One of the most noticeable trends in the gaming industry is surely the growing amount of content that is available online, whether it is for games that have already been released on store shelves, or full games and experiences themselves. Online gaming has made considerable gains as the availability of broadband continues to expand, and publishers are starting to understand the benefit of skipping the brick and mortar stores for unnecessary items such as expansions and content broadening within a game. Even with some of the biggest sellers in retail last year there was a tinge of downloadable content (DLC) that was associated with many of them, often as a benefit towards one console or another. After all, one of last year’s biggest titles, GTA IV had Microsoft throw $50 million at the developers in order to secure exclusive rights to the DLC expansion that was supposed by coming in autumn last year, now slated for this coming February 17th. With many games simply tossing small additions into their games for bite-sized items such as new costumes, weapons or whatever canonical tidbit they could through in, it seemed as if DLC was going to become a major revenue stream for a lot of groups.

The big thing we’re seeing now is the culmination of last year’s promises of DLC for major titles, like GTA IV that provide significant, game-changing content either through the addition of new game worlds, or new tactics and items that can make an online experience vastly different for those involved. Fallout 3‘s first expansion Operation Anchorage will be coming within two weeks, which adds a completely new world to the game, new weapons and a storyline that runs within the Fallout canon but exists outside of the world you’ve already played in. That combined with the Broken Steel pack which will increase the level cap and alter the ending of the game itself, it continually gives you a reason to go back to the game and certainly adds incentive for multiplatform owners to lean towards the Xbox 360, where the content will be exclusively available this winter. It also may help lift sales after the Christmas season, which I’m sure is the motivation behind a lot of the releases we are seeing during this slower publishing time. On a similar timeline, Fable 2 has just released its DLC pack that added a new island to the world of Albion and new quests alongside it. The push has really begun.

On the online landscape, other islands are being built. Last year’s breakaway Xbox Live title Castle Crashers has released their first DLC pack that will include new characters, new spells and a new animal orb which can alter gameplay for anyone who may find the game needing a little refresh. Combined with the recent fixes the game has received, and the low price of 160 Microsoft Points (roughly $2 USD) means that incentive is high to dive back into the game for past purchases, and lay out another carrot to encourage sales. Even PixelJunk Eden will be getting an “Encore” edition made within the next few months, with a patch already on the way tomorrow evening to add new ways to play through the game and a lightened difficulty setting for those that found the game a bit overwhelming.

With major releases and online titles alike getting major and minor makeovers through the magic of the internet, DLC has now established itself as the new competitive platform for attention among publishers. It is another tick on a feature list, but is still a dangerous road to travel. Publishers note that many of their titles will have an almost limitless amount of potential from the wonders that is the online marketplace, but it is a promise that is often hard to keep and is often kept very quiet until well after the hype of a game has died down. The delay of GTA IV‘s is a good example of being cautious when making moves based on DLC promises, since the game had a huge advertising campaign associated with its Live exclusive content in fall 2008, which never came to pass. While the game still gets significant play time every month on the Xbox 360, will it be a driver for new sales this winter? How well is this content advertised as a sales tool to the major public, and how often does this content have to be pushed in order to stay relevant?

It’s a delicate balance, and a difficult path for developers to take that requires planning beyond the crunch and going gold. When the software is out the door, it’s often time for damage control, balancing and ensuring that the product that has been delivered is up to the necessary quality in order not to get lynched at the trial of public opinion. You also risk the game losing its edge when the hype dies down and you add enough fix only to satisfy those who are still trudging through the title, and are unable to stimulate new sales. The benefit of DLC in this regard, however, is the fact that it is a new sale, and a relatively cost effective one. Development and distribution aside, it doesn’t require the same dedication that the framework it is built within does, and the task of putting a new product into the marketplace. Costumes and weapons are simple things that can add up, and even the developers of PlayStation Home have noted a large portion of sales associated with add-ons like hats and shirts within the platform.

DLC is here to stay, and will only grow in the coming year. More single player titles will be making major marketing pushes enforcing a promise of content in the near future, and that is a good way to continue the game’s momentum when you may be carving your own niche. Online games have already made strides in this landscape, with most online mutliplayer games pushing new maps or minor alterations that will set you back a few bucks here and there, and is enough to get the hardcore on board, and the need to share that experience with the community will grow the adoption of any content. Keeping your promise is critical, however, and having a public roadmap as to what is available will appease players who are already on board, and give players who are still apprehensive a date to point to when they may just rethink a product they have already dismissed.