What's the Frequency, Kenneth? Vol. 02

[Melf]

As amazing as today's games are, there is still lots of fun to be had with the consoles of yesteryear. With its simple charm and accessibility, retro gaming can offer a great alternative to people who need a change from tech-heavy modern consoles. So why do so many people still ignore what classic console have to offer? Read the full article to get our perspective.

[Cornholio857]

Speaking of downloadable content, how many people agree with Capcom’s decision to include the 12 extra characters in Street Fighter X Tekken on the actual disc itself? In other words, you’re paying extra for content already on the game you just bought.

That "business practice" right there is what really aggravates me regarding modern consoles/the VG industry right now. That shit right there wouldn't fly BITD.


So to break down the SF x Tekken "DLC":

• Copy of game - $60
• Estimated cost of each "DLC" character - $5
• Twelve "DLC" characters at $5 each = $60
• Game cost + "DLC" cost = Roughly $120

So you are literally paying for the game twice. Go to hell, Capcom.

[Melf]

I heard they're going to sell them for something like, $4 for 4 characters. It'd be insane (more so than it already is) to charge for them individually.

[Cornholio857]

Oh, ok. Not as bad as if you had to pay for each character. But still bad none-the-less. I also find it amusing when someone "downloads" said DLC and you have the progress bar going; other dude is excited, I'm off to the side snickering because I know said DLC is on the actual disc itself. LOL

[Assault9]

I can't get into the current generation of consoles either. There's just something about them that doesn't pique my interest at all. I grew up on the Master System and Genesis and only later on did I pick up the N64 (for Goldeneye of course ) and the X-Box (for Halo), but I never felt a real connection to those systems like I did with my Genesis. Maybe its the way Sega did things back then, the types of games they made and their overall quality that keeps me fascinated with their products today. In the last six months I purchased my first Saturn and Dreamcast and to me those are the modern consoles if that makes any sense. If Sega does make a return to the modern console market I would be interested to see what they have to offer even though the Sega of today is a mere shadow compared to whom they once were.

[Benjamin]

DLC is the only thing which bugs me about this generation, but there's a simple fix for that -- don't buy it. Wait for the inevitably GOTY or discount so that the price gouging becomes a non-issue. Beyond that nuisance, this generation has been fantastic, and XBLA and XBLIG have provided me with hundreds of inexpensive games including quirky titles such as Rock of Ages; enhanced classics like Radiant Silvergun; hardcore games like Trials HD; and wonderful platformers such as Braid, Astroman, and NYAN-TECH.

When the Dreamcast died, I figured it was only a matter of time before the games I loved would vanish, and there wasn't much on the competing systems which gave me hope. The DS kept the flame alive, but digital distribution blew it up tenfold. Games have never been cheaper and better (with a handful of exceptions such as beat-em ups) than they are now.

[Melf]

I too have a buttload of downloaded games on XBLA and PSN. My only worry with that is what will happen when the next generation comes around. I sincerely hpe we won't have to re-buy all our games again, but it looks like it could happen. MS offers a round-about way to transfer games purchased from one 360 to another, Sony has reduced the amount of systems you can use your PSN games on, and Nintendo doesn't even let you transfer your stuff. I sincerely hope we don't lose everything once this gen dies.

[Benjamin]

I doubt that'll happen. Well, I doubt it for XBL and PSN. Those purchases are tied to accounts, and the services have been too successful for either company to just scrap them. Vita already supports past PSN purchases. The Wii is different since there is nothing to track a purchase from one machine to another. Now, how long that kind of support continues remains to be seen, but it should be easy for the companies to release a container with each hardware revision so that the library maintains support. Likewise, sales are sales, so there's no reason to pull the plug as the games can be sold indefinitely, barring any licensing issues like the one which had Sega pulled Outrun.

