DLC 'pretty much accepted' now, says Ubisoft digital exec

The vast majority of consumers have come to accept the increased role downloadable content now plays when it comes to purchasing games, according to Ubisoft VP of digital publishing Chris Early.

Whether it's full-game downloads or microtransactions, Early told GamesIndustry.biz that players are embracing DLC in a way that wasn't the case at the start of the last console generation.

Assassin's Creed 4 launched last year alongside multiple time-saving DLC packs, which speed up progress by revealing locations or providing additional in-game resources for between $1 and $2.

Early said few people complained about the availability of the DLC, which may once have been perceived as a cynical way of making a few quick bucks.

"There was no resistance," he said. "Maybe there were 12 guys somewhere who said something, but whatever. As a whole, there wasn't a problem."

Early said "good design" meant players are now more accepting of various monetisation models.

"DLC is pretty much accepted. Season pass is pretty much accepted. Now it's interesting when you start to think of season pass as a service pass. For our season pass holders, I know we hold events for them specifically, so it's little bit more than just DLC content. So there's an evolution going on there.

"Where it hurts is when you feel like you're forced, or you're at a disadvantage or can't do it unless you [pay money]. That's kind of a remorseful feeling, and nobody likes that."

Early said he knows of people who've spent tens of thousands of dollars playing Clash of Clans.

"But nobody's really angry about that. That's how that guy chooses to play, and he's playing against other people of the same calibre, whether they got there through spending hundreds of hours playing the game or tens of thousands of dollars. Good design, that's what it comes down to."

The executive also said that the demand for digital products has shot up this console generation, "to the order of two to five times" in the case of some series which have spanned last and new-gen consoles.

"It's not just that they might have made it easier. To me, that means that people want it. I probably wouldn't have guessed there was that much pent-up digital demand."