While Japanese gamers are being lumbered with only one choice as to how they can acquire Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition next spring, Capcom is giving its western fans the chance to influence how the upcoming wand-compatible horror outing will arrive in North America via a poll on its blog – namely, in downloadable content form or as a boxed game.
Apparently, the decision to release the game in boxed form only in Japan boils down to the fact folk in the Land of the Rising sun have been a little on the slow side to embrace digital content, while in the west, the publisher has witnessed considerable success with the likes of RE5’s Versus mode and retro romp Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.
Said the company: “Here’s where we’re at: in Japan, Alternative Edition will be released as a new physical package, with all that entails: new box art, new manual, new shiny disc, another plastic box to add to a tottering stack of console games. This makes absolutely perfect sense for the Japanese gaming market, where the uptake of digital content is a bit behind the western markets.”
“However, based on the success of the RE5 ‘Versus’ downloadable content, as well as digital-only titles like Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Marvel VS Capcom 2, we know that the demand for DLC in the west is huge. More and more, gamers in North America and Europe want content immediately and are less inclined to be tied to boxes and packages.”
Be sure to pop over to the Capcom Blog and submit your vote.