Expansion pack
Encyclopedia
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game
, tabletop game
or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game. While board game expansions are typically designed by the original creator, video game developer
s sometimes contract out development of the expansion pack to a third-party company, (see Hellfire
for Diablo), it may choose to develop the expansion itself or it may do both (Ensemble Studios
developed the real-time strategy
game Age of Empires III
and the first expansion called the WarChiefs itself, but contracted Big Huge Games
for the second expansion pack, the Asian Dynasties). Board games and tabletop RPGs may have been marketing expansions since the 1970s, and video games have been releasing expansion packs since the 1980s, early examples being the Dragon Slayer
games Xanadu Scenario II
and Sorcerian
.
with The Sims: Livin' Large
). These bundles make the game more accessible to new players. When games reach the end of their lifespan, the publisher often releases a 'complete' or 'gold' collection which includes the game and all its subsequent expansions.
or Sonic & Knuckles
. In some cases, a standalone expansion such as Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death
, or Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna
includes the original game. Standalone expansions are preferred by game retailers since they require less shelf space and are generally easier to move since they don't carry the prerequisite of owning the original game. Often, enhanced games or anthologies released as "Game of the Year edition", "Director's Cut", etc. are examples of standalone expansions. In some standalone packs if someone does not have the original or previous expansion packs, then they can't use certain units or races contained in the other games in multiplayer.
, but are becoming increasingly prevalent for video game console
s, particularly due to the popularity of online console services such as Xbox Live
and the PlayStation Network. The increasing number of multi-platform games has also led to the release of more expansion packs on consoles, especially stand-alone expansion packs (as described above). Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
, for example, requires the original Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
to play on the PC, but Xbox 360 versions of both the original Tiberium Wars and Kane's Wrath are available, neither of which require one another.
Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969
was the first expansion pack released for the PlayStation
. The game required the player to insert the London disc, remove it, insert the original Grand Theft Auto disc, remove it, then insert the London disc again in order to play.
Sonic & Knuckles
for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
was unusual in that it functioned as both a stand alone cartridge and as an expansion pack for both Sonic the Hedgehog 2
and Sonic the Hedgehog 3
.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, tabletop game
Tabletop game
Tabletop game is a general term used to refer to board games, card games, dice games, miniatures wargames, tile-based games and other games that are normally played on a table or other flat surface...
or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game. While board game expansions are typically designed by the original creator, video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
s sometimes contract out development of the expansion pack to a third-party company, (see Hellfire
Diablo: Hellfire
Diablo: Hellfire is an expansion pack that Sierra On-Line produced for the video game Diablo. It was released in 1997 and developed by Synergistic Software, a Sierra division. Hellfire is the only authorized expansion pack released for Diablo. Blizzard Entertainment has never released a...
for Diablo), it may choose to develop the expansion itself or it may do both (Ensemble Studios
Ensemble Studios
Ensemble Studios was a video game developer initially established in 1995 as an independent company, but was owned by Microsoft from 2001 to 2009, when it was officially disbanded. Ensemble developed many real-time strategy games, including the Age of Empires game series, Age of Mythology, and Halo...
developed the real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game Age of Empires III
Age of Empires III
Age of Empires III is a real-time strategy game developed by Microsoft Corporation's Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Mac version was ported over and developed by Destineer's MacSoft Games and published by Destineer and MacSoft Games...
and the first expansion called the WarChiefs itself, but contracted Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games is a video game developer located in Timonium, Maryland. The company was founded in February 2000 by four veteran game industry developers: Tim Train, David Inscore, Jason Coleman and Brian Reynolds...
for the second expansion pack, the Asian Dynasties). Board games and tabletop RPGs may have been marketing expansions since the 1970s, and video games have been releasing expansion packs since the 1980s, early examples being the Dragon Slayer
Dragon Slayer
is an early action role-playing game developed and published by Nihon Falcom in 1984 for the NEC PC-88 computer system and ported by Square for the MSX. Designed by Yoshio Kiya, the game gave rise to a series of sequels, nearly all of them created by Falcom, with the exception of Faxanadu by Hudson...
games Xanadu Scenario II
Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu
is an action RPG developed by Nihon Falcom in 1985 for the PC-8801, PC-9801, FM-7, MSX and X1 computers. Enhanced remakes were released for the Sega Saturn, PC-9801 and Windows systems...
and Sorcerian
Sorcerian
is an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom, and the fifth in the Dragon Slayer line of games. It was originally released for the NEC PC-8801 in 1987, and was later ported to other PC platforms such as the NEC PC-9801, the NEC PC-88VA, the Sharp X1 Turbo, and the MSX 2, for which it...
