Ubisoft is only going to charge for essential DLC from now on

DLC is a greedy, grubby handed little business and most developers have lost their way when it comes to charging for it lately. Nit picking for every little item has left consumers angry, and Ubisoft wants to change that.

In an interview with Gamesindustry, the Ubisoft VP of Live Operations Anne Blondel-Jouin that they will only charge for DLC essential to the gameplay experience from now on. It's part of an effort to support their games for anywhere from 5-10 years, and has already started with Rainbow Six Siege. According to Blondel-Jouin, all maps and modes in Rainbow Six Siege are and will continue to be free. The only charges gamers will see are for cosmetic items and customization, which will not impact the core gameplay.

"The key is if it's not adding something on-top of the actual experience of the game, then it is no good. Because you'll be asking for more money for the wrong reasons. Also, if the content is compulsory for the gamers, it's no good as well. It is a way to deliver more fun to gamers, but they have a choice to go for that extra fun or not

It is all part of quality for Ubisoft, and "This new way of doing things, is because it is Ubisoft's responsibility to deliver gamers with the best quality possible. If you do a nasty toy, it will stay in the store no matter what the brand is".

Don't get your hopes] up too high, as this means that story content and other expansions are still going to be charged DLC. After all, it is what "actual experience of the game" means. To be fair, I think most consumers don't have a real issue with DLC as a whole, but more of the manner in how it's delivered. Locked on disc DLC is a joke because this means it's already finished yet they still are charging you more. It's what Blondel-Jouin means when she uses the analogy of an amusement park by saying you pay one price for admission but that includes the rides.

It's a good move by Ubisoft as it will help keep games fresh in the hands of consumers. Someone who's tired of a game will be more inclined to give that new map a shot if its free rather than risk losing $10 or so if they don't like it. Hopefully, others get on board **cough, cough, EA, cough** soon. What do you guys think? Let us know below.

[GamesIndustry]