Okay... Forget every complaint I've had about Street Fighter IV. Tonight Capcom launched their first television commercial for Street Fighter IV and they have redeemed themselves in my eyes for one reason and one reason alone...
Faith No More.
Later tonight another trailer will also debut on Street Fighter.com, so you may want to keep an eye for it. As for me, I'm going to rewatch this brilliant example of early 90's alternative rock awareness over and over again.
(As a side note, the trailer was clearly for the home console versions of the game... Probably at the request of Gamestop who is featured prominently at the end. Surprised that the PC version isn't mentioned or isn't even available for pre-order. I wonder if that's a sign it is going to be a Steam exclusive.
The fact that the arcade version wasn't brought up was fully expected, but also a little disappointing in the grand scheme of things.)
Yesterday Capcom issued a press release revealing that Street Fighter IV would be coming to the PS3, Xbox 360 and PCs. Though this wasn't a huge revelation, what was notable in its absence was any mention of an arcade release for the game.
I would've written this off as Capcom USA catering their press releases for their target audience (the console gaming crowd in this respect), but after thinking on it for a day, I can't help but get the nagging feeling that we are looking at how the whole Tekken 6 US arcade release situation began; a complete antipathy towards any potential the US arcade industry may have on the part of the developers (or in this case rights holders) of the game.
I'm willing to accept certain realitites about the US industry.
I'm willing to accept that the market for a Street Fighter IV arcade release in the US is not near the market that once saw its predecessors being bought and played in droves. I'm willing to accept that there may be additional difficulties in providing a US release by way of hardware and standard operations. I'm even willing to accept that the number of arcades that would be able to sustain a Street Fighter IV cabinet may not necessarily seem 'worth the trouble' on the part of Capcom USA. But with all this in mind, I wonder how much effort is really being made to provide the option for arcade owners in the US to purchase the game without going through importing middle-men that end up raising the prices for their own 'cut'.
At the very least, a simple acknowledgement of the arcade version of Street Fighter IV in the press release would've been nice. I'm not giving up hope yet, but I think any chance of Street Fighter IV coming to US arcades will once again rely on importers. Perhaps when the embargo on Capcom's Captivate event lifts there may be some good news in regards to the game's future status...
It's been a while since any news has came out about Gordon Chan's King of Fighters project. The movie was supposed to start filming at the beginning of this year, but after a handful of delays pushed the start date back, a lot of questions began surfacing in regards to the project.
According to a recent article by Variety, things may finally be getting back on track with the movie. Inferno Entertainment is now the new distribution partner for all areas outside of Japan, replacing the role Arclight films previously had. Variety also reveals that filming is now scheduled to begin in September and casting for roles in the movie is currently in progress.
I do find it funny though that Variety is currently describing the movie as being a 'sci fi actioner'. I'm not sure if this is due to the article writer's unfamiliarity with the source material or if Gordon Chan is planning on pushing Terry Bogard into outer space.
With the way a lot of video game movies are handled, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't end up being the later...
Earlier this week Arcade Heroes put up a hands on report of a recent location test of Sega's new arcade shooter, Rambo. Included with their report was a short video of the game in action as well as a handful of pictures of the cabinet (which apparently for the UK test is near identical to the Ghost Squad cabinets).
Overall, the report is positive (it is Rambo and an arcade shooter, how couldn't it be?), but there does seem to be some issues that Sega could address with the game prior to its full release. Rambo is apparently a bit of a step backwards in some regards from House of the Dead 4 and suffers from being a bit too similar to the aforementioned Ghost Squad series (funky guns and all). In addition, there are also some software slowdown issues that are noticeable in game but should be corrected somewhat when the final code is optimized. It also doesn't help matters much that graphically the game isn't necessarily utilizing its hardware to its fullest advantage (makes me wonder if Sega already has a console port in mind).
In addition to this report, Game Watch has also put up a small article on the game's recent debut event. Not any real new information on the part of Game Watch, but it deserves a brief mention none-the-less.
Rambo should see an official release in arcades late summer/early fall.
