Street Fighter V looks awesome, this much we already know. However, given the history of the franchise, we suspect that many of you are pondering whether to skip the PlayStation 4 and PC exclusive's inaugural instalment in lieu of a later entry. Well, you won't need to, as the title will be iterated on for the entirety of its lifespan for free. Allow us to explain...
When you buy Capcom's brawler next year, this will be the only version of the game that you'll ever need. Unlike previous editions, there'll be no Super or Ultra re-releases – everything will be updated via the original client. This means that balance and system adjustments will be incorporated on a regular basis, and they will be complimentary for everyone who owns a copy of the game.
At launch, the release will pack a 16 character roster, including four all-new fighters. From there, additional brawlers will be drafted in, which you'll be able to unlock for free through gameplay. There'll be two in-game currencies in the title: Fight Money and Zenny. You'll earn the former by simply playing the game, while you'll be able to purchase the latter through the PlayStation Store. Both will allow you to unlock new characters and content.
It stands to reason that you'll probably be spending a lot more Fight Money than Zenny to get the goods that you want, but Capcom's said that it will be using "later beta phases to test the economy and ensure that it works in a fair way for everyone". We're sure that there'll be some degree of grinding involved if you want the content for free, but that seems like a fair exchange to us.
Indeed, this whole model seems built around the idea of maintaining an engaged community. Not only will this provide everyone with a reason to keep playing, but it will also ensure that the player base is never splintered – after all, everyone will always have access to the same game. The proof will very much be in the pudding, but this all sounds seriously smart to us.
The big question is: are you a fan of the service-like approach – or are you worried that Street Fighter V's going to become a microtransaction-infested mess? Hit us with a finishing blow in the comments section below.
[source blog.us.playstation.com]
Comments 32
When done well, I really believe this is the future for most games. I'd point to DriveClub as a good recent example of a title that's consistently evolved over time. Yes, I know it launched broken, but since then Evolution Studios has been adding in features, content, cars, and tracks on a monthly basis since launch. I found, particularly with that game, that I'd just keep coming back every three weeks or so to see what's new and have a little play, and it's kept me engaged where normally I'd have sold the game or deleted it from my hard drive after a few weeks.
This sounds great to me, but, as I wrote in the article, the proof will very much be in the pudding.
@get2sammyb - Did the patches fix Ultra Street Fighter IV? I was going to get it but all the bad things I heard/read stopped me when it came out.
@Splat Yeah, I think it's pretty much where it should have been at launch now.
Well hey, this is how games used to be! Unlocking new things just by playing!
Reminds me of the Nintendo 64 days of olde~
@Azikira Kind of... But there was no constant iteration on N64. If this was an N64 game you'd get your 16 characters on the cartridge and that would be it, as there was no way to add more/rebalance/incorporate new modes.
Wow, that does sound good. I wonder if that applies just for fighters, or if stages and costumes follow the same way.
@DrClayman Pretty sure it will apply to costumes and stages, too. They make it clear that you'll be buying new "content" with the in-game currency — so presumably not just characters.
@get2sammyb Well of course I was more thinking of super hidden characters that you find out by accident, or get rewarded by beating the game in a certain time or something. I know you couldn't get additional content, except in a game like Starcraft 64 where you plug in the memory expansion pack and it unlocked the entirety of Brood Wars! ;3
Street fighter has always added more fighters, speeds or moves with each iteration. This model makes more sense for that game.
We will see this model more and more. As gaming now becomes a service, in many respects similar to gas or electricity but we need to start seeing major regulation in this sector - similar to an ofcom or ofgem. Else we are going to face the situation with unfinished base games with lacklustre semi dlcs with always online issues. But for street fighter it will work as long as the initial game holds your attention long enough.
@get2sammyb
Although GOTY editions are inevitable, kinda like the "combo breaker pack" with Killer Instinct, I think this is the way to go for games like this. I like KI's seasonal approach as well, but unlocking fighters one at a time with no money involved seems even better!
The $60, or mostly less, we are paying now for our triple A games is bonkers anyway when you consider the cost involved, but the industry still needs to find a way to make a reasonable amount of money without insulting the player base with insane DLC prices.
This approach is actually one I like very much and it reminds me of flying a plane: the only way they are able to sell most coach tickets so cheap, is because people who travel first class or book too early or too soon pay too much. These people can afford their more expensive tickets, the flight will make the carrier enough money to continue and everyone gets at the desired destination at the end. In SFV people with less time, but more money, will be indirectly "paying" for the free characters of others who are willing to do some grinding. This maximizes the size of the community and will make all fighters available to everyone at the price they are willing to pay and/ or can afford.
The F2P model has seen some really bad cases of companies just screwing people over, but if done right, it could be the most fair system of all! But it's all about communication. Take Evolve for example, they had a DLC model which was in fact not even that bad: you might not have all monsters or hunters at your disposal, but maps all were available so the community doesn't get split. But with some awful marketing and bad communication, the game was dead before it released. If they had adopted a f2p like model, just like SFV is doing (paying for the initial game aside), they would have had way more succes than now for sure.
The only thing that doesn't sound too great to me is only 16 characters at launch. We'll see how it goes, though.
Just don't f up the base game. I don't care about DLC I don't need, free or otherwise. After what happened with the dreadful USF IV port, get this right...
