It’s a daily crusade of mine to comment against the lame conceptions of my geeky brethren. As I’ve mentioned before, the dorks of our kind flood the community with their cancerous wish lists. I understand that video game companies like Capcom monitor the web in order to assess what their audience desires in order to determine the next product to be successfully unleashed upon the consuming masses.
Here’s the thing: I love democracy and capitalism. They’re some of the best social and economical systems known to mankind because they exercise the freedom of choice. They’re also natural companions, symbiotically taking the will of the people and directing the course of the future based on popular demand. The unfortunate flaw to both of those systems, however, is that if your society is driven by the majority rule and your popular majority is dominated by idiots, a lot of poor decisions are going to be made.
What’s worse is that those who are less refined also tend to be the most vocal of any depraved community. To quote Plato, “Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools speak because they have to say something.” Ergo, video game companies observe this type of feedback and recess the growth of innovation in lieu of pumping out lines of crappy sequels. Each episode designed with the intent of appealing to the lowest common denominator. The more a product caters to the mainstream, obviously the more successfully salable it’s likely to be.
That said, I take kin to Batman in that I recognize that I’m waging a war that I may never win. Yet I feel that even if I don’t speak out, it insures 100% that my voice will never be heard. I hope that while it may act more slowly, my nuggets of reason will virally spread to others so that the enlightened minority do not fade into extinction. That’s not at all to say that I always know what’s best, but I’d like to think I can sniff out a bad idea when it presents itself. I don’t know every direct path to greatness, but I can keep some lemmings from stampeding off of a cliff.
During my adventures within the fighting game community, I’ve been part in many fanboy conversations exploring the fantasies of crossover games, even before Capcom’s “Vs.” line came into existence. There was the usual pitch of a Street Fighter Vs. Mortal Kombat, Marvel Vs. DC, Street Fighter Vs. Nintendo…and more than once, “They should make a Street Fighter Vs. Anime!”
Even in the mid-90s when the popularity of Japanese culture had not yet exploded, I felt that simply pitting the world warriors against a general idea such as “anime” was painting a pretty broad brush. It may not have been well-understood, but anime comes from more than one place, thus assembling any strong cast of intellectual properties into one product would require some expensive (not to mention risky) collaboration of licensees. I struck many a fanboy with a rolled up newspaper for suggesting such nonsense.
Lo and behold, 15 years later, we see the production of Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, a title which more or less realizes the idea “Street Fighter Vs. Anime”. Within the same year, we’re also set to witness the release of Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe, as day-late-and-a-dollar-short as that concept may be.Whether or not these titles add value to the genre, they do deliver a clear message: I done got told.
Yet I fight on… Speaking out with not only my words, but also my wallet (cuz I ain’t gonna enable these trends by buying that garbage). Whether I debunk crossover ideas or the perversion of simple character design, I’m out there somewhere. Cuz what else am I going to do with my time than bicker about video games over the Internet?
After testing the waters at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Street Fighter IV producers are surprised to discover that among the new fighters added to the cast of characters, the fan favorite appears to be Abel. According to producer Yoshinori Ono, the character that they’d anticipated to make a big splash with the American audience is Crimson Viper, the female of the five new characters. In fact, the designers worked closely with Capcom Of America in performing market research to guide her design to specifically appeal to American gamers. Ono intends to take what he witnessed last week back with him to apply to further production of the title.
I gotta say that I’m rather puzzled by this myself. By character design alone, I too was favoring C. Viper, the sexy new hotness wrapped in sharp formal wear. Meanwhile, Abel is a bulky, amnesiac soccer player (maybe?) who is also French. My guess is that while Abel’s design is a clumsy mishmash of lame, in game he’s a titan. I remember seeing many a frown turned upside-down for Abel once gameplay demonstration footage surfaced of him. I’ve always found an appreciation for the short-range, wrestling characters like Zangief and it looks like Abel will be a welcome compliment to the Red Cyclone, should El Fuerte disappoint.
