BioWare is certainly rewarding the patience of PC gamers with the free release of the “Bring Down the Sky” downloadable content pack.

Here’s a snippet of what it contains and where to get it:

Fully optimized for the PC, “Bring Down the Sky” is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that will further expand the Mass Effect story and universe. It includes a new uncharted world that introduces the deadly Batarian alien race, approximately 90 minutes of new gameplay and an original soundtrack. Instructions on how to download and install the new content is available at http://masseffect.bioware.com/downloadablecontent/.

Thanks, BioWare. How about some news on Mass Effect 2 next?

Imagine paying $50 per year for matchmaking, in-game voicechat and multiplayer achievements for an online PC game.

Preposterous, isn’t?

Well, that’s what you had to do if you wanted to play a GFW Live! game with those features. After many, many months since its launch back in May 2007, Microsoft announced they will offer all those services for free effective immediately. It’s about time. Somebody has to keep Steam honest. Let’s see if GFW Live! can do it.

Microsoft will also be launching their GFW Live! Marketplace store this autumn as well. This will apparently house demos, DLC and other content. Is it safe to assume XBLA titles will be making their way over to the PC as well?

Even I know of The Who. The only reason why I know them was because they made several appearances on Top Gear, but I still know them! I also know that their songs are coming to Rock Band via DLC. And the only reason why I know that is due to the press release below which includes both pricing and song list.

Enjoy!

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According to Take-Two’s financial report, which reported some mighty profits, GTAIV’s Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable content will be delayed until quarter one of 2009. On the real world calendar, that means it could arrive any time between November 2008 and January 2009.

Why? “The reason we moved it is more about portfolio balance than anything else… the delay is not about development issues.”

Let’s hope it’s worth the wait and that interest hasn’t waned.

The free content situaion for PC gamers is great. Maps, levels and other small content are usually given to player community for free from either the developer or the community itself. When developers give away free content, it was like they were saying “Thanks, for buying our game. Here’s another map or two to make your purchase worthwhile.” Relationships between the players and developers were formed. Developers knew that these acts of kindness will convince their players to come back to their games in the future, because they will get their’s money’s worth and probably a little more.

Unsurprisingly, console manufacturers and developers have embrassed the idea of additional downloadable content, but unlike on the PC platform, a majority of the content is being charged for. I do not expect everything to be given to the player community for free, but I do believe that there are certain pieces of content that the developers or console manufacturers should just give away. Multiplayer maps are such pieces of content.

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At first, I didn’t put much weight on this “leak“, but after some crafty sleuthing from NeoGAF poster, Basch, there may actually be some validity to it.

I’m personally excited for the following if it holds true:

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It’s nice to want things for free. I’m certain TF2 console owners wouldn’t reject the notion of receiving maps for free, but Microsoft (and possibly Sony) on the other hand may not be so generous. Valve wants to give console owners Badlands and the upcoming Goldrush map/mode for free, however the concept of giving things for free is something Microsoft wishes to discourage; it’s a source of revenue after all.

Valve told EuroGamer they “have some say” in how they wish to distribute the downloadable content, but not complete control. Perhaps, we’ll see a “Gears of War” like treatment where the first map pack would be free thanks to some sponsor.

It doesn’t bother me, though. I never buy map packs since they splinter the player base and I bought The Orange Box for it’s original platform, the PC.

It’s been quite some time, but we finally have news concerning Call of Duty 4’s downloadable content for both the XBOX 360 and PS3. Unsurprisingly, we are going to be receiving additional maps. No word on what kind of maps they will be or how much they will go for, but one thing’s for sure, I’ll be passing on these maps.

I’m not a fan of paying for maps which will inevitably splinter the player base; some will be able to play, some won’t. They should be available for everyone at some point in time, much like Halo 3’s Heroic Pack. Bungie makes a lot great decisions when it comes to online community and a lot of developers would do well by following their example.