These guys get it
Coffee Stain Studios, the developer behind Goat Simulator, has had all sorts of experiences when it comes to downloadable content. It released DLC for Sanctum in tiny chunks, add-ons for Sanctum 2 were bundled with a season pass, but it plans to make all updates for Goat Simulator free of charge. While there are several reasons for this, it all boils down to “having a good relationship with players is the best long-term investment you can make.”
In a well-thought out post on Gamasutra, Armin Ibrisagic explains why this is the company’s mindset. On the list was rationale such as paid DLC isn’t likely to sell someone on buying the title if they don’t have the core game yet, Steam sales make up a large part of their overall units sold, and it’s less hassle to do it for free than to deal with the process of putting something on the store. However, everything really just comes back to the fact that being nice to the audience is best for everyone in the long-run.
In a time when so many DLC strategies feel downright predatory, this is a breath of fresh air. It’s nice to hear that someone has a plan that has more thought put into it than “grab as much money as quickly as possible.” Who would’ve ever thought that being a good guy and showing good will toward your audience would be a viable route to take?
Goat Simulator: the power of free updates over paid DLC for indie developers [Gamasutra]
