Microsoft has claimed that games bolstered with paid DLC on Xbox Live last a lot longer in the hands of consumers, and generate an extra $21M in sales at retail. Microsoft interactive entertainment business manager Kevin Salcedo used the power of numbers to issue forth this revelation.
In order for these extra sales to occur, however, Salcedo added that the DLC generally needs to arrive within a 30-day "sweet spot," otherwise they could miss out. This serves to justify developers who prepare DLC before the game's even launched -- a practice some may find distasteful, but is now being backed up with dollar signs.
"Right now we have over 12 million users in over 26 countries, with $240 million in [Xbox Live Marketplace] transactions revenue so far, with $180 million in the last 12 months alone," boasted Salcedo. "On average, titles that have downloadable content on XBL marketplace have seen a 16 percent [longer] period of people holding onto that title, which keeps them from selling to secondhand stores."
People seem to like DLC, and game publishers like money -- it seems this little arrangement is working out well for everyone. Of course, it won't all be roses and smiles -- the lure of extra cash can only lead to a deluge of downloadable costumes, horse armor and purple stripes on your guns -- only 500 MS points!
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Contest:
6:15 PM on 08.06.2008
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It could very well be that the games w/ the DLC also happen to have the largest budgets. higher reviews, more marketing, more name recognition, more hype.
I bet if they release, say, "My favortie toilete: The life of ass wipe" that had exclusive DLC that it would not see an extra $21M.
Mission mode IS in the NG2 disc but you need to pay 800 points for it, 4 shit costumes in the disc and all the cool ones at 200 a pop.
At least I can laugh at how Tecmo has fucked everything and has made NG2 unplayable with its patches(not fix in site btw).
Especially if it becomes free eventually, that is acceptable.
But horse armor still costs three dollars. How can I justify using a horse in Oblivion if he doesn't have any fucking armor?
Their goal is supposedly to move more consoles/software (meaning money coming from other sources) than the competition specifically because of the DLC.
Whether or not that's even a "financially smart move" or not is debatable.
@Kyousuke Nanbu - If that's true, I'm even more disgusted.
I figured it was just an altered production schedule for the sake of milking an additional $10 out of people for something that could have been included otherwise.
I know... all gamers are sick filthy pervs...
If you've bought DLC for final Fantasy 8, why would you buy Final Fantasy 9?
Your argument only marginally works with games like Madden.
Back in the olden days DLC came in the form of expansion packs (I'm talking Pc games here, you guys remember that right?) The control was in the price it took to put the expansion back on the shelves. Developers were usually only getting one shot at this, they had to make it worthwhile. But now, any idiot team can spend an afternoon making a new skin for a pre-existing model and effortlessly throw it up on the network for 2 bucks. I'd say there's needs to be some form of quality or quantity or something.. control, but microsoft has already proven that something like this would not be in the company's best interests, their only interests.
The thing that bothers me is charging for aesthetic shit. I'm looking forward to seeing some wicked downloadable content in the future. I would like to see whole expansion games downloadable.
I guess the game companies just see another oportunity to milk their fans, just like their limited editions where they charge an extra $10 for a soundtrack and a tin box to hold the game, which probably cost them all of a dollar (at most) to make.
I mean, I am sick of the fact that there is DLC for SCIV already in the form of more music (etc.) which should have been in the game to start with. I don't own the game yet, but this has really put me off (and I've been a SC fan since the begining). As a result, I'm thinking of showing my distaste for this practice by buying the game used, which is something I normally wouldn't do, just so they don't get the profit from my purchase. I know they've sold 2M copies already, so I doubt they care about me taking a stand, but whatever, it's the point that counts.
But I may be tempted with SC4 if namco release something good for it.