The concept of DLC is an interesting and occasionally, a controversial one at times. DLC can often be a useful tool utilized by developers to add-on specific content or heavily needed patches weeks or even months after a game’s initial release. Other times however, gamers rightly question a developer’s decision to release content through DLC updates when it could have possibly been included at launch. In this sense, critics of this concept would argue that it’s nothing more than a “cash-grab” opportunity for developers to earn a few extra bucks. Combine the DLC price with the game’s original release price and you could easily find yourself paying over $100 to gain access to the full content for a particular game.
Though Microsoft and Sony tend to make the most out of the idea (regardless of whether or not that’s a good thing), Nintendo has traditionally never been a proponent of it. That may now be changing.
Satoru Iwata recently revealed that Nintendo is currently preparing a “paid item transaction system” for both the 3DS and Wii U. He and Shigeru Miyamoto claimed that they are interested in the possibility of extending the life of games through added content and other features. The system, if successfully developed, would be employed for the 3DS by the end of the year. Working out the system’s kinks for a smaller and less involved console would be both advantageous and beneficial for Nintendo should they continue to develop the idea for the Wii U and its functionality especially considering that DLC is used most prominently by third-party developers, an area Nintendo would like to improve upon with the Wii U.
Source: Andriasang
Published: Jul 31, 2011 10:10 pm