The much-anticipated Street Fighter X Tekken released yesterday, and the good people at Capcom were nice enough to answer a few questions about the game and its development.
Street Fighter and Tekken both have very different styles. Were there any initial elements that were not included in the final version as a result of mixing them together?
In the end we created a brand new “Street Fighter X Tekken” style for the game and the characters, so we don’t have any regrets or ideas that didn’t make it into the game. We were able to do everything we hoped to, without much difficulty, so we hope that the fans out there will enjoy the final product.
What were the major challenges you faced when combining the two universes?
There weren’t as many challenges as we initially thought when we were developing this title. At first we were worried about the difference between the 2D and 3D roots of each franchise, but after taking a good look at the Tekken engine, we found that many elements translated fairly well into the 2D Street Fighter universe. As well, Namco-Bandai gave us complete creative freedom in this project, so we were able to fully utilize our years of fighting game experience, in order to build something really innovative and ambitious.
How and when did the idea of creating a crossover of both franchises come up?
It all starts with Street Fighter IV really, which was finally made 10 years after Street Fighter III, thanks to the fans and media out there that didn’t let their passion for the series fade. After Street Fighter IV launched, Namco-Bandai’s Harada and I wanted to give back to the fans and their support, through the creation of a new collaboration project that would keep the fighting game boom going. So, we started to plan and mapped out our strategies in order to convince the higher-ups. It seems that the higher-ups also had the same thoughts in mind though, so the Street Fighter and Tekken crossover projects were approved very quickly. I still vividly remember the moment when the presidents of both our companies met and shook hands over the project, smilingly. Harada and I felt really relieved at that moment.
What has been the reaction of the fans of both series?
For this title, we created a large number of hands-on opportunities for the fans to try out the game before it releases. Through these various events, and even Capcom’s own Fight Clubs, we saw the responses from players and tried to incorporate as much feedback as possible into the final product. We have been saying that this title is the most ambitious fighting game we’ve ever developed, as well as it being a festival that we want everyone to participate in. I believe the fan reaction has been very positive to the clash of these two franchises.
There are a lot of fighting titles coming out in 2012. What sets Street Fighter X Tekken apart?
Although there is a lot of competition in 2012 in the fighting game genre, it’s safe to say that none of those games brings together franchises which are the magnitude of Street Fighter and Tekken. Through Capcom’s extensive knowledge of fighting games, technology, and gameplay engines, I believe that we’ve created a game for the ages with this project. I hope that everyone will try out the game now that it’s out.