Exciting, isn't it? A few new videos of Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu have been making their way online this past week following the official Japanese release. Though most of the videos are of a few stages/bosses previously covered in other videos, this is the first one that I've seen that showcases the game's second loop. I still haven't placed an order for Daifukkatsu yet (I'm still working on paying off Death Smiles), but the more I see of the game, the more I'm convinced I'm going to have to order it.
For the original version of the above video (and a couple more including the final stretch on stage 5), check out Grind Storm.
Earlier today Videogamerx uploaded a few new Street Fighter IV scans including one of the new boss character, Seth.
While I'm happy that we are getting an original boss for Street Fighter IV, I'm a little surprised that Capcom has once again decided to opt for the almost nude, buff male character for its 'end game' (I'm already getting flashbacks of Gill). I'm also reminded of Urien, especially with the shoulder charge being pictured in the scan (long lost brother, cousin, uncle's nephew perhaps?).
In addition to the first details of Seth, the link above also provides some concept character pieces of Fei Long and Dan (!!!). I can't make out any of the details, but I'm hoping that this constitutes an announcement of their inclusion into the game. If so, this bodes extremely well for more new (old?) character prospects (I'm holding out hope that Capcom loves Deejay as much as I do).
In other Street Fighter IV news, late yesterday Kotaku broke the first 'official' console announcement for the game that I've seen. Like the leaked rumors revealed earlier last week, Capcom is currently planning Street Fighter IV for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. There were no new or exciting details in the press release, but with the Captivate '08 event starting two days from now, I'm sure there are still a few more surprises in store for Street Fighter fans.
I was a bit surprised at first to see the game listed for PC release, since I didn't feel like Capcom would really offer that direction for fans. I'm pleased though, since it would be my platform preference outside of the actual arcade game, but it makes me wonder if it is going to be a retail release or a digital release or both. Some of Capcom's games are currently available on Steam, so it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see Street Fighter IV pop up there. I wonder what PC fans would be more eager to accept in the long run?
I'm still looking for any news on a US release of the actual Street Fighter IV arcade game. Desite the early promise being made that the game would make it to US arcades, there seems to be a bit of hesitancy in making that happen right now. I'm a little worried that with the console announcement made so soon Capcom is hoping that any 'hype' of a US arcade release will die down if a port is released prior to this winter (which I believe is the target release date for the console game).
If anyone out there has heard anything or knows of any additional details in regards to Capcom USA's efforts in trying to bring the arcade game stateside, I would love to hear it.
[Update - By the way, did anyone notice the giant countdown on the Capcom's Street Fighter World site?]
-NRF-, the doujin team responsible for Big Bang Beat, updated their official website for their next project earlier this month.
The new game, a 2D fighter called Million KNights Vermilion has brought together Shuji Sogabe, who did the character designs for Senko no Ronde and its upcoming sequel, as well as the professional animation studio Tokyo Kids. With this combination, it's a bit hard to really call this game a 'doujin' release, especially considering that the game will feature completely original characters and design, but it is still being classified as such for now.
The game's official website can be found here. Included in the updates are the characters for the game, the game's story, and a hefty 80MB download featuring a brief trailer. Though the characters themselves lack a bit of variety, there is some pretty impressive spritework being done. In the trailer, there are some scenes of a one on one match using the game's engine. It reminds me a bit of Big Bang Beat at first glances, so it should be interesting to see if -NRF- is able to really expand on their experiences with Big Bang Beat and it's predecessor with a wholly original release.
-NRF- has also posted a developer's blog which will follow the game's development as well as updates that are being made to the website.
I was a fan of of Big Bang Beat, so I hope this game ends up being a success for -NRF-. I wonder though if Million KNights Vermilion isn't being eyed for a potential arcade release with the team that is being assembled... It worked for Monster and Melty Blood - could it work here?
The Street Fighter IV developer's blog was updated today. Based on what was said, this past weekend's location test went well for Capcom, however there are still a few changes in the works for Street Fighter IV before its July/August release date.
