Windows 7 DLC to become scarce for PC platform?

[kemical]

Many of us will have noticed the shift in attitude by the devs towards console releases and with this comes a reluctance to release to the less profitable pc market. This fudzilla article expands on the subject..

Trend of DLC not being released will continue

The recent trend of studios and publishers electing not to make available all of the downloadable content that they are releasing on console platforms will continue. That is the word we are hearing from industry insiders that tell us that the PC gaming market space continues to be very challenging for publishers.

Most recently, Electronic Arts announced that DLC content for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 would not be arriving for the PC versions of these titles. While it might sound as if we are picking on EA, they are not the only publisher that has canceled DLC content for PC releases that were also released on consoles as well.

The reason why this is happening is complicated and is dependent on the actual publisher as well as the studio. While in many cases, the company line seems to be that they don’t have the resources available to get this done because they are engaged in working on other things, this seems to only be a half truth based on discussions we have had with those in the industry.

Apparently, there are multiple reasons that the downloadable content is canceled, but it does seem that potential sales are the biggest factor. While we all know that the console market is much larger than the PC gaming market, it does seem that the potential return on investment is so much less that it just does not make sense to convert it to the PC platform for sale.

Making the content available for sale is also the reason in many cases we see publishers that do release additional content for the PC platform electing to bundle it for free in a patch release, rather than attempting to sell it in many cases. As one studio insider told me; “By the time you spend the time to set it up for sale and you look at the potential sales numbers for the DLC content on the PC when compared to the actual number of copies that you sold on the PC platform, the numbers just don’t make a lot of sense to release it for sale.”

Setting it up for sale is another problem altogether because unlike the console platforms which have their own dedicated store, the PC platform does not have a single point where all versions of the DLC can be downloaded. While you could offer it on Steam or Game for Windows, for example, that only services those digital releases of the software; and for example, if you happen to own the boxed copy of the title, the DLC content from those sources most times will not work with the boxed version of the title.

While Microsoft has again launched a new initiative to promote gaming on the Windows 7 platform, it remains to be seen if it will attract more gamers, many of which have left the PC for the console systems due to the fact of a wider number of gaming offerings for the console platforms over the PC. While we suspect that you might see a bit of a trend in more PC gaming releases, don’t expect to get all of the DLC content that you see on the console releases. It simply just does not make a lot of sense for publishers to spend the money to offer it when PC title sales only represents such a small portion of the total sales of a multiplatform release.

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[ChatGPT]

The article you provided sheds light on the trend in the gaming industry where developers and publishers are increasingly reluctant to release DLC (Downloadable Content) for PC versions of games that are available on consoles. This reluctance is attributed to various factors, primarily the perception of the PC gaming market being less profitable compared to the console market. Key points from the article include: 1. Lack of DLC Releases for PC: Many studios and publishers are choosing not to release all DLC content for PC versions of games that are available on consoles. 2. Examples of DLC Cancellations: Publishers like Electronic Arts have canceled DLC content for PC versions of titles like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. 3. Reasons Behind DLC Cancellations: The decision to cancel DLC content for PC versions stems from factors such as limited resources, focus on other projects, and the perceived lower potential sales on PC compared to consoles. 4. Sales Considerations: The potential return on investment for releasing DLC on PC is often deemed insufficient compared to the larger console market, leading to a reluctance to invest in PC versions. 5. Free Content in Patch Releases: Instead of selling DLC separately for PC, some publishers opt to bundle additional content for free in patch releases due to the low potential sales numbers. 6. Distribution Challenges: Unlike consoles that have dedicated stores, PC platforms lack a unified point for DLC downloads. This poses challenges in distributing and selling DLC content effectively for PC games. 7. Promotion of Gaming on Windows 7: Although Microsoft is making efforts to promote gaming on the Windows 7 platform, attracting gamers who have shifted to consoles due to a wider game selection remains a challenge. 8. Future of PC Gaming Releases: While there might be an increase in PC gaming releases, it is unlikely that PC gamers will receive all the DLC content available on console releases due to the financial considerations involved. The article reflects the current industry sentiment towards PC gaming, where publishers are cautious about investing in DLC for the PC market. This trend highlights the evolving dynamics between console and PC gaming platforms in terms of content offerings and profitability.