Meanwhile, I’ll not rest easy until I catch a glimpse at the SFIV-incarnated Cammy in action!
As expected, Capcom-related news has blossomed from San Diego Comic Con in the form of rumor and speculation. This past Friday, Kevin Feige, President of Production at Marvel Studios gave fans a nugget of hope that we may in fact see a Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, quoted as suggesting, “And maybe sooner than you think.”
My first reaction to this is, oh great–just what the fanboys need. As a fighting game fan myself, it’s an ongoing frustration for me to hear degenerate scrubs crying out for something grander than their beloved Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Instead of appreciating that game for all the reasons they cherish it for, they holler in true American fashion, “Give us another one, but more!”
The trouble is that most fighting game fans don’t know what they really want. They get so caught up in the novelty of a title that they forget that what they should be asking for is the next great game. Capcom did attempt to answer to such demands with Capcom Fighting Evolution. While I do regret that the community didn’t recognize that game as a sign to better consider getting what they ask for, I do have hope for Street Fighter IV not being the game that everyone wants, but being the game that everyone needs.
Alas, for ten years strong, there has been no shortage of flow for unimaginative demands… “Give us larger teams! Give use more super moves! Give us more characters to choose from! Make it faster! Make it more crazy!” Never once have I seen consideration on whether or not those things add true value to a game. When it comes to understanding game design, I would argue that there are fewer idiots found in any gaming community than those in the mass majority of the fighting game fandom.
That said, this article does bring up an interesting point. Capcom’s current “Versus” game project, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom is one that I’d only rolled my eyes at until I’d recently seen footage of its attractive gameplay. It’s likely to never make its way stateside due to many of Tatsunoko’s characters being held under license by multiple companies in America, thus some expensive red tape to cut through. However, while the use of Tatsunoko characters is a no-go, Capcom’s half of the roster, the graphics, and gameplay mechanics is still quite easy to still port, and would only need some other franchise to take Tatsunoko’s place. Marvel’s lineup could theoretically fill that role.
The biggest hurdle for that idea is what’s always kept Capcom from going forward with producing a MvC3 or even next generation ports of their older Marvel-themed fighting games: Acquiring the license for Marvel characters. Many of Marvel’s characters are currently under license by other companies. And given the boom in popularity that Marvel has experienced in the past ten years, those licenses are no doubt to be way more pricey than they were when those games were produced.
Thank you, Kevin Feige for fanning these flames, but I maintain my own advice to fans: Don’t hold your breath.
Capcom has presented a truckload of goodies so far this weekend at the San Diego Comicon. Theoretically because they knew I couldn’t be there to bask in them. Especially since most of the hottest tidbits from the con are about LADIES LADIES LADIES!
Star of the upcoming Street Fighter film, “The Legend of Chun Li”, Kristen Kreuk sat at the Capcom booth to promote the movie. I’ve always felt she might be too young to portray Chun Li’s mature character, but I can’t deny that she’s still cute as a button. And apparently ripped, as she’s been working out to properly fill the role of “the strongest woman in the world”. Were I there, rather than asking for an autograph, I would probably ask, “Why is Smallville still on the air? You gotta jump that sinking ship; this could be your way out!”
Then came the next animated Street Fighter IV trailer, which included the notable appearance of my personal favorite world warrior, Cammy. While Capcom has generously given Cammy exposure in their fighting games, they’ve always seemed to be hesitant to acknowledge her popularity with the fans, for fear that she may compete too heavily with their star, Chun Li. In an open statement at the Capcom panel on Thursday, Seth Killian revealed that Cammy had won the recent poll posted on the Capcom-Unity site as to which character the fans would most like to see added into Street Fighter IV. Score one for the pigtails, ladies and gentlemen…
The con has only begun, so I’m curious to see what more Capcom has in store for us. Though I get the impression that they’ve fired their big guns right out the gate, so any other stories to work their way out of the convention will consist of amusing anecdotes and rumors spawning from overheard comments. For me, I guess there’s always next year…
Ever since its first announcement, I’ve been taking the news of Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom with a grain of salt. I’ve been disenchanted with Capcom’s “Vs” line of games for almost seven years. After Capcom Fighting Evolution, I believed that Capcom’s crossover-themed fighters were nothing more than for novelty’s sake…lazy design with flawed, boring gameplay.
