Today's Innovations Yesterday: Downloadable Content - News
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 27 July 2011 / 5,621 Views
Throughout the years, gamers primary form of video game purchases were that out of retail stores, forcing us to leave the comfort of our home to get our latest gaming fix with a new title. Even if you simply have software mailed to you, you still had to step outside into that hot burning sun to retrieve said package and then make the journey back inside. Oh, how shall we live with such expeditions required to retrieve our software? In the early 1980s, Control Video Corporation (CVC) was already on the problem.
Introduced just before the video game crash of 1983, GameLine's goal was to allow players access to dozens of Atari 2600 games all via one cartridge. Using a telephone line, players could connect to a service offering a variety of titles. The player then pays a fee for said title, and downloads it to their GameLine cartridge. After about five to ten plays, the user would have to repay the fee or purchase a new title. CVC was unable to pull in larger publishers like Atari or Activision, which left most of the big hits off the service. This in combination with the pre-1983 launch pretty much caused the device to flop. The Intellivision had a similar device called the PlayCable that allowed access to a list of downloadable titles, but through cable companies rather than a telephone line. The biggest difference was the fact that the title was downloaded to a RAM catridge, which deleted all content as soon as the system was powered off. Despite being fully endorsed by Intellivision, the cartridge was built with early software content in mind. Once cartridge sizes started expanding, the service was unable to offer new titles.
Obviously, the idea of downloadable content didn't stop there. While Nintendo is known today for almost completely ignoring online, as of 1988 they were already experimenting with the concept. They developed the Famicom Modem, which allowed the Famicom to connect to the internet for a variety of reasons, including weather forecasts, game cheats, jokes and most importantly, downloadable content. Exactly what kind of content was offered is a bit of mystery as the peripheral never saw a Nintendo Entertainment System release and had limited numbers on the Famicom, but it became the entry point for Nintendo to continue working on online services that provide users content.
Not willing to give up on their online services, well not yet at least, Nintendo released the Satellaview for the Super Nintendo, or rather Super Famicom. While this hardware packs quite a few features, the most relevant to us is the fact it, like the GameLine, it allowed players to download content directly to a cartridge. But instead of paying for each download, players were given subscription fees. Unlike past attempts, the Satellaview offered content not found in retail stores, like exclusive Fire Emblem missions, a remake of the original Zelda using 16-bit graphics, an F-Zero title with new tracks and more. Around the same time, SEGA had their own service called SEGA Channel for SEGA Genesis, but instead of using satellites like the Satellaview, the device went back to the ways of the Intellevision, which had data transferred through cable companies onto a RAM catridge. While there wasn't as much actual original content on the service as their rival company, it did offer retail titles, and even gave North Americans some access to Japanese only titles that never hit North American retail. Both Nintendo and SEGA's services saw significant lifespans, even though they came at the end of the console cycle
Despite an impressive showing during the 16-bit era, downloadable software took a back seat when the platforms moved on. The SEGA Saturn and original PlayStation both didn't feature any sort of network service to download content from. Nintendo made sort of half stab attempt with RANDnet, an exclusive service to the ill fated 64 Disc Drive. The service mainly featured downloadable demos of upcoming software releases, rather than full software titles. Players could also upload and download art created in the Mario Studio series with other fellow subscribers. North Americans missed out on RANDnet, just like the 64DD, but they would get a slight taste of online content with the Nintendo 64 thanks to the third party accessory, Shark Wire. Shark Wire allowed for players to download game saves directly to the Nintendo 64's cartridge, but changing cartridge standards rendered the device useless on many titles, including Ocarina of Time and Banjo Kazooie. A version was intended for the PlayStation, but never emerged.
One of the biggest issue up until this point that every platform faced was the need for consumers to purchase an expensive add-ons. So, how do you fix this? Build a modem right into your platform! And that's exactly what SEGA did with the SEGA Dreamcast. Through this, SEGA was able to offer downloadable content to anyone who had a dial-up connection. But this isn't where downloadable content's success story begins. The platform still was hit by technical limitations, specifically in terms of storage space. The only option for storage were memory cards, which didn't hold much as is. Some titles got around this by faking the user into thinking they were receiving downloadable content. Samba de Amigo featured network only songs which simply required an unlock code to access on-disc tracks. It's a trend that continues today but for very different reasons. SEGA attempted to remedy this via an in-development ZIP drive that never made it to the market.
After the Dreamcast's death, Microsoft picked up the torch and solved the Dreamcast's problem by implementing a hard drive into the Xbox, which gave the platform significant space for downloadable content. While not exactly wide spread, it was met with a certain degree success with many titles making use of it including Halo 2 and Splinter Cell. Despite Nintendo's heavy online past, the Gamecube saw minimal support, with Phantasy Star Online 1 & 2 and Phantasy Star Online 3, both of which had free downloadable quests that stored on the Gamecube's Memory Card. Sony also had a handful of titles on the PlayStation Station 2 that had continued updates through downloads, including Phantasy Star Universe which used a memory card and Final Fantasy XI that required a hard drive add-on.
It wasn't really until this generation that we've downloadable content take off. From an original content perspective, the concept has seen some fantastic results on PSN, XBLA, Steam, etc. But as for add-on content it's questionable how well it has been received as fans usually point at dirty tactics like on-disc paid downloadable content and cut content that publishers have been abusing with the system. And downloadable retail releases are simply overpriced. Either way, we're at the point where it is clear downloadable content is here to stay for some time.
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interesting article ^^
It's interesting to see how the industry has built on the success and failures of yesterday.
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