On-Disc DLC Sucks, and Michael Pachter Agrees

It’s just “plain greed,” according to the games industry analyst. The recent spat with on-disc DLC, especially Capcom’s Street Fighter x Tekken, has gamers taking up arms and the publishing company re-evaluating its practices. First day DLC? Still shady, but it’s the stuff already on the disc prior to game launch that still has many in a rage.

“I think that DLC has been so successful that publishers are trying to get a jumpstart and if you put it on the disc, it allows them to unlock it when they feel like it,” said the Wedbush Morgan analyst on an episode of “Pach Attack” (via VG 247).

“A few years ago, we didn’t see DLC for typically six months after a game launch and I think it was Red Dead Redemption, but I think Take Two kind of pioneered and launched DLC like a month after the original title and it was super successful. Now you’re seeing a lot more guys do it yet.”

Then again, players don’t tend to like DLC that’s just simple horse armor like Oblivion‘s major gaff. More loot, more quests, and more stuff to do in-game is the winning ticket here. Pachter called it all a “profit deal,” especially since games are getting shorter.

“All DLC is great,” said Pachter. “Games are getting shorter, DLC is keeping people engaged, it’s a profit deal. I don’t think it makes much difference how it’s delivered.

“The stuff on the disc, some gamers feel entitled to because they bought the disc, so they should have a right to anything that’s on the disc. And that’s a dicey one. You actually do own the disc and I think, theoretically, if you could crack the code on the DLC, you probably would be allowed to access it without paying.

“And I’m not even sure that’s stealing because you did, in fact, buy the disc. That’s about as close as you can get to legal piracy.”

Via VG 247.