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Home , Downloadable content, Expansion pack

Portfolio Project 6

Designing Downloadable Content

About DLC and UGC

Introduction

During the start of the 20th century, video games especially triple-A titles have been at the centre of the creative and entertainment industry mostly due to the that fact that games technologies have become more powerful and accessible than ever before. As these new technologies emerged, became even better, larger and astonishing than ever before. In addition, the benefits of the has made it even easier to attain them as they are now vastly publicized and digitally shipped on a massive scale throughout the world. Playing video games has never been this good. The industry today is generating large numbers because todays games are well managed and developed with the best graphics, sounds, mechanics and narratives that amazingly overwhelms our gaming experience. There’s just too much greatness to consume out of video games, which is why many developers that aspire to get people to play their games have taken this incentive of providing more to the players by adding or increasing their game contents via Downloadable Contents (DLC) and User Generated Contents (UGC).

These are two example of why the games industry has flourish throughout the years because it allows consumers to get more out of the games provided by developers. These two are understood to have a huge impact in today’s video games market that developers use t maximise their income by providing a lot more to consumers

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Downloadable Content (DLC)

DLC is certainly the most common method used by developers to provide more to their consumers. They are highly popular and frequently published for video games especially triple-A titles. They are built as extension or add-on to games, mainly comprised with new missions, maps, weapons, characters, themes, avatars, soundtracks and many different features used to accompany the already released games. They are not released as a retail expansion pack but distributed through the internet and consoles networks like , Live and PlayStation network (PSN).

Destiny Exclusive Playstation 4 DLC

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The contents of every DLC always depend on the type and nature of each game. For example, The Crew : Extreme Car Pack DLC

The Crew: Extreme Car Pack gives you access to 3 cars: Whereas the first Call of Duty Advanced Warfare DLC called “Havoc” came with four multiplayer maps, an Exo Zombies co-op map and a bonus weapon. - A Fiat Abarth 500 - Four new Multiplayer Maps, called Sideshow, Core, Drift and Urban - An Aston Martin V12 Zagato - An Exo Zombies mode called CEL-3 Cauterizer - An SRT Viper GTS - One Exo Zombies co-op Map called Outbreak 3 - One bonus multiplayer weapon called AE4

Portfolio Project 6

As shown above, the contents of every DLC differ because of the type of game or genre. These Downloadable Contents are generally used to support games and designed specifically for a game, whereby an additional story or mission may come in the form of DLC in Assassins creed Unity because it’s an adventure game that allows you to play campaign missions. However, a “Song Pack” which includes new songs or albums can come in form of downloadable content in SingStar because the game is simply based on music and rhythm. One of main reasons why downloadable contents have flourish throughout the years is because they can be downloaded easily and acquired for free. Furthermore they are considered a huge part in the marketing aspect of games because publishers are selling them in different ways, from season passes, to expansion packs or pre order packs and others bundle, some at discount prices as well. These DLC like season passes are constructed to allow players to access all the downloadable contents of a particular game, but on occasions, some of these DLC are not immediately available upon a games release and some are often unavailable to download after being promoted and offered for sale.

Assassins Creed Unity Season Pass 4 Portfolio Project 6

Assassin’s creed Unity Season pass is a great example of how downloadable contents are provided as a bundle, the DLCs for Assassins Creed Unity was available since the November release of the game. It’s comprised with three new additional single player missions, one new single player campaign called Dead Kings, one extra downloadable game called Assassins Creed Chronicles China and many equipment’s, weapons, gears and customisation items. This is a good example of a premium season pass bundle, which is very common among big triple-A developers, which in this case is Ubisoft. They have the ability add so much to an already released game to keep you playing for very long. Let alone providing it cheaper rather than buying all of these contents separately.

To have a better understanding, downloadable contents are comprised with multiple features of a game that would enhance your gaming experience and get you to enjoy the game even further. These contents allow you to play and utilise extra elements that was otherwise left off or missing from the already released game. They are mainly provided to add elements in single player modes, multiplayer modes or co-op modes and they vary from maps, locations, characters, missions, side quests, weapons, gears and other features that will get you more accustomed to a game. These in-turn makes a game more durable and enjoyable while increasing the life time value of the game.

Evolve: Moster Exterminator Pack Pre Order DLC Evolve: Moster Expansion Pack Pre Order DLC 5 Portfolio Project 6

The important things to remember about Downloadable contents are: XBOX Live icon - They are additional or extra contents for a particular game,

- The content of every DLC vary and differ depending on the type of game or genre

- They are often free but otherwise paid for,

- They are relatively cheaper than the original game,

- They are made by developers of the game and published by publishers of the game. For example, made Evolve and created a DLC called “Evolve Behemoth Monster”, one of their publishers like Computer Entertainment (SCE) or Microsoft publishes it on their network like PlayStation Network (PSN) or Xbox Live for it to be downloaded.

- They can be downloaded from internet but generally through publishers online services like PlayStation Network Store (PSN) or Xbox Live

- They can also be bought or acquired using online redeem codes given by publishers

- They are often exclusive to publishers. For example Destiny released exclusive Downloadable contents for PlayStation users upon the game release, these included maps, gears, weapons and ships, which were only available on PlayStation. PlayStation Network Store Icon

- The contents of downloadable content can be sold individually or as a bundle usually in Season Pass, extended packs and so on.

- They are becoming more and more used as pre-order incentives. For example “Pre order Evolve and receive the Monster Expansion Pack”.

