1- Now that SSF4 has been released, how pleased is capcom with its performance?

We’re very happy.  Super SFIV has been a great demonstration of how fan-feedback can improve even a very popular game and help generate more success (and happy players) going forward.

2- If you can go back in time what would you have done different for SSF4?

There are a few relatively small features I’d like to see, but I’m working right now to get them into some upcoming products, so I don’t want to spill the beans on those yet.  Apart from that, I was pleased with the way it turned out.  I sometimes miss Championship Mode, the menus aren’t optimal for tournaments, and more characters always seem like fun, but overall I thought it turned out great.

3- Balance wise, SSF4 is without a doubt the most balanced Sf game to date, how was this achieved?

To screw up an old phrase, it was probably 20% inspiration, and 80% perspiration.  The QA team is a really strong group, and helped to bring a lot of issues to the surface so they could be fixed.  Balancing can sometimes feel like it’s never really done, but overall I think SSFIV accomplished the goals of maintaining character personality, having a great diversity of fighting styles, and trying to make sure there were no hopeless matches.

4- Now that the game has been well received, will capcom support it with DLC post tournament mode dlc?

Ono-san has already mentioned some of the new costumes in the works (a lot of them are really incredible by the way—I love the new Cammy, Adon is unbelievable, and another character gets a similar kind of treatment as “Mecha Zangief”!), so we definitely haven’t forgotten about Super SFIV.  Beyond that, we’ll have to wait and see.

5- A running rumor states that SSF4 will be getting character DLC down the road, what can you tell us about that?

Of course we’ve announced there will be some new challengers coming to Super SFIV arcade, but nothing to say yet about what that might mean for the console SSFIV.

6- A lot of fans, including myself, has complained about the lack of new stages in ssf4 as well as iconic series stages (vega’s cage stage, grass stage, ryu japan rooftop stages etc…) does capcom have any plans of adding stages to the game down the line?

It’s something that’s been discussed, and of course we’d love to have more of everything, but with limited time and budgets it comes down to priorities.  Stages are great, but the characters are the heart of the experience, so that’s where most of the focus ends up.

7- What was the reason behind omitting the galelry mode from ssf4 and the ability to rewatch endings and prologues?

I was so focused on some of the finer points of the characters, I actually didn’t notice this was gone until the game had already shipped, so I never raised it during the approvals process.  I’m not sure why that was changed.

8- A lot of people are requesting more search criteria on the network mode in both online matches and the replay channel, and i kind of agree, will capcom consider adding more options to the search, like mayeb searching for replay matches by entering the player’s username? we all want to see those daigo online games

The online replay sharing is a new endeavor on the Capcom side, so we’re still exploring what’s possible, but there are also issues about how often, and what kind of queries you can direct to the XBL and PSN servers.   Hopefully that functionality can expand in the future, or even be supported by Capcom’s own servers.

9 Now that SSF4 has been released on console, and announced on arcades, should the pc gamers keep the hope alive for a pc release of this masterpiece?

I know there are a lot of avid SFIV PC players (including my own brother), but unfortunately I have no exciting news to share with them about a PC release.

10- The arcade version of SSF4 was shown to offer 2 extra character slots, does that mean the arcade version will have only 2 extra characters or can we expect more?

Time will tell.

11- Another rumors stated that the arcade version of SSF4 will offer 6 extra characters, is that true?

We don’t comment on rumors directly, but because the number of additional characters wasn’t finalized at the time this was said, I’d definitely say this is more like hopeful prediction than a piece of inside info.

12- Besides characters, what will the arcade version of SSF4 offer that the console version does not? (character specific stages maybe?)

Can’t comment on this one.

13- While street fighter has made its second coming in the video game world, capcom still has not tried to do the same in the other Sf media, such as anime, movies and mangas. Is capcom doing anything about that?

While there have been some new SF media (like UDON’s comics, etc.), Capcom doesn’t produce those kinds of things directly, so in many ways those decisions are made by the other companies that might want to create new SF media.  Capcom is open to the possibilities.

14- Seeing how bad the legend of chun-li movie was, will capcom ever consider another movie? maybe by the talented guys who made the street Fighter legacy short film?

Capcom is also open to the idea of another Street Fighter movie.  I’d love to see some of the same obvious passion in those short films make it to the big screen.

15- Speaking of anime, assistant producer shizowa san san hinted few times that a new Street Fighter anime series was in the works, Christian svenson, stated back in 2008 that Capcom is looking into hopefully making a new Sf anime series, is that still a possibility?

It may be, but I don’t have any insight into where our licensing department might be with those conversations might be currently.  There are some interesting pitches floating around (some funny, some serious), and hopefully some of them can become a reality.

16- Fans outside Japan are crying for a us release of the SSF4 juri anime movie that is exclusive to japanxbox360 market as well as the promo aftermath videos created by studio 4c and made for the SF4 games that were no where tp be found on the ties that bind anime movie. Will we ever see them maybe compiled in a Street Fighter 4 animation blu-ray for example?

It’s certainly a possibility.  I really liked that piece, so I’d love to see it get distributed in the West.

17- the story of Sf4 leaves a lot to be desired. now than marvel vs capcom will supposedly have a strong storyline, can we expect capcom to take the SF story more seriously in the next Sf game?

Story is probably not the strongest aspect of Street Fighter as a series, but there are a lot of serious themes and story arcs.  One of those in particular will be important in what comes next.

18- What is next for Street Fighter? another SF4 version (hyper sf4?) or are moving to SF5?

As you know, Super SFIV arcade is getting some new characters, but the current thinking is that there won’t be another new game in the SFIV series.  Ideas about the future change all the time, but I think Street Fighter X Tekken at the very least makes it clear you haven’t heard the last of Street Fighter.

19- what would you like to see in SF5? from characters, gameplay to Story(sequel to sf4 or sf3)?

That’s a gigantic question, and I’d like to make some of my ideas come true (so I don’t want to spill them yet), but hopefully we can talk about that if and when the time comes for a SF5.

20- Without naming names, can you confirm if Capcom is currently working on any more fighting games aside from the sf3 online edition, mvc3 and sf X Tekken

We definitely have some fun ideas in store for fighting fans.  We’re glad to see them back, as well as a new generation of fighting gamers, so as long as the audience is there, we’d like to keep them happy.

21- and last, but by no means least, can we expect any major SF related announcement at the Tokyo game show of this year this year ?

I’ll be at TGS for work, but also to cheer on the US fighting teams at Super Battle Opera.  There will definitely be some exciting stuff for Street Fighter fans on display at TGS.

check it out:

Ono san has recently hinted in his twitter account that poison might be added as a playable character in ssf4.

From his twitter account:

Q:  Hey Ono-san - please make Poison looking-good into SSFIV

A: I’ll tell it to Battle Director.

Q2: NASH AND POISON! FOR SSF4 DLC!!!!!!!!!!

A: His whereabouts are unknown. I cant contact to him… ;P  (my note: notice that he did not mention poison but only nash)

Q3:  I’m getting married soon! A great gift from u and Capcom would be the announcement ofPoison inSSFIV!

A: You have my blessing. ;D RT

What do you guys think?

Second Ono san has posted a blurry picture of what appears to be the first screenshots showing yu and yang:

As you can see the arcade on the right shows what appears to by yang in the select screen. In the one on the left it looks like Yun knocked down by Cammy. As clear as the sun if you ask me!

In addition to this, capcom has announced a new SSF4 arcade location test for next week-end (11th 12th of Sept) and dropped the following along with the announcemnt:

Which clearely means that Yun and Yang will be playable in that same location test.

What do you guys think? yay or nay ?