Simply changing your perspective on things can open up whole new worlds!
There are no three letters in the English language that can cause such excitement and rage simultaneously as DLC. Over the years, downloadable content has become both our greatest asset and infuriating Achilles heel. Much like a loaded gun, in the right hands, it can do wonders. Unfortunately, we know all too well what can happen when it falls into the wrong ones. From woes such as over-priced horse armor and in-game content being sliced off and hidden until a later date, todays DLC can leave a lot to be desired.
That’s why I want to give props to those at CD Projekt Red. Many video game companies in this day and age want you to believe they’re your best friends. However, Red goes beyond just a perception, and makes efforts to earn the title. Not only are they the most outspoken critics of DRM ( a subject not unfamiliar to CheatCC readers ), but they’ve gone against the grain on more than one occasion (calling out their peers and pledging never to ship a title containing digital rights management again). But that’s not all, as CD Projekt Red also has taken a hardline against developers nickel and diming their customers to death with pointless in-game items and season passes. While these barbs would fall flat coming from a lesser-developer, Red puts their belief system into practice. Take the most recent announcement regarding plans for Witcher 3 . Not only did they just reveal 16 whopping content expansions, but they’ve declared them to be absolutely, unequivocally FREE on all platforms! They don’t draw any lines and play favorites, as they refuse to make anything exclusive to one system over another.
I know it might sound weird coming from a game journalist (who’s lower on the totem pole), but I’m so freakin’ proud of you CD! If I were your papa, I’d be tussling your hair right now, followed by a wink and an “ Ata boy ” pat on the back! This is a perfect blueprint of how to build good will amongst your consumer base and ensure brand loyalty. In fact, after reading this, I had a bit of an epiphany. Here’s what I’m thinking game developers (as I know your reading this). Now don’t laugh out loud too quickly, just hear me out. Ready? Here goes. DLC…should always…be free ! While I can almost feel the collective vitriol emitting from all four corners of the globe like a sonic boom, allow me to explain. The conventional wisdom is to divide up content in chunks which are then thrown to the yapping masses one at time (thus elongating your revenue stream beyond the early launch window). What if you instead incentivized things like pre-orders and day one purchases? Reward those who commit to the initial $59.99 with guaranteed VIP access to free content later!
By doing this, you accomplish two things. First, you can finally wipe away the stigma currently attached to DLC, and reshape it back to the positive force it was always meant to be. After all, extra content is meant to EXPAND the game, not complete a missing piece of the puzzle. Second, don’t see this as the loss of a $20 season pass holder, but rather the gain of a new full-fledged costumer (who likely would have never purchased your game otherwise). Simple math illustrates how a $20 DLC pack now converts to a $60 retail game purchase. Also, repeat business on future sequels will undoubtedly rise.
Come on game industry, give it a try. Necessity is the mother of invention, and right now it’s vitally necessary we fix the current DLC system. Pretty soon we’ll find ourselves buying game worlds containing no characters, weapons or vehicles at all!