Sep 29
Insert Coin
With this current generation of game systems, console gamers were finally graced with the ability to have their games updated, improved and expanded without the need to buy a new disc. 360 and PS3 owners are now familiar with the idea that their games don’t have to remain buggy for eternity. The content of their games are no longer limited to what was in the box they brought back from the store. Multiplayer games can evolve with community feedback. This infrastructure of online connectivity and downloadable content has had obvious benefits to console gaming on the whole.
Even in the advent of comprehensive console networks like Xbox Live and Playstation Network, it was easy to see how this could be a great feature for specific games and genres. One of the clear beneficiary genres is fighting games. Online multiplayer modes and persistent leaderboards have acted as an arcade renaissance allowing for a quarter dropping experience….without quarters.
However, for anyone even remotely familiar with fighting games, the promise of downloadable content and regular game updates was practically messianic. Back in the barbaric and archaic days of the 80’s and 90’s the only way to update or expand a game was to make another full retail release. Fighting games were particularly vulnerable to this inadequacy. Any new characters or gameplay improvements post-release required a new disc to be printed and a new cabinet constructed. Take Street Fighter II; a game that has had a full 6 arcade releases. While it is easy to see these iterations as quick money grabs from die-hard fans, the changes they brought were usually accepted or desired improvements. Now, with a internet-connected console, game companies no longer have an excuse to ask fans to shell out for multiple copies of what is ultimately the same game.
Despite franchises like Soul Caliber and Virtua Fighter embracing this system with paid DLC and free patches, it doesn’t look like Capcom is ready to let Street Fighter IV join this generation. To be fair, Capcom has shown that they are capable of improving their games through online means. The Championship Mode DLC pack was an appreciated and free addition to Street Fighter 4. That free content made the announcement of Super Street Fighter 4 even more confusing and frustrating.
8 new characters and updates for every existing fighter sounds great to anyone who has enjoyed Street Fighter 4.  Prior to the game’s release I crafted an arcade stick specifically for the game in the same fashion that a Jedi builds his own lightsaber(see below). I happily purchased the game on release day for $70. It was safe to say that the Super Street Fighter announcement was well-received news. I was ready to whip out my credit card and buy some Microsoft points to immediately purchase the Super Street Fighter 4 DLC pack on day one. However, I looked closer into the press release and noticed that my downloadable assumption had just made an ass out of you and me. Â
Apparently, Capcom decided that the business model of old was a little to rich to abandon just now. 8 new characters and several gameplay tweaks was enough for them to justify a new retail product. Now, this in itself isn’t awful. Fallout 3 has a Game of the Year Edition coming in a few weeks, which is just the original game along with all add-ons released previously online. However, Street Fighter is taking a different tact. According to Capcom, it was impossible to add these changes to the original game via DLC and a new disc release will be the only way to get them. While I am probably not the first person to say this, I would like to join the chorus of gamers chanting “Rip Off!”. The game’s producer Yoshinori Ono was quick to promise that Super Street Fighter 4 “won’t be sold at full price”, but Mr. Ono should keep in mind that we’ve heard that one before.
Despite the groups who share my sentiments, there are still people who are defending this choice. Personally, I always find it odd when fans feel the need to defend the idea of being sold the same game twice. It is plain to see that this is simply a coping mechanism of fans who are justifying their purchase pre-emptively through vitriolic forum posts and bombastic blog comments. Still, I feel that gamers need to question Capcoms assertions regarding the abilities of DLC, and the reasoning behind the disc-only release of Super Street Fighter 4.
First off, the fact that they aren’t going to be releasing the 8 new characters as DLC for the original game is already an admission of guilt. They are well aware of the fact that these “extensive” changes are not enough to justify a new purchase, so they are throwing exclusive bonuses in to prop up their glorified patch. Capcom has even stated that people who own both SF4 and SSF4 will be receiving an unannounced “bonus”. They are actually trying to lure gamers in with the equivalent of a goddamn Mystery Box!
