Downloadable content will replace the usual video game sequel
March 5, 2009
Criterion may have set out to revolutionize the racing genre with “Burnout Paradise” but also may have pioneered a new direction for franchise-based gaming.
Legions of long-running game series have fallen into a grind of releasing a new installment every year — see every sports game, “Tony Hawk Pro-Skater” or “Guitar Hero.” It’s really nice to have new content in a game series every year; however, the games barely improve upon each other with a one-year release cycle.
Instead of releasing “Burnout 6” this January, Criterion provided free updates every few months to “Paradise” owners.
The updates weren’t little things such as a new car or new paint job but often entirely new ways to play the existing game. One of the more substantial updates added a new type of vehicle, the motorcycle.
From here on out, the “Paradise” updates cost money. The “Party Pack” came out a week ago and costs $10; however, new printings and downloads of the game include the content.
Each update in the “Burnout” series before “Paradise” was a minor step forward due to the annual release schedule. However, the two-year-plus time gap showed a huge step forward between the fourth and fifth games in the series — omitting the passable “Burnout Dominator.”
The sequel to “Rock Band” also isn’t selling as heavily as the first installment. Since the debut of “Rockband,” Harmonix offered droves of purchasable songs to add to the game for gamers looking for more content.
Though the downloadable content made Harmonix a small fortune, they’re not making as much money with the sequel, because the sequel isn’t much of an improvement of the original.
However, this is a good change for the game industry. Instead of getting lost in a sea of mediocre sequels, the industry can now release fewer sequels but still release the same amount of content and make the same amount of money.
Why make your audience wait a year to get all new content at the same time when you have the option of releasing the same content in smaller doses in order to maintain interest in the series?