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Tuesday 19 March 2024

Downloadable content and extensions for games are the key to long term success

There are literally thousands of games on the market in an ever-growing digital landscape, everything from mobile devices to consoles to PC games. While the industry is booming with a new generation of gamers and dozens of creative development companies on the rise, it’s no surprise that the games that actually hold their share of players and continue to dominate all have one basic aspect that stands above all… the capability to allow players to add-on content and extensions.

This was a concept that was around for many years for hard-core gamers, with games such Blizzard’s World of WarCraft taking an early lead using the model to expand and grow its audience. Lately, this has been a key factor for any game to survive, with more recent success in games like Mojang’s Minecraft which has a constant stream of updates and enhancements to keep users engaged. This has even grown past the standard PC model, and has been a core factor for iOS and mobile adoption with games like SuperCell’s Clash of Clans, Boom Beach and more recently Clash Royale. Now, this has expanded with console gaming, which traditionally has always kept to the in-game content only model with no updates.   

Popular development studio Rockstar Games announced today a new downloadable expansion for the mega-hit Grand Theft Auto V, releasing on October 4 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The open-world game that’s one of the top sellers in the industry’s history. GTA Online online has generated over $500 million in revenue. Updates such as these on console games keep players engaged, which makes people more likely to spend money on in-game upgrades and features. This new update adds Biker “Clubs” to GTA, which allow teams (of up to two to eight players) to ride with each other, creating more of a social experience. Updates of course will also include new vehicles, weapons, clothing and other small details making it a richer experience.

Clearly, this is a direction all new games must have in mind if they want to keep players engaged and coming back for more. For additional information regarding Video Game Health Benefits, check out this read from our partners at Positive Health Benefits.

Reviews

  • Rockstar Games9
  • Supercell8
  • Clash Royale6
  • Mojang9
  • Minecraft9
  • 8.2

    Score



Justin Hoffman is a NYC based developer and technology leader. He writes about web development and processes, mobile trends, and consumer-facing technology. Justin is a frequent speaker at many national events with focus on Technology and Agile, including DrupalCon, Agile Allegiance, and DreamForce (Salesforce) conferences. He is currently spearheading a development team at Asset International.


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