Interesting, still hoping R. Mika is one of 16 characters.
@Azikira oh my god you're absolutely right.
I like it? As long as I don't find it on the disk with 100kb unlock keys?
Well, it's late at night, can't sleep, decided to check PSquare, get this.
This actually makes me happy. I feel like this is how a modern fighting game should work. I get tired of seeing updated versions of one game, something that has been around since SFII in the 90's. Not to sound entitled, but sometimes paying for an update of a game doesn't cut it. Did SFIV really need five different versions in a 6 year span? I missed most of SFIV's lifespan partially because I didn't want to stump up for a new version. Judging from this, we just get the game and we get everything else gradually through normal updates and unlocking. I like this model, and with Ken in the game I think I'll get this at release so I don't miss out this time. The only thing that might bug me are some elitist crybabies, but I'll deal.
It could work out well hopefully it won't turn into a microtransaction mess
It will probably be terrible for any non die hard fan.
I say this because as soon as there are two currencies, the "free" in game earned one will require multiple playthroughs, just to get enough to buy some of the basic items.
It always happens and Im fairly confident it will happen here.
I dont expect to get the same as someone who pays, but it usually boils down to this:
Item x costs 10000
You earn 50 per fight.
You earn a bonus 50 for performing x.
And thats just ridiculous unless you play the game day in day out.
If you could earn a decent amount of this "fight money" in a single playthrough to obtain a good character or a load of minor things itll be great.
But we know this wont happen.
At least I doubt it.
Providing they don't make you grind to ridiculous levels to unlock content then this I can absolutely get behind. Plus the one edition of this game only? Yes please, I wonder how much of this has been part of Sony's influence?
While I like this model with ongoing support, I hope I can play this game offline as well.
Zenny...isn't that the same currency they use in thier other franchises? Like Monster Hunter, Mega Man or DMC?
I'm sick of complete editions and what not, if you support a game by purchasing it early then you'll have to pay extra for DLC, but if you don't really care and maybe buy or rent a complete edition on the cheap you'll be rewarded with free DLC. Just wrong in my opinion,
If this works as they say it works, and you have the option for offline play - then this is great. So we have a larger game developer actually wanting to make a good game and think about a positive release structure. Who would've thunk it?
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi I think that there's nothing inherently wrong with packaging a game+DLC together for latecomers; provided the DLC gets a bundle or price drop to allow those who bought the game first-time to get the DLC at a more reasonable price without double-dipping. The problem, however, is that I can't think of any instances where this has happened. That's a real problem.
There's nothing wrong with incentivising your old products to attract new customers, there's considerably more wrong with not giving your early adopters similar (or the same) incentives.
Thats fine and palettable as long as the unlock conditions in-game don't try to manipulate people down the old pay to unlock route...
I hope the currency's easy to earn. I'm not very good at fighting games even though I like playing Street Fighter games. lol Bought, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and it was tough as hell. -_-;
@ShogunRok that's exactly what I was thinking.
They've combined f2p model with normal model =).
@tudsworth completely agree, what's worse is when a season pass gets a discount before all the content is released, nearly all DLC and Season passes are the same price at retail stores as on PSN which is always odd as PSN is usually a fair chunk more expensive. However, season passes and DLC always get a nice sale price within 3 or 6 months, there's the odd exception but a lot of the AAA DLC ends up in sales. That's another way that early season pass buyers get turned on.
@ShogunRok It will go as Tekken Revolution - pretty smoothly.
@ToOGoodOfAPlaya This, I'm running through pes2015 right now, I played a few hours training and some premier league matches and two nights ago had accumulated enough of both currencies to spin the gamble wheel (to unlock players) 6 times in the myteam mode. Since then I have won the Asian Champions league in master league. That's 20-25 games into the master league season as well as 4 games in become a superstar mode. and I can only have one spin with the lowest chance of getting a highly rated player. Whereas if I pay some cash I can get 2 spins with a higher chance of a rated player.
Pes2015 gas a dual pronged micro transaction system.
@get2sammyb You've basically taken the words out of my mouth. While in some games, micro transactions can ruin the core experience by either making it a pay to win or by just taking away the fun of unlocking certain items through achieving certain goals and actually playing it as games were played in my day...
In the case of Street Fighter V, I think its the perfect evolution of the series, just as long as its fair and balanced.
Games have/are going through changes of late. Some studios going F2P, some breaking there games into episodic downloads and othe remaining traditional.
All I want is to feel like I am getting value for my money an not have content held back just to squeeze an extra few pounds out of me later on.
Lets hope that Capcom can set a good example for other studios who choose to add micro transactions into there games in the future.
I definitely think that this could be a perfect evolution of Street Fighter series and similar games. I guess time will tell.
@BLPs Its not a modern thing. Arcade games are basically microtransaction fests where you'd pay about 50p or more for a life, and the games would frequently be unfairly hard just to get you to pay even more. If this SF was true to its arcade roots, it would have no modes but arcade and vs and each time you needed to continue or start a new game, it'd cost you £1. I'll take modern gaming over that.
Also SF2 on the SNES and MD cost the equivalent of £90 in modern money and only had 8 characters with nothing to unlock. This SF will cost £40 for twice the characters, each with more moves, plus more modes, online play, unlockables and more content to come in time for free. How I love modern gaming compared to gaming when I was a kid.
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