There was a time when games would be released with hours of content, and there were no microtransactions or ten dollar DLC packs that add little to nothing to the game. We would get a full game, and sometimes a fifteen to thirty dollar expansion pack that added hours of new content for players to explore. We may be seeing a resurgence of these kinds of games with AAA developers like CD Projekt RED saying that they want DLC to become a free bonus that comes with games. Regarding the toping of DLC, Marcin Iwinski, CEO of CD Projekt RED, had this to say:
“I’d like to extend my thanks to all the gamers who played our game and gave these DLCs a try. Nothing makes a developer happier than seeing gamers have fun with what they created. I would really like to see such initiatives become an industry standard rather than an exception to the general rule, and I hope that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has set a good example.” — Marcin Iwinski
Fans of The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt have already enjoyed over fifteen FREE DLC packs which act almost as updates to the game that are added the course of months. They add content such as new quests, weapons, armors, and even alternative looks for main characters. The only DLC that players will have to pay for will be the two upcoming expansion packs for The Witcher 3, which are said to have added over 30 hours of new content
While many fans would gladly pay five dollars for this cosmetic change, they are probably glad they do not have to.
This is refreshing news as it begins to give us hope that some developers are going back toward early add-on content strategies such as the Bloodmoon and Tribunal expansions of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Bethesda got a pretty decent backlash for trying to charge fifteen dollars for horse armor in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which was pretty ridiculous. Hopefully Bethesda and other companies will learn from CD Projekt RED’s example and keep creating great games full of content.
