STACK February 2016 Issue 136

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visit GAMES FEATURE
54 FEBRUARY 2016
GAMES
S treet Fighter itself is not so much a
game as it is a trend. While its roots
lie in dingy arcades back in the ‘80s,
it plays host to one of the most dedicated and
talented player-bases of any fighting game to
date. Moreover, it has spawned so much
more than an arcade classic; countless video
games, movies, TV series, live-action
adaptations, trading card games, and even
slot machines have all hatched from the
concept – not to mention the endless stream
of alternate fighting games.
As is always important when adding a new
instalment to an already popular franchise,
game developers must cater to veterans and
new fans alike. The newest game hopes to
go back to where it all began.
“This is a ‘reset’ of the series”, notes
executive producer Ono-san. “We’re
fortunate enough that Street Fighter has been
played and loved by fans for almost 30 years,
and since Street Fighter IV came out around
seven or eight years ago, the game has been
enjoyed by a huge number of people around
the world, and the fighting game community
has embraced it and its iterations.
“We find ourselves in a situation now
where the fans have put a huge amount
of time in and developed strategies and
techniques that exceed even our own
expectations as the developers. While this
is a testament to the great success of the
game, I have to admit that it’s also become a
barrier to entry to the game for newcomers."
It is of paramount importance to keep the
integrity of the game intact, but Ono-san also
acknowledges the vitality of appealing to a
new generation of street fighters.
“Street Fighter is a very competitive
game that lets people practice,
improve and win, and with
Street Fighter V we are
resetting the characters and
gameplay system so that
veterans and newcomers, as
well as lapsed players, find
themselves at the same starting
point. I hope this will allow as
many people as possible to join
the fight!”
Street Fighter V will, for
the first time, implement a training mode,
reinforcing the desire to reach out to a fresh
audience. The producer knows how integral
a tutorial mode is to truly mastering a game,
and specifically, the genre of game the SF
series represents.
“Fighting games are competitive and
require a certain amount of practice, more
so than other game genres. We see them as
being not just video games and entertainment
products, but as virtual martial arts sports
tools," he explains. "The existing training
room style isn’t enough to get the key
systems across – people have had to turn to
magazines, guidebooks, online FAQs and so
on. With the new tutorial mode you can have
fun while learning how to 'use' this 'tool'
we’ve created."
With the inclusion of this new mode, Ono-
san hopes to involve as many as possible in
the new title.
In a game such as Street Fighter, there
After lying dormant for a few years, the Street Fighter series is back up and
running with franchise reboot Street Fighter V .We ask executive producer
Yoshinori Ono how the new title will appeal to both veterans and newcomers,
as well as what we can expect post-launch.
With Street Fighter
V we are resetting
the characters and
gameplay system...
I hope this will allow
as many people as
possible to
join the fight!