Steam To Offer DLC In-game

[Hectic Glenn]

Just like Valve currently operate with all their titles, Valve games are able to be updated and bolt on extra content as downloadable content ships. Many other games available on Steam that are not developed by Valve can ship updates easily but adding new content is more difficult. This update means that in-game DLC allows developers and publishers to use their own games as a platform for selling additional content to gamers.[br]DLC can now be added to any game on Steam, regardless of whether it was originally purchased via Steam, at retail, or via other digital outlets. It is also a feature of Steamworks, the suite of free tools and services available to game developers and publishers. The first game to take advantage of this new in-game DLC capability is The Maw, by Twisted Pixel Games, which now has two new expansions available.[br]More titles sure to follow in the near future. Steam News.

 

[Reginald]

Sounds good considering the new gaming buzzword is definitely "DLC" especially with such high profile releases as TLAD (first ever DLC to get a TV spot?) and the upcoming Fallout 3 DLC.

What happened to patches and expansions packs? It's all DLC and episodes now!

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Interesting... This was the main flaw GFW guys had against Steam. Not anymore!

 

[DigiQ8]

Interesting... This was the main flaw GFW guys had against Steam. Not anymore!

Suck it GFW!

 

[Kyorisu]

I don't see why this so terribly hard to pull off. DLC is just additional content and steam already serves a host of expansions that require their original game to function. Isn't DLC just an extension of that? (The ability to acquire additional content whilst the game is running). I'm surprised it's taken so long for something that should be entirely trivial. Then again this is Valve they've a habit of making issues look bigger than they really are.

Also lol at The Maw

In this "deleted scene" from The Maw

Or how we could have included this content in the retail game but chose not to to try and siphon more money out of peoples wallets.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

I don't see why this so terribly hard to pull off. DLC is just additional content and steam already serves a host of expansions that require their original game to function. Isn't DLC just an extension of that? (The ability to acquire additional content whilst the game is running). I'm surprised it's taken so long for something that should be entirely trivial. Then again this is Valve they've a habit of making issues look bigger than they really are.

Also lol at The Maw



Or how we could have included this content in the retail game but chose not to to try and siphon more money out of peoples wallets.

Oh boy... Don't trivialize something unless you were on the inside working on it and actually know.

Just a little pet peeve of mine, especially since I'm a programmer, and people say that all the time about the game I'm working on right now. "Why is there a bug in X? Why can't you put weapon Y in?" etc etc

Le sigh.

 

[jondy]

Or how we could have included this content in the retail game but chose not to to try and siphon more money out of peoples wallets.

Oh, stop being such a lemon.

 

[Lobster]

Whether you like DLC or not, its part of the current gaming industry, and it would be foolish for Valve not to offer the functionality.

 

[Barnz]

Interesting... This was the main flaw GFW guys had against Steam. Not anymore!

Microsoft pay developers/publishes to make it a Live Exclusive, which means we might never see DLCs like The Pitt, Lost and Damned on Steam. I don't like Live system, mainly because it's only available in 27 countries. I hope they don't do such limitations.

 

[Marler]

Nice one!

 

[Deleted member 56031]

I suppose its nice to see steam offer this functionality but one of the pc's greatest strengths IMO was that 99% of the time DLC is free. Considering how big steam is now you can bet that content that would have been free otherwise will now be paid for on pc (not valve obviously but ea and activision definitely) .

 

[TwwIX]

There goes the free updates. DLC along with the Live service are nothing more than sugar coated money pits. I can only hope that Valve doesn't start charging us for future map/class updates.

 

[Sledgehammer]

The price of the Far Cry 2 DLC saddens me, when a far, far, far better game like Civilization III Complete is available on Steam for the same price.

 

[saratos]

I'm sorry, I don't understand what this means...

 

[PimpinPenguin]

I'm sorry, I don't understand what this means...

You know how some games have additional content. GTA 4 has The Lost and Damned and Fallout 3 has Operation Anchorage. These are all DLC (Downloadable Content) For example in the case of Fallout 3, you can purchasable Operation Anchorage though Games For Windows Live. All this update means is that now you will be able to purchase additional content for games that support it.