Fighting games live and die by its playerbase. This isn’t some RPG you put 40 hrs in and then move on. The DLC model greatly improved Street Fighter. It allows existing players to keep playing their game and not be forced to rebuy the $60 “Super” version every few years. SF4 I had to buy 3 times just to keep playing with my one character online. Modern Fighting games are updated and new players can join with all the DLC by buying the latest version while old players can keep using their existing game and upgrade when they feel it’s appropriate at a moderate price, all while playing with the same player base.
I’d love to see Capcoms deal with Nick. But even if they’re paying it’s bringing in players who are interested. A lot of SF players grew up in arcades and TMNT was another popular arcade game, this is a good market overlap for a completely optional cosmetic DLC. It’s bringing in more players and continuing to fund a game with continuous updates, I haven’t seen a single SF player upset about these collab cosmetics.
You’re ignoring that Capcom rebundles all of the DLC every year as sells that as the new version.
SF5 Arcade Edition was $50 retail. SF5 Champion Edition is $30 retail and that includes $1300 worth of the DLC you claim.
No one individually buys the base game and every DLC individually after for a fighting game. That’s a hyperbolic situation.
You could simply buy the newest bundle every year like you suggest. And still have the existing player base. And you could opt to not buy it and play with all the new players. Every copy of SF4 and MvC3 is useless because they’re not the Ultimate versions. But every copy of SF5 and SF6 can still play the latest version of the game.
NO ONE is missing out on any content from not buying a TNMT skin. It has no impact on the gameplay or even cosmetically in the actual game. This was a fun collab for fans that you got spun up about doomsday for the gaming industry. And no one would insanely buy all 4. Every SF player knows this is a fun cosmetic to help fund the $2mil investment into the competitive scene that’s keeping this game thriving.