How does releasing a game that costs $70 retail (on the high end for games today), and then asks you to pay even more for each little piece of extra content accessible to people with low income? I'd have no problem if the initial price of the game was lower and then have extra content as DLC. But FFXIII-2 was pretty expensive off the shelf as far as today's games go.
SE's financial troubles are none of our concern and are not an excuse for them to nickel and dime their faithful customers. Part of their troubles are due to a loss of reputation for being the go-to company for quality RPGs. I don't see how releasing games that purposefully leave content out for DLC can help repair that reputation.
Most of the current DLC isn't necessary to enjoy the game to its end (though neither is a lot of stuff included in older FFs), but what about the inevitable 'true ending' DLC? And the Sazh card game scenario is what got me going in the first place because I'm pretty sure that would have been included in the main game had it been released 5 years ago.
And yes, I understand I am free not to buy it and SE is just trying to make money here. That doesn't make me less disappointed.