According to the developer's blog, some fairly large announcements are being planned for Street Fighter IV later this week. To start with, at Capcom's Captivate '08 event in Las Vegas, Ono (the game's producer) will be on hand to provide attendees with some new information about Street Fighter IV. This will be accompanied with several website updates as well as a Famitsu Weekly article (which may be coming out prior to Captivate if it will be in this week's Famitsu Weekly). I have a feeling part of what we are going to learn is a console platform unless Capcom has found an arcade distribution partner for Street Fighter IV in the US.
Capcom has also stated that they are planning on revealing a new boss for Street Fighter IV. I'm hoping for a new character (it's what the blog hints at), but I wouldn't be surprised if we are simply getting the official 'reveal' of Akuma since we haven't seen him yet and early reports list him as being 'important' to the game's story arc.
This past weekend was the fifth and perhaps final location test for Street Fighter IV. While Capcom didn't show off any new characters, it was the first time that the full network capabilities of the game were put onto display. Players from Akihabara and Osaka were able to compete in versus matches against one another as well as participate in an online-enabled 'leaderboard'.
There have been videos popping on YouTube from the test, so I went ahead and embedded a few below for those interested. From the first hand reports coming out of the event at the SRK Forums, there were only a few changes made between the current build and the build seen at the last test. The game's speed has been increased slightly, there are some alternate character colors now available, and a few minor tweaks have adjusted the tier rankings slightly. Chun Li and Ryu also had their character models update that has improved their overall look.
Zangief vs. E. Honda
Vega/Claw vs. E. Honda
Guile vs. El Fuerte
As a side note, several online sources have been claiming that Street Fighter IV popped up on the Capcom European press site this past weekend with several platforms associated with the game. Supposedly (before the site took down the listing), Street Fighter IV was listed for arcades as well as the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. I think it's safe to say that the PS3 and Xbox 360 are practically a given once the time comes for a home console port, but it should be interesting if the PC is also in the game's future... I'll keep an eye out for any more information.
Battle Fantasia - Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 - May 29th (Import) Arc System Works cell shaded 2D fighter is finally coming to home consoles. Despite a quick drop off in arcades, Arc System Works is hoping that with a revamped story mode and the addition of online play, Battle Fantasia may find more of an audience on home consoles. The setting is fairly unique in fighting games and the RPG-lite mechanics give it a stylistic edge. Whether or not these will allow it to have a more attractive base is yet to be seen. As a friendly reminder, the PS3 version will be region free for gamers wanting to import the game...
Beatmania IIDX 14 Gold - Playstation 2 - May 29th (Import) Konami's latest home port of their DJ simulation Beatmania is scheduled to be released on May 29th on the Playstation 2. The latest installment of the popular franchise includes 8 original recordings and collaborations created specifically for Beatmania IIDX Gold in addition to the game's soundtrack of over 90 songs. The game also has a planned special edition.
English of the Dead - Nintendo DS - May 29th (Import) Sega's 'of the Dead' franchise returns with a Nintendo DS release featuring similar gameplay to their quirky Typing of the Dead series.
SNK Playmore Best Collection re-releases - Playstation 2 - May 29th (Import) SNK Playmore Japan is planning on re-releasing several of their NEO GEO online collection sets as a budget price Best Collection release on May 29th. Included in the planned re-releases are Fatal Fury Battle Archives Volume 1, Fatal Fury Battle Archives Volume 2, Fuuun Super Combo, and King of Fighters NEST Collection. Out of these releases, Fuuun Super Combo and King of Fighters NESTS are the two that haven't been announced (or released) for the US. Fatal Fury Battle Archives Volume 1 and 2 were both part of SNK Playmore USA's budget releases this past year.
Super Dodgeball Brawlers - Nintendo DS - May 27th (US) Aksys games is leading the localization effort of Arc System Works revitalization of the Kunio-kun franchise starting with Super Dodgeball Brawlers. Unfortunately, the lack of WiFi enabled online play tends to bring down how excited I am about this release, as Super Dodgeball Brawlers simply screams out to have multiplayer online support. The core gameplay from the series remains in tact though, with a few slight tweaks, so hopefully the lack of online play may be able to be overlooked in favor of a traditionally strong action/sports title.
