Microsoft’s Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hryb has said DLC season passes can be “really dangerous” for multiplayer games. Hryb made his comments during IGN’s latest Podcast Unlocked episode, saying that selling DLC maps can split a game’s community and create issues for a game’s player base.
DLC passes can be “really dangerous when it comes to multiplayer, because what happens is it fractures the community,” he commented. “‘You have the maps, I don’t have the maps, I didn’t buy that map but you bought that map,’ so when we all get together, ‘Oh, you couldn’t play the map.'”
Naturally, he praised the approach taken by Halo 5: Guardians developer 343 Industries’ approach to the game’s multiplayer. DLC maps and other content are being given away for free on a monthly basis and the game will continue to receive support until this summer.
“So what 343 has done, which I think is rather brilliant, is that everybody gets the maps,” Hryb said. “But they’re going to make things up with the [microtransaction] Req packs. That’s how they’re having some additional revenue, I assume, on the side. It’s such a great way to execute it and keep the fans together.”
Halo 5’s microtransactions have proven popular so far, with Microsoft reports the game’s optional Req packs have made more than $1.5 million to date.
Last summer, 343 studio head Josh Holmes said the decision to give away the game’s maps for free was made in order to prevent splitting the player base into “haves and have nots.”
What do you think of season passes for multiplayer games?