Ubisoft’s VP of digital publishing Chris Early has claimed that gamers no longer have a problem with DLC, and are happy to put down their money for Season Passes.
In an interview with GamesIndustry, Early said, ”I think there are some models that are accepted now, DLC is pretty much accepted. Season pass is pretty much accepted.”
Ubisoft are, of course, at the forefront of new model DLC - last year’s Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag not only had a full Season Pass, but also offered the chance to unlock the location of every collectible in the game for a couple of dollars. Apparently some people were happy with that.
“There was no resistance,” Early said, regarding those time-saver options. ”Maybe there were 12 guys somewhere who said something, but whatever. As a whole, there wasn’t a problem.”
Hmm, there’s just a hint of “we don’t really care even if people don’t like it” about that statement. It seems like you’re doing something wrong if you’re actively offering players a chance to skip your content. I’d be very interested to see how many copies of those time-saver packs Ubisoft actually sold.
”I think there are some models that are accepted now. DLC is pretty much accepted,” Early continued. ”Season pass is pretty much accepted. Now it’s interesting when you start to think of Season Pass as a Service Pass. For our Season Pass holders, I know we hold events for them specifically, so it’s little bit more than just DLC content. So there’s an evolution going on there.”
One thing I do agree with is that DLC as a concept isn’t inherently bad. If used properly, it can be an excellent way of getting more out of your favourite games.
“Where it hurts is when you feel like you’re forced, or you’re at a disadvantage or can’t do it unless you (pay money), that’s kind of a remorseful feeling, and nobody likes that. Good design, that’s what it comes down to.”
And there’s the rub. I’m not convinced that Ubisoft (or, to be fair, other studios) have always got that design aspect right. What do you think? Do you just accept DLC and Season Passes now, or do you go out of your way to avoid buying them?
