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Console owners have been paying for downloadable content (DLC) that enhances or extends a game for years, but that’s not the case when it comes to portable gaming. Nintendo is finally embracing paid DLC though, and the first game to get it will be the rhythm-action title Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (TFF) for the 3DS.
Late last year it was thought that Fire Emblem: Awakening would be the first game with paid DLC when it saw a release in April, but TFF beats it by two months.

Confirmation of TFF being the first to offer paid DLC comes in the form of the box art for the Final Fantasy title in Japan. On the back, and in Japanese, it states that DLC is available and that a payment will be required to access it. With that being the case, the 3DS joins the now common practice of paying for additional content on February 16, when TFF is released.
Nintendo isn’t afraid to charge high prices for downloadable games, and I expect the same to be true of paid DLC. However, Square Enix may have something to say about that, but it’s not known how much control they will have over the price point. Nintendo may try and set a minimum so as to ensure a healthy profit from such purchases going forward.

The TFF box art also sports a new symbol with the words “Nintendo Network” written underneath it. Is this just Nintendo’s way of giving online gaming an identity on the 3DS, or is it something new that will be announced alongside the release of the game next month? Rumor has it, the Nintendo Network is Nintendo’s attempt to rival Xbox Live and PSN on features.
One things is clear: TFF signals the start of something new for the 3DS and Nintendo. No longer will purchasing a portable Nintendo game mean all the content is available from day one. Publishers and developers will either hold back content or spend time producing new content after release so as to maximize revenue from a title.
Read more at Andriasang and My Nintendo News