Battlefield 1943: A first step in a new direction?
Gabe Newell, the co-founder and managing director of Valve, has been talking a lot about games as platforms. Team Fortress 2 is the best – and as of now, really the only – example. There’s been a consistent flow of maps and updates for the game, free of charge. The general gist is that by supplying free updates and content to a game post-launch, you can create a type of entertainment platform that continues to sell, well into its life.
The platform plan has been successful as a business strategy. According to Valve, there is a large spike in game sales with each update. Oh, and it kills piracy. No really, it works.
So that’s games as platforms. Releasing a game, then continuously increasing its sales by increasing its value. It’s a two-prong approach of persuading fence-sitters, and motivating current players to bring their friends and family.
With their recent release of Battlefield 1943, EA may be the first to test the water. The game will certainly see early success; it’s essentially a modern online shooter for $15. But with only three maps, it needs some filling out.
The fact that the first DLC map, Coral Sea, is on the house may not just be a simple marketing exercise. If it isn’t, if we see maps and updates being regularly released for free, then EA is taking Valve’s suggestion for a spin.
Battlefield 1943 seems inherently designed to be an entertainment platform. With a $15 price tag, its availability on XBLA and PSN, and its simple and accessible design, word of a free map or update could be enough to get tens of thousands knocking.
It’d be great news, right? It could be the first step towards a sweeping change in the industry – a transition from premium DLC to free DLC.
I’m really digging this game — I have about 3 AAA retail games sitting on the shelf behind this XBLA game that I can’t get enough of.
EA should read this suggestion, because you are absolutely right about 1943’s capability of becoming an entertainment platform.
With the graphical look of the game being crisp and attractive and networking being smooth as butter, the only updates this game needs is more content. Already, I’m willing to spend another $10 for some more maps, a new vehicle, and/or a new class (although the vehicles and classes are already dangerously balanced).
It appears as though free DLC is a negative for, well nobody. If like you say it moves games off the shelf, than the developers are getting their cut. Especially with a game as accessible as 1943, free DLC would be a very good choice.
Nothing better than an accessible game becoming more friendly and inviting with free gifts.
Yeah, it’s amazingly fun. It’s only been on my hard drive for three days, but it’s already seen probably ten hours of playtime. With the exception of the (shrinking) connection issues and the lack of launch maps, the game is nearly flawless. Even with only three maps – soon to be four – the game is still a superb value at $15.
Free DLC seems to be a negative for only one player – the console makers – because they lose their royalties on premium DLC. Gabe Newell talks vaguely in the interview about rewarding Microsoft and Sony “for their risk” though when it comes to free DLC. I’m not sure what he has in mind.
Wasn’t there some big thing about that between Microsoft and Cliffy B?
Yeah, the two had a public argument about DLC in 2007 surrounding Gears of War DLC. Epic had the proud tradition of supporting their games long after launch with free content, much like Valve has done recently. Cliff and Epic wanted to continue that with Gears of War by having free map packs.
Microsoft never publicly said they were against that, but Cliff accused them of privately saying, at least initially, that they wouldn’t let them do that. If I remember right, the game started with having map packs sponsored by TV shows and movies and the like, which provided some money to Microsoft I guess. Recently, all Gears of War and Gears of War 2 DLC is priced I believe.