Fighting fans have been up in arms over the revelation that the DLC for Street Fighter X Tekken due later this year has been on the disc all along, as we reported in our review. Eager to put out this little fire, Capcom has gone on the record to explain why this is the case. And actually, their answer not only makes a lot of sense, it's actually preferable. The company said:
"The character information and files were intentionally included on retail versions of the PS3 and Xbox 360 game to save hard drive space and to ensure for a smooth transition when the DLC is available, allowing players who choose not to purchase the content the ability to play against players that did."
That makes perfect sense. When extra maps are downloaded for the likes of Call of Duty or Gears of War, you instantly divide the player base into those who have the content and those who do not. The 'have-nots' can't play with those who have.
Doing it this way, gamers who have bought the DLC can play as the extra characters, while those who didn't can still play against them thanks to the graphics and animation routines already being in the game like the regular characters.
And let's get this straight. DLC is a revenue stream that Capcom can tap from new or pre-owned copies of their games. It's a failsafe for making sure it's actually worth the cost and effort of making the damn thing. So we understand the reason for releasing some characters later. Doing it this way is of greatest benefit to the player. Nobody loses out.
It doesn't completely appease the part of our brain that says 'it's on the disc I just bought so why can't I use it?', but unfortunately, that's just business. With that necessary evil accepted, we actually approve. What do you think?
Source: Eurogamer