However, after seeing this first trailer of Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, I may be coming around! It has the 3D toon shaded graphics applied to fast 2D gameplay that I’ve been eager for. (Street Fighter IV looks great, but still too sluggish in speed for my tastes.) The gameplay looks true to the “Vs” games that I did enjoy, without the excess that Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 reeked of. It surprisingly looks fun!
I’m kinda hoping that it gets ported stateside, but I know that’s a tall order. When it comes to large companies like Tatsunoko, it becomes painstaking and expensive to bring together all the companies that have license to those characters in North America. So the same licensing issues that have saved us from a Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 now prevent us from a potentially worthwhile game Perhaps, if this game lives up to its hype, I may import it whenever I get around to getting a PS3.
An interesting thread has been a-brewin’ on the SRK message boards recently. One that I’ve taken pleasure in participating. The question posed is whether Capcom should package Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix along with the upcoming Street Fighter IV as a bundle. The significance being that it would be a way for SSF2THDR to be published on tangible media, rather than being exclusively available through a download service like XBLA or PSN.
Of course, I’d be in favor of that idea. As I’ve said before, I as a consumer would much prefer tangible media over digital distribution.
If you would humor me, I’d like to explore a theory… Now, let’s assume that Street Fighter IV‘s price tag upon release will be the usual $50. The way I would further envision it, Capcom could still release SSF2THDR online for the (again, assumed) price of $20. Meanwhile, Capcom could add it as a bonus to SF4, raising its price to around $60. To me, this would be an awesome deal. People who only want SSF2THDR could still buy it digitally for only $20. Those who want SF4 would only have to suffer an additional $10, but they’d be getting two full-sized games for that price. I believe that in the long run, Capcom would profit more by that arrangement and consumers like me would get the physical copy of the game that they’ve been pining over.
Alas, I understand that this is not to be. For nigh upon each game’s release, those gears are already in motion. However, I do propose a compromise: I would suggest that after a year or two of both games’ release, Capcom could re-issue SF4 in the form of a “special edition”, which includes SSF2THDR as a bonus. This is something that we’ve seen precedent and proved successful. (Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+, etc.) By then the price may even drop to a comfortable $30-40.
That would provide the product the extra value to draw in people who passed on it the first time and give the hardcore fans an excuse to buy the same product again. My feelings won’t be hurt if they don’t adopt my plan, but I think it would be a solid idea that both Capcom and their consumers can benefit from.
Here, we can watch your hero and mine, David Sirlin, showing his stuff in the newly-released Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix open Beta. He doesn’t come in until about 3 minutes into it, but it’s still fascinating to watch. The additional notes add the sense of development in motion. It may be a few years before I’m yet able to play HDR myself, but at least I can rest knowing that it will be worth the wait, trusting this task in the best hands.
The open Beta for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix we live earlier today, much to the fighting game fandom’s delight. Alas, I’ll not be able to join in the fun, since I lack the necessary Xbox 360. The game itself is incredibly watered down, with only Ken and Ryu as selectable characters. I see a lot of complaints about this, as well as a slew of other aesthetic gripes.
Some of the wiser gamers providing feedback are offering their perspective on the gameplay. Not that I want to discourage players from punishing the hell out of the game to iron out all the kinks, but at the same time I gotta remember that the developers have already turned to the best of the best tournament players on task for consultation.
