anotheriori said:
Ignoring the jp community argument. Without an arcade version there isn't a focus testing period so the drawback is the game released directly to the consumer; probability of bugs and balance are greater. Feilong -Abel/Seth infinites, console charcters all pretty underpowered, Seth odd animation glitches with his kick move.
I dont think those are results from not having Arcade based focus testing
Abel has an infinite on Rufus,
Akuma pseudo infinite on some characters
weird hitbox "glitches" on certain characters and moves
Guile and Vega being low tier,
Fuerte's slide glitch on Balrog
Sagat being, by most accounts, overpowered
...
...all of these are in the Arcade version, no game is released without focus testing, but no game is without loops and some holes. Specially fighting games.
two things i'll about this whole Ono announcement:
1 - i think SSF4
will come to Arcades in japan in 2010, b4 or after console release? i dunno
2 - If they dont, i dont think the Street Fighter community will die, or begin to die. As for the community in Japan, i think it will diminish but the hardcore Street Fighter Fans that like Street Fighter more than the "arcade scene" will stick to it.