The new stages of XI were a PS2 extra, so they used what that hardware was best at (3D). It did clash a bit, but they looked rather nice in progressive scan...
Anyway, I have no problem with properly used DLC. If you told me back in 1997 I coulda payed 5 dollars to add the Gunstar Heroes to Guardian Heroes, I would have been RIGHT THERE! If you told me I could turn KoF 97 into KoF 98, a year after 97's release, with 30 dollars worth of DLC (Or a free update, in the case of Blazblue Continue Shift 2), and have the option to switch between both in menus, I wouldn't have complained a bit.
Super this, Turbo that, EX + Alpha, Perfect, yearly updates, championship editions... all those upgrades to fighters were basically "DLC" with more obtuse, more expensive, less convenient ways to get the content. So why act like DLC has no place in fighters? If
properly supported and distributed, fighters are some of the best games to offer DLC for, and may have paved the way for other console games that get them now.
Speaking of proper support, the big problem I have with Marvels DLC is that they didn't follow up with it well. Shuma and Jill are great, but what is there past that? The first costume pack was ambitious, but wheres the others? Couldn't they have at least made alt colors for the costumes over this time? It's like they promised a trend, and then failed to follow up on it. I'm OK with not having new characters or stages yet, but they should have followed up their DLC character polls with rough sketches of the winners, or something to say "Hey, this content is actually coming!!!" The "Shadow Battles" are no where NEAR interesting enough to cover the wait they've put us through, and many have stopped caring.
Commpare that to MK9's, which seems much better paced, and professional; shame the game annoys me to no end, lol. I'd love to see a game I really like, do the same as they are, because they've done a great job at teasing upcoming released, and softening the "Oh no, it's DLC!" backlash, by giving away "free" bonuses like Klassic Kostumes with their compatability updates and the like.
KoF XIII is releasing for 50 bucks in the US; so, for example, if they release a 3 character team + extra colors / "2nd outfit" sprite mods for an existing team, for 10 dollars, in 2 or 3 months time after release, I don't think anyone would feel that burned, given that the game is already cheaper.
Truthfully, if I were heading SNKP, I'd be using KoF XIII to promote everything I make for the next few years. Making a new Metal Slug? Thow Fio + A Metal Slug stage into XIII as DLC. Releasing Samurai Showdown RPG on Virtua Console? Drop Kazuki or Hanzo into XIII. Making a Pachislot Fighters History Game? Drop Mastorious and Mizonguchi into XIII. Or get another doujin game ported to XBLA (Like Akatsuki Blitzkampf), and give one of their characters the proper SNKP treatment for XIII. Working with Capcom to release CVS2 on downloadable services? Get Capcom to allow a SF team of Ryu, C.Viper, and Sagat to guest start in XIII. (Like a tease of the CVS3 we'd probably never see otherwise...
)
Really, more than any other fighter company out there, SNKP has a lot riding on this particular game. It'd be really nice for them to take their unique situation, and use it as best they can. They don't even have to do it all "out the box" on console release, if they played their cards right.
This all doesn't matter without good Netcode though, lol. But if the netcode is worth it, they really could have a game and platform to promote themselves to more and more players through. So again, while I'd be happy just getting XIII and a bit more on console release, I think they COULD do a lot more, if they desire.
Heck, I'd consider it a "Console extra" if they'd offer beta keys to people who pre-ordered, to test the netcode, and help them give it the stress test + improvements it needs. Make it a little better than a normal demo (like give 2 teams worth of characters), and use it until the game releases. After the game is out, make some minor adjustments, and let the "Beta" become a free demo, open to all, with a few characters stripped out. Basically 1 thing becomes a pre-release hype builder, and a post-release advertisement.
This is the WISH list thread, so gotta get out these crazy wishes every once in a while! (-_-;)