As for their “extensive changes” and character updates, Capcom should really know that those go by another name to gamers… patches. The changes they are incorporating were directly influenced by community feedback. That is the very definition of patch. Updates that help fix and balance your game shouldn’t cost a cent, especially when you can deliver them quickly and cheaply through an online service like Xbox Live and PSN.
In online oriented games like Halo 3 and Left 4 Dead substantial changes have been made to the multiplayer aspects of those games through online updates. Anyone who played Left 4 Dead at launch can quite clearly see that the online gameplay has changed drastically thanks to updates. The amount playable campaigns doubled (with a fifth one recently arriving), an entire new and expansive “Survival Mode” was added in and countless balance issues were fixed. All of which were done through DLC and free game updates on a home console. It is not out of the realm of possibility for Capcom to have integrated these changes into the original game through a series of patches and DLC packs.
Capcom attempts to justify the disc-only course through claims that the game code they laid out didn’t allow for the changes that Super Street Fighter 4 brings. If anything, this is even more damning than simply being a regular cash grab.
Let’s not be naïve about this. Street Fighter 4 is only 7 months old. There is no way that SF4 went gold without them starting work on DLC like new characters or game modes. The Championship Mode DLC was released before the game even hit store shelves. So what Capcom is trying to tell us is that they knowingly released a game that they couldn’t make substantive updates to, so now we have to buy their do-over version of SF4 in order to get the complete experience. They have just admitted to making a game so broken that the normal means of fixing it are unavailable.
However, it is not only opinions that will be divided regarding this choice. The game’s online community will now be split between those who shelled out for the feature complete Super Street Fighter 4 and those who are stuck with a paid beta of Street Fighter 4. For a game which is so focused on maintaining such a high pedigree of multiplayer gaming, this is truly shameful.
Usually gaming news like this elicits demands official petitions and boycotts. Super Street Fighter 4 is simply the perfect example to justify that kind of reaction. It is incompetent, careless and opportunistic profiteering. I don’t plan on organizing a boycott myself, and I’m pretty Capcom doesn’t really care what some fan thinks of their business practices. All I can say is that the Street Fighter franchise has taken enough of my money. If it is unwilling to move into a modern and online marketplace, I won’t be joining the series on its future endeavors.
39 Comments so far
Leave a comment
My friend in Nebraska has asked me to help her with her laptop (i live in AZ ,she used to live here too). She downloaded a bunch of viruses disguised as a virus danger warning from the main OS (ironic huh?) all I know to do is to take it to a computer store like best buy or get a free anti virus software. Any ideas on things that could help? by the way the thing that did it i think was called the antyvirus software fyi.
_________________
unlock iphone 3g
I have a piece of adware on my computer that I obviously wish to get rid of (it slows down my computer… -.-). Avira Free Version is a perfectly fine antivirus program, but apparently it does not have this (insert obscene adjective here) adware on its detection list. I looked into this adware a bit more and found that AVG should have it on its detection list, which would mean a
for me and a 
for the adware… elimation of the adware in other words. There are several problems with this idea, though. 1. I am not sure about this, but I believe I read somewhere that having multiple AVs (AntiVirus) may cause confliction between programs… is this true? (read titular question for the specifics) 2. Supposing that the above question were answered with a “Yes”, I would have to remove Avira. I have also read that this action is difficult to fully complete… is this true and if so, how would I go about screwing the adware (FYI it is called WhenU SaveNow, and it is despicable in my personal opinion)? 3. Should someone else incidentally have this (virus? adware? program?)… thing… and have successfully removed it, could you answer back with your solution? Notes about the *censor*ing software… I am aware that you (ahem) should (ahem) be able to remove the “thing” (I refuse to name it except in an above example) in Windows’ Add/Remove Programs panel. It is not a part of the list of removable items, so I assume it must have latched onto a download (silly brother >:O). Because my computer is second-hand, it has a variety of rather shifty programs (in my paranoid opinion). Flock I think is decent, Limewire… not so decent, my idiot brother’s downloads off Limewire… VERY untrustworthy. However, the adware might have been present before that bozo downloaded Limewire, so I can’t fix the blame on Limewire. Also, this adware updates itself and seems to “read” the content on the web pages I browse and display related content… fortunately, it does not understand Mandarin. The adware PHAILS (phails, fails, same thing) in that it displays its unconvincingly poor “Click me” (the “click me” idea is displayed in many ways…) ideas in Internet Explorer while I browse in Mozilla Firefox -.- Any solution would be welcome.