Space Invaders Extreme hits stores in the US on June 17th. Though I've already sung the praises of the DS game after importing it back in February, I currently have the PSP version on pre-order through Gamestop since the $19.99 price point is almost impossible to resist (plus I'm interested in seeing the differences between the two games).
While browsing a few random websites today, checking for updates from various companies, I found out something rather interesting about the PSP version of the game on Gulti's official website. It seems that the development team made up of ex-Seibu Kaihatsu employees had a hand in the porting of the PSP version of Space Invaders Extreme according to the company's products webpage. This may be old news, since I may have simply missed it when this was announced and have overlooked it since, but I thought it was worth just a brief mention none-the-less. If anyone out there has the Japanese PSP version of the game, I'm curious if and how Gulti's credited... Let me know if you have a copy of it.
This makes the third game that Gulti has worked on - and not surprisingly, all three games are shooters. Gulti was also responsible for the recent Raiden Fighters Aces release and is currently working on G.Rev's latest arcade NAOMI shooter, Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta! which should be available later this summer.
Global VR announced yesterday that the company will begin shipping the Need for Speed Carbon Upgrade kits beginning in mid-June. The upgrade kit will convert any previous Global VR Need for Speed (Need for Speed, Need for Speed GT, or Need for Speed Underground) game into the latest version of the popular console/arcade franchise.
According to the company's website, Need for Speed Carbon will feature 7 tracks with support of 4 player linked racing featuring a selection of up to 40 unique vehicles. More information on Need for Speed Carbon can be found at the game's official website and yesterday's news release. The game hasn't popped up on the website of the Global VR distributor in this area yet, but it sounds like we should be seeing it any time now... I do have a couple of e-mails out there though to find out what the cost on the kit will end up being.
In other racing news, Arcade Heroes got their hands on some exclusive Sega Rally 3 (arcade) images. There will also be more images and a video coming soon based on the comments being posted on the news update. From my understanding, the game is being developed by a European studio on a specially designed PC-based arcade board. Hopefully with the new information being posted there are a few more details about the developers behind the game and the hardware it's being run off of...
Arika has launched the official Ketsui Death Label/DS website earlier today and has provided a ton of content for the game. Included on the website is a new promotional video, character information, story information, a general 'play' guide, an outline of the basic system, and some of the random 'fun' stuff you can expect to find in the DS game. For a game that seems to be the labor of love by one individual (Mihara), Ketsui Death Label does look like its shaping up to as an abbreviated, but enjoyable, shooter on the go.
In addition to the new website information, Game Watch has posted an article about Ketsui Death Label featuring several new screenshots and other information compiled from the official website. Ketsui Death Label is scheduled for a release on October 23rd. Pricing has yet to be determined, but Arika will be including a special Superplay DVD of the Ketsui arcade game to go along with the package.
With the Tougeki season already underway, a lot of videos from the location qualifiers have begun to be posted online on various sources. super nohoho fighter ii x has compiled some of these for easy viewing. Currently, videos from the Nagase UFO, GVision, Shiogama Space Shuttle, Game 41, and Shanghai qualifiers. I know it's a lot of footage, but Super Street Fighter II fans should be easily entertained with all of the high quality, competitive matches. Qualifying matches for the Super Battle Opera run through June. The line-up for this year's event can be found here.
SD-Tekken has been following the Tekken 6 status here in the US just about as well as anyone else online. Because of this, it comes as little surprise when they recently updated a post revealing that two new Tekken 6 machines were imported into the US. The first machine is located in Warick, Rhode Island at the Warick Mall TILT arcade. The second machine is in Houston, Texas (which is the second Tekken 6 cabinet in Houston) at The Galleria TILT. I also have it on good authority that there has been a machine imported at an arcade in or near Orlando, Florida, but I haven't been able to verify the exact location yet. If you happen to find any Tekken 6 machines in the wild here in the US, I would love to hear about it.
The first location test for King of Fighters XII was supposed to occur in late April, but it was canceled shortly prior to its unveiling by SNK Playmore Japan. Since that time, gamers have been anxious to find out when the next location test would be scheduled, however, little news outside of a generic (un-dated) flyer has been shown off since.
