News Thoughts on Expansion Packs

http://www.bit-tech.net/blog/2010/10/09/thoughts-on-expansion-packs/

 

It's kind of a different market though.

HL:OF and HL:BS were both expansions of single player games whereas most games now at least have a multi-player content, and in many that's the focus. Despite the way some companies use DLC as a cash sponge, I think it is better suited to the modern era.

Bring on HL2e3 or even HL3!

 

Meh, I don't like them but if they are good/worth it then I will buy them

 

Red Alert: Aftermath ... with tesla tanks !

AWESOME

 

Opposing Force is easily the best expansion pack I have ever played. And I still maintain it was good enough to be sold as a stand alone title. Great game.

The problem with Blue Shift is that, as far as remember, it was never intended as an expansion pack for the PC version, but it was extra content for the ill fated Dreamcast port. And as such the probably didn't feel the need to make it longer, as you were already buying the full Dreamcast game.

As for expansion packs, I wish there was more of them. I far to prefer to pay £10 - £20 for something that provides several hours of play and really adds something new to the original game, than pay £5 for some extra maps, or a new level or whatever. Also you didn't feel ripped off with an expansion pack as the tended to appear several months after release of the original game. Not the day after it was released...

 

Yeah I miss proper expansions DLC is fine but it requires that the developers support a game longer than they otherwise would have to to work. Expansions are great for the simple reason they aren't made out of cut content especially for itself like a lot of DLC is (look at Mafia 2).

It was also a nice way of new studios cutting their teeth in the market piggy backing on the success of a major game look at all th studios who got their start that way. Gearbox, Splash Damage, Nerve, Greymatter and so on DLC can't do that but expansions belong to a different era now and we relly just have to make do with DLC unless as you said its a RTS then we get to pay 30 quid for a small expansion (thankyou relic).

 

Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour is an example of an awesome expansion pack.

It added to every element of the game and I dread to think how many hours I lost to it.

It provided new units, new campaigns, and a challenge mode that was an enormous time sink. Throw in some new skirmish and multiplayer maps as well and it really was good value.

 

Loved the original Quake 1 mission packs, great gaming when 3d graphics was starting to take off.

Opposing Force for HL was excellent though.

 

Brood War: made starcraft into "starcraft".

 

For Fallout 3, Broken Steel provided the ending that the game needed, and Point Lookout was rgeat as well, but some of the other DLC just seemed quite limited in scope.
My favourite would be Yuri's Revenge from Red Alert 2, mm, chronoSEALS.

 

The problem is a lot of modern games *are* expansion packs, the number of times recently I've thought to myself, "hey this just feels like an expansion pack for <insert previous game in series here>"

Why sell an expansion pack for £15-10 when you can sell it as a stand alone game for £40??

For an expansion pack I'd expect a new campaign, new multiplayer levels and a few tweaks here and there, but basically more of the same on the same engine etc.
Is this not the very definition of MW2? (which i liked FYI)

 

The best expansion pack ever released is widely considered to be Mysteries of the Sith for Jedi Knight.

It consisted of an epic single player campaign, nearly doubled the number of weapons, enemies and force powers. In addition, it revolutionised the Mutliplayer, adding a far more powerful match-making engine and game types, as well as all the classic levels and characters from the films.

It took every aspect of the original and made it bigger, better and added more longevity. So much so it was an absolutely essential addition, and completely eclipsed the original, especially in mutliplayer.

On the flip side, one expansion packs can be brilliant, but if they stray too far from the original nobody likes them. No more so IMO than Quake 3: Team Arena. I played it and loved it, but because it was so different from Q3 original (it had more in common with Team Fortress) nobody played it.

 

Gotta agree with this.

 

Call of Duty: United Offensive is another example of an expansion that vastly improved the original game.

I miss the sheer fun of that game online...

 

expansion packs are very necessary imo. look at games like modern warfare 2 - that could have easily been an expansion. i haven't seen a whole lot of that game but from what i have seen, it seem recycles a lot of resources from the first game anyway.

expansion packs are nice because they don't waste disk space, you don't have to reconfigure anything, and the developers don't have to look like greedy assholes by trying to sell you an entire "new" game. unfortunately, consoles can't really handle expansions that well, so i'm assuming thats the reason for them not showing up.

what i've always wanted to see was a racing game with expansions. sometimes games like flatout 2 were perfectly designed, they just needed more content. sometimes i don't want a whole new racing game - i just want more tracks. considering that most games are designed for consoles and console games are essentially as detailed as they can get, i would find it pretty acceptable to take the same game and create a bajillion expansions for it, instead of what is basically re-releases of the same games over and over with a few different ideas.

keep in mind, by creating an expansion, developers won't really be criticized as badly as they would if they just created a whole new sequel because expansions aren't designed to be an entirely new game.

 

Half Life has been one of the very few whos expansion packs were really worth it, a lot of expansion packs you get a few hours of play which isnt bad but isnt great either. As others said today most expansion packs are multiplayer based and I personally hate that, would rather see single player additions or at least have both not just multiplayer

 

indeed, great expansion and probably still my fave ever online game....

Relic tend to be pretty good with expansion packs for dawn of war 1 and 2 and company of heroes

(well the first one is always worth it and the 2nd and onwards arent as good value for money)

 

Borderlands! The expansion-packs were totally awesome tbh. Even Moxxi was great, if you've played Borderland in CoOp and/or PvP.

Age of Empires allways had very good expansions.

Oh and then there's MMOs like EvE Online ofc, which had lots of expansions during the last few years, which added to the game overall.

I think expansions are not a problem in general, but differ heavily depending on the genre of games you play.

 

I loved the Outlaws expansion - A Handful of Missions. Those historical missions and the whole 'Get 'em, Dead or Alive' angle gave it a real challenge and sense of style.

 

yeah age of empires rise of rome expansion made the game what it should have been..

@buaal quake 3 was imo dumbed down from quake 2.. they were trying to draw in more players while still keeping the hardcore fanbase

all the dlc nowdays =E