Do you need to have run the game to install DLC? [closed]

Question

I have a huge backlog of games i have yet played on PS3, PS4, X-Box 360 and Vita, alot of these i wait a while before i play them so that when i do i have almost all the DLC.

In the past what i have done i created a second profile on my PS3, put the game in there then go back into my main account and download the DLC, once i'm done i go back into my second profile and test that the DLC has been installed, i do this because Hyperdimension Neptunia has a trophies you get for starting a new game before the DLC check and Disgaea 4 has one for watching the intro animation which i might not skip if i've been called elsewhere. ofcause not all the time i can test that the DLC has been installed just from starting a new game, the Atelier Twilight Games didn't have a notification.

I haven't done this with the 360 and it's not possible with the Vita, so i am wondering, do i need to have ran the game once in order to for the DLC to be installed? (ie. i buy a game overseas and while i wait for it to arrive i get all the DLC)

NOTE: i would like an answer which covers all the consoles that i have tagged incase if there are any differences between consoles like maybe the PS Vita needs the game to have ran once to install the DLC

Answer 1

You can always purchase DLC without installing it or without having run the game and I frequently do this via the Sony and Microsoft web stores. Then download and install at some later time. For things like the trophies that you ask about, that's going to be case by case and you're just going to have to research them. Frankly the same goes for game demo's as well as some games have unlock-able content only available when starting a full game from a save file created by a demo.

Downloading and installing are separate issues from purchasing though. As for installing before booting the game? You generally need to boot the game in order to apply any DLC as the markers on the system that tell where to store the DLC aren't there until the game initializes them (some digital only titles may be exceptions to this rule as the markers may be created when the full game is installed).

I hope this answers your question.

Personally, I would always boot and play a game first before installing any non-trivial DLC since it frequently will change something about the game (Oblivion story DLC kills off characters and negates whole story quests). Things like adding a character or a special weapon generally don't count here since the data is already in the game, the DLC is just unlocking them.