When Street Fighter IV was first teased last year, rumors began to circulate that the title may indeed be coming to the Wii. The rumors were squashed recently, when Capcom officially announced that the long-awaited fighter would be coming home to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC only.
In fact, the game's producer Yoshinori Ono told us that the initial rumors got so bad, they actually had to send an email to Nintendo with an apology. So I asked him, is the possibility of a Wii version of Street Fighter IV that ridiculous?
"It's not that a Wii version would be impossible or just so far outside the realm of physical possibitlies to blow our minds or anything," he said via a translator. "We're not ruling anything out; anything's possible."
So why the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC?
"When it comes down to looking at the main target we're trying to hit with this game," he told me, referencing people who probably played Street Fighter II on the Genesis or Super Nintendo, "these guys are more likely to own a PS3 or Xbox 360 than a Wii."
But like he said, don't rule anything out. Maybe a petition (or nine) might help.
"So really, are there fighting game fans that want this, especially in North America?" he asks. 'If there are, and it turns out there are, then we're more than willing to do something for them. But right now, it just seems like a safer bet to go with the 360, PS3, and PC."
Contest:
8:17 AM on 06.03.2008
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Oh, well, I have the SNK, Samurai Shodown and King of Fighters anthologies coming out instead.
Other than that, it's actually a bad idea to exclude Wii. Their target audience is the people who played SF II but got away from the series, right? What makes them think there aren't Wii owners (specifically, the adults or downmarket) who played SF II in the arcades when they were young, and went on to have a non-video gaming life?
It all just reeks of market ignorance. Really Capcom, you think not putting the game to revive Street Fighter on the system that's the market leader, the cheapest to develop for, and the system with an install base of about 25 million world-wide? Really?
I love my Wii, but I'm really starting to consider getting a PS3 or 30 soon...sure, we've got No More Heroes, and Mad World is eventually coming, but I'm really starting to feel shafted by game developers. I don't need a flood of more mature games...but I'm getting tired of reading how Wii owners can't handle them.
And yeah, the power of the Wii does limit developers, but they can still give us something.
Sorry...I'm ranting.
As a second note, all three SNES Street Fighter games are on the Virtual Console, so they have a potential for new kids who played it THAT way going for it.
As for online play, Nintendo has it. Granted it sucks, but no more then the PS3 online service. For DLC, Wii Ware would work wonders (theres just the space issue).
Really, not putting SFIV on the Wii is just plain not paying any attention.