Ah, downloadable content, better known as DLC. It’s such a modern expectation in today’s gaming landscape that it’s an active surprise when a studio says it won’t release add-ons (no matter how badly we want it). Across games big and small, indie and giant, live service and single-player, DLC is everywhere.
But what’s the history of DLC, and how has it shaped current trends? What makes a piece of DLC worth it? When (and why) does it work, and when does it really not? Four writers from The Punished Backlog joined me to discuss these questions and much more. Join us for a DLC power-hour discussion!
The Punished Podcast Episode 9
Check out the latest episode below. A reminder that you can listen here, download the MP3 file, or catch us wherever you get your podcasts. Happy listening!
Download MP3 | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Amanda Tien | Zack Gulinello | Allison McDaniel | Anthony Franklin II | Joe Chivers
Timestamps
- 0:00 – Episode Intro and the History of DLC
- 3:10 – Our Favorite DLC and Why They Work
- Amanda: Fallout 4: New Harbor
- Zack: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
- Allison: Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Happy Home Paradise
- Anthony: God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
- Joe: Fallout New Vegas: Dead Money
- 20:56 – Skins, Cosmetic Content, and Microtransactions
- 27:00 – The Trend of Only One Big DLC
- 35:24 – How Digital Storefronts Shape Games, Expectations, Endings
- 46:52 – Games We Wish Had DLC
- 56:23 – Looking Ahead: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- 1:02:39 – Open Mic: Shovelware, Life = DLC, Balatro, Sports Games, ToTK
- 1:08:04 – Outro: What’re You Playing?
More Games We Discussed
Alan Wake 2, Apex Legends, Baldur’s Gate 3*, Battle Chef Brigade, Brink, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Control, Cult of the Lamb, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, Deadpool, Deathloop, Eastwards, Fallout 4: Far Harbor, Fallout New Vegas: Dead Money, Horizon Zero Dawn: Frozen Wilds, Hades, Halo, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Madden, MarioKart 8, Marvel Snap, Mass Effect 3: Citadel**, MLB: The Show 24, NBA 2K Series, Splatoon, The Sims 1 through 4, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Stardew Valley***, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine, Yakuza 0, Zoo Tycoon
* We have an entire podcast episode about Baldur’s Gate 3!
** If you want to hear Amanda talk more about Mass Effect 3: Citadel, check out Episode 7 of our podcast and skip to 02:43:50.
*** Check out our recent conversation on everybody’s favorite farming sim as we aimed to answer the question, “Why is Stardew Valley so good?!”
Song Credits
- “It’s The Sims” (Ilan Eshkeri) from The Sims 4
- “Bootlegger Boogie” (Kristofer Maddigan) from Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
- “New York’s Only Spider-Man” (John Paesano) from Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- “Fanfares and Flowers” (Mikolai Stroinski) from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood & Wine
What Are Your Favorite Pieces of DLC?
Let us know in the comments!
