The Right and Wrong Way to do DLC 

Thanks so much for watching everyone, how do you feel about the current state of DLC?

I remember when games had a Game Of The Year or Ultimate edition come out with the final version of the base game plus ALL DLC, sometimes even on physical discs! If timed well the release attracted those who had patience or not enough cash for the DLC drip in time for them to finish it before the sequel dropped. As far as I'm concerned, DLC should be either inconsequential cosmetics or like the PC expansion packs of old with major chunks of new content (as in 20% or more equivalent of the base game).

Paradox strategy games are notorious for having lots of dlcs, Surprised it was not mentioned. Also I kind of wish you mentioned one right way to do DLC is when Halo 3 ODST came out, it came with a 2nd disk with all the Halo 3 DLC with every multiplayer map (guardian, foundry, sandbox, midship, etc. for FREE. Overall very nice video though!

DLC is such feast or famine, and I'm so excited to see your thoughts on it!!!

Great vid as always! I think this is a really important topic to talk about in today's gaming landscape. DLC has pretty much become an expectation for any major release, to the point where BG3 not getting dlc was news in and of itself. Also dlc isn't an inherently good thing, like in Sword in Shield. The existence of the dlc is not entirely a good thing because it has the chance to completely destroy the main game experience for a new player. Also those dlcs pretty much make the games pay to win by locking so many mons, including super strong meta defining mons like Urshifu behind a pay wall. As for free updates, they're definitely harder to do right thanks to the restriction of being free making it really difficult to justify making it at all, let alone making actual full on new and interesting content. The main thing that differentiates it from what I've seen is intent/purpose. Content made to keep the game alive and running is usually a lot more basic, along the lines of the sports games and splatoon. On the other hand, we have the "Labor of Love" type of updates we see out of Dave the Diver, or something like God Of War Ragnarok: Valhalla. These aren't made for money. Them being unprofitable isn't important. It's about giving the fans something out of sheer want to make them happy and to thank them for their support. That's where we get the real good stuff. Can't wait to see what you make next!

I HAVE LOTS TO SAY IN THE COMMENT, SO WATCH OUT! I will say, while I agree that IoA and CT definitely have major issues, their narratives and short play times being major aspects, not to mention having to buy DLC to give SwSh an actual postgame kinda sucks, I've never, EVER, agreed with the difficulty/intended challenge argument, at least for Pokemon. Ignoring the "kids game" thing for a moment, Pokemon is a game that thrives on customization and a broad audience. Pokemon's difficulty is exactly what you make of it. Now, having story section encourage you to use legendary Pokemon like Urshifu and a comically overleveled Suicune are weird for the beginning of the game, and can definitely throw a wrench in some players experience, I've found most Pokemon players prefer the games to be easy. Those that don't are the ones seeking alternative ways of play. This is where the challenge runners and competitive players fall in, and while you are 100% correct on Urshifu's less than stellar effect on the competitive scene, challenge runners are free to limit themselves however they like. Also, these aren't the kinds of players who are playing SwSh for the first time. New players are gonna want to see what the game has to offer, and the easy experience is the intended one, as SwSh provides you with everything you could need (except Eiscue and Morpeko for some reason) by the time you reach the third gym, with the majority of Pokemon, items, and TRs being available from the start. The longtime fans already know what to expect from a Pokemon game, and what Gamefreak wants you to experience from the advertisements and box info. Limiting options can be a good thing, but for a game like Pokemon, it's generally better to be open, lest we forget how exhaustingly tedious the intro to BW is. Furthermore, I take issue with the "this can be fixed with raid dens, but that's aside the point" thing, on account of Max Raids being a primary part of the SwSh experience. The player isn't just encouraged to do raids, all of the gym leaders and notable trainers have, by necessity, done max raids as well. It's a core aspect of Galar's identity (especially compared to SV), and shouldn't be overlooked if it smooths out an otherwise lackluster part of the game, such as late-game EXP grinding. Finally, Sword and Shield are games that thrive on replayability on account of the wild area, and the linear nature of the story and busted DLC options provide new options and handicaps for younger players having trouble with the games, speedrunners who want to try different options to zoom through, and people like me, who like to cheese games or go completionist routes. The games don't have to cater to these groups, but it's easier to self impose restrictions to make an easy game hard, than it is to try and make a hard game easier. Simply put: Going into a Pokemon game and not expecting to be given way more than is necessary is a mistake in its own right. There are exceptions, but those are far from the norm, and generally don't hold up as well. See: Diamond and Pearl. That said, the Crown Tundra is still an issue. Even ignoring the level 70 Suicune thing, the fact that you can go through 90% of the story without a single badge, only to be locked out of the final quest until after beating the Champion, and furthermore preventing use of the Ultra Beasts for completionist munchkins like myself, is just painful to witness. Like "thanks for the unsastifying ending guess Peony's frozen ass is gonna be haunting me throughout my entire rushed playthrough just so I can catch Calyrex. It's incredibly frustrating to get that far only to be hard-walled right as things become available to you. Why you're allowed to explore past freezington (barring item pickups) prior the the champion is baffling to me, because you can't do anything EXCEPT the raid battles, which while I will defend for completion's sake, do not ALONE make up an enjoyable experience. The Max Adventures I can understand for handicaps and speedruns, but given access to an entire region you can't actually do anything in is baffling and infuriating. For the most part I'm in agreement for SV, but I will never forgive Game Freak for locking the resolution to Kieran and Nemona's stories to the Pecharunt Mystery Gift, let alone rebattles against the main rivals. I sincerely hope that the M Pecha Berry item is available via cross-game promotion when the next gen releases, 'cause that is inexcusable otherwise. Also, why aren't Iron Leaves/Walking Wake available by the crystalized tree after the main story? It's the perfect location! All that said, Ogerpon is way more comfortable to use in-game than Urshifu, the story is phenomenal, and the Indigo Disk gives you enough to do without story stuff that it's still satisfying to come back to. I also like that the Indigo Disk is legitimately hard, but can still be cheesed with overleveled mons, which is quite simple in SV. Not to mention Kieran is my favorite Pokemon character thus far. I'm mostly just glad I don't have to buy a third game at modern prices whenever Game Freak wants to improve their games. Octo Expansion and Side Order are straight up my favorite DLCs ever. I'm glad you enjoyed them. I'm sorry the new seasonals aren't to your taste, but I'm enjoying the new (old) overworld areas, stage changes, and weapons, and am glad that if people are wearing down on the updates, that it's near the end of the game's largest play-time. I haven't played the other games barring Smash, and don't have all of Ultimate's DLCs, so I don't have as much to say about them. I do not have much money, which incidentally, is why I like Pokemon ($10 cheaper than other games on release) and free updates. I should probably get Dave the Diver. It seems fun, and isn't very pricy.