Invisible PS3 SSFIV costumes explained

In the PlayStation 3 version of stupendous fighting game Super Street Fighter IV you can't see downloaded alternate costumes worn by your opponent if you haven't downloaded them yourself. In the Xbox 360 version you can. Why?

According to Capcom, it's down to Sony, which doesn't cover the cost of making additional data available to users. Microsoft, on the other hand, does.

"The DLC for the newest costumes is additional data that must be put on your machines from the first-party networks (XBL and PSN)," community manager and fighting game legend Seth Killian wrote on Capcom's forum.

"When you add new data to an existing product, there are significant costs to do so charged by the first parties. On XBL, those costs were covered by Microsoft. As a result, the data is distributed to everyone, so even if you have not bought the new costumes, you can still see them if you're fighting against someone that has because you still received the new data required to display them.

"For Sony, those significant costs are not covered. As a result, you only get the new costume data when you actually buy the costumes. Those that don't buy the costumes can't see them, because the new costume data isn't present on your machine, and so you only see costumes you already have the data to represent."

Killian added: "The story is a bit more complicated because the costs of adding new data vary by region in some cases, and some additions are free, or free within a certain timeframe, etc., but the bottom line in this particular case is that Sony would [have] charged Capcom significant fees for distributing the new costume data to users that hadn't actually bought the DLC. Microsoft covered those costs, so the costume data is visible to all there.

"I wish it were the same all around, but hope this info helps."