Why the new 'Resident Evil' is frustrating many

Capcom is under fire for Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D -- but it has little to do with the quality of the game itself.

It's because the new Nintendo 3DS exclusive doesn't let you delete your save data.

If you read the online forums, many believe Capcom is trying to prevent players from trading in the video game when they're done with them -- and thus not making it available to those who want to buy (or rent) a second-hand copy. After all, if you knew you couldn't create your own game save file -- but instead, had to play someone else's game based on their progress and not your own -- you'd be less likely to buy the used copy.

In fact, if you go to GameFly.com, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D has a big "Not Rentable" warning near the box. And the game's page on Amazon carries a customer rating of 1.5 stars.

A GameFly member, JAMAGR, writes this in the Comments section:

"This game has a hidden 'feature' to prevent used sales and rentals -- a single permanent save file that can't be deleted or reset. So only one person can ever play through the game once as new from start to finish. Don't let Capcom get away with this, vote with you[r] wallet and stay away from this game!"

Gamespot readers are equally upset. "Such a bad idea. Definitely not buying this game now," says MasterDalton. Another reader, Emeraldhillzone, writes "This seems like a very dumb move. Gamers (well, me anyways) enjoy the progression you get via unlocking content. Where is the fun in just having everything unlocked by somebody else prior?"

Game Hunters approached Capcom for comment, but received only a "company line" as a response. PR manager Brian Keltner writes:

"In Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, all mission progress is saved directly to the Nintendo 3DS cartridge, where it cannot be reset. The nature of the game invites high levels of replayability in order to improve mission scores. In addition, this feature does not remove any content available for users. Secondhand game sales were not a factor in this development decision, so we hope that all our consumers will be able to enjoy the entirety of the survival-action experiences that the game does offer."

But this issue still doesn't seem to be addressed by Capcom. Why can't you take advantage of the "high levels of replayability" with this game and when you've had your fill, delete your save data and bring it to a store that accepts trade-ins? That way, you can pick up another game at a discounted price? And what about gamers who prefer to rent instead of buy because they can't afford the latter?

Readers, are you upset about the fact you can't trade in, rent or buy a used copy of this new Resident Evil game?