It's no secret that the bridge between consoles and PCs is being narrowed and narrowed. With the Xbox's harddrive and Live service, and Sony's registered enthusiasm for multifunctional machines Nintendo will probably have to follow suit eventually. As such, we discuss the possibility, and viability, of console software adopting an add-on/expansion pack model that exists in the PC market.

Would a expansion pack idea work for console games, as well as PC games?

Jayseven: Well it has happened in the past - GTA London anyone? It required you to have the original disc, you insert GTA London, then GTA, then GTA London to play it. I don't think there was any significance to this disc swapping - the game didn't require anything from GTA iirc, maybe it was just to validate the game before you started.. I dunno.

If by expansion you mean.. like, added levels and things... well I've often played a game and wished that there was a bunch more levels I could play -- I didn't care for a proper sequel as such, I just liked the game so much i wanted more levels. One example of this is Blast Corps; I never wanted the game to end.

Of course, proper expansion packs on PC games are either Mods for the game (i.e a new set of skins) or just a cheap shot as a sequel... cheap, that is, as in providing what I asked for If the game was labeled a sequel (where the game would need to be standalone) people would complain of it's unoriginalness, of the fact that it's not really added anything to the first game, so the "Expansion pack" label is a nice way to get around this.

Now, I'm all for expansion packs of select games, it could work on a console which houses a HDD, � l� Xbox fairly well, so who knows what may happen in the next round of the console wars eh?

Schpickles: [Note: Jimmy misinterpreted the question, but since he's such a good lad I'll let him off with it.] As I understand it Connor is talking about expansion packs in terms of hardware, which I think is a bad idea, and one which is very unlikely to ever catch on with console manufacturers.

With the shortened lifespan of the console market now, most developers won't manage to get the most of out a console before its replaced, and the manufacturers are putting increasing amounts of effort into making the tools and software available to developers for consoles better, to increase their ability to maximise the potential of a platform. The PS2 is testament to this, where Sony left the developers to create their own libraries, and suffered an embarrassing number of under-achieving games for the first year of its life. Add hardware modifications into the mix, and you have an impossible situation, where consoles never even come close to being utilisied fully before there's something new to learn.

Another key point is that publishers do not traditionally like to support add-on units. The Xbox has, to some extent, proven the advantages of having everything in-the-box from the word go. Sony are having a much harder time convincing publishers and developers to take up their online gaming networks as a result of the fact that the number of people who can potentially benefit from the service is indetermined, compared to the way Xbox live is available to anyone with an Xbox (if they pay a subscription and buy a headset).

The under-use of the GBA link and especially the modems for the GameCube demonstrates the unpopularity of features which are not available out of the box for developers and end-users. If you add extra storage capacity or power into that mix, then console game sales will be harmed because publishers are unsure about how many people will be able to play games using the add-on, and because consumers are put off by the added, unecessary complexity.

The only place add-ons and expansions are acceptable are in the area of controllers, where any kind of novel controller can be constructed cheaply and bundled with a game. Donkey Konga will probably be the next Cube game to demonstrate this, and Dancemat games and EyeToy on the PS2 have demonstrated this successful strategy.

Matt: And the answer is no. No no no.

The only console it would work on at current is an XBox because you'd be able to store it onto the hard drive.

Tim: I don't think expansion packs would work well on consoles. Firstly, it is technically speaking not viable with the Playstation 2 and GameCube. The only console on which it would be would be the Xbox, and that console already has the option to download extra content for games. On the GameCube we will not get further then extra downloadable mission for Phantasy Star Online I am afraid.

Even if it would be possible I do not think it is very practical. Console games are already more expensive than PC games and I think people will not easily be tempted to buy another expensive disc with only a few extra levels.

I vote against... =)

Iun: Don't we already have software add-ons in the form of FIFA? If people were willing to do more than just add new stats and a few cruddily programmed "Extra" scenarios, then I'd snap it up! But let's see it from a realistic point of view: If a software house makes an add-on it's because they think they can milk the franchise for more than it's worth, nobody is trying to be your friend in this industry...

Ford Prefect: There's already software add-ons on the Xbox; Splinter Cell, for example, has 3 new missions downloadable through Xbox Live. That's proof it can be done - you just need the right gear, and harddrives in consoles is the way to go in my opinion.

Lets compare, say, Timesplitters on the Cube to Halo, because of the harddrive, you can backtrack, and find guns, ammo, bullet holes, bodies all in the exact spot where you left them. However, on TS2 the bullet holes "wear off" and the bodies fade after a few seconds just like in Goldeneye. So there are benefits to be had from harddrives in other places, as well as extra addons for games. Its not so much a possibility, more an inevitability. Hardware addons on the other hand are rather poor, just look at the sega 32x.

Conor: Initially I was a little hesitant towards this idea, but am starting to warm to it.

First of all, if a model similar to the PC one (releasing a game, then releasing one of more add-on packs with extra levels etc.) was adopted on a wide basis, then it would fundamentally change the console software market. Instead of buying a game, then waiting a few years for a sequel, there would be cheaper, smaller expansion packages released. The negative sides of something like this are obvious; there'd be more shelving out by allready cash-strapped gamers, and less time for the developer to work on the sequels.

If (or when) console software add-ons become commonplace, my best guess is that it'll affect smaller, lower profile games than the big franchises. Jayseven mentioned Blastcorps, and I think this is a good example. A game like this wouldn't get enough sales to warrant a sequel, especially if the publishers had an iron grp on the developer. But perhaps the developer could convince them to publish a budget-priced add-on, with new ideas and levels to satisfy fans of the original? It's in this context I think the expansion pack idea could be viable, and very desirable.

The progression of consoles towards very PC-like machines will no doubt make this idea more pratical. Having internet connections and a harddrive means instead of buying it in the shops, you could download new levels or modes onto your console. Microsoft are starting to do this kind of thing with Live apparently, but I think next generation and beyond will see the expansion (pun unintended) of this.

Of course, the industry will need to get out of the troubled state it is in and establish some sort of stability for low-profile developers to warm to the idea. If they do, I think having expansion packs for software games would work, and would benefit gaming as a whole. That is, if everyone can afford it.