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There’s been a rush by Microsoft and Sony to snatch up exclusive post-launch DLC for high profile games. The Xbox 360 will be sporting exclusive content for Grand Theft Auto IV and Fallout 3, and Microsoft recently announced plans to offer two expansion levels for Tomb Raider: Underworld to be released later this year. For its part, the PS3 will be getting a heaping helping of Mirror’s Edge DLC at an unspecified date. So the manufacturers are lining up to make deals, but the question at hand is does this have any effect on consumers’ purchases?
Lazard Capital analyst Colin Sebastian thinks that this new frontier is as yet "unproven," and that the new content being made available for Grand Theft Auto IV will go a long way toward answering our questions. As for the practice as a whole, Sebastian concedes that it likely does have some effect, but at yet it’s impossible to determine exactly what that effect may be.
"I think it’s reasonable to assume there is some correlation between game sales and the availability of exclusive content for a particular platform," he said, "but the content needs to be high quality and add something to the overall game experience."
We know that Microsoft and Sony are absolutely tripping over themselves to get their hands on exclusive content, but what about Nintendo? So far the Wii has stayed out of the fray and Nintendo has been content to simply offer the straight-out-of-the-box retail experience. Does Sebastian see that changing anytime soon?
"I think it’s inevitable that Nintendo will introduce more online content and services, but in the near-term it’s pretty clear that consumers are finding a lot of value with the offline gameplay offered by the Wii," he said.
"We’re still in the early stages of growth, but over time, there is going to be more competition for online content as Sony and Nintendo enhance the services available to their users, and close the gap with Microsoft.
So from the sounds of things, assuming the Grand Theft Auto IV DLC isn’t a $50 million flop it looks like we’ll be breaking out our flow charts and divining rods to keep track of which games get exclusive content for which systems. So what are your thoughts, dear reader? Does exclusive DLC make you more apt to buy a game on a specific console, or do you find the whole experience to be too taxing and irritating, and simply buy a version based on convenience? Also, how much are you willing to pay for aforementioned content? Is $10 fair? $20? $30? Where do you draw the line?
Lazard Capital analyst Colin Sebastian thinks that this new frontier is as yet "unproven," and that the new content being made available for Grand Theft Auto IV will go a long way toward answering our questions. As for the practice as a whole, Sebastian concedes that it likely does have some effect, but at yet it’s impossible to determine exactly what that effect may be.
"I think it’s reasonable to assume there is some correlation between game sales and the availability of exclusive content for a particular platform," he said, "but the content needs to be high quality and add something to the overall game experience."
We know that Microsoft and Sony are absolutely tripping over themselves to get their hands on exclusive content, but what about Nintendo? So far the Wii has stayed out of the fray and Nintendo has been content to simply offer the straight-out-of-the-box retail experience. Does Sebastian see that changing anytime soon?
"I think it’s inevitable that Nintendo will introduce more online content and services, but in the near-term it’s pretty clear that consumers are finding a lot of value with the offline gameplay offered by the Wii," he said.
"We’re still in the early stages of growth, but over time, there is going to be more competition for online content as Sony and Nintendo enhance the services available to their users, and close the gap with Microsoft.
So from the sounds of things, assuming the Grand Theft Auto IV DLC isn’t a $50 million flop it looks like we’ll be breaking out our flow charts and divining rods to keep track of which games get exclusive content for which systems. So what are your thoughts, dear reader? Does exclusive DLC make you more apt to buy a game on a specific console, or do you find the whole experience to be too taxing and irritating, and simply buy a version based on convenience? Also, how much are you willing to pay for aforementioned content? Is $10 fair? $20? $30? Where do you draw the line?
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