Fresh off of a duo of high-profile wins at the BAFTA awards (including one for Best Game), Vampire Survivors is set to receive its second major expansion just a few short months after the release of the Legacy of the Moonspell DLC. Following a similar model set by the pricing of the base game and the first expansion, the new Tides of the Foscari DLC includes a large breadth of content and a low-cost ticket to entry. Retailing for $1.99, the new DLC is establishing Vampire Survivors as a title that regularly adds large amounts of content at a price friendly to players' wallets.
Vampire Survivors has garnered praise from players for everything from its welcoming price to its addictive gameplay, but the truth is that the game's cost and addictive qualities are representative of developer Luca Galante's history working on gambling slot machines. Galante has even spoken about how the philosophy behind slot machines - bright lights and colorful sounds combined with an almost complete absence of "gameplay" - heavily influenced Vampire Survivors. Given the title's runaway success and critical acclaim, other developers should take note regarding Vampire Survivors' DLC strategy and look to also offer sizable content updates at low cost.
Vampire Survivors' DLC Builds On An Already Strong Foundation
Contrary to the model set by some AAA games, the release of DLC doesn't necessarily indicate that content was cut from the base game to be sold back to players at a later date. Vampire Survivors is that rare example of a game where the base release contains hundreds of potential unlocks and thousands of hours of gameplay. That the developers are continuing to release even more content for the game at a budget price is noteworthy, and is an example that other game developers could follow in order to appease their fans.
While it's not feasible for a massive expansion to a base game (such as Monster Hunter Rise's Sunbreak) to release for under $5, it's not unreasonable to hope for developers to include enough content in their base games to where future DLC is priced accordingly. Cosmetic DLC or unlocks of certain skills and weapons in games should adopt a pricing model that is representative of the amount of additional content and playtime they provide to the base title. Not only does Vampire Survivors provide players with plenty to do in the base game, but the developer has regularly expanded that content through both reasonably-priced paid DLC and free updates.
Continued Support of Vampire Survivors Ensures a Long Tail
"Long Tail" is a sales and marketing term that applies to a product's longevity in the market by appealing to a smaller and dedicated base of consumers. Even though Vampire Survivors' success means that it could not be considered a niche title, the continued support of the game via regular updates and paid DLC helps to ensure that fans will have plenty of reason to continue playing the game and recommending it to others for years to come. When a base game has as much content as the 1.0 release of Vampire Survivors and continues to receive large DLC expansions, the release of a sequel (and the substantial costs that development would incur) becomes obsolete.
The primary lesson for developers to learn from Vampire Survivors' success is one of respecting the players. Releasing games that are complete and then continuing to support them by developing new and engaging content at a reasonable price establishes respect for the player base and solidifies a positive perception in the eyes of fans. Considering how cost-prohibitive the development of sequels to games is when compared to supporting them through DLC expansions, developers would do well to take a page from Vampire Survivors' handbook.
Vampire Survivors is available now for Android, iOS, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Tides of the Foscari launches on April 12.