.
Summary
The price of an expansion pack is usually much less than that of the original game. As expansion packs consist solely of additional content, most expansion packs require the original game in order to play. Games with many expansions often begin selling the original game with prior expansions, such as The Sims Deluxe Edition (The SimsThe Sims
The Sims is a strategic life-simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Its development was led by game designer Will Wright, also known for developing SimCity...
with The Sims: Livin' Large
The Sims: Livin' Large
The Sims: Livin' Large is the first expansion pack released for the computer simulation game, The Sims. The pack includes new characters, careers, items, and features...
). These bundles make the game more accessible to new players. When games reach the end of their lifespan, the publisher often releases a 'complete' or 'gold' collection which includes the game and all its subsequent expansions.
Stand-alone expansion packs
Some expansion packs do not require the original game in order to use the new content, as is the case with Half-Life: Blue ShiftHalf-Life: Blue Shift
Half-Life: Blue Shift is an expansion pack for Valve Software's science fiction first-person shooter video game Half-Life. The game was developed by Gearbox Software with Valve Corporation and published by Sierra Entertainment on June 12, 2001...
or Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States at Sega Technical Institute by members of Sonic Team, and was published by Sega worldwide on October 18, 1994.As well as working as a standalone...
. In some cases, a standalone expansion such as Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death is the second of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III. It was developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by the 3DO Company in 2000...
, or Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna
Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna
Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna is a computer role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios.Released in April 2002 by Gas Powered Games and Mad Doc Software, it is as an official standalone expansion pack for the game Dungeon Siege...
includes the original game. Standalone expansions are preferred by game retailers since they require less shelf space and are generally easier to move since they don't carry the prerequisite of owning the original game. Often, enhanced games or anthologies released as "Game of the Year edition", "Director's Cut", etc. are examples of standalone expansions. In some standalone packs if someone does not have the original or previous expansion packs, then they can't use certain units or races contained in the other games in multiplayer.
Console game expansion packs
Expansion packs are most commonly released for computer gamesComputer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
, but are becoming increasingly prevalent for video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s, particularly due to the popularity of online console services such as Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
and the PlayStation Network. The increasing number of multi-platform games has also led to the release of more expansion packs on consoles, especially stand-alone expansion packs (as described above). Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is an expansion pack for the 2007 real-time strategy video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Developed by Electronic Arts Los Angeles and BreakAway Games studios, it was released on March 24, 2008 in the United States and on March 28, 2008 in Europe by...
, for example, requires the original Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, and released internationally in March 2007...
to play on the PC, but Xbox 360 versions of both the original Tiberium Wars and Kane's Wrath are available, neither of which require one another.
Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969
Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969
The Grand Theft Auto: Mission Packs are expansion packs for the original Grand Theft Auto. Two were released separately in 1999; both require the original Grand Theft Auto game to run, and are set in London during the 1960s....
was the first expansion pack released for the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. The game required the player to insert the London disc, remove it, insert the original Grand Theft Auto disc, remove it, then insert the London disc again in order to play.
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States at Sega Technical Institute by members of Sonic Team, and was published by Sega worldwide on October 18, 1994.As well as working as a standalone...
for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
was unusual in that it functioned as both a stand alone cartridge and as an expansion pack for both Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 16-bit 1992 platform video game that was developed by Sonic Team members working at the Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1992 and in North America and Europe on November 24, 1992...
and Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States by members of Sonic Team working at Sega Technical Institute, and was published by Sega, debuting worldwide in the first half of 1994...
.
See also
- Episodic gamesEpisodic gamesAn episodic video game is a video game of a shorter length that is commercially released as an installment to a continuous and larger series. Episodic games differ from conventional video games in that they often contain less content but are developed on a more frequent basis.Such a series may or...
- Gold edition
- Mod (computer gaming)Mod (computer gaming)Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
- Downloadable contentDownloadable contentDownloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...