Capcom has confirmed that it is charging users to access “downloadable” content in Street Fighter X Tekken which already exists on the game disc.
The new fighting game, which combines two heavyweight franchises that used to be major competitors of one another, was released on March 6. Since then, Capcom has launched additional content through the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network.
Of course, users have to purchase this additional content, which is referred to as “downloadable content.”
However, hackers have discovered that there is a whole treasure trove of character costumes, quick combo presets, and other material alreay available on the game disc.
So, according to the number crunchers out there, in addition to the $60 it costs to actually buy the disc, if players want to be able to access everything that comes on it, they’ll need to pay an additional $120.
Downloadable content has been a fantastic way for developers to keep their games fresh and introduce new material to titles after they’re released, but there have been some examples like Street Fighter X Tekken where this same concept is used to manipulate customers into paying money for material they should have had from the beginning.
Fans have been very vocal in their dismay about this revelation, with some going so far as to threaten to file a complain with the Better Business Bureau.
This is the perfect example of how Internet-connected gaming consoles are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s great to be able to legitimately keep games new and fresh, but it has also led to publishers taking shortcuts, knowing they can fix problems through software updates.
