Capcom has seemingly listened to fans and KO'ed Street Fighter V's in-game ads, though the move may only be temporary. Developed and published by Capcom, the Street Fighter franchise debuted in 1987. Originally starting out as an arcade game, it eventually branched out onto home consoles. As its popularity grew, it ultimately spawned a variety of sequels and spinoffs. The series was even adapted for the big screen in 1994. Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, the film was was a critical and commercial failure. Despite that, it isn't without its own cult following, with many embracing the over-the-top campiness. An even worse attempt at a reboot emerged in 2009's Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li.
The series burst back onto the gaming scene, however, in 2016. Eight years after Street Fighter IV, the fifth installment was released exclusively on PS4 and PC, allowing for cross-platform gameplay. Retaining the traditional side-scrolling format, the new title features a host of new and familiar characters as they once again do battle and, courtesy of a later update, band together to defeat M. Bison. An arcade version also followed, released in early 2018. Although sales were projected to exceed 2 million, the game only sold 1.4 million in the months following its release. This was, in large part, due to the various issues that plagued the game from the outset. The latest of those issues emerged earlier this month, when Capcom introduced in-game advertising options.
Related: 15 Crazy Things You Didn't Know About Street Fighter
As reported by Engadget, those options have seemingly been removed. When launched, players were able to receive in-game currency in exchange for allowing ads. Those ads would appear on loading screens, stages, and even character's outfits. Understandably, players responded negatively to the new intiative, branding it a hideous addition to the aesthetic of the game and calling for its removal. The subsequent departure of the ads implies that the players' demands were met, though there are many that remain unsure just how permanent this measure will ultimately be.
Until now, the crux of the ads were for Capcom's own Pro Tour, which concluded last week with 2018's Capcom Cup. As such, the company has nothing it wants to itself promote. Therefore, it could be the case that the removal of the ads had little to do with the backlash but rather Capcom simply waiting for such time as they have something to promote - be it something of it's own or from outside sponsorship deals. After all, when addressing the criticisms, Producer Yoshinori Ono merely stated that they were hoping to "improve this new feature".
This, of course, is not the first controversy to plague the game. As seen on Reddit, players have amassed a whole list of complaints. These range from the belief that the game was released in an incomplete form, to stability issues. Even before the game hit shelves, Street Fighter wasn't without its problems. In the beta stage, a myriad of edits needed to be made to the animations. Despite positive reviews for the graphics and some gameplay elements, these controversies have definitely hindered the popularity of the game, and led to it falling far behind the universally-praised Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Since the release, the majority of complaints have centered on Capcom's aggressive tactics regarding generating revenue. Whether this has anything to do with the financial loss following the shutdown of its Vancouver studio, remains unknown. It has, however, impacted Devil May Cry 5, with people angered over their "greedy microtransactions". Now it would appear that Street Fighter V is following suit, with rewards for victory not being rewards but simply the opportunity to buy them. It's not unusual for a game to employ elements of sponsorship in order to generate income. When its done through a game players have already bought and paid for, though, it does pave the way for a worrying precedent. Hopefully, the removal of the ads is evidence that Capcom is potentially learning its lesson rather than a temporary reprieve.