Gaming History Quiz: What was the first expansion pack/free DLC/paid DLC ever released?

[Sitra Achara]

First instance of DLC (freely downloadable small chunk of content) that I remember was with Cavedog's Total Annihilation (they'd release new units every now and then).

 

[Infinitron]

Here's another expansion pack from 1987: http://www.mobygames.com/game/gauntlet-the-deeper-dungeons

Secret Operations for Wing Commander Prophecy was downloadable content before the internet could handle it. It was released in 1998, although wikipedia classifies it as an expansion pack.

That was standalone though, so it was really just a free game.

 

[Trash]

Those origin speech packs.

 

[Aeschylus]

RE: paid DLC that was a separate from the main game, the first instance I can ever remember are the "Premium Modules" released by Bioware for NWN.

 

[Infinitron]

RE: paid DLC that was a separate from the main game, the first instance I can ever remember are the "Premium Modules" released by Bioware for NWN.

Yeah, I mentioned those. They started releasing those in 2004.

I wonder if there was anything earlier than that, though.

 

[Dexter]

RE: paid DLC that was a separate from the main game, the first instance I can ever remember are the "Premium Modules" released by Bioware for NWN.

Yeah, I mentioned those. They started releasing those in 2004.

I wonder if there was anything earlier than that, though.

Didn't I already say Mech Assault by Microsoft in the very first post I did? I believe they offered some free stuff and then started charging for it in 2003: http://www.gamespot.com/news/new-mechassault-content-available-for-a-price-6084650

 

[Infinitron]

Sorry, forgot about that.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

About DLC: There is a possibility that the floppy drive vending machines I mentioned had a form of "DLC". You paid money, inserted a disk and a file was copied on to the disc, which you then took back home. This was for the disc version of the Famicom they had over there, or something.

IIRC, I read about this in a Retro Gamer issue. I should probably try to find that article and learn more.

 

[Infinitron]

About DLC: There is a possibility that the floppy drive vending machines I mentioned had a form of "DLC". You paid money, inserted a disk and a file was copied on to the disc, which you then took back home. This was for the disc version of the Famicom they had over there, or something.

IIRC, I read about this in a Retro Gamer issue. I should probably try to find that article and learn more.

Heh, I don't think DLC as it is commonly understood could exist before the advent of computer networks you could dial up and connect to from home. I doubt there was any DLC before the Internet, but it could have theoretically existed on BBSes, Prodigy or AOL.

 

[Luzur]

Dungeon Master: Chaos Strikes Back and those expasnions to Ultima 7: Silver Seed and Serpent Isles.

 

[Infinitron]

I've updated OP with some of the answers people have given.

 

[taxalot]

How would you qualify Might and Magic V ?

Also, SSI released a shitload of games based on single campaigns or even battles in the Apple II day. I wouldn't be surprised if one or two was actually a "data disk" as we used to call it those days ; but I have no name to back this proposition.

 

[Infinitron]

How would you qualify Might and Magic V ?

Also, SSI released a shitload of games based on single campaigns or even battles in the Apple II day. I wouldn't be surprised if one or two was actually a "data disk" as we used to call it those days ; but I have no name to back this proposition.

Go ahead, do some digging on Mobygames and see if you can find something earlier than 1986. And even if it isn't, post it anyway.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I'm currently looking into answers to questions 2 and 3. For a while I thought that Forge of Virtue for Ultima 7 (both 1992) would be the closest answer to 2, until I realized that it barely qualifies in adding new content to the original game. You get a free ship which you can use to reach the Isle of Fire, but otherwise everything you get from the expansion pack is gained on the Isle of Fire. Same thing with the Silver Seed. So I'll leave that up debate and hair-splitting.

Currently I've found Diablo (1996) to be the closest answer to question 2. The Monk class (and the hidden classes) from the Hellfire expansion pack (1997) are usable right from the start.

For question 3, I currently have "Trials of the Luremaster" (2001) for Icewind Dale (2000).

I'm still looking into this, so I'll update as I go further back.

 

[Infinitron]

Unkillable Cat Actually, I consider Forge of Virtue to qualify, since the Isle of Fire is added to the game world. It's not a separate campaign or adventure accessible from the main menu.

Not sure why I didn't think of writing that there myself, actually.

 

[Infinitron]

I think we can find something earlier than this, but the original version of Witch's Wake for NWN probably qualifies for 3.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Except Neverwinter Nights was released in 2002, Icewind Dale in 2000, and Trials of the Luremaster came after Heart of Winter, which was released on 2001.

... actually, it might be a very close tie between the two, if Witch's Wake was immediately available when NWN was released.

 

[Infinitron]

Except Neverwinter Nights was released in 2002, Icewind Dale in 2000, and Trials of the Luremaster came after Heart of Winter, which was released on 2001.

... actually, it might be a very close tie between the two, if Witch's Wake was immediately available when NWN was released.

It wasn't.

Trials of the Luremaster is from 2001, but that adds a quest to Heart of Winter accessible from the Lonelywood inn. (yeah, I know, this is one of those situations that stretches things since it's really almost entirely separate)

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Well, then you will want to have the date right. NWN was released in 2002, but Witch's Wake wasn't released until 2004, as part of the first "Premium Modules" for NWN, along with Kingmaker and Shadowguard.

It's time I dug out my PC Format mags. In the early issues they had a long-ass list of all the titles they'd reviewed, maybe something in there can help me find something.

 

[Infinitron]

Well, then you will want to have the date right. NWN was released in 2002, but Witch's Wake wasn't released until 2004, as part of the first "Premium Modules" for NWN, along with Kingmaker and Shadowguard.

It's time I dug out my PC Format mags. In the early issues they had a long-ass list of all the titles they'd reviewed, maybe something in there can help me find something.

Nope. Witch's Wake had two versions, an original version from 2002 and an enhanced version that was a premium module. Notice I said "original version".

 

[Johannes]

Dungeon Master: Chaos Strikes Back and those expasnions to Ultima 7: Silver Seed and Serpent Isles.

I don't think you need the original DM in order to run CSB.

 

[Dexter]

Regarding free DLC, you should look into the "Dreamcast" a bit: http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?128190-Dreamcast-DLC

Some people are talking about Downloadable Content for games like "Dynamite Cop!" as the "Detonator Pack" or "Sonic Adventure" that had specific Christmas/Halloween etc. content long before Steam/Valve came up with it: http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_Adventure_DLC

 

[commie]

2) Populous The Promised Lands 1989, Harpoon Battleset 1989 Their Finest Missions 1989

 

[Infinitron]

2) Populous The Promised Lands 1989, Harpoon Battleset 1989 Their Finest Missions 1989

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those mission packs that don't change anything in the original games?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

The Promised Lands is, but Harpoon got me thinking...

EDIT: Looked it up. 4 Battlesets were created for the original Harpoon, with the first one being included with the game. For the other three Battlesets that were sold in boxes I found:

New scenarios set in different region of the world. Includes many new platforms.

What is considered a "platform" in Harpoon?

EDIT: Found it. A "platform" in Harpoon is a "naval platform", meaning a unit, be it a ship, submarine, helicopter or other aircraft. That means that the second battleset, released in 1989, released new scenarios that included new units, but from what I recollect from playing Harpoon, you could not use the new units in older scenarios. They were available for the editor, however, but that wasn't released until 1992.

As for "Their finest missions", it includes:

Includes 23 new missions, and one experienced pilot for each of the planes in the game.