The final area, which bears perhaps the greatest danger, is the fairly new notion of console manufacturers forking over big bucks for the creation of DLC that is exclusive to their platform. Up until this point, almost all DLC for multiplatform games was released at the same time, for the same price, for everyone’s enjoyment. However, Microsoft has thrown a massive wrench into the system with the implementation of special, exclusive content for the 360 version of GTA IV. The obvious gambit is that Microsoft is banking on using the promise of this special, special goodness to lure potential customers away from buying the PS3 version of GTA and instead lining the pockets of everyone in Seattle who doesn’t work for Google. We’ll find out later this month if the gamble will be successful, but if Microsoft realizes big gains, you can expect a bidding war for every major title that comes out from now until the time consoles no longer wander the Earth.

The ultimate losers in this situation are gamers who only own one console and that console happens to be the one without the exclusive content. While some people are fortunate enough to have two (or all three) of the next gen beauties, most of us are forced to choose between one or the other, and end up standing out in the rain when we find out our chosen machine won’t allow us the opportunity to fully experience the next great game. Just don’t expect the corporate execs to shed a tear for poor “Average Joe Gamer,” they can’t hear you over the cash registers.

At this point, there are two potential paths for DLC. One is the path of additional, useful, universally available content that does not unbalance a game or cause an entire console to be left out; and the other is the path of special toys for those with the cash, crippled launch games, which can only be fully enjoyed after paying through the nose and leaving entire segments of the gaming community out of the experience. As consumers, we have the power to vote with our wallets, and we can’t let these “experiments” in content to dictate how we play our games. We must be willing to stand up and say that if current trends continue, all three companies can prepare to download our foot up their ass.