Unfortunately, the optimism for some would dampen on the official day of its release. Reviews were already pouring in pretty harsh criticisms. Aside from a few game modes playable at launch, SFV felt very incomplete. While Capcom did let excited fans know that everything would not be available on release day, it didn't quite seem to dawn on everyone until people finally got their hands on the game.
Now, some of this may have been quieted if a giant server issue didn't come up during the time of launch but it in fact did and this lead many to taking some time to try out the two game modes that were available and realizing that one of them was very much incomplete. Though it was announced that a big story mode would be coming in June, it didn't quite sink in that it would be directly tied to what they would be delivering initially and it certainly left a bad taste in the mouths of many.
Things have certainly improved over the first week but the resonance for lack of content during this launch of Street Fighter V has remained with two sides of an argument happening over the past week. My feelings on losing the narrative has not really changed any and so it didn't bother me much about the lack of content. I was more so let down with the lack of characters available at launch which, once again, was pretty much confirmed long ago.
A franchise that has been near and dear to my heart has been receiving some very harsh criticism and because I genuinely adore and respect its producer Ono-San greatly, it hurts to see so many unhappy with what we know isn't the final result, but, I can agree it is definitely not something you would deem as a complete product.
For those that sincerely want to know where Capcom went wrong, what happened here was a direct affect of something that has now become apart of gaming moving into a new generation, and that is the competitive arena. It has been apparent from the onset of Street Fighter V's birth that this would officially be the first game created with a competitive aspect in mind.
While the mechanics would be fine tuned in hopes of bringing in a broader spectrum of gamers, the biggest goal of Street Fighter V would be the emergence of competitive gaming through their already cultivated creation, Capcom Pro Tour.
The Capcom Pro Tour happened back in 2014 its sole purpose leading us to this moment where Street Fighter V would become the featured game for the next years to come. The relationship with Sony in the development of Street Fighter V and the Capcom Pro Tour, pushed further this notion of a dawn of competitive gaming that would give pro players and up and coming competitors an opportunity to earn real life fight money and travel the world fighting new opponents similar to what protagonist Ryu has done throughout his gaming life cycle.
The Capcom Pro Tour will be starting off officially this week at the Cannes Winter Clash in France. This isn't going to be obvious to the average gamer who has yet to understand the competitive world of the Fighting Game Community but those of us in the know understood the decision to release this game in its initial state was to make sure it was available at this said event and others like it in the coming weeks.
While I'm excited about the Capcom Pro Tour and will be involved more so as a volunteer than a competitor, I get it, Capcom messed up..kind of. I haven't forgotten that before I ever thought about this being more than just a game, I was a 12-year old little boy playing with my friend, trying to beat the game with every character to see their ending, and for years this was the narrative until the emergence of online gaming.
Whether this has hurt Street Fighter V and the initial new players that it had the potential to bring in doesn't quite seem apparent at the moment. What is apparent, at this point at least, is the fact that Street Fighter V is creating an all time high in the competitive scene.
It has already eclipsed the recorded attendance that Street Fighter IV had previously this year for EVO and the game has only been out for a week preceding the Betas that some initially had the opportunity to play.
Some are saying that this risk Capcom took may have been detrimental to the overall bottom line. After all, once the game has been reviewed there aren't any re-reviews. Despite, what I believe are some valid criticisms of its initial release, the game is, without a doubt, solid and I look forward to putting more time into it going forward whether I decide to compete or not.
Whether in success or failure, I hope Capcom takes a look back at this release and remembers that despite their optimism about the future of competitive gaming, they remember there are still young and old who can and will enjoy the game for what it is. Whether they play it casually or competitive, it's important that one doesn't get alienated for the other.
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