Earlier today, SNK Playmore Japan updated their news site with a small blurb about the current status of King of Fighters XII. It seems we are going to have to wait just a bit longer for any new updates about the game or its location test, as SNK Playmore Japan has went ahead and notified everyone that any planned location tests are now canceled until further notice due to technical reasons.
From what I've heard, the game is playable and is amazing, so I wonder what the motivations for the delay were... Technical reasons can end up spanning so many different angles, so it's a bit hard to even speculate what may be going on inside SNK Playmore Japan right now. Hopefully it won't be too long before a new series of tests are re-scheduled and the public can get some hands on time with King of Fighters XII.
I was told a little earlier today that some scans were available online showcasing a new Capcom cross-over property. After scouring the internet, I stumbled across them over on 2chan hoping that perhaps Marvel and Capcom had decided to play nice... Of course, I was promptly disappointed when I saw the game that had my friend up in a tizzy about was Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, but after letting the disappointment slide that I wouldn't be seeing Captain America and Spider-man vs. Ryu and Chun Li in 2008, I started getting excited.
From the scans, it's a bit hard to make out any detail. All I can see right now is that the game is apparently 2D (but not sprite based - it's hard to tell - but the source of the scans is saying 2.5D) and will feature properties from the vast Tatsunoko line-up including Gatchaman (Ken Washio and Casshan are shown off in the scan) competing in 2 vs 2 cross-over battles against the Capcom line-up (Chun-li is the only one I could make out, but if you squint hard enough it looks like Ryu is in the top right corner of the scan throwing a Haduken). While nothing is given, I am personally hoping that we get some nice Samurai Pizza Cats vs. Viewtiful Joe action... Other properties from Tatsunoko include Speed Racer, Tekkaman, and Space Ace.
The game is currently being planned for a Winter 2008 release in arcades. The developer of the title wasn't clear in the scans, but if I find that out in the course of more searching (or get a cleaner scan) I'll be sure to post that as well. Tatsunoko previously had a fighting game released by Takara on the Playstation 1. It wasn't anything special, but hopefully Capcom will be bringing a certain pedigree with them into the game's development...
[Update - I've found a better scan over at Videogamerx (courtesy of Recap over on the Postback forums). The new scan confirms that Ryu is the fighter I was squinting at earlier...]
[Update #2 - Famitsu now has some direct feed images up... The game is definitely 2.5D - polygons on a 2D plane. It looks pretty good though - better than I thought it would for sure. The new images can be found at here (remember since its Famitsu, direct linking may not work...]
[Update #3 - The game's official website has launched here. Don't get too excited it's just a teaser...]
Cave's official website for Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu was updated earlier today. They have opened basic information links on the characters, story, and system for the game. In the next couple of weeks (following the game's official release), the rest of the website should begin filling out with additional information.
Over on the Cave-STG forums a fairly decent quality video was posted showcasing a build of Daifukkatsu from a few weeks ago. Fans of previous Cave shooters should end up getting a kick out of some of the fan service.
As promised, earlier today Capcom announced the location and date for the latest (and perhaps last) location test for Street Fighter IV. The location test will be held this weekend, May 23rd - 25th at the Hey Akihabara arcade as well as Sega's AViON in Osaka. The game's official website has been updated to reflect the announcement.
I have been mildly interested in getting a few hands on impressions with Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit for a while now. DIMPs, the game's developer, has recently been in the news for some of their 'other' projects and Burst Limit represents the company's first 'HD' console experiment and a good judge of what they may be capable of on a more powerful platform.
Because of this, I was excited when I saw that Atari posted a demo of the game on the Playstation Network as well as Xbox Live. Even though I didn't have much time when it was first put up to check it out, over the course of this weekend I did have the opportunity to download the demo and get in a few matches before other obligations took away my time. While I think it's safe to say that the primary audience for Burst Limit will be fans of the anime/manga (and previous DBZ releases by DIMPs), based on what little I've played so far, Burst Limit should be able to succeed with a cross-over appeal that some of the other titles in the Budokai and Tenkaichi series have been unable to capture.
