Kotaku

Exclusives are driven by gameplay functionality and cost. If you get your gameplay functionality and costs right, exclusivity can work.

Brazilian gaming blog Blogeek says that they have some new, unreleased details on Street Fighter IV. Normally, these sorts of rumors would be dealt with a snort, a dismissal and a "you're not 1UP!", but Blogeek's got the unreleased screen shots to back it up. They're both similar to the screen via 1UP that was unleashed today, set in the same Chinese market, but happen to feature Ryu's counterpart, Ken Masters. That would either make Blogeek extremely adept with a PhotoShop stamp tool or lend weight to their credibility.

Fortunately, reader Douglas was kind enough to help us out with a translation of the leaked (and still rumored) details on the game. According to Blogeek, Street Fighter IV will take place some time between Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter III, which makes the return of Chun Li and Dhalsim more understandable.

2D or 3D? That's been The Street Fighter IV question that's been kicked around the internet. First details about the DIMPS developed fighter reveal that the graphics are polygonal, but the gameplay is apparently 2D. Game site 1Up (via EGM) reports that there will be new moves, locals and game play. Things that will be the same? The six button control scheme. Returning characters include Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Dhalsim. No word on who will round out the rest of the fighters, but we honestly hope that Capcom doesn't take a page out of Super Smash Bros. Brawl PR handbook and let info trickle out until release. (Though, we're actually cool with infinite Street Fighter IV spin-offs.)

What's more, we don't know which platforms the game will be on. Looking at Capcom's recent M.O., we're guessing Xbox 360/PC/PS3. And since it's a Street Fighter game, it should pop up in Japanese arcades. So, let's cut the gibble-gabble. What do you think of the first released screenshot?
SFIV Unveiled [1Up]

Love him or hate him, you're stuck with David Sirlin, the man who plans to bring balance to the forces fighting in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. In a recent entry on the official Capcom Blog, Sir Sirlin breaks down the changes to one of the most popular, but certainly not most powerful, characters in the Street Fighter universe. Ken Masters may be a bit pedestrian, a tad obvious, but for those who think of Ken as a mid-tier choice in competitive Street Fighter play, they should give the list of changes a read. If we had our druthers, visual aides of the changes would be provided, but visualizing them through text will simply have to suffice.

In short, Ken's hurricane kicks, dragon punches and reversal have all been given a bit of a boost. Nothing balance-shattering, but interesting to Street Fighter II fans, nonetheless.

Try to look away as the animated GIF from Street Fighter: The Movie makes its appearance. May cause seizures of regret.

Behind-the-Scenes: Rebalancing Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (part 4, Ken) [Capcom Blogs]

Nothing says Bionic Commando like a Volvo C30, am I right? Therefore, Swedish developer GRIN, responsible for development duties on the Capcom follow up, and, I assume, someone in marketing have decided to bedazzle a C30 with loads of Bionic Commando stickers. The final product? A Volvo with Bionic Commando stickers. These kinds of marketing tactics don't just fall out of the sky, people. It's hard, hard work.

Bionic Commando-Volvon [GameReactor - thanks, Rugg!]

According to Next-Gen's blog, Capcom may be revealing a bit more of the recently announced Street Fighter IV this Thursday, including exactly how the game will look. How will the company show it off? Presumably via EGM magazine, by way of 1UP. The current issue of EGM teases in its closing comments "We're kicking off our first issue of the new year with a cover story so epic, we can't even tell you about it", signing off with a roman numeral three that looks suspiciously like it belongs in a Street Fighter logo. 1UP writes today that "you won't be disappointed" by the new EGM cover it will reveal on December 6th. Coincidence? Doubt it!

Uh oh. That's the day the new Grand Theft Auto IV trailer hits the web. Time to bring in some reserve internets.

UPDATE: Reader Jon points out that these Street Fighter roman numerals have been running for the last three issues. I just checked back issues #221 and #222 which contain I and II respectively on the Next Month page.

