Its a little hard to imagine since what has been shown of the game is perfectly shippable, but remember that this game is far from finished. That means that if Chun Li's are flopping all over the place, it doesnt mean they wont get fixed. Its probably a bug or the person responsible forgot to rein that in.
Anyways I was a little annoyed at first at the lack of new characters, but after you watch for a while and get into the core changes, it perfectly explains why. Nash, Bison and Birdie are basically new characters at this point. They have allowed the story and/or passage of tme to alter them and become new people with new strenghts and weaknesses. I LOVE that Bison can no longer Psycho Crush whenever he wants and has to save it for his Super. I LOVE that Birie has an eating mechanic, and him being fat absolutely backs that up, further cemented by the fact that he hasnt been around the SF storyline for a long time. I LOVE that Nash is kind of similar but in a fucked up-something has happened to me kind of way, it makes the character more interesting visually, more interesting mechanically. Perfect blend of story, art and gameplay.
Gameplay wise, all the changes make for a far more offensive and distinct game. V Skills all seem to reward counters and instant offense. No KO chip damage forces you to take risks. The super bars filling up quickly encourage you to use them constantly and go for big damage often. The speed of the game itself seems faster and the moves are causing more damage,w hcih I love.
Last, the V skills will make the similar characters feel way more different, all the shotos will feel very different from each other now, which Im really looking forward to.
And of course, the game is fucking gorgeous, good shit, Capcom/Dimps.