Chalk Talk - Keeping it on the DLC

Downloadable Content (DLC) it can come in many shapes, sizes, forms and costs. For some it is a way for a game that would otherwise age quickly to maintain that fresh out of the box smell. While others feel that it is a slap in the face. Some remember the old times where additional content was a boon gifted to you by the gaming gods for performing a particular feat of strength. This weeks Chalk Talk GameSpotters discuss Downloadable content, does this nickel and dime action shake your faith in the companies you would otherwise support? Here's what they had to say.

pokecharm: Downloadable Content will be the lightning rod to any gaming discussion. Do you love it or do you hate it? I think its clear that my inclination leans one way, but that doesnt mean I condemn it, hardly. What people want to do with their money is their business, as I believe should be true in other ways, but not an appropriate sidebar to this discussion. read more.

ZanarkandTidus: DLC can add more game time to our favorite games or give us new weapons to use,new characters etc. to freshen up the gaming experience but often we have to pay for them and sometimes the new levels/missions are very short and often DLC is nearly the same price as a full game. read more.

g1rldraco7: Like most of us our favorite games sometimes need a little thing or two to expand our replayability. In this case I chose the DLC for Mass Effect as an example of why one can make the achievements in the game tedious and make you hate it! read more.

starduke: For me to consider DLC worth getting it had to add something meaningful to the game. New outfits and other odds and ends just don't make the cut. I'd rather be spending that money to add to my collection of hats then to buy them for my in-game characters. read more.

lim_ak: Post release content actually isn't anything new. It's new on this generation of consoles because they're actually online systems now but the concept itself has been around on PCs for quite a while. read more.

Peanut Gallery

In addtion to the fantastic blogs on GameSpot we also took a quick Community Poll via Facebook and Twitter to find out what others had to say on the subject.

More Chalk

A very special thanks to everyone who contributed to this week's Chalk Talk! To read all of the entrants, you can check out this link here.

Extra Credit

Sometimes a good blog is simply a good blog, and these GameSpot members deserve recognition for their efforts and contributions:
- Is Music In Games Important? By: shureshot24
- What do we do with the drunken sailor? By: DigitalExile
- System Wars Magazine By: DraugenCP

Last Week on Chalk Talk: Reviewer Revelry

Next Week's Assignment:

Chalk Talk - Gaming vs. Gamer Culture
The past few Chalk Talks we have looked into how various aspects impact the culture which we hold near and dear to us. This week we’re going to discuss the impact our culture has on various aspects of society, the demographics that it encompass, the social and anti-social implications, the rise of subcultures and the sphere of influence that gaming has created for non gaming cultures. Need some inspiration? You can discuss how events such as Extra Live have helped with funding for children's hospitals. Or how because of adoption by pop icons it is now more socially acceptable to game than it once was? Or perhaps how an over abundance of gamification has degraded the quality of the culture in question. Whatever you choose to blog about, sound off in this roll call topic here and be sure to mark your blog as editorial.