EA: DLC and online content for every title in 2010

Bobby Miller (UPSLynx) Electronic Arts has announced that every single EA game released in fiscal year 2010 will feature an online component as well as DLC.

February 10, 2010 12:21 AM ET in News,

Electronic Arts has announced that every single EA game released in fiscal year 2010 will feature an online component, as well as DLC. According to EDGE Online, EA’s COO John Schappert made the announcement today via conference call with analysts following the publication of the company’s 3rd quarter financial results.

The “online component” is a bit of a broad statement, but it does not mean that every EA game will have online multiplayer–though that certainly will be the case with the majority of games. For games like The Sims, where online multiplayer is highly unlikely, the online component could come in the form of social networking tools, or methods to distribute and share content. Regardless of its implementation, universal multiplayer will likely enforce an Internet connectivity requirement. Hardly a new experience for gamers today, but this could become an inconvenience for those wanting a simple singleplayer experience.

The controversial DLC, meanwhile, has played a large role in EA’s marketing strategy, and it seems the company is poised to pursue the concept to an even greater degree. Whether you feel that DLC is a perfect method of nickel-and-diming gamers, or that it is a great method of enriching the gaming experience, EA is clearly behind the idea and proving that it’s here to stay.

16 Comments

  1. 10 Feb '10, 12:31 pm Snarkasm

    Oh boy....

    -sigh- I miss the days when games were sold, played, and finished.

  2. 10 Feb '10, 4:41 pm UPSLynx

    I do too. I've never bought DLC for any game. I especially don't like the idea of nearly completed DLC that is ready to go immediately following the game's retail release.

  3. 10 Feb '10, 4:44 pm Snarkasm

    Or that only comes with the SUPERDELUXEEDITION of the game.

    I'm looking at you, Dragon Age (of which I bought the SUPERDELUXEEDITION... I am a consumer whore).

  4. 10 Feb '10, 4:51 pm chrisWhite

    I really like DLC in general, but Bioware is just annoying. Ever play any of the DLC on Mass Effect? $5 for half an hour of play on a side mission that you couldn't care less about FTW.

    But then you look at something like Bethesda's DLC for Fallout 3 and you see a super successful DLC model that's keeping the game alive and players excited. I'm stoked to pick up the Assassin's Creed 2 DLC, anything that let's me spend more time in that game is huge win.

  5. 10 Feb '10, 5:10 pm Grimnoc

    We are still rather early in the growth of DLC so I think it would be a bit presumptuous to sign onto one side or the other.

    Having said this...

    The market will slowly self-correct to what people think is worth buying, and what is not.

    In other words, I would bet a pretty penny that companies who charge "more for less" as far as DLC's are concerned will slowly see a lessening in profits whereas companies who are seen by the majority of consumers as providing enough "bang for their buck" will see an increase in DLC profits. Ceteris paribus, all companies will move towards the equilibrium point of what consumers consider to be most worthwhile in the area of content vs. money.

    So, in the end I don't think DLC is an issue, or ever can be due to the nature of it's existence.

  6. 10 Feb '10, 5:14 pm Snarkasm

    That only works if companies are honest about what the DLC contains. They can say it contains 4 more hours of content, but what if it's actually only 1.5 under most play scenarios? I can understand DLC like buying a new helmet, but when it's supposed to expand the core gameplay, it's pretty hard to distinguish what's good DLC vs bad DLC before you've played it.

  7. 10 Feb '10, 5:23 pm Grimnoc
    Quoting Snarkasm

    That only works if companies are honest about what the DLC contains. They can say it contains 4 more hours of content, but what if it's actually only 1.5 under most play scenarios? I can understand DLC like buying a new helmet, but when it's supposed to expand the core gameplay, it's pretty hard to distinguish what's good DLC vs bad DLC before you've played it.

    No, it works always, just in different ways. If companies are not honest about the content of their DLC's they soon find themselves stuck with the reputation of being dishonest with their DLC's via review websites, random people, and what-have-you. People then begin to purchase less DLC's from said company. The company sees a loss in profits. This results in the exact same end as if the company had just made a crappy (content wise) DLC. The company is then forced to make a decision; make better DLC's and be honest about their content, or be resigned to making less money.

  8. 10 Feb '10, 8:51 pm Black Hawk

    Expansion pack > DLC

  9. 10 Feb '10, 8:56 pm chrisWhite

    An expansion pack is just different then DLC. Besides, when was the last time you saw an expansion pack that wasn't a PC RTS or MMO?

  10. 10 Feb '10, 9:09 pm Thrax

    Quake II, Quake III, Half-Life: Blue Shift, etc.

  11. 10 Feb '10, 9:13 pm Black Hawk

    Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, Sims, etc.

  12. 10 Feb '10, 11:01 pm chrisWhite
    Quoting Thrax

    Quake II, Quake III, Half-Life: Blue Shift, etc.

    Old. That's practically a lifetime for gamers

    Good call on The Sims Black Hawk.

  13. 10 Feb '10, 11:05 pm Thrax

    Neverwinter Nights 2, Titan Quest, Diablo II, Dungeon Siege...

  14. 10 Feb '10, 11:18 pm shwaip

    civ4, stalker

  15. 10 Feb '10, 11:19 pm Gargoyle
    Quoting Grimnoc

    No, it works always, just in different ways. If companies are not honest about the content of their DLC's they soon find themselves stuck with the reputation of being dishonest with their DLC's via review websites, random people, and what-have-you.

    Plenty of companies, game companies included, continue to make tons of money despite having bad reputations. With all due respect, sir, I think you overestimate the amount of pressure the market actually brings to bear.

  16. 11 Feb '10, 1:44 am UPSLynx

    I have to agree with Gargoyle and Snarkasm on this one.

    Crappy DLC is rampant, and no amount of bad reviews and reputation seems to stop the creation of said crap, or the sales of said crap.

    Wish I knew why it still manages to sell, but it does.

    The bigger issue, I think, is when DLC is dished out immediately following a full product release. At that point, it's shady marketing. Content that could have easily been included with the full game is held off to make an extra buck. It's genius marketing, it does what the company wants, but that doesn't make it right.

    Borderland and Dragon Age are two core examples of this practice.

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