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Already bored with your latest games? Downloadable content might just breathe new life into them.

By Mike Smith

Time was, one thing clearly separated the worlds of consoles and the PC: console games never changed after their initial release, whereas PC gamers could expect a steady diet of patches, upgrades and mini-expansions. But over the first few years of the new millennium, as high-bandwidth home internet connections became more common and console hardware started to share more with its computer cousins, that all changed. Now, thanks to Sony and Microsoft's bulging online services, console games are taking the downloadable content lead.

And the range of games getting updates is steadily increasing. While downloadable extras tend to suit open-ended and multiplayer-focused games like Halo 3 or Motorstorm, even plot-heavy, non-multiplayer games like Bioshock enjoy bonus content, too. Content updates give developers a chance to extend the lifespan of their games, address popular criticisms of their gameplay or interfaces, and fix bugs -- and, in many cases, earn a few extra dollars along the way. But when does releasing downloadable content stop being a useful service and start becoming just another way to squeeze money out of consumers? And which games might opt for a stream of download content instead of a sequel? Read on for a selection of winners (and losers) in the downloadable content game.