http://platinumgames.com/2009/08/25/very-easy-automatic/
Similar to DMC4's (same director) Automatic mode -- cause who really wants to figure out all those confusing combos, anyway (Triangle, triangle, pause, triangle..I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!). Kill me. And donate to the GOG bomb shelter fund.

I've got an idea.
They need another button, it will instantly end the game with "You win" screen.

It does seem ridiculous for a developer to go to all this trouble to create complex game mechanics only to undermine their efforts by adding the now obligitory 'push button to win' override.
I have to wonder where this recent trend stems from; is it the average consumer who is asking for these "features" or simply the publishers making an attempt to appeal to a wider audience. I mean how many people are actually going to utilise this?
I am all for making videogames easier to access, more approachable and less intimidating, but not at the expense of the very essence of the game itself. Judging from the little I have seen of Bayonetta so far, the combat is a large part of the experience and while it looks impressively stylish, taking away any challenge surely undermines the whole point.

YES.
Judging from conversations I've had about this on various gaming sites -- there is at least some portion of people that are all about it. They make me sick.
What I don't understand is, why would you rather pay $60 for a game that plays itself (aside from you being required to push a button over and over again), when you could watch a bunch of trailers for free?

Well, it is one handed and the game is about using special attacks to get your charater naked, so it's probably so you can use your left hand for other things.

Its one of those things where the people who buy this as their first fighting game or who, god forbid, buy it because they find the vile cow attractive have every right to see the whole story.
This sort of addon is actually a GOOD thing because it stops people being pissed off at games they can't possibly finish and might encourage them to actually buy MORE games and support the industry. At some point they'll encounter a game without this handholding and play it on easy and probably end up finishing it. Then they'll try another and finish that too. Then one on normal difficulty. By the end of the year they'll be posting on forums screaming about how casual gaming is killing the industry
Hell if every game had this feature, I'd probably use it myself for those games where I get 2/3 of the way through only to realise I'm not actually having fun and just want to see how it ends. Army Of Two is a good example, it's a shit game made by people who loved Team America World Police but didn't realise it was a joke. The only reason I finished it was to see just how godawful it really was. If I could watch it instead of play it, I'd have liked that.

Bravo.

I'm all for more varied difficulty options: As long as there's also options for hard mode (Dante Must Die, anyone?), I don't mind.

It's kind of like watching a friend play the game. But solo. Which is depressing.

I dont mind for me, but I don't want stupid people to get more stupid, or for gaming to get a bad name...it's already fighting enough stigmas...I'd prefer to be able to defend it with 'well, it's very good for your brain.'

It still will be for the people who play it rather than watch an overpriced movie

Not if they're using modes like these..

Hence my usage of the word "Play"

I thought automatic was the hard mode?

The option to play 'smarter' is still there, so...what else can you say if 'stupid' people choose to remain 'stupid'? Developers sure are happier since this will invite some gamers who were previously discouraged by the legendary difficulty of some series. And in most games, playing the easiest (or even normal) difficulty will rarely unlock you any worthy secrets or achievements anyway... so the encouragement to play in harder modes is still there.
And what bad names do you think gaming will get from adding easier difficulties?
Disclaimer: I got 'Easy Automatic' the first time I played DMC1. :P