DLC for games is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you get developers who release, actual, meaningful content to keep their games alive after release. On the other hand, its just an endless list of palette swaps and cheap visual aesthetics that don’t actually add anything to a game, while some developers have even gone as far as to sell folks content that should have been included in the title automatically.
We’ve seen plenty of these cases on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 games, but one platform that has been noticeably absent from such dealings, is Nintendo and their Wii and 3DS devices.
“We’re interested in it to the extent that it makes sense to the consumer”, Nintendo Head Honcho Reggie Fils-Aime said to AOL Games Blog. “I’ve had this conversation with a number of our key developers, and their mentality is, ‘Reggie, when we sell a game, we want the consumer to feel that they’ve had a complete experience.’
Fils-Aime then went on to explain how the company was open to such DLC, but were hesitant if it came with added fees.
“Now, in addition, if we want to make other things available, great, and we’ll look at that”, Fils-Aime said. “But we’re unwilling to sell a piece of a game upfront and, if you will, force a consumer to buy more later”.
“That’s what they don’t want to do, and I completely agree. I think the consumer wants to get, for their money, a complete experience, and then we have opportunities to provide more on top of that”.
We’ve seen a few Nintendo titles release free DLC in the past, and with the 3DS system update on the horizon, you can bet that developers will be approaching the new DLC service with dollar signs placed firmly in their ocular cavities.
“In terms of what the next system update will allow, it will allow developers to sell add-on content, and whether that’s for a physical game or a digitally released game,” said Fils Aime. “In terms of how it will work, it’s up to the developer whether they want to make it to buy new levels, new items – all of that is up to their imagination”.
“Essentially, what we’re doing is creating the framework for those transactions to happen.”
Last Updated: November 18, 2011
