Nintendo doesn’t want gamers to feel “cheated or deceived” with DLC, says Iwata

By Stephany Nunneley

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said the firm is “determined” not to take advantage of customers with DLC, as only content which enhances the length and enjoyment of the game will be released.

Speaking with Kotaku, Iwata said Nintendo doesn’t plan on going to the same extremes as some publishers with game add-ons.

“I think, when the player has exhausted what’s in an existing piece of software, when there are no more challenges and there is nothing more they can do, if we then introduce a new level or a new character—something new for them—we just increased their motivation to want to go back; we’ve also increased the amount of time they’re going to enjoy that software,” said Iwata.

“And one thing Nintendo has determined as a company policy, what we are not going to do is create a full game and then say, ‘let’s hold this back for DLC.’ That’s not our plan. We’re definitely not doing that. It’s an extreme example, but I think there are examples of games where you get that initial purchase—the very core part of the game—and everything else around it is all DLC. However, if you do that I believe customers will have no motivation to go out and buy the retail package to begin with.

“So our goal is to create DLC in such a way that consumers do not feel that they have been cheated or deceived. Now I believe there are people out there, readers, who have are worried about that, and we just want to ensure them that we have that in mind and want them to know that that’s not what we are planning on doing.”

One of the first games to offer paid-DLC from Nintendo is New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS. The firm plans to release additional Coin Rush levels down the line, which will help extend the life of the title, as Nintendo only plans on releasing one New Super Mario Bros. title per console.

“We only create a New Super Mario Bros. title one per platform,” Iwata said. “I think we’ll probably go ahead and continue at that pace. That being said, that’s probably Miyamoto’s choice, so I can’t give you a 100% guarantee that that’s the pace we’ll continue at.”

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is out now in Europe and Australia. It releases in the US tomorrow, August 19 – the same day 3DS XL lands at retail in the region.