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GamesRadar: Street Fighter V's backlash proves we value quantity over quality

What do you think? Think the backlash is disproportionate?
Street Fighter 5’s launch has caused a minor, yet undeniable, outbreak of Internet Video Game Indignation. It’s not an overly serious one. Nothing like the Great Fury Geyser of PS3 Skyrim back in ’11, or the virulent outbreak of Konami Rage Fever late last year. But people are indeed upset about SF5’s lacklustre single-player launch content, and the initially dicey performance of its online servers.

There are certainly criticisms to be made. I know, because I made those exact criticisms in my review this week. But the backlash is getting a bit disproportionate, for my money, with talk being bandied about of SF5 being little more than a paid beta. Street Fighter 5 is not that. What it is, is an incredibly good fighting game with theoretically limitless depth and longevity in vs. multiplayer, which has done a bad job of advertising that fact, as a result of being released a month earlier than it should have been (possibly in order to tie into Capcom’s Pro Tour). The core game is stunning, but the peripheral features rounding out the package are rather lacking, and remain so until they are expanded (for free) in March.
More here: http://www.gamesradar.com/street-fi...-value-quantity-over-quality/?tag=grsocial-20
 
Problem is that some of these features are things that the previous game launched with, and we have to wait for at least a month for them to add them here.

Personally, I'm willing to wait though I will admit the fact that I couldn't play online for the first 2 days really didn't help my impression of the game.

If you don't care about online however, and only play locally with people, then this game is already absolutely brilliant. Looks great, feels great, a fantastic amount of depth, and there's so much potential in the future.
 
I wouldn't say they are disproportionate as much as they are being amplified by the launch issues, which is very understandable.

That said, all of these complaints will be moot in a month so eh.
 
Doesn't it lack a Vs CPU mode? And the story mode is like 3 random matches tied together with poor art? (And it's full price?)
And I've been hearing the online is broken in a few aspects. Could just be a loud minority, I guess but the game is definitely lacking in comparison to other fighting games and its predecessor
 

mattp

Member
the problem is no one on the fucking internet can react to things like a rational human being
there are issues with the way they launched the game. but the hyperbole thrown around from people who are upset just destroys any real discussion
 

DrDogg

Member
I don't care about the lack of single player content. I'm even partially upset that I have to play through the single player content that's available to unlock costumes and colors. What bugs me are the terrible load times in the PS4 version and the fact that online ranks don't work for a lot of people.

I have the PC and PS4 versions and the load times are like night and day. It's crazy.
 

KingBroly

Banned
Capcom never said Arcade Mode and Offline Versus the CPU weren't in the game. That's a pretty big problem when they're perceived not only as standards, but to be in the game as well. Also not having a good Tutorial system isn't helpful. And that's on top of the wonky servers and how everything is tied to it.
 
I think the fact of the matter is simple. Capcom could've waited longer to appeal to the mainstream audience, but burn the game's FGC appeal in the long run by having it miss major tournaments.

Or they launch the game now, appeal the FGC and hardcore fans, and potentially sour the mainstream audience and newcomer players.

They were stuck between a rock and a hard place and that's all it comes down to. No matter what a segment of the audience would be alienated. They can maybe regain some ground with updates down the line, but first impressions are important so they're probably counting on hardcore fans to spread that word of mouth later on and view long-term potential as greater in the grand scheme of things. It seems Capcom's acquired so much bad will over the last few years that it may be an obstacle, unfortunately.

I feel like while I'll just get the game cheaper later on and when it's more feature-rich, there are some things being left out at launch that just make me scratch my head. Lack of an arcade mode or a 1-on-1 Player VS CPU custom match in VS Mode are big omissions. So I feel stuff related to that is worthy of criticism. There should be a balance but the scales are tipped more toward the FGC at launch, to the expense of most else.

Ironically despite their claim they wouldn't do a Super version or anything, I still feel the gates are open for a SFV: Goty/Complete Edition some point down the line...
 
I think there's a balance to be struck, although I do feel like the user review trashing of SFV is ridiculous and unwarranted.

