Category: News

While the biggest takeaway from this weekend’s Tekken 7 Fated Retribution announcement was definitely the guest appearance by Street Fighter’s Akuma, the fact that a game as beautiful as Bandai Namco Entertainment’s latest fighter was receiving another layer of polish wasn’t lost on us.

Fortunately, the developers have shared a slew of new screenshots that highlight the level of work they’ve put into updating this title. You’ll find two separate galleries below–one for characters, one for stages–that perfectly detail the visual changes being made in this upcoming game.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about those spiffy new duds sported by Asuka, Bryan, Dragunov, Feng, King, Leo, Lili, and Xiaoyu, producer Katsuhiro Harada mentioned that they represent each character’s new default outfit.

Click to view slideshow.
Click to view slideshow.

Tekken 7 Fated Retribution is currently without a release date, but Harada has promised that the console port will be up to date whenever the title makes its way out of arcades.

Source: Tekken

At the end of The King Of Iron Fist global Tekken 7 Tournament, Bandai Namco had a little surprise. A new trailer shows Kazumi pleading to a mysterious figure to stop her husband Heihachi if she is unable to do so herself. While you might be familiar with this scene in previous trailers for Tekken 7, this new trailer reveals the mysterious character to be Akuma of the Street Fighter series, starring in the update to Tekken 7 subtitled Fated Retribution.

The trailer shows off Akuma doing all his classic moves, Goshoryukens and Gohadokens included. If you ever imagined seeing a Raging Demon in Tekken, well, your wish is coming true. The update also features a number of graphical improvements in addition to new content.

While Tekken X Street Fighter might not pan out into a game of its own per se, it looks like Bandai Namco is incorporating the Street Fighter series into the very story of Tekken. This won’t be the end of the Street Fighter invasion, so look for more reveals in the future.

Sources: Tekken, xenosaga7 via NightmareSteam

In the latest installment of his regular Famitsu column, Super Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai tackles a question that deals with topic of updates and patches, specifically those released after a game has already launched.

Starting out, Sakurai asks the sender to not view him solely as a creator but also “a player that understands the situation comprehensively.” He admits that, in a perfect world, development on each title would complete before launch, but the complex work behind our favorite games makes that nearly impossible.

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say [modern games] are 100 times—no, 1,000 times more complicated than games of the past,” Sakurai explains. “And this massive amount of data is subject to the variance and fluctuation that digital information is susceptible to. Making sure that everything works properly is a miracle in and of itself.”

With regards to game balance, Sakurai says they try not to “blindly accept feedback” from fans on the internet in order to maintain a balance between competitive viability and casual enjoyment. “We could balance our game based on what high-level players say, but if that meant beginner-level players would no longer be able to play, that wouldn’t be an acceptable outcome,” he concludes.

For more of Sakurai’s thoughts, be sure to visit Source Gaming’s full translation of the Famitsu article in question by following the link below.

Source: Famitsu via Source Gaming, Smash Boards, featured image c/o Polygon

With Street Fighter V’s third beta phase set to kick off next week, Capcom has opened up a small stress test tonight for those who just can’t wait to jump in.

The stress test will be open for the “next few hours” according to the developer, and is open to both PlayStation 4 and PC. Ryu, R. Mika, and Necalli are the only characters available at the moment, but players can also check out a few of the features coming in the next beta.

If you’ve yet to download the most recent update, you’ll need to do so before accessing the game.

Street Fighter V’s beta will launch officially on December 17.

Source: SFVServer

With competitive gaming only getting bigger, numerous developers outside that space have begun looking to break in with properties of their own. One such developer is seminal RPG studio Square Enix, who earlier this year launched a MOBA spin-off of their arcade-based card game Lords of Vermilion.

In a recent investor briefing, Square Enix outlines losses from these recent “eSports” endeavors, though apparently still wants to get their foot in the door. “We are less-experienced in the new genre of e-sports, which prevented us from gaining player acceptance in some cases,” the report states. “Because of the strategic value of the e-sports genre, we will remain tenacious in our efforts in that space, including considering offerings for consumer game consoles, as well as global roll-outs.”

If we’re being honest with ourselves, this likely means Square Enix is developing a MOBA (like we don’t have enough of those these days) based on their mega-popular Final Fantasy franchise. But one other Final Fantasy title could definitely appeal to competitive and casual gamers alike, especially those within our community: Dissidia.

Released in arcades last month, Dissidia Final Fantasy rebooted the PlayStation Portable series for a brand new audience. No longer a one-on-one affair, the title sees two teams of three square off in arena combat that’s probably most similar to Bandai Namco’s Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. franchise. While not technically a fighting game in the most literal sense, familiar concepts like spacing and zoning do carry over.

Just think about it; characters like Cloud Strife, Terra Branford, Squall Leonhart, and Lightning duking it out in gorgeous 3D on the stage of a major competitive gaming event? We can practically hear money being shoved at computer screens right now. And with a PlayStation 4 version on the way, they wouldn’t even need to lug arcade cabinets anywhere!

Feel free to let us know what you think Square Enix’s focus on competitive gaming could mean for the community in the comments below.

Source: Square Enix via NeoGAF

The Japanese release of Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel saw the inclusion of Senran Kagura’s Homura and Arcana Heart’s Aino Heart as free downloadable content for players who decided to purchase the game early in its life. Earlier today, Siliconera announced that XSEED plans to keep this same promotion when they publish the title in North America, a plan that will save early adopters $5.99 per character (or $9.99 for the bundle including both).

This promotion will run for the first four weeks after launch, and includes only these two characters. They do not come equipped with full wardrobes, however, so you’ll still need to shell out some extra cash if you plan on hitting the arena in their swimsuits.

For a look at these two characters in action, you can check out the slideshow that we’ve included below.

Click to view slideshow.

Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel is set to release for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in North America sometime next year.

Source: Siliconera

When he was revealed this weekend, Street Fighter V newcomer F.A.N.G turned a lot of heads. From his oddly proportioned body to the unique poison abilities he uses to whittle down foes, the franchise has never seen someone quite like Shadaloo’s new second-in-command.

Unlike other characters, however, F.A.N.G wasn’t playable at PlayStation Experience after his unveiling, leaving the community to pore over small bits of gameplay to determine what he is capable of. Fortunately, bits and pieces are starting to come from official sources to flesh out our early knowledge of this fresh face.

When asked whether F.A.N.G utilizes motion- or charge-based attacks, associate producer Peter “Combofiend” Rosas confirmed it’s the latter.

Of course, it’s possible this may not stick. Some of you may remember Necalli’s specials changing from motion to charge (and some back to motion) over the course of development, and long-time charge character Vega now sports quarter-circle, half-circle, and shoryuken inputs. Those of you interested in F.A.N.G but averse to charging should keep that in mind before losing hope!

Street Fighter V is scheduled to launch for PlayStation 4 and PC on February 16.

Source: Combofiend via EventHubs