PixlBit

I really really want to argue with you on the COD nonsense, but the truth of it is, it's the consumer's fault that Activision is able to get away with this stuff. Honestly, who in their right mind forks over money for a product not knowing at all what it is?  I still can't get my head around that.  Yes, it's true that Activision clearly stated they would get stuff valued at over the price of admission, but who sets that price?  Not the consumer.  For all they know it could be just some of the worst maps, and worthless crap, like skins for their guns or a bandanna for their soldier priced at 5 bucks.  I really don't want this to become standard practice and I will not participate in it if it does.  I rarely pre-order games as it is because I fear getting screwed, but this seems far more risky than even that!

Speaking of crazy prices, now come nobody mentioned Namco, especially after Tales of Graces f?  5 bucks for a single costume for a single character?  Seriously?  What are they smoking over there!

They charged $5 for a costume? What the frak?

To clarify, that's what people are currently paying for it in Japan. I don't know if it crossed the ocean to the US as I can't check PSN, but that's a CRAZY price point no matter what country you live in.  

*Update* I haz found info:

http://www.justpushstart.com/2012/03/tales-of-graces-f-gets-bunch-of-dlcs-including-cheats/

Apparently they did cut the price for the US release to 1.99.  Still though, it's not a costume pack, it's a single costume at a time.  That's not something I'd pay that much for!

That's still too much. Costumes should be no more than a buck. Probably even free.

I seriously thought I mentioned the retarded pricing of the Costumes. Even for $1.99, i wouldnt buy them, im sure some of them can be unlocked through sidequesting. But yeah, that kind of dlc stragety is pretty bad, id much prefer something else...

Someone did, but it was in a fighting game context.  This pricing structure is infecting RPGs as well, and I don't like it.  Somehow, it makes more sense to me in a fighting game, not a Tales games where stuff like this has always been in game.

I really don't have a problem with DLC in most cases. Does it suck that we're paying for stuff that used to be part of the games? Sure. But the only reason why we didn't pay extra for some of this stuff is because there wasn't a way to monetize it before. Some companies do it better than others. I'm guilty of buying the costumes for SF IV, and the way Capcom did that was pretty crappy, considering that you couldn't just buy the costumes you liked. I'm stuck with a cowboy version of Ken because I wanted the Japanese fisherman outfit for Ryu, for example.

You guys are way off base with Asura's Wrath. That's simply a matter of when Japanese marketing gets confused. The game has a satisfying, conclusive ending. There's one plot thread left hanging, but I considered that the hook for a sequel if they ever do one. I'd much rather get more Asura's Wrath now via DLC than wait for a sequel that will probably never come. Same thing for Alan Wake. That game did post release content better than pretty much anyone. There's no reason for Remedy to make a 60 dollar disc release to a commercial flop. But releasing an episodic sequel via DLC directly to the people that want it is a pretty awesome possibility.

We complain about DLC a lot, and it gets oh so tiresome. The simple fact is that it's still a new thing and people are figuring out how to implement it best. I expect all of these things to be worked out by the time the 8th console generation comes around. It should be mandatory for people to be able to purchase DLC from within a game with little to no break in the action.

I agree with the Asura's Wrath DLC to an extent. I didn't play it (as you may have guessed) but from what I heard, it had a satisfying ending. Calling the DLC the "True" ending is a real smack in the face to fans of the game but it really is just bad marketing. Like I said in the podcast, if they would've just called it an extended ending, it would be much more easier to stomach.

Totally. It really sounds like something that probably sounded better in Japanese. Asura's Wrath: Shin Gaiden!