14 DAY TRIAL // Two weeks ago, during the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, Capcom announced the release of Resident Evil 5 Alternative Edition. The game was ready to hit the Japanese market but hadn't received the finishing touches needed for the North American launch. One of the aspects that have to be set straight is the matter in which the game will be delivered to gamers. Since this involves them directly, the fans will have a chance to vote and let the game's developer Capcom try to come up with the best solution to please everyone.
The questioned asked is whether the game should come out as a physical or a digital product. In Japan, RE5 Alternative Edition was released as a whole new separate item. It had a new box art with its very own disc, a new manual and another package to rap up the entire thing. But the game took this form without any sort of commotion because a box-release is a standard for Japan. The concept of digital content hasn't really set in with the crowd. A Japanese hardcore gamer neatly and methodically carpets his house with the cases of the games he's bought, with plamos and all kinds of wall sized posters. He has no use for a game in the form of digital content.
But the American and European markets don't share this cultural trait. Boxes are quickly thrown away, game discs are piled somewhere together and get easily scratched and made unusable. It's only natural that the DLC has become a successful concept. The RE5 "Versus" downloadable content and the digital-only releases like Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Marvel VS Capcom 2 have proved that the shapeless game is a well received idea by the community. Things need to be very simple and accessible for these couch potatoes so the faster the game gets in their hands and with as little fuss as possible the better.
Capcom is so serious about this idea that it has opened a poll on the Capcom-Unity site. To vote you'll need a Capcom-Unity account and the will to make your opinion heard. "We're gonna let the poll run for a few weeks, then present the team with the results and our recommendations," said Chris Kramer. "Once we get it all sorted, we'll report back with an official announcement."