Exclusive deals are becoming more and more commonplace this generation, typically bringing exclusive content to certain platforms to help the product sell better. More often than not, the exclusivity deal is limited, hitting other platforms after a certain amount of time passes. Other times, much to the chagrin of gamers, the deals are permanent, locking a certain fanbase out from that content entirely.
Fans were no doubt shocked after the initial trailer revealed that Street Fighter 5 would be coming to the PlayStation 4 and PC and not the Xbox One. Like so many other exclusive deals, fans assumed this was only a timing deal similar to what Sony did with additional Destiny content. As it turns out, that doesn’t appear to be the case for the upcoming Street Fighter 5.
Speaking with Gamespot, a Capcom representative confirmed that the upcoming Street Fighter 5 was not a timed exclusive and that it was locked in for PC and PlayStation 4. Without going into specifics, the representative mentioned that the deal was put in place not just for marketing purposes, but a development one as well, indicating that Sony may in fact be assisting Capcom in developing the title.
“We’re not talking about how we’re handling post-launch content, but I can say the relationship with Sony does open doors for things we haven’t been able to do in the past,” the representative said. “The relationship serves a gameplay and development purpose, and not just a marketing value.”
Not only did Capcom confirm that Street Fighter 5 would be exclusive to the PC and PlayStation 4, but they poured extra salt in the wounds for Xbox gamers and Phil Spencer by confirming that any future iterations of Street Fighter 5 wouldn’t appear on Microsoft’s console either. This effectively closes the door on any speculation or hope fans had for a later iteration such as a Super Street Fighter 5 to appear on an Xbox console.
“One comment we see a lot is that something like a Super Street Fighter 5 is going to come out on Xbox,” said the representative. “But the reality is that this is a real partnership. We are console exclusive for this franchise for this numbered run.”
Even though the news is disappointing for Xbox owners, it is refreshing to hear a company come out and confirm how exclusive a game actually is. Too many times this generation gamers have gotten confusing statements about console exclusivity. The most recent example is with Rise of the Tomb Raider, which was confirmed to be exclusive to Xbox One – though as players later found out, it’s apparently just a timed exclusive for now.
Capcom is planning big things for Street Fighter 5, and with E3 2015 just days away, fans can expect to see a lot more very soon.
Street Fighter 5 is expected to release sometime in 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and PC.