Additions to 'Dead Space' May Not Be Worth It

Stanley A. Miller - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Last week Electronic Arts released some "premium upgrade packs" for its sci-fi horror game "Dead Space" to give the game's hero some new gear.

These items went on sale over Xbox Live late last week and will be available via the PlayStation Store worldwide on Thursday.

Looking over the list, these downloadable packs seem to be a collection of mostly cosmetic tweaks for the main character, ranging from $1 to $4 each.

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Some of the weapons the character uses to survive on the horror-filled derelict spaceship get a boost depending on the package you're buying, but for the most part EA just reskinned the existing weapons with new graphics.

I'm a bit conflicted about the announcement.

"Dead Space" is a good game with top-notch production values, solid storytelling, plenty of engrossing atmosphere, some interesting gameplay mechanics and other virtues.

But it's very short, and that's an issue when you pay $59.99 for a game.

Adding up all of the new content you could download for "Dead Space," these new outfits and weapons visuals would cost about $30.

If this new stuff was already in the original game, would anyone pay $89.99 for what's essentially an eight-hour diversion?

Granted, no one is forcing anyone to buy these add-ons. We can let the market decide whether we'll reward publishers like EA for this nickel-and-dime approach using cosmetic content.

Personally, I'd prefer a longer game, as opposed to content like this. But I am not going to suggest cosmetic downloads and game depth are mutually exclusive. They aren't - the downloadable content released for "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" is solid example.

Those downloads - released years ago - included a few cosmetic options but also offered new things to do. Places to go. People to see.

"Mass Effect," last year's sci-fi hit for the Xbox 360, also had downloadable content that adds activities.

This is going to continue to be an ongoing issue as more developers embrace and explore downloadable content.

Will they hold back certain things with an eye toward releasing them later? It's a delicate balancing act, and there are plenty of critics who view downloadable content as a scheme to get players to pay more for less.

More often than not, I disagree with that assessment, but when I look at these "Dead Space" downloads, I can't help but wonder.

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