Capcom Responds To BBB Complaints: No Distinction Between DLC And Disc-Locked Content

While most major sites are sitting around their cushy leather chairs demeaning gamers with ridiculous five-minute editorials starting or ending with this year's overused keyword, "entitlement", gamers and fed-up consumers have been going to the Better Business Bureau about the rising tide of consumer mistreatment from companies like Electronic Arts and Capcom.

In the case of Capcom, they've actually responded to some of these complaints and their response has always been the same: There's no distinction between downloadable content and disc-locked content. In other words, expect to get screwed some more in future releases.

There have been numerous complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau regarding Capcom's latest antics involving the disc-locked content for Street Fighter X Tekken, several consumers received the following response from Capcom, which is verbatim of the Better Business Bureau's case # 57217509, where Capcom says...

At Capcom, we value our customers and make every effort to resolve customer complaints. We are sorry to hear that [censored] was so disappointed with the Street Fighter x Tekken game (''SFxT''), and would like to respond to his complaints.SFxT has an enormous amount of content, fully developed and available for play and enjoyment immediately on-disc. Given the 38 characters available for full play, as well as multiple play modes, SFxT provides great value for all players from day one. While Capcom is sorry that some of its fans are not happy about the chosen method of delivery for the DLC, we believe that this method will provide more flexible and efficient gameplay throughout the game's lifecycle. There is effectively no distinction between the DLC being ''locked'' behind the disc and available for unlocking at a later date, or being available through a full download at a later date, other than delivery mechanism.We hope that this addresses [censored]' concerns.

For the most part, Capcom makes it known that disc-locked content is par for downloadable content. Seemingly, to them, completed content stored on the disc is no different than content released for a game post-launch that you receive off a server. In such terms, we almost have to ask then: how much DLC in past games was legitimately DLC and simply not content stored on servers until the appropriated date?

While hackers revealed that Jill and Shuma Gorath from Marvel Vs Capcom 3 were incomplete until the download was made available, given Capcom's pass on disc-locked content and downloadable content being different, does it mean it was completed and stripped from the game the same way that the content was for Street Fighter X Tekken and Asura's Wrath?

Those who initially filed complaints were unsatisfied with the results and have sought to amend their complaints. This rings especially in favor for the lack of advertised features for the Xbox 360, such as pair-play, which enables gamers to locally team up and play cooperatively online.

So far, Capcom has yet to issue a response to the Better Business Bureau on the lack of pair-play and why the feature was advertised but not implemented. For the rest of the community, we were fed the unsubstantiated truth that the team ran out of time and resources, even though they had more than enough time to include additional Gems, preset combos for each of the characters, 12 extra fighters, two alternate outfits for all 50 characters and 56 locked colors. That's not to mention that before that Capcom blamed Microsoft and the Xbox 360 for the lack of pair-play, which simply was not true.

While Capcom has been behind some popular titles as a publisher, this blatant disregard for consumer value basically lets us know that they're in it to win it, and consumer satisfaction obviously isn't the prize.

Stay classy, Capcom. Stay classy.

Image courtesy of MugenStation360