Is there a spot for DLC?

[jcalder8]

I'm trying to add Arcade/Indie games for the 360 and as I'm going through I'm seeing lots of listing for DLC. Is DLC something that we want to track?

[scott]

We decided a long time ago that we weren't tracking DLC. If we had a way to list them within the game they belong to, it might be a different story. But originally we weren't even going to track Digital games at all, until we had a bunch of users asking for it.

[jcalder8]

This makes sense I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't skipping a bunch of things that I should be adding.

[foxhack]

We decided a long time ago that we weren't tracking DLC. If we had a way to list them within the game they belong to, it might be a different story. But originally we weren't even going to track Digital games at all, until we had a bunch of users asking for it.

Actually... um. Aheh. >_>

If the DLC is a proper story expansion, or something that adds more than just a bunch of in-game items, I add it. Examples:

Deus EX HR: The Missing Link -- http://vgcollect.com/item/23128
Dungeons of Dredmor: Realm of the Diggle Gods -- http://vgcollect.com/item/20624
All expansion packs for Borderlands - yes, even the crappy Mad Moxxi one that's basically an arena. It contains some stuff related to the story so it counted.

Stuff that I don't think needs to be tracked: Weapon packs, avatar clothing items, character or weapon skins, downloadable character packs (except when they come with additional story content) or online codes or passes.

[jcalder8]

So does the DLC have to have its own story to it for it to be considered? What about extra tracks in a racing game?

[foxhack]

So does the DLC have to have its own story to it for it to be considered? What about extra tracks in a racing game?

Not necessarily.

As I said, I don't add stuff that gives you pointless cosmetic stuff (skins, avatar items) or bonus weapons (like stupid preorder exclusive crap or the Just Cause 2 weapons and vehicles), or online codes or passes (like the Cerberus Network on Mass Effect 2).

If any downloadable character packs are more than a reskin... then I guess they could be added. I don't count them so I wouldn't personally add them to the database. I'd just use the notes to list what I have.

Multiplayer map packs are iffy but I guess I'd add them too.

[soera]

It just seems like fluff to me.

[jcalder8]

So are we saying that it has to be a standalone product to warrant an entry?

[foxhack]

But all DLC are standalone products!

[htimreimer]

  have an idea for dlc how about something like in this pic

[foxhack]

Let me show you why that's not a good idea.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/65800/

[vigorousjammer]

Hey, sorry to dig up this old topic, but I've also been wondering about DLC.
There seems to be a lot of it listed in the Steam category, but the lack of finding any Xbox 360 DLC got me wondering...

I do think tracking DLC is a good idea, although like you guys said... tracking stuff like online passes, avatar items, and other cosmetic stuff probably isn't necessary.

I think having a list with checkmarks or a drop down menu on the game itself might be kind of messy for games that have a ton of DLC like Rock Band... I'm sure it'd be possible to add in a search bar just for a single game's DLC, but that would also be kind of odd, I think... just from a design perspective.

If you ask me, I think the best way to handle DLC is a two step process...

First would be to set up multiple categories, like we currently do with Swag.

Some examples:
"Xbox 360 - DLC - Songs/Track Packs"
"Playstation 3 - DLC - Expansion Packs"
"Wii U - DLC - Extra/Bonus Items"
There could also be a generic category for DLC that doesn't fit in any of the other categories.

Actually, I'm not sure if multiple categories would be too much or not. Here's another alternative:
"Xbox 360 - DLC"
"Wii - DLC"
"PC- DLC"

Still though... not sure if that would break it up enough. Another alternative I was thinking of would be without a system listed, like this:
"DLC - Weapon Packs"
"DLC - Character Packs"
"DLC - Map/Level Packs"

Second would be to add something to the Style guide. Not sure exactly what you guys would want, but I think something like this might work nicely:

"Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam"
The title of the game would come first (adhering to the style guide for game titles), and much like the current method of expansion packs, the DLC's title would come after a second colon.

This way, when all is said and done, it would show up as such in search: "Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam - Xbox 360 - DLC - Expansion Packs"

What do you guys think of this idea?

[soera]

Its too weird ... I have a few DLC things but I just listed them with the game itself in the notes. FF IV the after years I just listed that I have all the available scenarios and Marvel Pinball that I have all the DLC tables. To make their own category seems to be more work than necessary. The notes section has plenty of room to list details.

[scott]

Personally, I don't think we should list DLC as their own entries. I agree that we should list downloadable games, but not so much the downloadable content packs, unless it is something like a PC expansion pack that had both a disc and digital release.

[foxhack]

A few people have already begun to add DLC to the Steam category.

I've been raging for a few days, but I'm too nice to tell them to stop.

The way I see it, stuff that has an actual impact on extending the game - extra maps, additional gameplay modes, and sometimes characters - should be added.

Things that give you an advantage, like weapons packs, or purely cosmetic stuff, like costumes, player skin customizations, or this inexcusable cashgrab should NEVER be listed here.

I realize that this contradicts my comments about characters in post #3 of this thread a bit, but as long as it's a proper new character that isn't just a reskin, it's cool.