Where do I start on such a heavy topic?  The topic of DLC aka downloadable content, is such a tough subject to really write about.  You have two sides to argue with both having valid points.  I think Star Wars Battlefront would probably be the most relevant to this debate since it’s now at the forefront of the negative aspect of this debate with half its content being sold as 50 dollar season pass.

 

Let’s boil it down to its most basic elements anyone can understand. Single player DLC should not be the games ending on anything so pivotal to the game’s story it changes it completely.  A great example of this would be Fallout New Vegas’s single player content.  They had a good amount of content without it being necessary to enjoy the base game.

However a game that does this so terribly and at the same time so well is Mass Effect 3.  It’s extra missions are generally really well done and fairly priced.  But one really bad idea on EA’s part.  The protean DLC.  This piece of content was cut out of the main game to sell.  So much lore held behind this paid DLC that it changes the way you look at this and the previous 2 games.  However it could be worse, games like Ashura’s Wrath sold the true ending as paid DLC.

Now we look at the multiplayer aspect.  Paid content should be purely cosmetic and anything game play related should be either provided freely to prevent fracturing or withheld until they have a huge expansion.  A great example of this would be the Unreal series with its bevy of free maps and modes, and a not so great one would be most modern shooters.  If you have the new map pack you get to play with all the previous maps.  People who don’t buy the pack get fewer people to play with forcing them to either buy it, play the game with a smaller player base or just switch another game.  It’s tough to be able to make up the cost of the games you develop but at the end of the day it should never be at the expense of your customers.