Can DLC Keep You Playing The Same Game For A Year? (Opinion piece from http://www.psxextreme.com)

Aside from all the debate and controversy surrounding downloadable content, Season Passes, microtransactions and the like, we all know the basic purpose, right?

It's supposed to keep us playing. As in, well beyond the time we actually saw the end credits.

Obviously, it's working, because people are shelling out for DLC all year long for franchises like Call of Duty. And we're starting to see more and more DLC and Season Passes that run for a long time; a year is starting to become the norm, actually. What I'm wondering is how many gamers really take advantage of all the extra content, and continually play that title for at least a year. Have you found yourself doing this, even when you thought you wouldn't?

My other question is this: How big of a gap can there be between each add-on before you start to lose interest? I'm guessing developers and publishers want to hit that sweet spot, right around the time a player starts to tire of the experience but before he or she has put the game away for good. Is this about three months? My only experience with this is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which has a Season Pass with two big expansions; Hearts of Stone released last October and Blood and Wine will be out this year (hopefully soon).

Now, the first expansion released about five months after the game, which I thought was just about right considering the sheer size of that particular adventure. But I have to admit, as we're now four months removed from Hearts of Stone, I may have some difficulty going back to The Witcher 3 when Blood and Wine comes out. Remember, I dearly love that game but at some point, you feel as if you've moved on, you know?

Thoughts?

2/10/2016 9:41:03 PM Ben Dutka

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps4-news/4775.html

Me, no. Splatoon's content unlocking made me move on, from the game. The forced modes didn't help either. The DLC has to come out before I complete the game. Or with it, in GOTY versions. Since I waited there. And the content cost has to be equal the time you get from it. Witcher's DLC length to cost is good. Batman Knight is crap. Mind you, I do replay my games. But with DLC. I just ignore it, in the future. I'll never care that I won't play as Batgirl in Arkham Knight. The mission is a crap 2 hrs anyway.

In 5 months, I would of most likley gotten 100%. I don't really care about addtional stuff, at that point. If the DLC is that important, and can't be missed. Well, it should of been in the game, to begin with. If the DLC is extra, like companies say. It doesn't matter to own.

DLC can def keep me playing a game for a year. I'd say you don't need DLC to keep playing. It gives you extras to keep you invested, but depending on what the game is and offered, you can keep playing it for a long time. Usually having MP is a good start. Games like Smash Bros, and Mario Kart kept me playing for years, haha. I could play those and Splatoon and Mario Maker for a long time, if I had the spare time to, haha.

DLC these days, I figure people buy them because usually more is better, so they keep selling. And it likely keeps people playing longer. So I feel dlc is doing the job they were designed to do. Though I think DLC is getting carried away.

Nothing can get me to play the same game for a year. Almost every game i've played, even the ones i get what i consider, heavily addicted to, i play for no more than 1-2 months. There are too many games out there, to play the same game for too long of a period of time.

I have yet to get or play the Witcher expansion because of how long it took for them to release it after the game launched. I burned through the game itself in a couple weeks, so I had a substantial wait. In that time I moved on to other things.

The only game this gen that has kept me coming back with DLC has been Destiny, which I am still playing even today.

Driveclub seem to be achiving this for me

You've got a lack of new games to play if it does.

It depends on how good the game is and how many hours I can pour into gaming and the said game. If the game offers a lot of content, sure, but then there's a high chance the DLC isn't doing much to affect the situation as I'd be playing it that long even without DLC.

Mario Kart 8....that is all.

Can't speak for other games but Treyarch's CoD games definitely can for me.