For example people also complain about certain Ubi games due to barely stimulating bloat content, so I do think it's about a balance. I'm personally happy with what SFV offers for the price as the base gameplay and presentation is fantastic. There are some irritating omissions but it doesn't hamper my enjoyment of the content that is there, and they will be adding content in the months to come.
 

DR2K

Banned
Gameplay really carries SFV and people that play it know and see that. It needs more content for sure, but that's all coming shortly.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
I don't think it's quantity over quality as much as it is people expect value for their money. SFV released without things that are expected in a fighting game, especially a Street Fighter game.

Capcom had to know that not having a dedicated arcade/vs. CPU mode with proper difficulty settings would garner backlash. They can't be surprised by this. Wanting to release the game as an online service doesn't negate the reasonable expectations of longtime fans.
 

Relix

he's Virgin Tight™
Doesn't it lack a Vs CPU mode? And the story mode is like 3 random matches tied together with poor art? (And it's full price?)
But this is the things... This is a competitive game not an sp experience. The meat is in its gameplay and it excels there.
 
I don't care about the lack of single player content. I'm even partially upset that I have to play through the single player content that's available to unlock costumes and colors. What bugs me are the terrible load times in the PS4 version and the fact that online ranks don't work for a lot of people.

I have the PC and PS4 versions and the load times are like night and day. It's crazy.
I really don't get the load time complaints, is it disc only? Because my digital version loads stuff in 30 seconds tops.
 

Sephzilla

Member
The lack of single player content in Street Fighter V feels even bigger considering NetherRealm is out there putting out 2D fighters that are absolutely loaded with single player stuff. I know the online/multiplayer component of Street Fighter is the peanut butter and jelly of the franchise now, but man, no arcade mode and a barren single player story mode is kinda bad.
 

MaximumJohnny

Neo Member
Given how much is going to be added for free down the road that normally comes as built-in features for modern Street Fighter games, calling it a paid beta isn't too far from the truth.

Not to mention how much of an unmitigated disaster the server situation has been since it came out. Two days after launch I managed to get about 4 matches against a friend and that took us about 2 hours of wrestling with being disconnected every few minutes.

Completely unacceptable.
 
I think it means we value what we actually get of our money, if a company is offering less than other companies for the same, they deserve the backlash. End of the story.
 

SGRemy

Member
Competitive fighting game players have everything they want (now that the servers are some what stable)

Everybody else will still be crying till Capcom adds more single player content for casual players
 

Adaren

Member
Other games have recently launch light on content (like Mario Kart 8) and that didn't receive the same backlash that SFV is getting.

As others said, quantity vs. quality isn't a binary. The details matter.
 

Village

Member
But this is the things... This is a competitive game not an sp experience. The meat is in its gameplay and it excels there.

That means nothing to people who would want to play by themsleves. Also other fighting games exist, that have that. Street fighter don't exist in a vacuum
 
I agree. The gameplay and balance is great. The servers have been getting better every day. Once they add in 8 player lobbies I'll be set.
 
The irony is that Capcom’s game, as a piece of pure game design, would be hard to improve. It truly is one of the best crafted, most thoughtfully balanced, most rewardingly nuanced fighting games ever made.

On point.
 

Memory

Member
I got the impression from GAF that its not a big deal, user reviews are terrible but all FGC circles seem fine with it.

I'm loving the game but I see where people are coming from, especially with all the network problems messing up everything.
 

Ushay

Member
It sounds a lot like Destiny when it initially launched. Rock solid gameplay with very light content.

Also what's wrong with having quality and quantity?
 

Kyari

Member
Or we value both and the absence of either one can't and shouldn't be ignored.

Pretty much this yeah. It's click baiting hard in its opinion, it's not unreasonable to want more content - especially when Capcom are admiting a lack of it with their free updates in the road map.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
with talk being bandied about of SF5 being little more than a paid beta.

Except that it is, article writer. Except that it is. You're essentially getting another beta-round just with added barely-there "story mode" that isn't worth the time.
 

Camjo-Z

Member
Battle lounges have yet to work for me and I'm still lucky to ever find a match, so I'm getting neither quantity nor quality as of now.
 

entremet

Member
The messaging and communication have been on all over the place with the title.

