While there are a couple of different things that could either change or cement the console wars, at least one analyst believes the thing that could really decide the fight is how DLC is going to be used in the near future. David Cole, who is the founder and CEO of research firm DFC Intelligence sat down for a recent interview with Gamasutra where he talked ton about DLC. Cole said that console exclusive games are certainly nice for both the Xbox One and the PS4, but timed exclusives are the key.
Timed exclusives for games are good, but timed exclusives for DLC might actually be better. “Exclusives work best on extras like DLC and levels. You aren’t giving away the whole deal, and thus neither party has as much at stake.” At the same time, if one piece of DLC actually hits it big, the console that has it first could become the console that is thought of as the one carrying a game, even if it’s actually on both platforms.
Cole singled out the timed exclusive for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. For years, Microsoft was the platform where players would get DLC for the Call of Duty franchise first, but Sony recently swept in and scored a contract that shifted who came first when DLC drops. Cole was quick to point out that while the Black Ops 3 timed exclusive DLC was big for Sony, that war isn’t over yet. Microsoft will have some games coming this year where DLC will hit there first and the two companies will continue to trade punches.