Bethesda’s experiment of releasing download content for Fallout 3 in smaller chunks might be the next wave of the future for many titles. Based on a principle of providing substantive, but not excessive expansion to the title, seems to be the ticket for sales.

With Fallout 3, Bethesda experimented with the release and sale of download content that for $10 provided multiple expansions that took most gamers 4 to 5 hours to complete. It seems that the idea of going in this direction has led to more sales and satisfaction for gamers than one large higher priced expansion pack.

Because the amount of content in these smaller expansions takes less time to develop, the developer is able to get them out to market more quickly when the title is still closer to the high point in sales, when players are still playing the game.

This new direction is likely a start what will be emulated by other games and developers in the future, as it would appear that this is one way that developers can maximize sales. Larger expansions take longer to develop and test, which also leads to a higher price tag with the current competitive environment and makes it more difficult for gamers to choose which expansion or add-ons to buy.