10 Video Game Traditions That Are Dead And Buried
2. Unlockables
Downloadable content began in gaming as a way to keep games alive post-launch. The title was finished but fans were still hungry for more and it was a good way to tap into an existing audience. Then overtime, it became common for additional content to launch immediately alongside the game which posed the question: "if it comes out at the same time as the game, why isn't it in the game I bought?"
And that’s before getting into the murky waters of essentially paying for a key for content that’s on the disc.
With a lack of possibility for post-launch support, video games shipped as complete packages. As such every mode, every skin, every character, every bonus level and so on could be earned. If a designer finished it, it was on the disc somewhere and to squeeze out every last drop of experience was about skill, perseverance and video game mastery.
It was the true incentive for 100%’ing a title, seeing what unlockables games had to offer. These days, rewards often get no more complex than the prompt that you’ve earned a digital trophy.
DLC as a concept is great because it’s at a player’s discretion. Not interested in a particular character or a weapon skin? That’s fine, you don’t have to buy it. However, most players would care a lot more about anything at all if they earned it themselves through the act of playing rather than just dropping funds.