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- They are mainly provided in various formats:

Ø Additional levels or maps are downloadable contents that mainly come in form of “Map Packs” that range from new maps, locations, levels or puzzles. A good example to this is Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Havoc DLC made by Sledgehammer Games, for years the Call of Duty franchise has been releasing multiplayer map packs every so often for their games. Their latest installing Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has the Havoc DLC that has 4 new multiplayer maps and other extra contents.

Ø Additional story or missions are downloadable contents that are mainly entitled with the name of the new mission or story for a particular game. These are mainly released for single player campaigns only that allow players to go further into the story of the game. They are mainly released for action and adventure games like , which had a new story campaign downloadable content called “Infamous first Light”. Another good example is Outlast which had a downloadable content called “Outlast: Whistleblower”. This was also an extra campaign mission that was prequel the original story played in Outlast.

Ø Additional game modes are downloadable contents that are mainly entitled with the name of the new mode. These downloadable contents bring a new taste to a game whereby players have to get accustomed to new rules and settings of the game. A great example of this is : Isolation Last Survivor DLC which had a new single player mode called “Last Survivor” that allowed you play as Ellen Ripley. Another good example is Be The Zombie mode, which is a multiplayer DLC that lets you play as a zombie and hunt other human survivors.

Ø Additional songs are downloadable contents that mainly come in form of Song Packs that includes extra songs for a particular game. These types of downloadable contents only gives you extra songs like in SingStar DLC were you’re given new songs for the game. The and series also had tons of downloadable music contents.

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Ø Additional equipment, Weapons, gears or outfits are downloadable contents that mainly comes in form of “Customisation Packs” or “Weapons Packs” usually entitled with the name of the type of equipment’s, outfits or weapons. These contents add extra utilities to the player arsenal while giving a better look or theme to the characters in the game. These are mostly released for fighting games, action adventure games and role-playing games where you get to customise or built up your own character. The best examples of these downloadable contents are in games Remastered, which has over 100 downloadable contents mixed with outfits, gears and weapons. There’s also which had few downloadable contents such as “Gage Weapon Pack #01”, “Gage Sniper Pack” and “Gage Shotgun Pack” which added extra weapons to the game. 2013 “Out Fit Pack” DLC is also a good example of an outfit DLC to gear up your character.

Ø Additional Characters are downloadable contents that mainly come form of “Characters Packs” and sometimes entitled with the name of the characters included in the DLC. For example Evolve has two DLCs designated to add extra characters in the game. There is “Evolve: Monsters Expansion Pack” which includes an extra monster for the game and also “Evolve: Hunting Season Pass” which include extra characters for the game. These types of downloadable content mainly consist of extra characters for a particular game usually with different abilities and attributes. They are mainly found in action games, fighting and sport games, like WWE 2K15 DLC called “Hall of Pain” which unlocked historical version of several characters in the game.

Ø Additional Vehicles are downloadable contents that mainly come in form of “Car Packs”, which add extra vehicles to a game that mostly involves driving. These are very common in racing games whereby new vehicles with unique abilities and attributes are provided for the player to add to his or her vehicle collection. A good example of this is The Crew, which has several downloadable contents like “Speed Car pack”, “Street Edition Pack”, “Extreme Car Pack” and many more which adds more cars in the game. Most of these DLC come in bundles of cars rather than one car alone and some often gives other customisable items for your vehicles, which come in form of ”Vehicles Customisation Pack”, “Gears Pack” and “Paint Pack”. Not only you have the vehicles you get additional gears and other customisable items to support it. A good example of these is DriveClub “Livery Packs” DLCs where you get to customise your car with the livery designs in the DLC.

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Destiny : Expansion 1 – The Dark Below

There are some downloadable contents that combine most of the different types of downloadable contents described above. These DLCs are not the same as season pass but account for the same of contents provided in season passes by combining many different types of add-on to a game. Destiny is a great example of this because their downloadable content called “The Dark Below” is made up of lots of different contents for the game. The developers of Destiny released this DLC that included new story missions, multiple side quests co-operative campaigns called “Strike missions”, new multiplayer maps, new locations, new weapons, armours and gears, and a six player cooperative multiplayer mode called “Raid”.

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- The best thing about Downloadable contents are that:

Ø They extend the game play and longevity of a game by allowing players to play with the extra contents provided.

Ø The discount attached to the DLC Bundles (season pass) is a bonus with a significant benefit to players because they are able to acquire contents at a reduced price.

Ø For publishers it allows them to gain revenue quickly usually from pre-orders and key benefit to them is that they don’t immediately have to deliver the downloadable contents, this is usually the case with season pass DLC.

- The main drawbacks of downloadable contents are that:

Ø They cost money, often a lot although the content within seem valuable, DLC like especially season pass are highly expensive and can cost more than half of the cost of the original game.

Ø Some downloadable contents are basically contents that are already in the game, but you pay to have it immediately rather than playing to unlock it.

Ø The contents of downloadable contents like additional missions, maps and games modes are questioned as to why they weren’t in the game from the beginning whereby you’re made to pay for these additional contents to play the advance story that should have been in the game from the start. Assassins Creed games are very typical of this because they often release extra missions as DLC that could have existed in the main game from the beginning.

Ø After purchasing a season pass, some portion of a game downloadable contents are still made to be purchased, these includes Personalisation Packs, packs, Customisation Packs and so on.

To conclude its important to note that downloadable contents are not to be mistaken with Downloadable Games which is why they are mainly referred to as downloadable contents (DLC), Expansion Packs or Add-On to a game. They are also not the same as User Generated Contents (UGC) as these refers to in-game contents that can be edited or created by players whereas downloadable contents are additional content that are provided for the player to play with. 10