Small correction: the DLC last month was the second free pack released to date.

As for this DLC costing, I doubt it. They're making a good chuck of change from the microtransactions in game. There was also an interview with Peter Moore over on Kotaku today where he expressed a strong desire to move to free-to-play and open up accessibility. The idea being so many people are playing, and a certain percentage of those people want to be the best and will pay out good money to get the advantage (or in Mass Effect 3's case save time).

Moore: "I think, ultimately, those microtransactions will be in every game, but the game itself or the access to the game will be free. Ultimately, my goal is... I measure our business in millions of people have bought our game. Maybe when I'm retired, as this industry progresses, hundreds of millions are playing the games. Zero bought it. Hundreds of millions are playing. We're getting 5 cents, 6 cents ARPU (average revenue per user) a day out of these people. The great majority will never pay us a penny which is perfectly fine with us, but they add to the eco-system and the people who do pay money—the whales as they are affectionately referred to—to use a Las Vegas term, love it because to be number one of a game that like 55 million people playing is a big deal."

Obviously the comment is more speculative than anything else, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mass Effect 3 were being used as a litmus test. In EA's sports games you can pay to unlock specific upgrades and stat boosting items, so players can pick what they want and stop spending. ME3 on the other hand uses a random unlock system, something akin to a slot machine - Moore uses a Vegas term to refer to their ideal players. People who are willing to part with large sums of cash after being lured in by small incentives. The incentives here being the Maps, because they're the only thing you actually get up front. Everything else requires you to play the slots, which takes time or money and EA is banking on people being impatient.

"Last month Mass Effect 3 got it's first bit of co-op DLC, which was released at no cost."

That was actually its second bit of free co-op DLC. Here was the first
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Mass_E ... gence_Pack

THanks guys - I've had a rough week. Wasn't thinking clearly.

Wow six new classes? Wonder if that will make this horde mode more cumbersome? Hopefully not I am loving me some of this multiplayer mode. My one biggest complaint about multiplayer mode is the freaking Premium Specter packs having upgrades for weapons I dont use and I still havent gotten my Geth engineer! Anywhoo I will be enjoying this IF its real...

Yeah, sure wish they'd offer sales of specific items rather than the random junk. I've been trying forever to get any of the new classes and have probably logged hundreds of hours by now and the only progress I've made is getting the vorcha soldier. I'd much rather pay to unlock the classes I want than risk paying money and ending up with ammo packs or 25k exp on a class I already have and unlocking another color that's useless and nobody will notice. Sigh.