I just don't get it. A recent example is the Left 4 Dead DLC, Crash Course. PC users get it for free while Xbox 360 users will have to pay 560+ points for it.
 
Why is it like this?

microsoft wants to make money off of it.

 PC gamers will not pay for DLC and console gamers will.  

One, it's useless. PC gamers will probably pirate it if it wasn't free.
Two, Microsoft makes all DLC that makes new achievements have a price.

Bandwidth through Xbox Live.  That's the main issue...from what Microsoft says.  =  /

Microsoft requires compensation for their bandwidth. So, if a developer wants to put out DLC on Xbox Live, they can either pay Microsoft for the bandwidth usage and choose to make the DLC available for free to consumers, or they can choose not to pay, or pay half and make it cheaper for the consumer. That's the issue. On PSN, publishers are required to pay for the bandwidth used for demo downloads, and I'm fairly certain Sony requires the same as Microsoft as far as DLC distribution goes.

Because console gamers will pay for it. It's that simple.
 
But in reality most paid DLC for consoles is also paid for PC. PC had expansion packs for a LONG TIME while consoles were left out. Now that everything like that is delivered digitally so consoles can get stuff like this period. You should be grateful you didn't spend a thousand dollars on a gaming machine and instead only pay 7 bucks for an expansion.
 
For now I'll ignore the fact that everybody who bought L4D was ripped off by paying for content that they assumed would come free.

As far as I can see, consoles are controllable gates. PCs are like the Wild West in comparison.

Microsoft is greedy.

" Because console gamers will pay for it. It's that simple.  But in reality most paid DLC for consoles is also paid for PC. PC had expansion packs for a LONG TIME while consoles were left out. Now that everything like that is delivered digitally so consoles can get stuff like this period. You should be grateful you didn't spend a thousand dollars on a gaming machine and instead only pay 7 bucks for an expansion.  For now I'll ignore the fact that everybody who bought L4D was ripped off by paying for content that they assumed would come free. "

I think Microsoft's excuse of bandwidth isn't really viable.
 
ESPECIALLY, since they already charge their users a subscription.
 
Microsoft wants money, plain and simple.
 
 
Console gamers reluctantly pay for DLC that was meant to be free on the PC. 
 
Heck, not a lot of recent PC games have extra downloadable content. Aside from Valve, who else makes new content as free downloads for the PC, if at all?
 
Stop kidding yourselves into thinking that PC games give content for free. They usually don't get any new content at all.

" @MrKlorox said:

" Because console gamers will pay for it. It's that simple.  But in reality most paid DLC for consoles is also paid for PC. PC had expansion packs for a LONG TIME while consoles were left out. Now that everything like that is delivered digitally so consoles can get stuff like this period. You should be grateful you didn't spend a thousand dollars on a gaming machine and instead only pay 7 bucks for an expansion.  For now I'll ignore the fact that everybody who bought L4D was ripped off by paying for content that they assumed would come free. "

And so the system wars nonsense begins, when it was a simple question about DLC. Lovely, thank you kindly uninformed sire. "

When companies like Valve put out DLC such as the survival pack they dont think of it as extra content to get extra money from its part of the original game to keep you playing the game (in a game like Team Fortress 2 with new maps, mods, weapons and items) and its thought of as part of the original purchase where you pay for the game and support for the game (this was/is the source of the controversy with L4D2 because people expected extra content before a new game). Most publishers, especially on consoles but not limited to, see DLC as a way to make extra money more than to keep the player base up.

When it comes to something bigger like a full expansion pack (think Shivering Isles for ESIV: Oblivion versus say Knights of the Nine for ESIV: Oblivion) then usually PC gamers get charged as well (and in accordance with the normal price of a PC game its usually slightly cheaper than the console version) but even then a lot of companys include it for free with there game for the same reasons as valve put out the Surival Pack for free.

Its not just valve that does it there is an "indie" game called Iron Grip: Warlord which is essentially a co-op horde-style FPS set in here own universe and they added a new expansion pack (Winter Assault I beleive or something similer) for free as a way of keeping the players coming back (so they are more likely to buy and know about there next project) and as a way to make sure new players know about there game.

This is something that has always happened on PC but the mechanism for DLC is relativly new for consoles (though there were some "expansion packs" like GTA London on PS1). Companies are trying to get the PC community to pay for content but its a lot less likely to happen because they can make equal or slightly lesser content themselves and put it out for free (such as counter-strike or a multitude of Source/Unreal mods).

Valve has tried to continue this same attitude on consoles but as a far as I know Microsoft made them charge for the new content to pay for bandwith and to keep the status quo (though it is cheaper than similer DLC it seems).

" microsoft wants to make money off of it. "

Just wow. Observe yourself.

" Bandwidth through Xbox Live.  That's the main issue...from what Microsoft says.  =  / "

" @jakob187 said:

" Bandwidth through Xbox Live.  That's the main issue...from what Microsoft says.  =  / "

but deep down we all know its their filthy greed "

" @jakob187 said:

" Bandwidth through Xbox Live.  That's the main issue...from what Microsoft says.  =  / "

but deep down we all know its their filthy greed "

Because it is a bitch to pirate on the 360.

" One, it's useless. PC gamers will probably pirate it if it wasn't free."

" @ColumnBreaker: That's bullshit because those companies could easily just release the content on their sites from which you could download on your comp and transfer over to your 360 with some sort of usb based drive but MS doesn't allow them to. Fact is MS wants money and revenue from DLC is huge that's prety much it. Simply put console users pay because you will. You guys are stupid enough to pay for maps so it became common place. There is now precedence for it so you guys are screwed. "

because console gamers are stupid enough to pay for it.

PC Gamers pay for Hardware upgrades and games are released later on PC than Console too.....and sometimes not at all.

1.PC gamers are spoonfed whiney babies which will bitch if something isn't free or low cost. *they expect full games to be this way too* which leads to point 2.
2.pc gamers will pirate something at the drop of a hat which is why the smarter companies are switching to DD as quick as possible thus ensuring as much control as they can.
3.Developers are willing to pay for the bandwidth and distribution of DLC something they have a choice on on the 360 they can pay out their own cash host every thing do every thing and users get the DLC for free on xbox live, or the users can foot that bill thus ensuring they pay money for that DLC.

Because lifes a bitch...

" 1.PC gamers are spoonfed whiney babies which will bitch if something isn't free or low cost. *they expect full games to be this way too* which leads to point 2.

Valve wants it to be free.  Microsoft doesn't. 
 
As for piracy, the people that pirate the game will pirate the DLC. The people that bought the game  (which in L4D's case was a few million) will buy the DLC. 
 
If it bugs you that much, buy a fucking PC.

Anyone who is "tech savvy" enough to have a PC on par with the current console gen also knows how to use torrents.

MS doesn't want the marketplace to be filled with high quality free content, because that would hurt other developers who want to charge for DLC on Live.  MS would rather keep the platform open for money making.  MS doesn't get all the money for stuff like Left 4 Dead's upcoming DLC, Valve is being forced to charge, and some of that money will go to them, not MS.
 
Doesn't have as much to do with the PC side being piracy ridden or anything really.  Valve doesn't want to charge for the DLC on any platform.

Microsoft knows their markets pretty well. 

Because valve is deciding it be free of course on the PC, and microsoft is making it cost something on the Xbox360...very simple.
 
Also, williamRLbaker is an idiot.