Maniacal Microtransactions

I was once a strong proponent of downloadable content (or DLC). I loved the very concept. The lifespan of my favorite games could be extended, giving me more reason to play a beloved title. New ideas could be injected into a finished product. Fresh concepts could be brought to a game already solidified and stamped on a disc.

Increasingly I find myself disillusioned and disappointed with what the reality of this idea has become. I find myself struggling to find things to spark my excitement in a digital marketplace strewn with blatant examples of publishers using DLC in all the wrong ways. Even when it’s used in the right ways, which is rare enough these days, it still brings some troubling trends to light.

Perhaps it would help to begin by demonstrating what lies at the root of the problem: cost. DLC could have been a fantastic way to extend a gaming experience in a meaningful way beyond what was possible on the disc, and indeed you do occasionally see it used for this purpose. More often than not however, it seems to be little more than a way to increase the cost of the game without actually having to mark up the price tag in stores.

As one example, consider the fighting game BlazBlue: Continuum Shift. It is but one example of a game simply riddled with DLC that overcharges and under-delivers, complete with a side dish of greed and deceit.

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BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Makoto DLC Review

Cute squirrel-girl Makoto presents something of a conundrum to fighting game fans, and I’m not just referring to the fact that she’s both dressed like a slut and, you know, half-squirrel. To be aroused or not to be aroused, that is the question every non-furry must ask himself.

The more important issue is what she represents. Makoto is the first character to be added to a fighting game post-release via downloadable content. As such, she represents an important milestone for the genre and she brings to light some of the unique issues of DLC in a fighting game. 

The problems begin with the fact that you can’t test out downloadable content before you buy. There are no DLC demos. Were Street Fighter IV to begin selling us new characters this might be less of a problem because not only does Street Fighter have a longer history including many characters and fighting styles that some players might already be familiar with, but its more accessible nature also means that, for the most part, it’s relatively easy to hop back and forth between multiple characters. 

BlazBlue, however, is almost completely the opposite. Continuum Shift is only the second game in the series and every entrant in its small roster of characters plays totally differently. This is part of the appeal of the game, of course, as the variety of play styles in BlazBlue is nearly unmatched even considering its small cast, but this makes a downloadable character an interesting quandary. At $7 (or $8 for some reason if you’re on a PS3), it’s a relatively expensive gamble as to whether the character will be a fit for you or not. 

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First Impressions - BlazBlue: Continuum Shift

My odd fascination with fighting games continues. I constantly wrestle with a desire to play them that doesn’t mesh with my complete lack of skill in the genre and it’s no secret I don’t have the kind of dedication necessary to spend the many, many hours practicing diligently in one title that it takes to truly improve. 

I’ve ultimately decided it’s a genre I like dabbling in. It’s an expensive, often frustrating dalliance, to be sure, and one that I sort of hope I can muster the willpower to give up someday and free my mind and time for better things, but until then my love/hate relationship with the genre will continue. 

My first hour with BlazBlue perfectly typified this usual relationship. There was fun, excitement, and frustration. Nothing new there.

But enough about my masochistic genre tendencies, the real question is whether my $40 was well-spent on this update to the crazy 2D fighting antics the original BlazBlue established. 

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift is in an awkward position commercially. It comes out only a few months after the release of the superb Super Street Fighter IV, a game that bested its predecessor in nearly every way, delivered a whopping 10 new characters, and chopped $20 off of the price for an amazing value on top of everything else.

Continuum Shift wisely follows suit with a price drop of its own, but otherwise can’t match the quantity of cool new stuff added to Super Street Fighter IV (nor could it really hope to, being an original franchise with 2D art assets as opposed to a long-established franchise with 3D art). So the package clearly doesn’t feel as substantial as one might hope. But that doesn’t mean it’s not still worth it. Is it?

Honestly, that’s a hard question to answer.

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