[Guntz]

It'd be foolish to completely discard the possibility of DLC support disappearing once this current gen has been completely retired. The same exact thing happened to the original Xbox. Once a hard drive with all your downloaded goods dies, all that money you gave Microsoft just disappeared too. Microsoft and Sony have showed us time and time again that they'd rather milk people constantly than to provide good service and support. I for one will not be surprised when the 360's Xbox Live service gets disconnected and Microsoft no longer provides support for patches, DLC content, full game downloads and anything else you could have bought/downloaded off Xbox Live. After that the only way to get patches for all sorts of broken-out-of-the-box games, like The Cursed Crusade and Lord of the Rings: War in the North will be fans who have hacked their Xboxes to retrieve the patches...

[bgpjr]

Love the article! I agree with a lot of what it says. I've only bought DLC for one game, otherwise I've stirred clear of it. If Capcom is treating SF X Tekken this way, I'll wait until it's used at below $20 or a GOTY edition with the characters unlocked.

I also agree with others in regards to this generation consoles providing great games via digital distribution. I've come across some cool "indie" games as well as arcade titles I've always wanted. Like others have mentioned, I fear that one day I won't be able to access these. This is why I always support having a physical copy when possible.

[Melf]

I doubt that'll happen. Well, I doubt it for XBL and PSN. Those purchases are tied to accounts, and the services have been too successful for either company to just scrap them.

That's assuming that MS keeps the content available. Once the 360 came out, all the DLC and updates for original Xbox games disappeared, and people were using the same account. They simply migrated it over to the 360. There's no guarantee that once the next Xbox comes out, MS will just pull the plug on stuff from this gen. They're good at doing it too, which is why I mentioned Game Room and 1 vs. 100. They just killed them and moved on like nothing happened.

The Wii is different since there is nothing to track a purchase from one machine to another.

Reportedly, the Wii U will use an account system like Live and PSN, so I hope they make the stuff available. All they have to do is link your Wii U and Club Nintendo accounts and a record of everything you've downloaded will be there. If they just flip the switch on the VC and WiiWare though, then it won't really matter whether they're connected or not. And given that we're talking about Nintendo and online...

[Benjamin]

Once a hard drive with all your downloaded goods dies, all that money you gave Microsoft just disappeared too.

You can always redownload your 360 purchases. You can always back them up on a USB drive.

That's assuming that MS keeps the content available. Once the 360 came out, all the DLC and updates for original Xbox games disappeared, and people were using the same account. They simply migrated it over to the 360. There's no guarantee that once the next Xbox comes out, MS will just pull the plug on stuff from this gen. They're good at doing it too, which is why I mentioned Game Room and 1 vs. 100. They just killed them and moved on like nothing happened.

There wasn't much content on the original Xbox, and Microsoft has publicly stated that the changes in Live's structure made them unable to continue support. Live wasn't much in the original Xbox's day, so I do give the company a pass on that. Plus, it's not as though people lacked the ability to safeguard their data on memory cards or HDDs. There are enough backup solutions to where that's not a problem on the 360. My only gripe stemming from the cancellation of support for the original Xbox was that it was done with the promise of an improved Xbox Live experience, and I haven't seen anything enhancements resulting from its closure.

Game Room still exists. It hasn't been seen a new game pack since Krome died, but it's there. I wish Microsoft would do something with it, because Game Room is a wonderful concept. 1 vs. 100 was seasonal and free, so I can't complain about it's removal. Well, I do, because 1 vs. 100 was great fun and an awesome use of Live -- exactly what Live should offer subscribers -- and I'm disappointed Microsoft has never brought it back or replaced it with similar programming.

[goldenband]

I don't own any consoles where DLC applies (Dreamcast, GBA SP, and GameCube are my most recent ones), but I pretty much refuse to purchase any game of any kind where

(1) I'm required to download significant content (including the game itself) and

(2) I can't use my own backup solution to ensure that, once purchased, I never lose access to that content: not next week, not in 10 years, not in 500 years when my great-great-(etc.)-grandkids are entertaining themselves while en route to Barnard's Star.

Since I'm not really into the stylings of most games from the last 5-10 years it's a non-issue anyway. But it's also a matter of principle, in the same way that not buying music with DRM is a matter of principle.

[QuickSciFi]

I couldn't have said it better. Great job in this article.

[shinobimusashi]

You really hit hammer right on the head of the nail with this article Ken. Best writing I've read from you in a while.

I agree with everything you said.