Downloadable content

Downloadable Content (DLC) is a method for developers and/or publishers to extend the monetization of their products for a longer period. This practice is not inherently anticonsumer, such as Factorio's Space Age DLC being regarded as paying for a new game according to fans, however, companies such as Electronic Arts and Ubisoft have been known to abuse DLC to break up their complete products into multiple purchases with no regard to the consumer.

Dark patterns involving DLC

Pre-order bonuses

A very popular method used by companies to incite the customer to purchase their game is to offer them additional content for pre-ordering.

This can range from:

• Extra characters
• Cosmetics
• In-game currency
• Entire gamemodes
• Closed Beta acess

Day one DLC

Similar to pre-order bonuses yet not including even when purchasing the game. This content is most often cut out of the base game and in some examples still on the game disc but still locked behind a paywall.

DLC overload

Rather than develop new games, some companies have been seen to instead develop new content for their games, however, most of this content is cut up into multiple purchases. This has historically been seen with EA's The Sims 4, wherein a consumer has to pay over $1,000 just to have a complete game. A pattern connected to this overload also shows that games that overload themselves with DLC, often will be intentionally developed to be lackluster in order to encourage consumers to purchase more of this DLC. Nintendo's Super Smash Brothers Ultimate has brought forth a lot of controversy from consumers as characters that are a lot stronger than the default roster are paywalled behind DLC.

Historical examples

Products to mention later on: The Sims 4, super smash Brothers ultimate, Minecraft bedrock edition, certain Ubisoft or EA games, Fortnite, Halo infinite, assassin's Creed