Downloadable content. Everyone hates it—but everyone buys it. Yes, even you in the comments, smart guy. Here's a look at the latest package of extensions and pre-order bonuses designed to crowbar the last dollar out of your wallet. Can you still respect yourself if you buy it?
Medal of Honor: Warfighter Limited Edition
Available: Oct. 23, when the game releases.
Price: More than $59.99.
What You Get: Pre-ordering the game's limited edition unlocks the U.S. Navy SEAL Tier 1 Sniper class at launch. "This multiplayer unlock saves an estimated 40-hours of time that would normally be required to unlock the operator." The limited edition is available on Electronic Arts' Origin marketplace "and other participating retailers," (for example, Amazon.)
Why It's Evil: If you lament the fact that paid DLC now has replaced the unlockables you used to get for free, this kind of pre-order bonus stands in the place of the old cheat codes. Sends a great message to the multiplayer community—and is there any other reason to buy a military shooter?—that they better pay up now or get their asses kicked on the street date.
Evil Score: 4/5. It 's a pay-to-win scheme meant to drive your consumer dollar through Origin or whatever anointed retailer did the deed with EA.
UFC Undisputed 3: Fight of the Night
Available: Now.
Price: Five bucks/400 Microsoft points. Also at a discount if you have the game's "season pass."
What You Get: Five fighters "who have stolen the show on UFC Pay Per Views." Joe Lauzon, Rory McDonald, Sam Stout, Anthony Johnson and Charles Oliviera.
Why It's Evil: What's worse than a roster update? Making you pay for a roster update.
Evil Score: 3/5. This is the oldest trick in the DLC book and it's plainly holding content out of the development process for sale later, as I doubt these five guys were signed up and rendered in the month since UFC Undisputed 3 was released. Still, individual sports titles such as this are not as dependent on current rosters as their team-sport counterparts. This is provocative only if one of the five fighters is someone you were really looking forward to playing.