Harada would quit before OK’ing character DLC for Tekken

Katsuhiro Harada. Loved by gamers. And quite possibly hated by publishers.

The famed head of Namco Bandai’s Tekken series has stated that he would consider walking from the publisher if put under pressure to introduce character downloads as DLC.

"If I was given the choice to include paid DLC or quit Namco, I would maybe quit,” he told Eurogamer. Or maybe I would just say ‘get someone else to deal with this’.

"Actually this is something my bosses have been asking me for quite a while now – what are our plans for DLC? How much money can we make? They are a company, obviously, in it to make money.

So it’s something I’m continually asked even now. But I haven’t changed my stance. If you’re making a fighting game, all of the elements necessary to enjoy it should be on the disc, or should at least be available for free."

The only time Harada would consider DLC, he adds, would be for features that aren’t central to the game experience.

"If there’s something that’s not necessary, if it just enhances the entertainment value," Harada conceded. "For example, a lot of fans have been asking for previous soundtracks. Fans have said they’d want to buy that.

So maybe if we make those available, or some of the past ending movies. These are ideas that aren’t essential to enjoy the game, and might be available for purchase."

Harada courted controversy last month after launching what can only be described as a scathing” attack on moaning Tekken fans.