Street Fighter IV Info Coming This Week [Next-Gen]
Save the Date: 1UP Coverage You Can't Miss [1UP]

Capcom announced just before the weekend that two of its online-enabled PlayStation 2 titles, Resident Evil: Outbreak and Monster Hunter, will close their online doors forever on December 31, 2007. The official Capcom blogs point fingers at the company currently performing hosting duties for each game, who are exiting the PlayStation 2 biz altogether. Sorry, kids, but this one is final. There is no hope for a revival. At the very least, those without New Year's Eve plans now have something to do. A sad, sad silver lining.

Sad News: Monster Hunter and Resident Evil: Outbreak servers shutting down [Capcom Blogs]

After the first article from Backbone producer/designer David Sirlin discussing rebalancing for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, he's now turned his attention to Ryu's stylings. And the results are... interesting:

Ryu's change list is unusual, so let's start with him. He's the central character in Street Fighter, both in the story and the game mechanics of fireball/uppercut. In ST, he's not especially powerful (no one ranks him as top tier), and yet in the hands of an expert he is able to win tournaments... I asked tournament player John Choi to give me a complete list of Ryu changes that he requested... Choi contemplated this for weeks and finally came up with his complete list: 1) add a fake fireball, and 2) no other changes.

Behind-the-Scenes: Rebalancing Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (part 2, Ryu) [Capcom US - The Blog]

What if we took a second shot with Okami's content on another console? A platform people were repeatedly asking for it on? A platform that could help with some of the core mechanics of the game? And now that it was already semi-known and loved for sure by the media, it's no longer technically a new IP. It really deserved a second chance. Thankfully, others in our organization felt the same way.

When we posted a brief note about an upcoming Capcom playtesting session in the Bay Area of California, reader Justme8800 heeded the call. In addition to getting hands-on time with an unnamed Capcom game—no, we couldn't squeeze it out of him—he walked away with all this stuff.

From left to right, top to bottom: Zack & Wiki stickers, yellow Capcom bag, massive RE4 Wii edition guide with poster, Capcom Classics Collection for Xbox, Umbrella Corporation REVIVE drink, plushie pig dressed in a watermelon from Monster Hunter, stress squeeze treasure chest from Zack & Wiki, Xbox Live 1600 points card, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 for PSP, Phoenix Wright plushie keychain, Zack & Wiki 3D holographic jigsaw puzzle, Lost Planet limited edition matte laser print, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for PC, and a Mega Man buster pen in the lower right. All of this is sitting on a Street Fighter "EVOLVE" T-shirt.

Not bad for a day's "work", is it?

The most demanding part of my day is generating pun-tastic headlines like "Apollo Justice Courting Nintendo DS In Q1 2008" which means I have almost nothing to complain about. Cleaning up long black sheddings at the tower comes a close second as worst aspect of the job, but at least I'm not digging ditches. Speaking of career choices, Capcom has pegged down a loose release date for the newest lawyer to take the Ace Attorney title, bringing Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney to the Nintendo DS sometime in the first quarter of 2008.

It's the same tried and true gameplay from the first three Phoenix Wright legal adventures, but now with a new star. I was going to make some joke about poor Phoenix Wright, Esq. burning to death in a vat of acid in the previous installment, but I'm afraid that might be a spoiler to some. Plus, if he really did die, I'd feel just awful. But I'd cheer up with some screen shots! A press release would also be comforting.

It is my understanding that it is up to the game companies to make business decisions on which platform to release their titles. The series has helped in the success of PS2 and PSP. Capcom has plans to release Monster Hunter Portable 2G for the PSP in March '08 [in Japan] so we hope to continue our partnership with the company.

There are puzzles where, if you don't look properly at the hints in the start, you're going to be in trouble. All the answers that you need to solve the puzzles are there on the screen. There are some people who say they don't understand the puzzles, but really, they're not paying enough attention.