From most players' perspectives, Nintendo games already provide people with more than enough things to do. Games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey allow players to come up with ridiculous ways to beat them, and fans can make their own fun. But Nintendo isn't satisfied with this.

During the company's latest financial briefing, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima said that fans should expect more DLC for its games in future. As Kimishima explained, "To promote longer gameplay for individual software titles, we plan to implement even more downloadable content and events that build excitement for games."

Nintendo is already well-versed in releasing DLC for its games to keep players investing more time. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild got DLC expansions and the Nintendo Switch exclusive fighting game ARMS received several new fighters and maps post-launch.

Meanwhile, Super Mario Odyssey added a brand new game mode for free. Plus, the Wii U version of Mario Kart 8 added new characters and tracks as DLC (all of these are included in the Nintendo Switch version of the game).

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Nintendo clearly recognizes the use of DLC beyond just making money from the initial sale of the content. As Kimishima notes, the sale of DLC and the addition of new gameplay gets people excited about the game. The implication is that it gets them talking and this hype can in turn help to sell consoles and games. Many people will have purchased a Nintendo Switch not just because of Nintendo's advertisements, but because their friends and peers were enthusing about the console and its games too.

This can also be considered as Nintendo's first careful steps into the world of games as a service. Games as a service refers to any game that makes money beyond its initial sale. Titles such as Destiny 2, Final Fantasy 15, and Assassin's Creed Origins are several games that fall into the category, as they have received DLC, updates, and live events.

In many cases, titles under the umbrella of games as a service also offer microtransactions and loot boxes. There's no indication that Nintendo wants to use that sort of monetization, and any heavy-handedness could see the company hit with backlash. But in any case, many will see Nintendo's new strategy as a positive for players who will now be given even more reasons to play games they already enjoy.

Source: Nintendo