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Joystiq

EEDAR: DLC to drive AAA title revenue up 10 percent by 2010

by David Hinkle on Apr 13th 2009 4:30PM

DLC can expand a game in many ways. Not only can it expand the experience offered by a title, but it can also expand your wallet, take out your money, and place it in the hands of publishers and developers. And, by 2010, EEDAR predicts that "the average AAA title should be able to earn an additional 10% in revenue by releasing additional content through digital distribution."

It's not a hard pill to swallow; DLC packs such as The Lost and Damned and Call of Duty: World at War's Map Pack 1 have been selling like virtual hotcakes, and Sony has been milking LittleBigPlanet in all the appropriate ways. Also, let's not forget about Criterion Games, the company that has been adding value consistently to its Burnout Paradise game. Of course, gamers have been complaining about paid DLC just as consistently.

Tags: call-of-duty, call-of-duty-world-at-war, digital-distribution, dlc, downloadable-content, eedar, gta-iv, lost-and-damned, rockstar, the-lost-and-damned

Reader Comments (32)

Don't forget about the Rock Band DLC juggernaut...

lets not forget Capcom, enough said

As long as it'sgood dlc, I welcome it. I like good dlc. Like Encore!

I'd rather pay $10 to extend a great game than pay $60 for a mediocre game. That said, I don't want to live in a world where publishers/devs charge us for unlock codes and the endings of games. I'm talking to you EA and Capcom.

...what game charged you for the ending after the retail disc...?

fallout3 will after the fix in the next DLC to bad it will never be fixed for the PS3

when dlc first started, it really was something that was beneficial to the gamers. extra maps, usually free, or an extra level. and they were released later after the game was on sale. Now, it seems like a game that isn't finished is released too early, and then the rest of the game is either finished and sold to you, or it is patched. NOT EVERYONE HAS ONLINE CAPABILITIES! finish your game, developers, and don't charge $10 for something that should have been included in the $60 game in the first place.

also, I hate it when developers release dlc the day of or the week of the game's actual release. if it was ready, why didn't you include it in the game?

It takes something like 2 or more weeks to print and package discs and ship them to retailers. Small features (like a new costume) can be made in that time, hence it can be available at release time, but not ready at the time the disc is made. Not to say companies don't do it on purpose, but just because it happens doesn't mean they were out to rip you off.

Extra content to prolong a game is fine. Fallout, Fable, etc all have content that adds to the game, not fills in the gaps.

Course this isn't possible on Wii so far, which doesn't help it get those AAA games any faster.

I just found out that Map Pack 1 was released for PC a few days ago, why didn't Joystiq report on that?

Anti-PC TOBIASSSSSSSSSS

wasn't it released weeks ago? they did report its release back then.

nope a few days ago i think

i know for sure it was released on consoles weeks ago because i got the pack then. and pc almost always got the dlc first. so you guys should have had it for a LONG time.

yeah... it came out march 19. late to the party much?

It was released later for PC

Why aren't TF2 and L4D mentioned at all?

Because mainly PC and Valve is good to their customers.

I was just thinking the other day that LBP has cost me well over $100 by now, and I'm really not even playing it all that much anymore. When I see DLC for a game I own, I snatch it up right away, I can't help it. Something about wanting the most complete game I can possibly have, I guess. I have to actually stop myself sometimes when new content is released for games I'm not even playing anymore or if it's something I really won't use.

This whole thing could get really dangerous for my pocketbook, and if developers oversaturate the market with expensive DLC, it just may have a huge backlash.

Offer me a few $2 costumes over time and I'm all about it. Shove $10 vehicle packs in my face every week and I'll quickly stop caring.

I agree, cheap ass stuff like Sackboy outfit's (I've gotten all the free ones n the MGS4 pack at Xmas), Home clothes etc do kinda draw you in more cos 50p is nothing, you can spend it on a chocalte bar n both are as substantial. But more expensive stuff need a bit more thinking especailly if its £8 or more for a few vehicles or 3 maps then I'd have to do a double check, especially with map's.
I'm an avid TF2 fan and they've tripled the amount of maps in that game at no charge, which also means everyone can play on all the map's. but when you playing Halo on-line and get told you can't play certain modes cos you've not shelled out for Legendary or Mythic map packs it get's annoying.
If it's substantial like The Pitt then £8+ is reasonable, especially as i can shell out more on a PC expansion.

That 10% will counterbalance the 10% or gamers who will have given up on getting a full featured title for $60 to start and will have cut back on their gaming.

DLC is getting to be almost annoying. It is one thing to charge for songs for say Rock Band, but we have been seeing $10/800 DLC that is nothing more than ONE single player level and some customes (Force Unleashed), rehashed maps from a prior game (Gears map packs), and overpriced XBLA titles, which in their own way do not help anyone out. Seriously, "TWENTY DOLLARS" and "ARCADE" do not belong in the same sentence unless you are just walking in the door of the arcade and need change...

Even the stuff I like is turning me off with DLC. After a while, new maps do not thrill me if I do not play multiplayer. And now Capcom is charging $5 for a MODE.

DLC is one thing - shorthchanging your game (Tomb Raider, PoP 2008) is another.

XBox 360 - Because sometimes you just are better off sticking with the old ways.

agreed - some dlc is great because it shows it's a genuine effort and something that never would have ended up on the disk... and then there's dlc like SFIV where you're paying to unlock character skins off the disk.

I just did some math on this topic - 10% isn't unreasonable for uber-high quality games:

http://bit.ly/17fk4c

as of now LBP plus ALL the DLC will run you $150+.....

so I'm not going to deny that its not possible for that to happen.

Hell PAIN($10) will run you close to $100 with all the Add-ons and skins....its CRAZY!!

Didn't Ace Combat 6 have like $600 of DLC in paint job's for your plane or something?

And GH and RB will have a silly amount too.

LBP may be getting milked... but it's delicious condensed milk, not nasty skim :)

Bring back the pedo-bear pic!

right now, that's what's showing up. ezio is way better than pedobear.

i just noticed i have 1300 comments on the main joystiq. when did i hit 1000? i should have celebrated...

Nobody tell Polyphony Digital. shhh!

not only is this not on topic but i am not for it
its the only way ISPs can fight the ppl stealing music and movies

hey, guess what, shitheads (publishers/developers)?
you wanna know what'll really drive revenues further?

lowering the ***ing MSRP's of your games.
just a thought...

I love DLC.. but I don't love overpriced $10 packs that should be $5 or less. Price these packs more reasonably and we'll stop bitching about it. These $60 games are turning out to be $80 or more after all the nickel and diming us. Either lower the base price of the game to $45 or cap the DLC price at $5.

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EEDAR: DLC to drive AAA title revenue up 10 percent by 2010

Reader Comments (32)

Posted: Apr 13th 2009 4:36PM (Unverified) said

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