_____________
satellite tv for pc
Hi, colleague! I like your blog, it’s so friendly! I think it’s pretty popular, isn’t it? I would like to invite you to my favorite Pay-Per-Click system, I believe you can earn with your blog a lot here. My crazy russian friend earns $3.000 per day here! Look, it doesn’t obligate you to anything http://klikvip.com/landings/en/landing2/index.php?aff=35357
I have to turned off (also disabled in start-up) occasionally i turn it on to do a scan… is that sufficent? or should it be on all the time? I already have AVG-Anti Virus and Spybot S&D
__________
grow taller
i got a acer laptop w/ a built in webcam for christmas my friends also did she has all these cool features fro her webcam like voice changing and adding different faces and face effects etc. it looks so cool. my parents have been trying to figure out a software is there any software that’s free and has no viruses and will let me do all the things my friends webcam does. we are both through skype. she has a dell laptop. REMEMBER VIRUS FREE!
_________________
registry cleaner
my computer has a virus called malware defense ( a fake antivirus program ) it won’t let me download any new antivirus ssoft or let me run any scans. It makes my computer slow and it won”t do away. plus it says there are lots of other viruses and spyware on my computer ( which i don’t know if it is true or not) but i want to get rid of them if there are so i want to erase everthing on my computer how can i do that?
buy unlock iphone 3gs
buy unlock iphone 3.1.3
unlock iphone 3g
I have Trend Micro, and I’m not sure if its the best virus proector.
how to unlock iphone 3.1.2
how to unlock iphone 3g 3.1.3
unlock iphone 3g
Drugs store online - online pharmacy
If you are looking for drugs visit
http://www.d-drugs.com/
Informations, side effects, prices and much more
[…] 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667Monza Full Year Hamilton, Monza Party Used DodgeMonza Full Year Hamilton, Monza Party Used Dodgerosa monza calcio monza oem wheel covers hubcaps chevy monza price pontiac astre 1976 chevrolet monza parts get chevy monza body taylormade rossa monza spider review monza good year monza body kit exhaust manifold 1964 monza corvair rampside monza offer avery dennison corvair monza spyder real estate rosaria lombardi monza monza parts removal carry delray aftermarket chevrolet monza monza wholesale lowest famous aftermarket monza auto monza oem cover mounts monza used chevy s10 search automotive corvair monza for sell monza italy bed and breakfast trezzano sul naviglio monza order delivery chevrolet monza part rear wheel drive racing stripes monza full oem MONZA PUTTER ROSSA monza race circuit address essai grand prix monza 1977 monza spyder 1 4 mile village monza italian grand prix vertu monza price accessories sell chevrolet monza monza italy hilton book chevy b monza b for b sale by owner monza floor lamps monza collectible parts spark plug cross reference chevy monza 1979 chevy monza sale taylormade rossa monza spider putter used chevrolet chevy monza door panels monza facts monza lowes designer radiators monza sale 1964 corvair parts buy chevrolet monza buick skyhawk chevrolet monza ii wholesale monza inr rossa mezza monza putter cover odyssey 2 ball monza car parts tail lights air flow meter monza film parts corvair monza rolex monza wikipedia monza cupon monza radiator towel warmers biasi gas boilers chevrolet monza ii accessories door chevy monza parts eastern catalytic converter monza parts catalog chevrolet impala corvair monza sale 1962 chevrolet buy chevrolet monza starfire oldsmobile firenza monza steam radiators wall plugs next computer monza monza sale classifieds 1965 chevrolet corvair monza zone walking monza parts oxygen sensor new chevy monza club damian lazarus torrent download monza header for sale gasket monza part buy gmc auto parts aubert recaro monza autobus monza cinisello balsamo 1975 monza spyder oldsmobile starfire monza myson convector radiators monza italy cheap hotels cernusco sul naviglio sale monza chevrolet chevette mezza maratonina monza monza change stock 1980 chevy monza spyder sale rebuilt engine chevrolet monza c20 pickup monza track jimmy bryan 1990 chevy monza spyder specs monza crash today used saturn monza car monza hud formula masters chevrolet monza oldsmobile 88 monza replacement discount monza imports new zealand caracteristicas chevy monza 2003 monza part chevrolet impala camaro monza grinding chevrolet monza headlight cowl induction sale chevrolet monza oldsmobile starfire buick skyhawk monza italy westin repair corvair monza monza radiator towel warmers ral 9001 monza convert accessories chevy ii monza spyder monza hotel booking cernusco sul naviglio monza sale lowest delivers used opel monza spares wiper motor 1975 chevy monza curb weight monza episode nova chevy monte carlo monza hydronic radiators heatline 78 chevy monza spyder monza part nova ss chevrolet corvair Xg300 Asscher Hyundai | Acura Mdx Sale | Lexus Is250 Reliability | 1991 Toyota Pickup | 92 Subaru Legacy | […]
Mallorca Business For Sale…
Leases are between 5 and 10 years generally. Legally the landlord has to be informed about the sale of the business….
