Meh, it's not really worth it with guys like this.
I do find it hilarious that I have a rep for making epicly long posts. It's my schtick, but one that I actually try to actively avoid, but I can't help it! They just balloon!
EDIT: @Snowden, I understand what you're saying, but I just don't think that's all that's behind a game like this.
Thing is, ever since Smash released, PlayStation fans have wanted a similar style game, and why shouldn't they get it?
Remember when Futurama was cancelled, and because of fan outcry and strong DVD sales, Comedy Central snatched up the show and brought it back? CC didn't do it out of the kindness of their hearts. It was a business decision, but it was also something that the fans wanted.
Ico/SOTC HD was one of the most requested HD collections ever since GoW Collection released, and showed that HD collections were profitable. Was it wrong that Ico/SOTC HD was then released by Sony? It made them money, but it was also something that fans wanted.
Many PlayStation fans wanted a "Smash Bros" style brawler. Not a Street Fighter style brawler, not a Power Stone style brawler, or a Tekken style brawler, but a Smash Bros style brawler. And that's pretty much what we got, with some significant changes that give the series it's own identity, despite being aesthetically similar.
I can't say I'm pleased with some of the third party shenanigans (IP holders being difficult with their prized franchises), but I can't say I'm disappointed in seeing Heihachi and Big Daddy in the roster, especially when they look so fun to play. I don't have a problem with DmC Dante either, because I'm sure an alternate skin will be classic Dante. I don't mind Lightning, because I actually loved FFXIII, and am not a big fan of Cloud (I find him bland and uninteresting, despite loving FFVII back in high school).
I understand Kamiya, but I think he's viewing this from a very narrow perspective, without taking into account that the fans asked for this game, and we've got it.
It's one of the few times that a company actually bothered to listen to the fans (while still looking to accomplish their goals of making money). The fact that the game is fun, in my opinion, shows how seriously I think SuperBot and Sony are taking it. This could have easily been a disastrous 1:1 copy of Smash that just isn't fun, and doesn't stand on it's own merits. Fortunately, for many (and again, don't take my word only for it; there is a beta thread with all sorts of thoughts on the game), the game does it's own thing, while clearly being inspired by Smash.
I just don't understand why we don't get into this "deep moral, and ethical" debates when the latest FPS or TPS or RTS, or Tower Defense, or JRPG, or WRPG, etc, etc is released. I don't see a difference between many games in those genres, and the many games in the crossover fighter genre that Smash and PBR are a part of.
EDIT2: Whoops, I essayed again! HA!