essay DRAFT

To ask the question of whether or not downloadable content over the Xbox Live network is a good or bad thing. DLC could lead to the the problem of developers putting out games early, relying on the knowledge that they can later release extra things for a small price. EA games are a prime example of a company milking this system, with the example of their Godfather videogame. When they released this game, Xbox 360 owners got a different version to the PS2 and Wii versions. Several aspects of the game, such as cheats and certain weapons, had been removed from the 360 version. These things were all included on every other version of the game, except the 360. Soon after the release of the game, the parts of the game that had been removed from the 360 were uploaded onto the Xbox Live marketplace, where gamers who had already paid full price for the game could download them, at a cost. When DLC is used properly though, it bares many exciting possibilities. Added chapters, fully fleshed out storylines with over 5 hours of gameplay, are a great way to keep a game alive before the sequel is released. Mass Effect is a prime example of this, with DLC "episodes" being released to keep the game interesting before Mass Effect 2 is released. The upcoming GTA4 episodes also show how important DLC is becoming, with M$ paying 50 million to exlusive rights to the first few downloadable episodes.