Episode 135: For Non-Gamers — DLC

Because of the ever-connected nature of the Internet, 21st century media has the opportunity to be dynamic, iterative and fluid in real-time. Posts on social media can be edited, collaborative documents can be edited by multiple parties simultaneously and even live-stream functions have incorporated comments from the viewing audience. The ubiquity of content iteration also carries over to the world of gaming. This week, we return to our “For Non-Gamers” series and welcome Tom Loughney to discuss downloadable content (DLC) in gaming. Because of modern connectivity, developers are able to add content (including missions, costumes and bug-fixes) to games after the fixed release date. How might consumers react if book chapters were released after a book was published? In what ways does DLC represent a chance for developers to extract as much profit as they can? Would a hard rule on the deadline of a media product produce more “complete” products without the safety net that DLC can provide?