Microtransactions and DLC (Downloadable Content) are becoming more and more prevalent in the gaming industry and have elicited strong reactions from gamers as a whole, both good and bad. Recently, controversy erupted when documents were leaked that showed how much pressure Electronic Arts are applying to gamers playing FIFA 21 to spend money on loot boxes for gameplay purposes. Taking this into account, I thought it might be worth examining microtransactions and DLC and whether they are a necessary evil in the modern video games industry.
First, we should briefly discuss the history of microtransactions and DLC. The historical precursor to microtransactions and DLC were expansion packs which were typically restricted to the PC platform. These expansion packs would typically add new game mechanics, areas, stories, quests etc. to a game and would usually not work without the original game in question although you did occasionally see the release of stand-alone expansions which could run by themselves. While most consoles prior to the seventh generation of consoles did not have access to online features, a few precursors did exist. Most notable was the Sega Dreamcast which did have built-in internet support and saw several games receive small DLC such as costumes or challenges that were released for free.
