet.”
With the facts laid out, I’d like to hear your opinion. When is content too much?
