Does anyone still remember the good ol’ days when you bought a new video game and you could play it with your friends on one console? The greatest part about that was you bought the full game at once. No extra packs. No updates. Just you and the game.
When did those days end? With each new console, we see the way games are structured change little by little. The idea of DLC (downloadable content) is pretty awesome if done right. If it brings new levels or extra characters to the existing game, then we’re all in! But lately it seems that when the initial game launches, you get less and less; you have to buy at least 3 DLC packs to even get close to having the full game. What changed? Why is it that now you are having to spend +$60 to play just one game?
Technology Improvements
There’s no doubt that the graphics of games have dramatically improved. This means that games have to cost more to be able to pay for the new tech and manpower needed to create them in the first place. Some games currently out there are honestly jaw-dropping, cinematic experiences. You are basically watching a movie with some gameplay in between. It’s understandable that the price of games has to go up to account for all of this. But we are still left with the problem of having “incomplete games”.
Extra or Required?
DLCs used to be advertised as extra content for the existing game. You could play more by buying different DLC packs. That’s a fantastic concept. But somehow that turned into “here’s part of the game, now buy these 4 different packs to complete it.” From a Sales standpoint, we can see the appeal in that. You’re essentially breaking up the game and selling it in chunks. But does that hurt the actual gameplay? Are players willing to buy about 4 DLC packs for each game? Gamedonia offers us another perspective on what DLC means for games.
The Future
The video game industry is constantly evolving. You have more independent development teams dabbling in the arts and releasing the games they feel players actually want to play. The current shift into games-as-a-service will change the way we see video games. One thing is for certain: the power is in the players.
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