Unfortunately, it's hard to escape the pigeon-hole of an anime/licensed fighter. There is a difficult balancing act that must be walked by the developer of the game in order to satisfy an enthusiastic (sometimes rabid) fanbase of the source material as well as the often times extremely critical fighting game community. Though some games are able to appeal to one or the other, it's a rare release that is able to find an overtly positive position from both sides. One of the best things that I noticed right off the bat with the Burst Limit demo is the apparent fore-thought that the developers have put into trying to satisfy both parties with their own special nods.
There was nothing really inherently wrong with the Budokai fighting system found in other DBZ releases that wasn't able to be fixed to create a stronger product. The core system has always been a bit simplistic in order to encourage gamers who aren't used to a traditional fighting game, but with the latest releases (in specific Shin Budokai which seems to serve as the base for Burst Limit in a lot of ways), DIMPs and Atari/Bandai Namco have been trying to tweak it slightly to satisfy a core fighting audience. With Burst Limit, due to the increased speed as well as the introduction of new offensive and defensive techniques, the tweaks should offer enough to warrant a second look for someone trying to find a good game to fill the void of a next-generation fighter before the flood hits later this year. It is clear that the primary focus of Burst Limit has been to refine the fighting engine, and it seems to have paid off exceedingly well for the game.
For fans of the anime/manga, Burst Limit serves as a 'restart' of the franchise on next generation consoles. Though some people may be a bit discouraged due to the lower number of characters compared to previous releases the last couple of years, the developers have instead opted for a more traditional story driven experience that should satisfy an ardent fan even if they aren't able to play with their favorite secondary character. The hidden in-fight 'cut scenes' should also reward fans with an unlockable play mechanic that allows them to revisit some of their favorite scenes from the anime in game based on meeting certain tasks (and defeats). The demo covers a couple of battles from Raditz's appearance on earth, so it only provides a taste of what can be expected in the full game (which goes through the Cell Saga), but there are several instantly recognizable in-fight scenes that should elicit a positive response from fans.
Of course there are a few issues I have with the game based on the demo so far, so it's not all smelling roses yet... The game is capped at 30fps, which seems to be both a positive and a negative in this case. While I would've loved to see it featured at 60fps, the cap does ensure that the action is always smooth, which in the case of a fighting game is the most important thing. Secondly, there is a bit of a disconnect in the voice overs and the character lip synch. It's a small complaint, but it is noticeable in game which tends to affect the illusion of an anime come to life as a game (as a side note Japanese voices will be included for those interested). Finally, the cut-scenes in game are not skippable. This isn't a big deal on your first play through, but as I unlocked a couple of the longer ones, I was wishing there was a way to skip past them after their first viewing. No offense to Raditz and Goku and the rest of the 'crew', but there's only so many times I can view the same scene...
Probably the strongest aspect of Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit demo is its general presentation. The game looks slick and in some regards actually seems to improve on the look of the anime. It's amazing to see how far cell-shading technology has progressed from its earliest uses on the original Playstation. The sound work and voice overs are also well suited to the slick look. The game really is impressive to watch and listen to, even if the actual script sometimes leaves quite a few question marks and blank stares...
Overall, I'm more excited about the game than I was prior to playing the demo. I am planning on reviewing the final product when it's made available, so look for that in-depth review in the next couple of weeks. Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit is set to be released in the US on June 10th.
(As a side note, for Dragon Ball Z fans out there, if you pre-order the game at Gamestop, they are currently running one of their pre-order promotions. For Xbox 360 owners, pre-ordering DBZ Burst Limit will also give you the first 7 episodes of Season 1 on DVD and a Burst Limit T-Shirt. For PS3 owners, pre-ordering the game will also include a special Blu-Ray feature of Dragon Ball Z Dead Zone and the Burst Limit T-Shirt. Not a bad deal for fans – especially the Blu-Ray feature...)
A few months ago, Reuters was arguing that the Japanese arcade industry has been put into a reactionary position based on underperforming arcades and downsized revisions to earnings statements.
