So this past week, Christian Svensson took to the Capcom Unity forum to inform us that Capcom was re-evaluating how DLC is done in the future. So the corporate figures at Capcom have finally realized and understood how their consumers feel about DLC. Plans seem to be in motion to change how things are done for future releases. Everyone rejoice and feel relieved that the nightmare is over.

Well…….Sort of?

Hey…. wait a minute?!?

Ah, shit!

I’ve read and re-read the original posting and it just doesn’t add up as anything to be happy about. Call me cynical, but it just reaffirms that things will still transpire as business as usual in Capcom’s DLC nom de plume. They’re not changing their DLC ways, just the way that it’s delivered. They even state so in the announcement,” how such additional game content is delivered in the future” and “unable to make changes to the way some of their post release content is delivered“. DLC practices aren’t going to change just the delivery method.

Their not changing the price gouging of withheld content practices, their just not locking it directly to my disc so I can pay them for the privilege later. Fans aren’t pissed that DLC exists or wether it’s on or off the disc or not. It’s the representation and execution that people don’t like.

For an example look at either Street Fighter X Tekken or Dragon’s Dogma. Both games are new unproven IP’s yet both games from the outset of development have side content withheld in order to make more money. The game has not even made it to the shelf or is not guaranteed or even needs extra content, so why is extra content being made before the game has even succeeded.

Money. The promise of making more money.

Instead of strengthening the title in order to get the best possible product out there, your getting a parsed out product with incremental additional purchases for something that was conceived and produced as a whole. Instead of making Dragon’s Dogma the best the product it can be so that consumers will buy it and want to buy more, content is being made and withheld behind a pay wall weakening the full experience. This is digital panhandling.

DLC can be done responsibly and can can increase the longevity of a game, but it should be done so when you have a product that consumers have bought and want more of. Not in the anticipation of making more money on top of the initial point of purchase.

So what are your thoughts? Do you think Capcom is actually listening to the consumers or is this just a misdirection in order to soften the blow?

Via Capcom Unity, Joystiq, and Destructoid

There was a leak of news for fans of Rayman Origins with a trailer for the sequel Rayman Legends. It keeps the same graphical style but will add more playable characters, online play, and social gaming (essentially a points per objective system).

It was the reveal of the functionality that will come to the Wii U that was most intriguing. It appears that the Wii U tablet will be able to take a page out of the Skylanders playbook, with peripheral items that affect in game play. Seeing how Ubisoft will incorporate this into the game opens up infinite possibilities for other games to follow.

Watch the trailer below

Via Gamekult

SuperBot Entertainment revealed Sony’s Smash Bros-esque fighter coming to PS3. It’s a 2-D fighter featuring Sony’s stable of recognizable and cherished franchise characters. So far the only characters revealed, until the later showcase at E3, have been Parappa the Rapper, Kratos, Sweet Tooth, and what will surely be my go-to character Fat Princess.

The games looks to have online play and is said to have a robust tournament mode for competitive players. We’ll have to wait till E3 to see what other features and modes are going to included. In the meantime take a look at the announcement trailer below.

Via PSBlog

CCP’s DUST 514, the first free-to-play game to hit consoles, is almost armed and ready to assault the PlayStation 3. Intertwining elements and the mythos with their other free-to-play title, EVE Online, CCP is looking to change the way we not only view a first-person shooter, but gaming in general. But what was the reasoning behind creating an FPS? Oh, and that’s “Five One Four,” to you.

“We wanted to provide a way to get involved in the EVE universe that broadened the accessibility and reach of the franchise as far and wide as possible,” said executive producer Brandon Laurino, “thus, an MMOFPS on console, a free to play AAA shooter on PlayStation 3.”

The PlayStation 3 provides CCP the open platform it needs to have EVE and DUST 514 constantly interacting, and they’ve worked closely with Sony throughout the game’s development to ensure this leap in console gaming will be up to snuff with the vision the developers have. DUST 514′s connection with EVE, however, will not render you lost if you happen to play the first-person shooter without any knowledge of EVE. Shooter fans will still be able to jump in a “Team Deathmatch” and blow stuff up.

“But, players looking for a deeper experience will be able to build empires, discover and explore the EVE universe, the most enthralling and sophisticated virtual world ever created,” Laurino added.

If there’s one word that can describe the EVE universe, it’s “persistence,” as every character across EVE Online and DUST 514 is logged into the same server. Social tools like mailing and chatting are connected, and items including weapons, vehicles and equipment can be traded throughout. Persistence even matters within the planets, stations, and battles that are throughout the universe.

