Main purpose of Street Fighter 5's beta is to test out online infrastructure; Sony key in assisting with cross platform play
Posted by Jon 'Catalyst' Grey • July 2, 2015 at 7:26 p.m. PDT • Comments: 85
I asked Capcom's Matt Dahlgren how the development process is going with Street Fighter 5 so far.
"Graphically, we feel like we have the right style, so that's pretty much there," said Dahlgren. "We're also very comfortable with the status of the game engine, and the variable system, and it has been showing very well here at E3.
"The next big challenge for us is going to be online play," added Dahlgren.
"The real purpose of doing these online beta tests is to make sure our online infrastructure is great by the time the game comes out," stated Dahlgren.
"Street Fighter 5 is not a finished product, it's still in beta, and there are probably going to be hiccups, it happens all of the time in game development," he said.
"We need to collect this data now, to use this beta testing opportunity so that by the time our game comes out, we're in a solid state."
"We check EventHubs all of the time, we definitely value your opinions, and we need your support, to stick with us as we optimize our systems," said Dahlgren.
I asked if they could share a few details about how things are shaping up in regards to network play, specially what they're using for net code.
"We're using a proprietary net code developed by Capcom called Kagemusha, we've been putting a lot of work and effort into it. We are using rollback technology — and expect it to be very good," Dahlgren explained.
Sony's involvement in fighting games
Some people had assumed that Sony's involvement with Street Fighter 5 was mostly for marketing purposes, but additional statements had surfaced that they would also be helping out in other ways. I asked Capcom if they could provide a few more details about the partnership.
"I'd say the key aspect is working with us on executing cross platform play, this is going to be the first time we've ever united our community into a centralized player base," he added.
Capcom also said that Sony is intent on making the PlayStation 4 the home of fighting games, and that they're committed to the genre.
"Capcom is currently focused on SF5, so Sony was the one that developed USF4 on PS4. There were some issues at launch, which is to be expected as we were working with a new development team, but they stuck with the product and were able to address players' concerns very quickly," Dahlgren said.
"After launch, they quickly worked with DisplayLag to help fix the input lag, and have been working with pro players to help get the quality up to tournament standard. They're very committed to the scene, and they want to make sure they're approaching this in the correct way — they want to do it right."
Sony's involvement doesn't end there though, something near and dear to the FGC is out competitive scene, and Sony has plans to assist in that regard too.
"They're also going to be helping us out with the Capcom Pro Tour, to help us grow over time," said Dahlgren.
SF5 discussion with Capcom at E3 2015
• Combofiend explains why close ranged normals were removed in Street Fighter 5, says system mechanics pretty much locked in now.
• Crouch teching was intentionally removed in Street Fighter 5, high damage should aid traditional comebacks.
• Capcom discusses Street Fighter 5's roster and selection process, users will only need to own one disc.
• Main purpose of Street Fighter 5's beta is to test out online infrastructure; Sony key in assisting with cross platform play.
• Capcom handling PC version of Street Fighter 5, parity with PS4 is crucial - Dahlgren shares thoughts on EventHubs community.
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