It was revealed at E3 2008 that downloadable content (DLC) for Fallout 3 is exclusive to the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game, and will not appear in the PS3 version… until late September 2009.
Analyst Colin Sebastian with Lazard Capital Markets told Edge Online that Microsoft and Bethesda likely came to some sort of financial agreement to leave PS3 DLC out of the equation as a timed exclusivity.
“…I think it’s a very good possibility that Microsoft and Bethesda were partners in this decision. Obviously Microsoft paid up to secure exclusive online content for Grand Theft Auto IV, and online is a cornerstone for Microsoft’s digital media strategy.”
Officially Bethesda had this to say in an e-mail to Edge Online, “We aren’t going to get into the details of the hows and whys. DLC will be exclusive for PC and 360. We’re not going to give any other qualifiers or clarifications as it relates to other platforms.”
The DLC will reportedly be several hours long and will include an entirely new quest line!
“We want stuff that’s going to be several hours. Not just like a one-off thing, but something like where you can download it and play it for X number of hours,” Hines told ShackNews. “It’ll be similar to what we did with Knights of the Nine in Oblivion, where it’s like whole new quest lines, new stuff, that kind of thing. We want to do stuff like that, where it’s adding hours of tangible stuff to the experience. And it plugs into your existing game, so whether you’re starting a new game, or you’re playing for 40 hours, you can go off and play this,” said Hines.
Work on the DLC for the game is well under way at this point, “We stopped doing content a pretty good way before we finished the game in terms of adding new stuff. So we already have folks starting to look into what [the DLC] might be,” added Hines.
UPDATE November 25th 2008: The three downloadable content packs will be released on Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Live in January 2009, with more due in February and March. They will add new quests, items and content. Here are the details on the three DLC packs:
1. Operation Anchorage: Enter a military simulation and fight in one of the greatest battles of the Fallout universe – the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska from its Chinese Communist invaders. An action-packed battle scheduled for release on January 27. — All-in-all you get 4 to 5 hours of gameplay for a price of 800 Microsoft Points (that’s US$10 / €9.60 / £6.80 / CAN$12.40 / AU$13.20).
2. The Pitt: Journey to the industrial raider town called The Pitt, located in the remains of Pittsburgh. The Pitt consists of a large dungeon area, an abandoned steel yard, as well as a settlement divided into two halves; Downtown, occupied by slaves, and Haven occupied by their masters. For the first time players will be able to interact with Raiders other than by fighting them, and one major quest has you taking on the role of a slave, investigating rumors that the Raider boss has found a cure for mutation. It won’t be as combat-heavy as Anchorage. Scheduled for release on March 24. — It’s also priced at 800 Microsoft Points.
3. Broken Steel: Join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel and rid the Capital Wasteland of the Enclave remnants once and for all. This pack will raise the player’s level cap to 30! It starts about two weeks after the events of Fallout 3’s main quest, opening up in the Capital Wasteland by Project Purity, which is now up and running. The new area has lots of new enemies, including a super mutant overlord, a feral ghoul reaver and an Enclave hellfire trooper; new weapons, like the Tesla Canon (which you have to help build) and a projectile flame thrower; new achievements and even new perks like Puppies, which reincarnates a dead Dogmeat automatically as a puppy. It will take 4-6 hours to complete. Scheduled for release on May 5. — It’s also priced at 800 Microsoft Points.
4. Point Lookout: Explore a massive new swampland area filled with new quests and content. Point Lookout will be available in late June for Xbox 360 and PC. It will be available through Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live and through token cards available at retail. Point Lookout will be available on PS3 after the first three DLCs will have finally been released on PS3 during September 2009. — Cost will be 800 Microsoft points or $9.99.
5. Mothership Zeta: The aliens have returned, and they’re pissed. Experience an alien abduction first hand and find out if you’re tough enough to survive. Mothership Zeta is scheduled for release in late July for Xbox 360 and PC. It will be available through Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live and through token cards available at retail. Mothership Zeta will be available on PS3 after Point Lookout. Scheduled for release on August 3. — Cost will be 800 Microsoft points or $9.99.