Cognition Dissemination: Why Street Fighter V is Releasing so “Early”
Let’s get one thing over quickly: From a particular point of view, Street Fighter V is absolutely releasing too early. But that’s all according to plan.
When the game arrives between today and tomorrow, it will come bereft of features purchasers of fighting games take for granted. The eight-player lobbies and requisite spectator mode, along with the in-game shop, won’t arrive until sometime in March. It’s also coming with few single player modes in the Character Stories and Survival Mode, making this the first Street Fighter title to launch without an Arcade Mode since…well, ever. Heck, it doesn’t even have an intro, despite the CG promotional video released last week seemingly fitting the bill. We received our first hint that it was shipping devoid of much content when its Cinematic Story Expansion was confirmed for a June release; but through reviews and impressions from people who purchased it early, we know SFV will initially be the most content-deprived Capcom fighting game since the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
But it’s not much of a problem due to the release method Capcom chose with this title, though whether it’s a raw deal depends on your preferences. The keyword at the end of that last paragraph was “initially,” because SFV’s $60 launch package is essentially an early premium bundle for a service game. From its announcement, the company confirmed that potential players would only need one disc to play all its content, somewhat of a stark contrast to the four versions offered with Street Fighter IV during the last console generation. Though the initial version of SFIV sold fine, sales for its progeny were lower than Capcom desired. This new experiment is being partly tailored towards those who weren’t fans of their old school-style updating structure.
The method is also a response to market trends. It’s no secret that games offered as a service are a dominant force in a segment of today’s gaming industry, although SFV doesn’t completely fit that bill. In actuality, it’s a compromise between the standard and service approach. It’s not the feature-packed fighter some people like to have at launch, like its bigger competition (i.e. Mortal Kombat, Injustice, etc.); but they also didn’t go completely in the free-to-play direction, and stuff it to the brim with microtransactions like League of Legends and DOTA 2. It’s right in the middle of those examples. Not everyone will be OK with a fighter whose content releases steadily over time, but others find it a good compromise — especially when much of it can be earned for free down the line.
Besides, there are also business reasons explaining why it’s releasing now, and not in any other months people think it should have released in (March, June, etc.) — besides the game needing to arrive before the end of this fiscal year. The Capcom Pro Tour has kicked off around this time in previous years, and 2016 will be no exception when it begins with the Cannes Winter Clash in France on the 26th. Tournaments like these are viable money-making opportunities for the company, thanks to the revenue they generate by attracting players and spectators, and advertising provided for the game they’re selling.
The February release will also give those preparing for Evo 2016 in Las Vegas ample time to train before it’s played on the big stage, to show what characters in this game are really capable of. And that’s a bigger stage this time year, since it’s happening in the Las Vegas Convention Center instead of the Bally’s hotel. As the kids say: we eSports now.
Given the semi-comparison to LoL and DOTA 2, you could get the impression that Capcom is deliberately targeting the eSports audience, and that wouldn’t be wrong. This title isn’t generating anywhere near as much excitement as SFIV did among the casual audience, meaning they’ll have to sell it to another dedicated one. The eSports audience is well-adjusted towards the existence of games as a service, as they’re accustomed to paying up money early to obtain their just rewards down the line. This isn’t a small audience either: eSports has been showcased on multiple TV channels, including SyFy and ESPN. Heck, ESPN featured an Evo highlight last year, and with the larger venue, they’re bound to feature more this year. This will also make for plenty of good SFV advertising.
SFV’s release situation has fortuitous parallels to Nintendo’s Splatoon last year, another game sharply criticized for lacking content before release, and also lacked modes considered prerequisites for multiplayer games. But those complaints evaporated once people realized how enjoyable it was, and vanished even further once its free content started dropping interstitially. The same could happen with SFV, though that will mostly depend on how easy it is to earn its DLC characters for free via Fight Money.
Just remember: If you don’t feel this game is good value, then you don’t have to buy it — and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you don’t feel it has enough content, there’s nothing wrong with being patient and waiting until more has released. But if it sells below Capcom’s expectations, it will be fun to see what moves they take to curtail any pecuniary bleeding.
About The Author
Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
