Here's another prime example of game journalism at its very finest...
If you don't pay too much attention, you would think that the extra characters Sakura, Cammy, etc., and the Training/Challenge mode, are exclusive to the Playstation 3 version.
They're NOT.
The article is carefully worded so that, technically, they're right. The additional features mentioned in the article are console-exclusive, meaning that they're not in the Arcade version of Street Fighter IV. But because it's a Playstation magazine, they can say that these features are 'Playstation 3 Exclusive'. So, technically, they aren't lying....but it's clear that there's a hidden agenda with the headline; obviously to make the upcoming Xbox 360 version seem like it's not going to come with the same features as the Playstation 3 version.
To set the record straight, here are several articles/screens/videos which prove that the Xbox 360 version and the Playstation 3 version are getting exactly the same set of features. The extra characters and the training/challenge mode will be in both the Playstation 3 version and the Xbox 360 version of Street Fighter IV.
Because, otherwise, Capcom would be making a huge mistake, putting in more features for the console with much, MUCH smaller existing worldwide installed base. If you look at Capcom's history, specific-console-exclusives just aren't their style. They're after PROFIT, like every other game company. And they're being smart about it, too.
*****
Street Fighter IV training/challenge mode, on Xbox 360:
(Notice the obvious Xbox 360 buttons at the very start of the video, the one which tells you to press 'A' to confirm or 'B' to cancel)
Sakura on Xbox 360 version of Street Fighter IV, according to the poster of this video:
Cammy is in the Xbox 360 version, otherwise Teamxbox posting this here on their own site will have started riots already.
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/18494/Street-Fighter-IV-Cammy-Screens-and-Concept-Art-Images/
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/sakura-joins-street-fighter-ivs-console-exclusive-cast/
In addition to the previously confirmed Dan and Fei-Long, Joystiq's TGS crew will have a chance to play as two new additions to Street Fighter IV's home-only roster on PS3 and 360: Sakura and Seth, the arcade version's end boss.
Fan-favorite Sakura originally hails from Street Fighter Zero 2 / Alpha 2. She's the second confirmed female character exclusive to the home version; the other is slinky British special-ops officer, Cammy, who was the top choice in a poll on Capcom's site, ensuring her inclusion in the port.
The game's producer, Yoshinori Ono, has reaffirmed to Famitsu that a number of tweaks and fixes he had previously mentioned will make the home version of SFIV a more balanced offering compared to the coin-op. Ono also alluded to other additions for the console port, including a training mode. "It's more of a [Street Fighter] 4.1, you could say," Ono told the magazine.
Famitsu Xbox 360's preview of Street Fighter IV shows the training mode:
http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1221616_1124.html
Again, notice how the buttons for the XBOX 360 are on the training mode menu below on the screenshot itself.
(To view the above link, COPY and PASTE the link to the URL text box of your browser. Clicking the link won't work and will give you a PAGE NOT FOUND error. Try pressing ENTER when you put the link in the URL text box to view the page)
Article:
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/Street-Fighter-IV-Producer-Talks-Console-Exclusive-Characters/21138
Street Fighter IV Producer Talks Console Exclusive Characters
Producer Yoshinori Ono claims "we just didn't have the time" to add either Fei-Long and Dan to the arcade version. He also said that he did not want to create console specific characters like the way Soul Calibur IV did.
by James Reilly on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Talking to Videogamer.com, producer Yoshinori Ono talked at length about Street Fighter IV. He commented that time was the reason certain characters were not included in the arcade version. Ono also noted that there will probably be more characters added to the console version that have yet to be announced.
"We just didn't have the time!" exclaimed Ono. "One character is a rule that you have to master to enjoy the game. So if with the other games, where you get all the characters to select all over the screen, you have to master so many rules. That would interfere with the majority of people's enjoyment."
"16 characters for arcade, we thought was just about right. Then plus Fei-Long and Dan. We haven't decided more additional characters for console yet, but probably we will. The console version will have a little bit more characters," he added.
When asked if Street Fighter IV would have any characters exclusive to either PS3 or Xbox 360, Ono expressed through opposition to the idea. "Well this is just my policy, but I don't want to give an exclusive character for any particular console," he responded. "And that applies to downloadable characters as well. Because it's not very fair, when you think about this as a board game or a tool. Hidden characters? If we're going to talk about hidden characters they won't be hidden any more!"
*****
So, why do they do it? Why do they post misleading articles in the magazines? I tend to believe that sometimes the writers of the articles sometimes have their own agenda, they want a certain platform to succeed or they want to portray a rival console platform in a negative light. You'd think that only message board flame-wars are the only ones capable of posting misleading information....well, apparently fanboy-wars also extend to magazine articles. When anyone writes something, most of the time, it's difficult to remove one's personal bias from the equation.
Normally I don't believe everything that I read right away, whether it be online or in print. That includes game previews, articles and even game reviews. A 10/10 in a game review won't warrant a buy from me right away, and sometimes a 3/10 game can deserve a second look for me. At least that's my point of view these days. There was a point in my life when I trusted the gaming media, that they are always going to be objective about the facts. When you get older, your perspective changes, you realize that it's also people who write these articles, and they want you to think the same way that they do. I suppose another factor that's different is that it's much easier to check on your facts these days. You just have to google it (search online), and then you can process all the available information to come up with your own conclusion.
I'm just posting this information so more people would know---both the Playstation 3 version and the Xbox 360 version of Street Fighter IV will be exactly alike.