“When you are in a battle in DUST 514, it is in that one specific spot, in that one specific area, in that one specific district, on that one specific planet. It is its own unique place – and which faction, corp, player – et cetera – owns what, will define the map of planetary conquest, bragging rights, and the benefits that come along with it. Every shot fired in DUST 514 has the potential to be felt in EVE Online.”

The EVE universe is all about power, Laurino said, and when DUST 514 mercenaries initially begin their tour of duty they will be able to fight in the factional war occurring between the large EVE empires. Later on, and working in unison with their EVE Online brethren, they will be able to fight in much more critical battles that can interrupt the universe’s sovereignty and balance control. EVE players will even be able to bombard the ground troops in DUST with missiles from space.

DUST 514 was initially going to release in a $20 “Starter Pack,” where the money paid would be used to unlock gear in-game. That has since been changed, and the game will release without a fee.

“As we watched the market evolve, gamers choices in free to play games evolve, our own tastes in free to play evolve and developing what’s needed to support it in collaboration with Sony, this just became the obvious way to go – no cover charge, completely free to play. It’s the right time.”

If you have been following DUST 514 for some time, you may have noticed the term “space opera” gets thrown around quite a bit when CCP describes the game. Well, there’s a good reason for that.

“We have invested our blood, sweat and tears into making the most grand, interactive, living space opera the world has ever known,” Laurino said.

I started the download a couple of hours before launch to be sure it was done, jumped in at the moment the servers were opened, and…. nothing. At least not Friday evening. It was to be expected that this beta wouldn’t be open due to the demand people have after not having a new game for over eleven (!!) years. Having said that, I think especially Blizzard should have known better. They have always put so much attention into their games; they should’ve figured that a lot of people would want to try out their new title.

Now to the real deal. Despite the issues on the Friday evening run, I managed to start the game on Saturday. I started with the old fashioned Barbarian then played with a Sorceress up till the end of the beta, without maxing her out. Straight away when you encounter the first enemy, you find out that the game has a different way of playing. You already start with a more vicious attack that what I was at least used to in Diablo 2. Where D2 let you play with a normal attack, D3 straight away lets you wield a more powerful attack alongside an attack that drains your ‘mana.’ Instead of having to refill your ‘manapool’ (which consequently has different names and ways of filling up according to your specific class), it remains full or you will fill it during combat. So the only thing you have to worry about is: is it enough to use a spell or attack on someone?

Is this kowtowing to the masses? It is less resource management. Or is it letting you do more of what you are supposed to do in a hack and slash game, namely killing enemies.

You level up your abilities, no longer by putting points into skill, but by selecting a special rune that enhances your ability. When I reached the needed level for the areaslash, I took that one and combined with the first rune that I could equip; the-exploding-on-death-rune, I think, is the best way to describe it. By the power of the High Heavens, damn that smashed through the enemy.

So combat-game-play-wise, Blizzard‘s third version feels great to me. Fast, hard hitting and as fluid as always, even though it’s different. Not only do you level up yourself, but also the blacksmith that will accompany you throughout the game, will level up. Not just with one of the characters, but all your account’s characters are capable of leveling him up. So thats good for your earlier level characters to have a bit more protection in the beginning.

In this short preview I will not spoil plotpoints, but let’s say you will encounter old familiar friends and enemies. The skeletons have risen again and Leoric has a fitful sleep.

There is one thing that I have a critique on though, outside the constant internet connection, which I find bullshit for the game’s singleplayer portion. But my main other gripe, is it’s look. I have no issues with vibrant colours, but this doesn’t look like just vibrant colours. This looks and feels far more cartoony than Diablo has ever been. The characters in D2, even though the world is an impossible world, looked far more realistic in comparison to the latest iteration in the Lord of Terror’s series. It looks way too much like the cartoony vibe that Warcraft 3 had, than like Diablo. Bad move Blizzard. Does this stop me from playing the game?

Hell no (pun intended). The gameplay, the collecting, and the story are the drive for me in this game. But I really miss the gritty gothic realism from the first two games. It looks like Blizzard isn’t capable of making a gritty real looking 3D game… First Warcraft 3, WoW, now Diablo 3. Only Starcraft remained realistic looking, mostly.

What are your preliminary thoughts on the latest battle between the Burning Hells and the High Heavens?