"We want more casual gamers"

Launches with barely any training or casual friendly modes.

I love the game but Capcom's PR failed this game.
 

Zophar

Member
You can't really put SFV's problems on a quantity vs quality continuum. The problem doesn't have to do with either so much as it's missing essential fighting game elements. It'd be like shipping Final Fantasy without an end boss.
 

Kysen

Member
And when march rolls round and the content is still lacking what then? The game was released at full price therefore it deserves the criticisms.
 

Oersted

Member
Nothing like the Great Fury Geyser of PS3 Skyrim back in ’11, or the virulent outbreak of Konami Rage Fever late last year.

Jesus fuck, someone felt clever writing this.


Edit:

shinobi602, you cut out a very important part for the discussion, the end of the article

When all of these things arrive, the version of Street Fighter 5 they create will indeed be a worthy, packed-out offering that it will be easy to recommend to anyone, without reservation. The quality of the core game will not have changed of course. But then that part never needed to. But the thing is, in 2016, it’s not enough to just have AAA quality. You need to deliver it in a AAA package as well.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
I mostly agree, and I'm having a blast with the game. But I also mainly just wanted to play online and training mode, so it has the features I want. So I do understand how lacking it is for folks more into single player.

But at the same time, I also appreciate that they put it out now and put out a clear release schedule so people could decide when it was worth their money (if ever). Yeah, not everyone does their research before purchasing, but that's their own fault. So I get annoyed at people saying it should have been delayed. No it shouldn't. That would just make the online focused players wait, when the single player people are waiting either way (assuming they did their research and didn't buy already--and if not, that's their own laziness biting them in the ass).

I do fell there is a lot of quantity of quality folks bitching about having "only" 16 characters though. Games launching with more tend to have worse balance and less variety as you have more copycat slight difference type of characters. Beyond that, SF is so match up dependent that learning match ups for 15 other characters at once is already a hell of a tough task. So I much prefer getting 16 now, and then a steady release of new fighters as months go on to give me more time to figure things out as a relative noobie to the genre (haven't really played fighters since the SNES/PS1 era, and wasn't serious then).

Also, quantity can be defined in hours of enjoyment one will get out of the game, and not just the amount of content. People will dump thousands of hours into the MP, many playing only one or two characters. That's a lot of quantity of entertainment hours for those folks, especially compared to single player games that even with a lot of content are mostly 10-25 hour experiences, or 30-80 for RPGs since most people beat them (or quit) and move on to the next.
 

pizzacat

Banned
The messaging and communication have been on all over the place with the title.

"We want more casual gamers"

Launches with barely any training or casual friendly modes.
Casual gamers buying it at launch when they can still get matchmaked with unranked SFV gods is a bad idea.

They're going to make a big deal out of the "story" mode coming out in the summer.
 

Savitar

Member
An article that blames gamers, shock and awe. I swear the industry likes to blame the gamer more than anything. Yes what of the game there is polished and good stuff, pretty sure everyone knows that. But it's so limited compared to what we have known, what we expect it's a huge glaring issue. People have a right to be upset about it, getting the most out of our dollar should be right and here there is something good but it should be much more as well. Getting cut down versions of games and having them patched in later isn't the kind of thing we should tolerate lightly, we'd surely shit on some if they did that and how long are we suppose to wait for more options? In the end it can easily become a dangerous thing that screws gamers over or they're expected later to pay more for in DLC or season packs. And you can bet some companies would gladly do that.

Fans have the right to fight against any of this and they have. It's not a bad thing. We're told to react and voice our opinions, lo and behold we are.
 
But this is the things... This is a competitive game not an sp experience. The meat is in its gameplay and it excels there.

When people pay $60 for a game, they have the right to play it however they like. It very much feels like Capcom is forcing people online, and some don't want to play that way. Street Fighter has always traditionally had something for everyone, and I don't think it was wrong for people to expect that here, too.
 
And when march rolls round and the content is still lacking what then? The game was released at full price therefore it deserves the criticisms.
They could add nothing more and I'd still be happy with my purchase to be honest. It's a great fighting game I can play locally or online. Everything else is just bells and whistles to me.
 
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