If you don't pay too much attention, you would think that the extra characters Sakura, Cammy, etc., and the Training/Challenge mode, are exclusive to the Playstation 3 version.
They're NOT.
The article is carefully worded so that, technically, they're right. The additional features mentioned in the article are console-exclusive, meaning that they're not in the Arcade version of Street Fighter IV. But because it's a Playstation magazine, they can say that these features are 'Playstation 3 Exclusive'. So, technically, they aren't lying....but it's clear that there's a hidden agenda with the headline; obviously to make the upcoming Xbox 360 version seem like it's not going to come with the same features as the Playstation 3 version.
To set the record straight, here are several articles/screens/videos which prove that the Xbox 360 version and the Playstation 3 version are getting exactly the same set of features. The extra characters and the training/challenge mode will be in both the Playstation 3 version and the Xbox 360 version of Street Fighter IV.
Because, otherwise, Capcom would be making a huge mistake, putting in more features for the console with much, MUCH smaller existing worldwide installed base. If you look at Capcom's history, specific-console-exclusives just aren't their style. They're after PROFIT, like every other game company. And they're being smart about it, too.
*****
Street Fighter IV training/challenge mode, on Xbox 360:
(Notice the obvious Xbox 360 buttons at the very start of the video, the one which tells you to press 'A' to confirm or 'B' to cancel)
Sakura on Xbox 360 version of Street Fighter IV, according to the poster of this video:
Cammy is in the Xbox 360 version, otherwise Teamxbox posting this here on their own site will have started riots already.
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/18494/Street-Fighter-IV-Cammy-Screens-and-Concept-Art-Images/
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/sakura-joins-street-fighter-ivs-console-exclusive-cast/
In addition to the previously confirmed Dan and Fei-Long, Joystiq's TGS crew will have a chance to play as two new additions to Street Fighter IV's home-only roster on PS3 and 360: Sakura and Seth, the arcade version's end boss.
Fan-favorite Sakura originally hails from Street Fighter Zero 2 / Alpha 2. She's the second confirmed female character exclusive to the home version; the other is slinky British special-ops officer, Cammy, who was the top choice in a poll on Capcom's site, ensuring her inclusion in the port.
The game's producer, Yoshinori Ono, has reaffirmed to Famitsu that a number of tweaks and fixes he had previously mentioned will make the home version of SFIV a more balanced offering compared to the coin-op. Ono also alluded to other additions for the console port, including a training mode. "It's more of a [Street Fighter] 4.1, you could say," Ono told the magazine.
Famitsu Xbox 360's preview of Street Fighter IV shows the training mode:
http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1221616_1124.html
Again, notice how the buttons for the XBOX 360 are on the training mode menu below on the screenshot itself.
(To view the above link, COPY and PASTE the link to the URL text box of your browser. Clicking the link won't work and will give you a PAGE NOT FOUND error. Try pressing ENTER when you put the link in the URL text box to view the page)
Article:
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/Street-Fighter-IV-Producer-Talks-Console-Exclusive-Characters/21138
Street Fighter IV Producer Talks Console Exclusive Characters
Producer Yoshinori Ono claims "we just didn't have the time" to add either Fei-Long and Dan to the arcade version. He also said that he did not want to create console specific characters like the way Soul Calibur IV did.
by James Reilly on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Talking to Videogamer.com, producer Yoshinori Ono talked at length about Street Fighter IV. He commented that time was the reason certain characters were not included in the arcade version. Ono also noted that there will probably be more characters added to the console version that have yet to be announced.
"We just didn't have the time!" exclaimed Ono. "One character is a rule that you have to master to enjoy the game. So if with the other games, where you get all the characters to select all over the screen, you have to master so many rules. That would interfere with the majority of people's enjoyment."
"16 characters for arcade, we thought was just about right. Then plus Fei-Long and Dan. We haven't decided more additional characters for console yet, but probably we will. The console version will have a little bit more characters," he added.
When asked if Street Fighter IV would have any characters exclusive to either PS3 or Xbox 360, Ono expressed through opposition to the idea. "Well this is just my policy, but I don't want to give an exclusive character for any particular console," he responded. "And that applies to downloadable characters as well. Because it's not very fair, when you think about this as a board game or a tool. Hidden characters? If we're going to talk about hidden characters they won't be hidden any more!"
*****
So, why do they do it? Why do they post misleading articles in the magazines? I tend to believe that sometimes the writers of the articles sometimes have their own agenda, they want a certain platform to succeed or they want to portray a rival console platform in a negative light. You'd think that only message board flame-wars are the only ones capable of posting misleading information....well, apparently fanboy-wars also extend to magazine articles. When anyone writes something, most of the time, it's difficult to remove one's personal bias from the equation.
Normally I don't believe everything that I read right away, whether it be online or in print. That includes game previews, articles and even game reviews. A 10/10 in a game review won't warrant a buy from me right away, and sometimes a 3/10 game can deserve a second look for me. At least that's my point of view these days. There was a point in my life when I trusted the gaming media, that they are always going to be objective about the facts. When you get older, your perspective changes, you realize that it's also people who write these articles, and they want you to think the same way that they do. I suppose another factor that's different is that it's much easier to check on your facts these days. You just have to google it (search online), and then you can process all the available information to come up with your own conclusion.
I'm just posting this information so more people would know---both the Playstation 3 version and the Xbox 360 version of Street Fighter IV will be exactly alike.