Day one downloadable content sucks, I think. Personally, it makes me feel like a chump. But there must be a reason for it in games like Mass Effect 3, right? BioWare's Fernando Melo has an explanation.
Earlier this year, Kotaku broke the news that Mass Effect 3 had day one DLC. At a recent developer's conference in Europe (during which Mass Effect completion rates were discussed), Melo offered this: "Contrary to what you might hear on the internet, fans do want more content. They tend to say, 'I want it now.' The problem with day one content and the challenge around it is that the right answer for now is different for every player. There is no single right time, there is no single now. It's subjective, and it's unique to every player."
And what's more, it's not just unique to every player, but, according to Melo, it's not even based on BioWare's wants.
Continuing, the BioWare director of online development said, "It's not based on us. It's not based on some first-party release schedule. It's there, if they want it they can pick it up day one. If they don't, they can wait until they've finished their game." This it's-your-fault argument was made before by Forbes.
While day one DLC might make some players upset now (like with Mass Effect 3), that could change. "The only way that that's going to go away is you fast forward a few more years, where this is just normal." By "normal" meant that every game is digital and "an ongoing service". So players can immediately buy more content if they like as part of a premium feature.
When this is just normal, huh.
BioWare Explains Day One Downloadable Content [IGN via GamesIndustry]