The Daily Grind: Do you prefer patches or expansions?
One of the big things that attracts gamers to MMOs has to be the protean nature of the genre; the games are forever changing and that keeps them fresh and interesting. City of Heroes: Going Rogue is just the latest example. However, the folks behind MMOs from World of Warcraft to Guild Wars have also realised that the time between expansions (sometimes a period of one to two years) is so long that players need something in the interim. This is where major content patches come in. Some companies, like Blizzard, have started treating these as mini-expansions but without the artbooks, CD soundtracks and other shiny extras.
Personally, I think the idea of mini-expansions is a fantastic way to keep people interested and think of them as almost a free bonus for buying a game or expansion in the first place. Do you prefer lining up in the cold to get a limited special edition of your favourite MMO, or do you like major content patches and look forward to the next one with as much gusto as a full on expansion? What about the cost of an expansion versus the free patch? Is it worth it?
