Author: Ian "iantothemax" Walker

Shortly after Sony’s announcement of their PlayStation 3 in 2013, Arc System Works’ Toshimichi Mori expressed interest in developing a brand new fighting game series to coincide with the platform’s release. This, he said, would follow the company’s tradition of keeping up with updated hardware, as Guilty Gear targeted Sega’s Dreamcast and BlazBlue launched on PlayStation 3. “Creating new things at the turning point of time is who Arc System Works is,” Mori said during an interview with Dengeki Online around that time, “so we would like to take it on.”

Nothing tangible has come from these statements (at least from a consumer viewpoint), but Arc System Works president Minoru Kidooka recently reignited the discussion while speaking with Famitsu. According to him, the studio has been toying with a few ideas but has yet to land on anything concrete. “We need to establish a new fighting game that follows Guilty Gear and BlazBlue,” Kidooka is quoted as saying by Siliconera.

Though some may count the Persona 4 Arena series as the final piece in the Arc System Works trinity, it would appear they have a different view of the Atlus-owned property.

At this point in time, it’s hard to ignore the legacy Guilty Gear and BlazBlue have left behind. With brand new installments of their own on the itinerary, one can only guess how Arc System Works plans to further expand their brand in the fighting game genre. Let’s hope they keep the alliteration intact.

Source: Famitsu via Hachima Kikou, Siliconera, NeoGAF

Tekken x Street Fighter has become something of a running joke in the fighting game community. After being announced alongside its companion Street Fighter x Tekken at San Diego Comic-Con 2010, the title went into a sort of hibernation before Bandai Namco’s Katsuhiro Harada confirmed in 2013 that it was still in development to quell cancelation rumors. Since then, we’ve received quick bursts of information from the producer regarding his team’s progress, and this year’s Comic-Con provided the perfect opportunity to once again poke at Harada concerning the project.

Famitsu had the opportunity to do just that during their time at the convention, to which Harada answered that Tekken x Street Fighter is “pretty far” into development at this point. “It might seem like we haven’t started on it at all, but the character lineup has been decided upon since a very long time ago,” the Tekken team lead continued, according to translations by Siliconera. “We’ve already finished the polygon models, moves, and systems.”

While it’s probably safe to assume Tekken’s Kazuya Mishima and Street Fighter’s Ryu will appear in the game due to their prominence in early promotional art, Harada did not divulge their decisions for the rest of the cast.

Harada also mentioned that he and his team are still struggling with the decision of when to release Tekken x Street Fighter with players likely to be stretched between Tekken 7 and Street Fighter V.

At this point in time, all we can do is sit back and wait. Tekken x Street Fighter is definitely a thing though, and it should be fun to speculate on how it will stand alongside Street Fighter x Tekken for another few months.

Source: Famitsu via Siliconera, IGN

While the Evolution Championship Series typically features some of the most popular titles as part of its official lineup, it is also a great way for fighting game fans of all stripes to come together and compete in a variety of side events.

Evo 2015 will feature no less than 22 of these tournaments, including AnimEvo’s eight-game lineup, Arc System Works’ ARC REVOLUTION CUP qualifiers, and a smattering of miscellaneous events for titles like Vampire Savior, Skullgirls Encore, and Capcom vs. SNK 2.

With so much going on, it’s definitely hard to keep up with everything that will be available at the largest fighting game tournament in the world. Luckily, the folks behind the aforementioned AnimeEvo have put together a fantastic resource that collects all the pertinent details you’ll need to take part.

Whether your thing is indie two-button fighter Divekick, French-Bread classic Melty Blood, or something more mainstream like Super Street Fighter II Turbo, there’s sure to be other dedicated players with plans to compete at Evo 2015. Be sure to follow the previous link or the one below for all the information, and give some love to the people who have put forward their time to help their community.

Source: AnimEvo

Package mock-up

Still pumped from Capcom’s release of Street Fighter V themes this morning? While visiting San Diego Comic-Con, the developer announced that they have teamed up with a company called Brave Wave to rerelease the iconic Street Fighter II soundtrack in a high-quality package for a look at how the series’ music got to that point.

Known previously for their work on similar retro projects, Brave Wave has gone all out to make sure their Street Fighter II tribute is as authentic as possible. These soundtracks have been lifted straight from their original homes on CPS1 and CPS2 arcade boards and remastered under the supervision of Street Fighter II composer Yoko Shimomura, and the physical release will feature classic art from Capcom’s own archives.

All in all, Brave Wave appears to be handling this project with all the respect it deserves, and it should be fantastic to hear the fruits of their labor when it finally launches. More details and final package designs are expected in the future, so stay tuned for more information.

Source: Capcom-Unity