DLC that’s available on day one is a controversial measure for some AAA releases, some of which cost $60 or more already at launch. Fernando Melo, BioWare’s director of online development, pushed back against the notion that players universally don’t like day one DLC.
“Contrary to what you might hear on the internet, fans do want more content. They tend to say, ‘I want it now.’ The problem with day one content and the challenge around it is that the right answer for now is different for every player. There is no single right time, there is no single now. It’s subjective, and it’s unique to every player,” said Melo, adding, “It’s not based on us. It’s not based on some first-party release schedule. It’s there, if they want it they can pick it up day one. If they don’t, they can wait until they’ve finished their game.”
When addressing the situation where some say that day one DLC should be part of the regular game, Melo said, “You’re not lying to them, but they will take whatever you’re saying as like, ‘you’re lying to us.’ That will always be there. The only way that that’s going to go away is you fast forward a few more years, where this is just normal. Every game is digital from day one. Every game is an ongoing service, almost like an MMO, where on any given day new content shows up. Maybe that’s part of the base package, and maybe it’s a premium feature.”
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