Most of the blame for these trends, according to Reuters, was put on the lack of innovation from arcade developers as well as the industry not differentiating themselves enough from their console counterparts to drive gamers to arcades with systems like the Wii delivering an 'arcade-lite' experience at home. Yesterday, Reuters once again revisited the topic with a longer investigation into what they claim is going on with the arcade industry in Japan and the supposed 'shrinking market' (I find it funny that two very similar articles by the same author were posted by Reuters in such a short period of time - 3 months).
After reading both of these pieces and looking over some of the statements made by the industry insider's interviewed, there does seem to be a bit of an attitude enfused black cloud brewing for Japan's market. It should be noted however, that like the article states (almost as a 'footnote') the industry usually does have a bit of a slump when the height of the current generation of consoles hit their stride.
With the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 all carving out their share of the market despite a downturn in some economic trends, this current generation of consoles should be sitting near the cusp of sales before a new round of price cuts begin a-new. How much of an effect this cusping will have on on the arcade industy (which is seeing 'negative' news from some of their largest players) will be interesting to watch.
[Update] - Kevin Williams of the Stinger Report has decided to post a response to the Reuters article as well as its coverage on various gaming and tech blogs over on Arcade Heroes. Well worth a read through if you are feeling like the Reuters article left a bad taste in your mouth...
It's been a while since I've posted any new Street Fighter IV news (outside of the DIMPs information from EGM)... Despite the introduction of Rufus (???) and the return of the original Street Fighter 2 'Kings', I haven't been as excited about the game over the past few months as I was when it was first announced. I'm sure it's going to be all sorts of amazing, but I guess in some ways all of the recent pessimism has started to wear down on me a bit.
I'm not blameless in this I know... Reading over some of my older posts on the game I realize I come off somewhere between cautiously optimistic to outright cynical at some of the directions Street Fighter IV has taken with its development. As much as I've wanted to sing the praises of Capcom for bringing back their flagship fighting franchise, I'm still not convinced that what we are receiving with Street Fighter IV is exactly what the core audience wanted and from the rhetoric from Capcom about wanting to bring back the 'old fans', it's clear that Capcom realizes this.
With that said, I still find myself hopeful about the game and it's possible place as a quality tournament fighter. Overall, most of the complaints have been all stylistic on my part (and from most other people). The 'base', while not very innovative, for all intents and purposes is Street Fighter II with some fun new tricks. Everything has been fairly positive from everyone who has had hands on time with the game, so I am able to admit that my apprehension mostly may be coming from the fact that I haven't been able to have that opportunity yet. I'm ready to be a believer Capcom...
So I'm sure everyone's wondering where this rant is leading. Well, based on a couple of posts over at the 'official Street Fighter IV blog', the next location test for Street Fighter IV will be announced this Tuesday and if that's not enough, based on some foreshadowing in a previous Capcom blog post this may be the last location test for the game. I'm a little shocked about this. While I know that the game is set to be available later this summer, after glancing over the official website for the game I can't help how incomplete everything seems about the game at this stage.
I don't know if this is because of the overly familiar cast of characters (we're essentially being given Super Street Fighter 2 the New Challengers with a whole new set of New Challengers) or the fact that out of the new characters only two really interest me, but for whatever reason, it seems like it should be way too early for Capcom to be naming the next location test the final one. I guess however if the core gameplay has been receiving as many positive reviews as it has been, there really isn't too much that would still be holding the game back.
With 15 characters already revealed and one unrevealed but known (Akuma), I'm not quite sure how many more characters Capcom may have in store for us. I know some people are holding out hope that we may get another handful of characters for the game (with some Street Fighter 3 characters making up a good mix I would hope), so I guess we'll just have to wait and see what Capcom has planned for the final testing cycle. I've been told that the game is going to be making a few US appearances this Summer/early Fall, so even if the game isn't seen again prior to its Japanese arcade release perhaps we may see it stateside before its US release.
I still haven't heard anything in regards to potential US distributors for the game for arcades in the US after some early rumors were circulated. I'm not sure how high this falls on Capcom's level of importance right now, but I'm anticipating that despite an early announcement that the game would be made available by Capcom to US arcades there may be some push back in the company that could be holding back this decision. I guess that's just going to be another one of those things that we are going to have to wait on...
I'll keep an eye on everything Tuesday to see what Capcom reveals in their announcement.
