When Electronic Arts announced its latest Stuff Pack for The Sims 4, My First Pet Stuff, it must have known that it was treading uncharted waters. While the franchise as a whole is famous for its numerous downloadable content offerings – The Sims 4 alone has 4 expansion packs, 6 game packs, and now 14 stuff packs –  this week marks a series-first: the upcoming Stuff Pack is intended for fans who have already purchased the Cats & Dogs expansion pack.

While those without the expansion pack can still purchase the My First Pet Stuff pack, they won't be able to interact with many new objects that come with the pack. In reaction to this, Sims fans have seen their Plumbobs turn red, and have raised plenty of ire directed towards the general concept of "DLC for DLC".

Beyond the concept as a whole, other fans are disappointed that the Stuff Pack is filled with items some gamers say should have been included with Cats & Dogs in the first place. For example, the prior iterations of the Pets expansion included small critters like birds, snakes, and mice, which were categorically absent in the Cats & Dogs expansion.

The Stuff Pack is now poised to re-introduce rodent-sized pets back into the franchise, which is something many fans say should have simply been included in the actual expansion itself rather than a follow-up Stuff Pack. Electronic Arts is no stranger to the belated introduction of gameplay items that existed in core releases of prior Sims generations, with The Sims 4 originally launching without toddlers and pools, though these eventually re-appeared in free updates.

Electronic Arts has been put to the sword in the last several months regarding its microtransaction practices, and its strong focus on lootbox-oriented gameplay led to such a negative consumer reaction that many countries and states are still looking into the legalities of such practices. While the My First Pet Stuff pack certainly doesn't go that far, the fact that its producers are recommending that consumers purchase an expansion pack prior to getting this Stuff Pack has proven to be a major dividing point for the community.

For its merit, it does include plenty of cute outfits for players' pets, and the rodents themselves are pretty cute. However, if the developers are recommending players have certain DLC prior to buying it, it's hard to argue that My First Pet Stuff isn't just DLC for DLC, and that's a landmark moment in the industry akin to Oblivion's horse armor.

The pack was only announced a few days ago, which is just about a week ahead of its launch. Despite the negative consumer reaction, the low price point of the stuff pack (less than $10) will likely still make it a draw for gamers looking for cute additions to their experience.

It will be interesting to see how the Stuff Pack fares in terms of sales and post-launch consumer reaction, as this represents something more than a typical downloadable content purchase. If it does well, Electronic Arts could see a future in DLC that is built on a platform of assumed prior DLC ownership, and that's a cost some consumers will have to carry with them.

The Sims 4 is available now on Macintosh, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The My First Pets Stuff Pack arrives on PC and Mac on March 13, 2018.