Quick definition:A paid add-on that adds substantial new content to an existing game, such as new areas, characters, quests or features, usually released some time after the original.
Meaning
An expansion pack extends a game with major new material. Studios use them to extend a successful game without building a new one. It might add a new storyline, extra regions, characters, weapons, units or game modes, and it often updates the rules so that old and new content work together.
Before online stores, expansions arrived on discs that needed the original game to run. In online games, they are large paid updates that raise the level limit and introduce new areas and systems, keeping the game fresh for existing players and attracting returning ones.
Players weigh price and value, comparing the amount of new content with the cost. Standalone expansions can be played without the original, while others require it. The term overlaps with downloadable content, but expansions are generally bigger and feel like a second helping of the main game.
Origin:Expansion pack was a common term in the computer games of the 1990s, when extra content was sold separately on discs and required the original game to run. It follows the older idea of expansions for board and card games. Downloads have largely replaced the physical packs, though the name remains in use.
Example:A year after finishing a strategy game, Keith hears that an expansion pack has been announced. It adds two new nations, a campaign set in the desert and fresh units. He buys it on the first day, installs it over the original and returns to the map with a new plan. Did you know?Expansions are usually larger than typical downloadable add-ons and sometimes change core systems, such as raising the level cap. Some require the base game, while standalone expansions can be played without it.
