The times, they are a-changin’. These days, the kiddies scream for multiplayer. Can’t get online and show how UBER 1337 you are? Then no one’s interested. With the release of Resident Evil 5, we’re seeing yet another example of a game that really SHOULDN’T include a form of formal multiplayer like in Gears or what-have-you, but it’s getting it anyway. For the kiddies. However, if you’re going to toss in a multiplayer mode aside from the retail version’s co-op campaign and Mercenaries, then wouldn’t it be best to include said multiplayer with the big $60 (or more, depending on which version you bought) package?

With Capcom’s announcement to sell the “Versus DLC” for an extra 400 Microsoft Points, gamers were enraged. How dare they charge even MORE money after just having released Resident Evil 5? What’s more, how could they charge more for a mode that will (that we know of so far) only include the ability for players to face off against the shuffling horde or each other? No new characters, stages, or anything to actually warrant the five dollar charge, simply new coding that will open up the game’s multiplayer capabilities.

Many gamers believe this mode is entirely new and that Capcom never intended to add it in. I prefer not to be so naive – I’m sure that Capcom is aware of what sells these days, and how to maximize profits. To offer something so simple for yet another small sum of money is, to me, just another way that we’re buying into the DLC phenomenon and encouraging devs to skimp out on releasing truly complete products. Don’t get me wrong – I have been known to pay some of the ridiculous costs of certain Xbox Live Arcade titles, or for extra content, but in this case I feel it’s the audacity of the company – mainly for the way they have handled complaints about the situation. If the DLC is released and it offers a fantastic experience, more power to Capcom!

Perhaps I wouldn’t be so enraged if Capcom VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development Christian Svensson didn’t behave as if his head were up his hindquarters. At first Capcom took a rather diplomatic stance when it came to addressing consumers’ concerns about the pricing and timing of the DLC release:

“Although Versus mode makes use of the assets that exist in the game, the functionality is not currently in the game and is above and beyond the initial scope of Resident Evil 5,” says Capcom. “We have never included a Versus mode in Resident Evil before, and as well as the costs of development of the feature, there’s also additional bandwidth costs associated with it.”

I can respect a response such as that – I can believe it, as well. Not saying I really do, but hey, they were being very mature about the legions of threads on gaming forums and complaints they must have been receiving. But then things got a bit ugly when Christian poked his head into the matter. Angrily clacking out a reponse via the Capcom forum, he prefaced his reasoning for why the DLC will cost/why it exists/why it exists now with a cocky, whiny-baby defense:

“I’m sorry guys, but this is the part where I have to call “BS”.  RE5 is well worth every penny of $60. A huge game, with tons of replay value, loads of unlockables, new weapons, co-op, mercenaries mode, etc. If any game warrants its price point, it’s RE5.”

He went on to discuss how “no one complained before” and explained a piece about the budget available when RE5 was being created, but when you speak to consumers as if their complaints or inquiries are completely unfounded, you’re going to end up angering way more people than you would have by simply keeping your mouth shut rather than behaving as if RE5 is the be-all and end-all of gaming. Yeah, it has replay value – if you enjoyed it enough to play it again (which many will not).

Personally? I can’t afford to drop $20 on a Microsoft point card to check out the DLC, and that’s how it would be because I would rather not use a credit card to purchase a scant amount of points. I just can’t condone mindlessly accepting things that we are told by company bigwigs. Seems to me that if we stay mired in this mindset, the future of DLC could be a grim one. Though we laugh at the prospect of offering actual game endings as DLC, it could be a very real possibility if we bow to companies each time they toss out an excuse as to why we should play X amount of money for content that could have easily been included with a “finished product.”

-Brittany “Molotov Cupcake” Vincent-