I found your blog on google.I would like to offer my site: Acai Berry
it was very interesting to read.
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?
it was very interesting to read dotbmp.com
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?
I would like to exchange links with your site dotbmp.com
Is this possible?
dispenses utilize a good ınternet site decent Gives many thanks for the hard work to help myself
Mallorca Property For Sale…
Mallorca offers brilliant panoramic views and an abundance of tourist attraction areas…
Business For Sale Mallorca…
What a awesome find! I am so glad I found this site….
dispenses utilize a good web-site decent Gives with thanks for the working hard to support myself
evidentially when you go far in Limbo without dying the game cheats… crazy right?!
What is the best online trading stock site to buy penny stocks?
oh cool, this information is really useful and definately is comment worthy! hehe. I’ll see if I can try to use some of this information for my own blog. Thanks!
Does anyone know how to sync the Google calendar to MobileMe?
shares utilize a wonderful webpage decent Gives with thanks for the hard work to help me
Does anyone know how to sync the Google calendar to MobileMe?
Interesting, I wonder what the statistics are on your first point there…
I get just what your talking about, being around these days seems astonishingly different then it used to be . I am sure that our great grand parents never even considered this, modern technology helps change things for both the good and the bad. Reckon I might be old fashioned , however I remember back when a hard days work was the norm . People were honest , you could trust if your kids were outside by themselves they were safe , and goods were not as expensive either . I suppose prices are always going to increase , however I don’t understand why we can’t go back to the days when neighbors really cared for one another and actually knew what their neighbors names were . Recon its in the past , but hey, its a great day to be alive , I reckon we ott to just keep on keeping on.
Thanks for an idea, you sparked at idea from a perspective I hadn’t considerd before . Now lets see if I can do something productive with it.
apa sanksinya kh klo ndak ikut upacara?
one thing this recall has done is show people that egg farms aren’t like that cozy home farm with Foghorn Leghorn romancing the lady hens, they are basically forced labor camps for chickens and it’s amazing we don’t have more of these recalls
@Markus I get your drift on where you were going there. I often think of my past and use it as a means to analyze where I am and where I want to get to. Where I struggel is balancing it all out. How do you guys balance things out?
dispenses utilize a superb web-site decent Gives appreciate it for the efforts to help out everyone
Wow… this site is so interesting. I just wanted to know how do you monetize it? Can you give me a few advices? For example, I use http://www.bigextracash.com/aft/2e7bfeb6.html
I’m earning about $1500 per month at he moment. What will you recommend?
Hey mate, greetz from New York!
Very nice site! is it yours too
Just told my Mom I was gonna get another tatoo, she smiled and said, “ok” lol
These tips are so true
Great!This article is Innovative,tRight here are a Great deal of new idea,it Offers me inspiration.I Believe I will also inspired by you and Believe about more new ideas
Nice post. I agree 100%. here’s some more info on forklift licence