AM-net's blog has recently been updated with a sneak peak at Sega's private show event currently being held this weekend. Each year Sega uses this summer show as a way to outline the games being planned for the upcoming Summer/Fall season. While I'm not as enthusiastic about the line-up overall as I have been in the past, there are a few games that Sega is bringing out that should be interesting to watch as we start to get some hands-on impressions from the event via Dengeki and Famitsu.
For myself, Virtua Fighter 5R and Rambo are at the top of the list of game's I'm anticipating. We've already seen Virtua Fighter 5R in action a couple of times now, so more than likely the build being shown off by Sega will be identical to the one used in last weekend's location test. I'm not expecting anything really new from the Virtua Fighter 5R front aside from perhaps a break down of it's official release date and cost to arcade operators.
Now Rambo... This is something I can get excited about. The game has already been shown off once as well, but most impressions so far have been fairly limited. Insomnia.ac has posted a topic on the game that breaks down some of the information found online so far (mostly through Kobayan and Gunpowers). What we know is that the game is going to be using a slightly modified House of the Dead 4 cabinet and will be running off of the Lindbergh system. The game's storyline is set to follow Rambo First Blood Part 2 and 3 and uses videos from the movies as cut scenes between stages and events.
This isn't the first time Rambo has been starring in an arcade game - as I'm sure most of you probably know. Rambo 3 by Taito was easily one of my favorite licensed 'behind the back' shooters released from that era (GI Joe may beat it out just barely...), so hopefully Sega will be able to capture some of that 'arcade magic' with the new game. From the reports, it sounds like its going to be a solid, but uninspired shooter. It's not always necessary to reinvent the wheel though...
[Update - As a side note, I've been told that the game is already on location in Europe as well, but haven't been provided the location details yet... I'll follow up on this if it pans true.]
Melty Blood Actress Again will also be shown off by Type-Moon/Ecole at the event. The two new revealed characters are both set to be playable. Flyers for the game can be found on the AM-net blog linked above. Graphically, it's still a bit hard to tell what sort of improvements they are putting into the engine, so hopefully some clear media comes out of the event with some fresh screens. If I'm not mistaken, after the canceled location test earlier this year, this is the first time it's been seen public ally playable...
As far as the rest of the show, Sega will be showcasing Ascot Garden (an interactive horse racing game), Monopoly the Medal 2nd Edition, Derby Owner's Club 2008, Answer X Answer (ver 1.3), and UFO Dream Catcher. Once some more information from the event begins to trickle in on all of these games, I'll be sure to follow it up with some additional updates.
[Update] - Famitsu has already taken the opportunity to post a small write up on the private show. There are quite a few pictures for viewing including some shots of Rambo in action. In addition, Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta (Gulti's new shooter) was also displayed at the event but was left off the initial list from AM-net. It looks like there were only a couple of cabinets, but as Sega's NAOMI support begins to dwindle, so will it's floor space.
[Update #2] - Dengeki has now followed suit... We should be getting some individual game breakdowns a little later today or tomorrow.
[Update #3] - +D Games/Itmedia - Some new screens, more of the same details.
The AP picked up a news story that Nintendo has recently been ruled against in a $21 million dollar patent infringement lawsuit regarding the Gamecube, Wavebird, and Classic Controllers.
This story has been subsequently posted by several gaming blogs all linking to the original AP news article (which can be found here). After reading over the posts that were being made in regards to the patent infringement, there seemed to be a lot of 'missing pieces' in the reporting in regards to Anascape and the lawsuit itself. Because of this I began to research the background a bit to see if I can fill in some of the 'holes' with more information.
I stumbled across Justia's write up on the lawsuit by accident, but I'm glad I did. If you are vaguely interested in learning more about why Nintendo was sued as well as the exact claims made by Anascape, Justia's summary of events and timeline offers the best chance to see the anatomy of this lawsuit.
Most of the exhibits that were brought before the court have also been scanned and uploaded as a PDF format including the original lawsuit filing.
The AP article has reported that Microsoft opted to settle out of court for their part in the claims. As can be expected, Nintendo has vowed to fight the lawsuit.