What I think the significance of the open Beta is more so to test the net code for online play. Testing this element of the game can only be tested by unleashing it upon the masses across the globe. There’s only so much field research you can do from within the development house, even if you have people working from different points in North America. In order for this game to be the beautiful piece of software that it’s foretold to be, the net code is key.
So go forth, XBLA monkeys! Do whatever you must to cripple your bandwidth, so that Capcom may learn how to compensate. Now is the perfect time to fire up BitTorrent, download those critical software updates, and play your entire YouTube playlist. Abuse this game so that it may grow stronger in the end!
Official reports reveal that the upcoming Street Fighter film centered around Chinese protagonist, Chun Li will suffer an absence of Street Fighter front men, Ryu and Ken. Producers of the film claim that since the Street Fighter franchise is chalk full of characters, there would be many that wouldn’t make the cut. Everyone’s favorite shoto’s losing this round, but possibly will make it into sequel’s, pending this film’s success.
Uh…you can’t have Street Fighter without Ken or Ryu. It’s the rule. When it was originally announced that the central character of the movie would be Chun Li, it was an unexpected call, but acceptable. As bad as the first Street Fighter movie was on the whole, it was easy to understand that Guile was the star, since he was the American character. But cutting Ryu and Ken completely from any Street Fighter title? That’s like having Disneyland without Micky Mouse–it’s not the same.
What’s comical is that they try to support their decision by comparing this movie to the X-Men movie trilogy. They note that “major characters” like Pyro and Nightcrawler (who’ve rarely appeared in the X-Men comics in the past 15 years) didn’t get screen time until the sequels, so we shouldn’t fret if Ken and Ryu don’t show up until future movies. They also mention that fan-favorite X-Man, Gambit, never appeared in any of the movies. Yeah, and fans have complained about that since the first film. And doesn’t that imply the possibility that Ken and Ryu may never be included in future Street Fighter movies?
Disappointments continue as they have also decided that most characters that were included in the cast will not sport costumes that even resemble their video game counterparts, deemed too “silly” for a feature film. They did offer fans the consolation that Chun Li will, however, be true to form in that she will appear with her trademark hair buns.
Gee, thanks… We’ll make the few characters that we did include into the story completely unrecognizable, but we promise to get Chun Li’s hair right. This film keeps sounding weirder and weirder, the deeper into production it gets. With all that we do know, I’d be surprised if this film makes it to theaters (the DOA movie straight-to-DVD outcome sounding more likely), let alone being eligible for sequels.
Despite the expressed excitement from my previous post, I must let out a groan of disappointment at the recent announcement regarding Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes. Just when I thought Capcom had learned its lesson… I can forgive Namco x Capcom and even the upcoming Cross Edge because at least Capcom is dabbling in using it’s various characters in an RPG setting. Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom feels like after taking their one step forward, they’re taking two steps back.
With Mortal Kombat Vs. DC, it was easy to declare that the bottom of the Versus fighter barrel had been reached, ready for Midway’s scraping. Capcom must have felt their level of standards (on both poles) threatened, using this new title as their way of telling the industry, “Oh, no no no… We have a deeper barrel.” I mean, seriously… Gotchaman? I don’t know how faithful of a following that show has in Japan, but most gamers in my [thirty-something] generation doesn’t even remember it. And one of the series used to make up Robotech…it’s not even the good one, so how excited can one be? If you’re going to team up with an anime company, try to hit one of the hotter ones like Bandai or Takara.
One thing that puts me at ease is that I have a hunch that Capcom isn’t intending to take this title seriously. This game is not meant for the dedicated tournament gamers. It’s meant to make an easy buck off of fanboys who are only going to button-mash anyway. It’s like those straight-to-DVD action/horror movies; meant for late night college kids to rent from Blockbuster to watch while drunk over the weekend when there’s nothing good on TV. This is the type of game that I would recommend be reserved for digital distribution only, leaving the truly great games (ideally) to be worth investing into tangible media.
