The title of Super Mario World is a bit misleading when compared to modern standards, considering it doesn’t include much of a world; more like a collection of standalone levels. The Legend of Zelda does include a world which allows players to travel without being restricted by linearity. Much time has passed since then and nonlinear worlds seen in games like The Legend of Zelda have become less rare.
With the release of Grand Theft Auto 3, the inclusion of 3D virtual worlds became standard in more modern games. These “sandbox” games allow gamers to not be restricted to the main objective required to progress through the game. Gamers could boot up their game with no intention of making progress, instead they could just run around and blow stuff up. This feature brought more replay value to the game, but to gamers who had completed all the missions, it is possible that they would become bored with all the aimless freedom. They were left with the option of waiting until Rockstar released a sequel where a completely new world became available to roam around in.
As Grand Theft Auto 4 was released during the console generation where internet connectivity to consoles had become popular, new missions could be downloaded to the game. The new content, which allowed gamers to control a different character, included several more hours of adventure to experience in Liberty City. The inclusion of downloadable content allows developers to reuse the beautifully crafted worlds they spent so much time creating. While Grand Theft Auto did it right, some developers have taken advantage of this feature.
Assassin’s Creed II was released with two DNA sequences (or chapters) missing. Two weeks after its release, downloadable content is announced which becomes available less than two months after its announcement. With the missing sequences being released so soon after the game’s release, many feel that the developers intentionally demanded more money from fans who wanted to complete the game they paid full price for.
Fable II is another example of downloadable content not being used to its full potential. While the “Knothole Pack” included a whole new island to explore, only three new missions were added. Items, such as new armor and a collection of books detailing the history of Knothole Island, were also included. With the minimal amount of content included, gamers could complete the “Knothole Pack” within three or four hours; definitely not worth the $10 the developers asked for.
The inclusion of downloadable content in this generation allows developers to give gamers an opportunity to revisit and further explore virtual worlds. This concept can be advantageous as it means the developers time and money spent to create these worlds isn’t going to waste. This concept can also have a disadvantage when used by companies who try to sell gamers content not included in the game at release, or content that only brings three more hours of gameplay. If more developers modeled their downloadable content after Rockstar’s add-ons with Grand Theft Auto 4, then DLC can possibly be successful.