Some developers have a solution for getting a "complete" experience without shelling out for DLC in the form of "Ultimate Edition" releases. These games are typically bundles of the base game and all its DLC, plus patches. The only problem with these editions is how long you have to wait for them to come out -- sometimes you have to wait as long as a year (e.g. ).

"Some of [Alive's] DLC will be offered free, some will be charged for," continues Farrell. "We believe this model serves gamers in two critical ways: it allows us to deliver the boxed product to fans of the franchise earlier than in previous cycles, and it allows for tailored gaming experiences through 'a la carte' additional content. This means a lower initial cost and better value for gamers thanks to a more responsive business model."

Farrell promises that the retail version of the game will offer a "robust" experience for fans of the series. But he doesn't say what constitutes a "robust" product. We're not sure if his promised DLC falls into map pack territory (which actually adds new gameplay to the game) versus purely cosmetic content (which is largely useless from a gameplay perspective, however nice it looks) -- and how much each type of content will cost.

Farrell does say that the $39.99 price point for the initial product will attract the "mass-market" audience, while the DLC is reserved for the more "hardcore" crowd who wish to, as he puts it, "customize a bigger gaming experience." More than anything, this is an exploration of alternative ways of distributing and selling content. Farrell is very curious about ways to keep players engaged, interested and, by extension, spending money with them.

"The industry is adopting new models that can't be offered at traditional brick-and-mortar retailers," he says. "You can see it on Steam and Direct2Drive, you can see it in browser-based social games, you can see it in the microtransactions or embedded economies in persistent universes. We're [also] watching new ideas like Dead Rising: Case Zero closely."