wraggster
November 18th, 2011, 10:33
Nintendo Of America president Reggie Fils-Aime (http://www.next-gen.biz/filter/all/tags/836) has explained the company's reluctance to sell paid DLC for its games.
Speaking to AOL's games blog, Fils-Aime explained that Nintendo (http://www.next-gen.biz/filter/all/tags/155)developers were wary of selling additional content because they want to give consumers the "complete experience" on day one.
"We're interested in [DLC] to the extent that it makes sense to the consumer," he said. "And it's interesting: I've had this conversation with a number of our key developers, and their mentality is: 'Reggie, when we sell a game, we want the consumer to feel that they've had a complete experience".
"Now, in addition, if we want to make other things available, great, and we'll look at that. But what we're unwilling to [do is] sell a piece of game upfront and, if you will, force a consumer to buy more later. That's what they don't want to do, and I completely agree.
"I think the consumer wants to get, for their money, a complete experience, and then we have opportunities to provide more on top of that."
Fils-Aime's comments are enlightening, and do much to explain why3DS (http://www.next-gen.biz/filter/all/tags/884)did not have DLC mechanisms in place on the day it launched. A system update, due this month (http://www.next-gen.biz/news/3ds-firmware-update-add-microtransaction-support) in Japan and in the UK in December (http://www.next-gen.biz/news/3ds-firmware-update-confirmed-arriving-december-uk), will set that right, but it appears Nintendo's belated action has been motivated by thirdparties.
Developers and publishers think of DLC in a markedly different way. Earlier this week Gears Of War 3 developer Rod Fergusson emphasised DLC's importance in combating the second-hand trade, telling Game Informer magazine: "It's not about, 'Oh, we had this map left over'...it's keeping the disc in the tray (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/326333/epic-defends-pre-launch-dlc-development). In a used game culture that you have to actively fight against, I think DLC is one of the ways that you do that."
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/fils-aime-nintendo-devs-wary-paid-dlc
Speaking to AOL's games blog, Fils-Aime explained that Nintendo (http://www.next-gen.biz/filter/all/tags/155)developers were wary of selling additional content because they want to give consumers the "complete experience" on day one.
"We're interested in [DLC] to the extent that it makes sense to the consumer," he said. "And it's interesting: I've had this conversation with a number of our key developers, and their mentality is: 'Reggie, when we sell a game, we want the consumer to feel that they've had a complete experience".
"Now, in addition, if we want to make other things available, great, and we'll look at that. But what we're unwilling to [do is] sell a piece of game upfront and, if you will, force a consumer to buy more later. That's what they don't want to do, and I completely agree.
"I think the consumer wants to get, for their money, a complete experience, and then we have opportunities to provide more on top of that."
Fils-Aime's comments are enlightening, and do much to explain why3DS (http://www.next-gen.biz/filter/all/tags/884)did not have DLC mechanisms in place on the day it launched. A system update, due this month (http://www.next-gen.biz/news/3ds-firmware-update-add-microtransaction-support) in Japan and in the UK in December (http://www.next-gen.biz/news/3ds-firmware-update-confirmed-arriving-december-uk), will set that right, but it appears Nintendo's belated action has been motivated by thirdparties.
Developers and publishers think of DLC in a markedly different way. Earlier this week Gears Of War 3 developer Rod Fergusson emphasised DLC's importance in combating the second-hand trade, telling Game Informer magazine: "It's not about, 'Oh, we had this map left over'...it's keeping the disc in the tray (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/326333/epic-defends-pre-launch-dlc-development). In a used game culture that you have to actively fight against, I think DLC is one of the ways that you do that."
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/fils-aime-nintendo-devs-wary-paid-dlc