This whole curmudgeon bit doesn’t suit me at all. I wanna be happy about the news surrounding a possible Marvel vs Capcom 4 game. I really do. But recent history and other rumors shake my faith enough that I have to don the grump mask one more time.
First, a little back story. Back in March 2014, Capcom’s contract with Marvel ended. The partnership that saw the release of some of the most beloved arcade fighting games, starting with X-Men vs Street Fighter, was done. Later that year, Capcom pulled all Marvel vs Capcom series titles from Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The future of the Marvel vs Capcom series was in jeopardy, especially after Marvel’s parent company, Disney, decided to get out of video games entirely with the cancellation of the Disney Infinity series earlier this year.
Cut to June 2016, and Polygon discusses an interview with Jay Ong, president of Marvel Games. There, while Ong in noncommittal about a new Marvel vs Capcom game, he says the following:
“Let’s just say that we hear that a lot. We love our fans and we certainly want to please them. Beyond that, we can’t say anything at this time. But who knows what the future holds?”
Heading into December, rumors start to brew about a possible unveiling of Marvel vs Capcom 4 during the PlayStation Experience, which runs from December 3rd to December 4th. The rumors do cause some buzz, but some of the evidence looks shaky. Enter Polygon again, who state that they received confirmation from multiple sources that the cross-company brawler WILL make an appearance at PSX and will release in 2017.
That’s great news for fans of the series. I have been a fan of the over-the-top Capcom brawlers ever since I tore up my local arcade playing X-Men: Children of the Atom lo those many years ago. I absolutely adore the series, and I should be ecstatic that there will be a new entry.
I’m not, however, and I’m sure I’m not the only person who is wary. All you need to do is parse the information about the upcoming title that’s available, and add a bit of history into the mix. Follow along and see why I have my doubts about Capcom pulling this off:
1: Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
As much as the previous titles are loved, many were disappointed with Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. The roster was weak and there were very few modes. Capcom mostly remedied that by releasing Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, an example of their old habit of making updates of existing games that require a re-purchase. The roster was beefed up, but there weren’t many new modes added. Also, two characters were only available via DLC, a trend that would be repeated later.
People who bought the original were not happy about having to buy a new version of the same game, even at the reduced price of $40. Of course, Capcom had a habit of doing that, all the way back to Street Fighter II on the SNES and Genesis. It’s a habit they swore off of with Street Fighter V and have kept to their promise thus far. Other habits, however, crept up.
2: Street Fighter x Tekken
The first of two planned crossover games between Capcom and Bandai Namco, Street Fighter x Tekken was a beautiful, unholy marriage that made fighting game lovers salivate. Unfortunately, Capcom found numerous ways to dry up mouths – and maybe other body parts – with their shenanigans.
The main bugaboo plaguing this title is on-disc DLC. Capcom decided to cut up the game into pieces, selling characters, costumes, and everything except extra background trees via DLC. I am not a fan of tacked-on DLC like costumes and such, but I can accept characters as DLC in case people want to purchase them.
Only they were already purchased by customers. The 12 extra fighters being peddled as DLC were actually on-disc already for all versions – including Mega Man and Pac-Man, two characters exclusive to the PlayStation 3 and inaccessible to Xbox 360 owners. Capcom defended this as a business move meant to save hard drive space and to “ensure for a smooth transition” when the DLC becomes available. But people were calling bullshit.
Also, Xbox 360 players found out that they would not be able to have tag-team matches online with two local players on one team, a feature PS3 owners did have. Capcom acknowledged the omission but never attempted to patch the feature in later.
The second of the crossover games, Tekken x Street Fighter, was cancelled in April 2016.
3: Street Fighter V
The fifth main entry in the series caused all sorts of headaches for fans. Where Marvel vs Capcom 3 seemed minimalist with modes and features, Street Fighter V was absolutely threadbare.
First was the decision to make the game exclusive to the PC and PlayStation 4. The move is defensible; Sony paid for the exclusivity. As unfortunate as the move was, I’m not knocking Capcom for the move. Besides, they’re on the hook for much worse problems with this game.
The game released with almost no offline features whatsoever. There was an anemic “Story” made, survival , and…that was it! Capcom decided to release the game with only its online features fully added in order to get the competitive community on board in time for the Capcom Pro Tour. Casual gamers that loved the series were left in the lurch.
The roster was similarly lethargic. Granted, no one was expecting Capcom to equal Ultra Street Fighter IV’s 44 characters, but the initial 16 still seemed weak. The ability to unlock characters via in-game money or DLC was welcome, though, and the additional characters have all been plusses.
Capcom has attempted to placate fans by adding modes and features piecemeal. A General Story mode was added later on, as well as specialty KOs and stage transitions. But there is no Arcade Mode to date, and Capcom doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to do so. They may think that adding a “vs CPU” option to the Versus Mode is enough. Some may agree, but I am one of a loud chorus of people clamoring for the return of a proper Arcade Mode.
Those three examples give me the impression that Capcom is not fully meeting the needs of fighting game fans. I understand that things can be different this time, with Capcom learning their lessons and coming through with a great title. But it doesn’t mean they will be different.
My disappointment with Capcom is mixed with a greater concern: according to Polygon, Marvel vs Capcom 4 may lose one of the components it’s had since the series began: the X-Men. The rumors say that Marvel is more interested in plugging the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Considering that Marvel’s comic book division has been attempting to erase the X-Men – all mutants, really – from its pages, there may be some validity to this rumor.
A rumor is a rumor, and I try to take them with a large pinch of salt. But the possibility of losing the Children of the Atom in the series’ latest iteration is a bummer for me. It’s not just because Wolverine and Deadpool are on my go-to team, along with Akuma, and it’s not because the X-Men are my favorite Marvel comic book team. The series has always featured the X-Men prominently. Hell, the original crossover title was X-Men vs Street Fighter!
Of course, change is not necessarily bad. I survived losing Cable in Marvel vs Capcom 3, and I have survived greater changes in other titles (although I still haven’t forgiven Capcom for Mega Man X7!) But losing the X-Men in Marvel vs Capcom 4 will sting.
Hey, maybe it won’t be so bad if all the rumors come to pass. I’m sure it’ll be fun to play as Groot or Ant-Man. Maybe they can add Blanka and Luke Cage to the mix. Yes, I know Luke’s not in the MCU, but he’s a current Netflix character. Hell, bring all the Defenders in, plus Punisher!
You see? THOSE are the kind of conversations I love to have about upcoming Marvel vs Capcom games, because THOSE are the kinds of conversations fans have. Who would we add? Who would we buff or nerf? How crazy would it be if Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones fight Ryu, Ken, and Gouken? Hey maybe Capcom does a deal with Viz Media so we can have Ranma fighting Poison…
Aw, fuck, buddy! I’m excited again!
