Expansion packs don’t sell well – Grand Theft Auto DLC
Expansion packs and DLC have become the new testing ground for the next step in iterative video game development. Expansion packs, if successful could save studios millions of development dollars. However, the only problem is that it hasn’t been too successful yet.
According to Gamespot, the boxed combo of Grand Theft Auto IV expansions Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned only managed to sell 160k from October to November. This is much less than the initial analysis of 1.5 million units sold.
Expansion packs have a stigma attached to them making gamers hesitant when it comes to shelling out money. Halo 3: ODST sold 1.5 million in September, 271k in October, and completely dropped off the top 10 in November.
Although 1.8 million sold is a respectable number, it certainly wasn’t Halo-esque numbers at all despite Microsoft’s moving multi-million dollar ad campaign. It’s curious why a Halo title sold so little compared to Halo 3, which managed to sell 7.6 million whopping units in the US. The answer is quite simple, it was an expansion pack.
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20 Responses to “Expansion packs don’t sell well – Grand Theft Auto DLC”
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December 13th, 2009
Especially when they try to sell them at a “full game” price.
I have enjoyed the Fallout3 DLC. It certainly does expand the game and give it some more life…..it really depends on the DLC though
December 13th, 2009
I’m not sure if you’re aware of this Mike but the GTA content is also available by download. It’s what the D stands for in DLC.
December 13th, 2009
I was just about to say that “me_”. Microsoft has never gave the figures for the DLC. We know that the Lost and the Damned sold more then Killzone 2 and all those people would not buy the expansion pack because they have already bought the first one like me. I purchased the Ballads of Gay Tony seperately as well. Rockstar also said the Lost and the Damned sold very good for a Online only DLC so I can only wonder what Gay Tony sold for on DLC. As for the expansion pack I’m sure it will sell well over time.
December 13th, 2009
What a stupid article.
Why did you make your title about DLC sales when your article is only about physical sales???
Why have you not mentioned the “DLC” sales?????
December 13th, 2009
I for one, bought the first GTA4 DLC. IMO it was well worth the $20 price tag. Anyone who enjoyed the main game should definately check out the GTA4 expansions. The only problem I have about the expansions in this case is that I had no idea that both expansions would be released on a single disc when I bought the first DLC. Had I known I would have waited and just bought the disc when it came out.
The thing I find interesting about this article is it only mentions 2 expansions and both are on Xbox 360, but it seems like it is applying to expansions in general to me. Of course this can’t be true… just ask Blizzard about any of the expansions they released for any other their PC games.
December 13th, 2009
I think the previous entries have this covered.
You tie in DLC with no hard data and really you’re talking about a physical expansion pack which has (at least until now) been largely a PC thing and not a route consoles have taken to any serious degree.
Personally I go between GOTY game version (which incorporate all the DLC on the disc) and happily buying DLC content.
I’ve yet to read a word about how DLC sales on XBL have proven to be small and disappointing.
December 13th, 2009
I agree with Happyhockum
Expansions have been a PC thing up until this console generation. As I mentioned earlier about expansion packs for blizzard games(just to name a small bit of the PC game market), they sell like crazy.
I was playing Fallout 3 for 360 when the DLC started comming out. Given Bethesda’s history I knew that eventually everything would be released as a GoTY edition, so when I finished Fallout 3 i sold it on Amazon for almost the price I paid for it. I didn’t waste any money on DLC. I haven’t bought the GoTY yet but I will sometime soon.
I did the same with Gears of War 2 before the it’s GoTY edition came out.
December 13th, 2009
Dragon Age DLC was pretty good I think, haven’t tried GTAIV DLC yet.
December 13th, 2009
Carl B
You have to get the Ballads of Gay Tony it is the best part of GTA in liberty City.
December 14th, 2009
DLC is great, as long as it doesn’t become a 3 year excuse for a sequel. Also, for god’s sake, put all of the content in the actual game. I don’t have anything to show, but I’m suspecting that some gaming companies might be holding back on already thought-of features just to be DLC content.
DLC doesn’t sell well because people probably have enough of that game after beating it, and moved on to new ones. You have to love the game to go back and play more of the same. If the game is good enough to make more of the same a good thing, I’d go back to it. I personally never downloaded an expansion. In fact, I think that the only expansion I’ve ever bought was the expansion to Age of Empires 2, and that came with it.
December 14th, 2009
Didn’t Resident Evil 5′s DLC come on the disc? That’s a rort if I’ve ever seen one.
December 14th, 2009
That Harry and they also count dlc in trophies so you have to buy it to get 100%.
December 14th, 2009
h**tp://www.incgamers.com/News/20003/
December 14th, 2009
h**p://www.neowin.net/news/gamers/09/12/09/pachter-gta-ivs-massive-size-may-put-punters-off-dlc
December 14th, 2009
“That Harry and they also count dlc in trophies so you have to buy it to get 100%.”
that piss me off!
December 14th, 2009
Really? That’s crap.
December 14th, 2009
I’ll just rent the Gold Edition in March.
December 15th, 2009
Yeah, the DLC on disc RE5 debacle is embaressing, and I FORSHAME anyone who knew about it but bought the game anyway. That should NOT be rewarded.
December 15th, 2009
a gametype free in RE4 you have to pay for it RE5. complete BS.
@harry.
The only positive thing is you could get the platinum without those other trophies but it will still never say 100% until you get those other ones.
Roca and a couple of others (ghost, and oldschool i think) fall into that category. They got the plat but didn’t complete 100% due to add on trophies.
December 15th, 2009
Fallout3 showed 100% platinum until the DLC came out, now its platinum with 53% completion. :frowny face: