Dead Space 3 Xbox 360 vs PC Comparison Video

For me it really depends on when said DLC was produced. Little known fact; most console games are “finished” months before they come out, and while the development team could be working on more content, they are literally not allowed to patch it into the game. This is because of a process called “certification.” Basically Microsoft demands that all games be submitted for approval before they are released, a process that could take months, and during this time while the development team may be working on more content, finishing “cut content,” or just being put to work on the first DLC update to keep them productive they are not legally able to add this new content into the game.

In other words more often than not so called “day one DLC” has nothing to do with EA, it is entirely Microsoft’s fault. As a rule of thumb I just look at how extensive the DLC is. If it is something like a new art asset (items, skins, map packs) or short (ten to twenty minute) missions I assume it was produced post-certification and have no problem with it. Producing such a thing is better than having your developers sitting on their hands for all that time, so they may as well be working to enhance the game. On the other hand if we’ll looking at something major and that wasn’t clearly just cut content finished after the fact (I still think the Mass Effect 3 DLC “from the ashes” or whatever it was called was in fact cut content that was finished during the certification process, simply because of how short and unessential it was) then I can understand having a problem with it.

In a nut shell, to me, anything produced or finished after the game has been submitted for certification is acceptable “day one DLC.” Anything deliberately held back or cut out specifically to be DLC, as well as disc locked content, and “online pass” content restrictions (Catwoman from Arkham City for example) is not.