GiNLoungeDLCmonsters

Taming Those DLC Monsters

Lots of games have downloaded content, mostly called DLC for short, and some of it is amazing. Games like Skyrim come out with DLC packs that serve up new worlds, new characters and new adventure that most people think is worth the cost. Other DLC is freely given as a reward for pre-ordering a game, or for buying it at a certain retailer or store. Those normally don’t radically change the game, but might give players a new weapon, skin or armor. Its not great, but its free, so why not?

GiNLoungeDLCmonstersBut DLC isn’t always that great. These days some developers are doing things with DLC that certain gamers might consider abusive. This can be something like a new skin or minor item that isn’t worth the money but it can also be something like in-game content that is sitting on the $60 disk that you just bought, but which needs to be unlocked as a dreaded “day one DLC.” We’re looking at you on that one Evolve.

So what makes up a “good” DLC? And what is a gamer to do in order to make sure they don’t get DLC-screwed?

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Picture of John Breeden II
John Breeden II
John has spent his journalism career covering just about everything, from small-town meetings and crime scenes to Capitol Hill and the U.S. Congress. He got his start writing about games and technology with a computer column called On the Chip Side, which grew to more than 1 million in circulation and ran in newspapers across several states. Today, John is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Newsweek and many other publications, and he writes a regular technology and government column for Nextgov/FCW and hosts security and educational webinars for FedInsider. He is also the founder of the Tech Writers Bureau and the chief editor of GameIndustry.com. He still loves disappearing into games, whether that means crawling through Baldur’s Gate dungeons deep into the night or planning one more big offensive in the latest wargame.