The idea of DLC in video games has often been a controversial one: many gamers believe that offering paid DLC is just an attempt to gain even more cash over the price of an already-expensive game. Others believe that DLC creates an unfair advantage for gamers who have more money to spend on additional content.
It seems that Microsoft's own Xbox Live programming director, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, agrees. Major Nelson recently spoke out against DLC on IGN's Unlocked podcast.
The discussion revolved around Halo 5 developer 343 Industries releasing all DLC maps for the game free of charge to gamers, a gesture rarely made in an industry where DLC means additional money for most developers over the price of the game. Halo 5 also allows players to earn in-game money via microtransactions so they can purchase REQ packs, too.
"[DLC passes are] really dangerous when it comes to multiplayer, because what happens is it fractures the community," said Major Nelson, as reported by Game Rant. "You have the maps, I don't have the maps, I didn't buy that map but you bought that map,' so when we all get together, 'Oh, you couldn't play the map.'"
Considering 343 Industries' actions with Halo 5, it's no secret that the developer agrees. It does make sense that forcing players to pay for additional maps within a game, particularly with multiplayer games, means that gamers who don't have access to certain maps can't play with gamers who have paid for those maps and vice-versa. With some games, such as Destiny, that means that players who don't purchase DLC get left out of a lot of gameplay. In the end, that's not really fair.
DLC also often gives gamers unfair advantages over others, particularly when that DLC involves special weapons, armor and skills. Many players also feel that DLC is just a way to cheat gamers out of content that should come with the game to begin with, especially with some games reportedly containing that content within their disks or downloads from the beginning.
Look at Dragon Age: Inquisition, for instance: the final DLC, "The Trespasser" actually wraps up an important storyline for not just a character, but the entire game, a story that those who did not pay for the DLC get in any form. The DLC served as the game's true ending, which is something most players feel they should get without having to pay extra for it.
