Wardrobe Temptation

In theory, downloadable content sounds like a good idea. The concept that developers can create extra adventures and/or expansion packs and sell them digitally after most people have already finished the game sounds great. It's better when it's used in the form of stuff like the Elder Scrolls IV expansions and Mass Effect: Bring Down the Sky, in that the developers are in no way making an attempt to price gouge. Unless it's DLC that's only available on one system, and that particular word isn't given to consumers efficiently enough (see Fallout 3, Tomb Raider Underworld, Grand Theft Auto IV, etc.); then it's a total screw job.

A pity that price gouging is what most developers are using the system for. Probably the most dastardly form of "downloadable content" are unlock keys, meaning you have to pay for content that's already on the disc. Most, if not all, of this is stuff that would probably be already available in the game with no price attached if this was last gen. The newest culprit: Street Fighter IV. It turns out the extra costumes, that will undoubtedly be on the disc already, will cost you to unlock. You know if this was last gen, this would be unlockable via a method in the game itself. It's pretty despicable.

But man do they look good! Personally, I think it's a heinous practice, but this is the first time I actually feel inclined to pay for this. Especially for the female costumes, for some very strange reason. Though I also like how some of the outfits are interesting nods to other fictional and non-fictional characters. Zangief's alternate is basically Haggar's outfit from Final Fight, Balrog dons Apollo Creed's outfit from the Rocky movies, and Fei Long's is definitely an homage to Bruce Lee's outfit from Enter the Dragon.

So yeah, this is pretty bad, even though it's not on the same level as something Namco Bandai would pull - i.e. an extra character that should have been there in the first place. You don't need these in order to be able to play the efficiently, and they're definitely a probably-not-even-tertiary concern. But still, damn it Capcom! I'm probably just going to wait until April to download them all cheaply, though if this was last gen...oh, never mind.