Is Paid DLC Good or Bad for the Gaming Industry?

Over the past week, there have been two DLC-related (downloadable content) stories that have caught my eye, mostly because of the ill effects it seems to be inflicting upon today’s gaming. Years ago, if you wanted a new map for your favorite game, you could go online and download one, either from the developer or from other fans of the games. Today, there’s almost no such thing; without money being involved, at least.

Take Modern Warfare 2, for example. This is a game that I still try to get some time in with today, because I find the multi-player experience to be quite fun. It’s certainly not perfect (almost all issues are related to IWnet), but it still gives me enough joy for me to make time for it. So when I heard of the game’s first DLC map pack coming up… I couldn’t wait. Well, at least until I realized it was $15… for five maps.

I’ll be honest in saying that for five maps, I don’t consider $15 to be a major rip-off, because a case of beer costs more than that and my enjoyment from that is gone a lot quicker. It really depends on how you look at it. But the main issue I have is that while this is $3 per map, two of the maps are simple rehashes from MW1, so it really, really seems like gamers are being nickel and dimed here. And in all irony, this map pack is called “Stimulus Package”. The only thing it’s bound to “stimulate” is Activision’s pockets.

Despite all this, I don’t entirely mind the cost, because once again, I’ll no doubt get many hours of enjoyment out of each map. But the second story I saw rubbed me the wrong way even more so. BioShock 2, which just released its first DLC for $5, unlocks a couple of multi-player perks, none of which include new maps. So what’s the problem? The content is available on the actual game disc, and doesn’t need to be downloaded.

As far as many gamers are concerned, this $5 charge is again nothing but a way for companies to nickel and dime everyone, especially given that the data for the DLC comes right on the disc. This could almost be equated to purchasing add-on content online in order to unlock content that’s easily accessible in games via normal progression (EA is a big pusher of this).

I have never been a fan of paid DLC, because there are companies like Valve that show that DLC doesn’t have to cost money. Just take a look at that company’s unbelievable support of Team Fortress 2, Left 2 Dead and other series. It’s clear that some companies care a lot more about revenue than their customer, and that’s just unfortunate (but not at all surprising).

I have never purchased any DLC, and I don’t really plan to start anytime soon (MW2’s map pack might be the first), but I’m curious as to what you guys think about it all. Do you think DLC is good for the industry, or is it bound to ruin gaming as we know it?

Trouble is brewing in Rapture. The recently released Sinclair Solutions multiplayer pack for BioShock 2 is facing upset players over the revelation that the content is already on the disc, and the $5 premium is an unlock code. It started when users on the 2K Forums noticed that the content is incredibly small: 24KB on the PC, 103KB on the PlayStation 3, and 108KB on the Xbox 360. 2K Games responded with a post explaining that the decision was made in order to keep the player base in tact, without splitting it between the haves and have-nots.