EventHubs Podcast

Will Street Fighter 5's final season be a test bed for Street Fighter 6? Should developers still be dumbing down games for casual players?

We know we're entering the final chapter for Street Fighter 5, and we know Capcom is changing up their approach and letting the creativity flow a bit more with their developments, so one has to wonder, to what extent will Season 5 be a test bed for Street Fighter 6? Plus MajinTenshinhan joins us to talk about the apparent age-old process of dumbing down fighting games for casual players and to discuss where the heck King of Fighters 15 is and why he's been playing older games during COVID.

Timestamps
04:11 - SF5's final year is probably going to offer a taste of SF6
07:15 - What's the benefit using the end of a current game to test a next one?
10:58 - Everyone with their own mechanic? Raptor's worry
14:20 - How to play SF5 if it isn't your cup of tea
28:50 - (Enter MajinTenshinhan)
30:55 - Capcom has been making simplified fighting games for casuals for 25 years now
39:40 - Has accessibility messaging ever worked?
49:44 - Clear examples of over simplification (risk gauge)
53:46 - Capcom will likely mimic the SF4 example
59:56 - What's the deal with King of Fighters 15?
1:05:28 - Falling back to older games during COVID

Why Street Fighter 5 makes you feel so bad, and how we're overcoming it

It's no secret that the latest Street Fighter can invoke a special mix of rage and anxiety when at its worst, but why -exactly- is this the case? We bring on DreamKing to try to hash out the dirty details as well as to talk about Monday's wonderfully successful Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 event.

Timestamps
01:40 - Setting the stage
05:14 - Risk vs. Reward, Offense vs. Defense, and the main issue for SF5
10:47 - The second strongest defensive mechanic in this game
14:37 - The "Blackjack approach" to SF5
17:32 - When relief is the reward
22:55 - DreamKing's Example (intent is ambiguous)
30:53 - The dangers of over correction (Street Fighter 3)
37:07 - Why the grind can feel like it's just not worth it
47:39 - The success of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Live

 

 

Discussing Street Fighter 6 leaks, when FGC offline events are coming back, and five dollar footlongs

Capcom has been hacked and as a result leaks concerning Street Fighter 6 have begun circulating on the interwebs. Catalyst and I discuss the details and see what all else we can deduce about SF6 given recent timelines, statements, and actions made by Capcom employees. Plus, how far off is the FGC from a return to normalcy when it comes to offline events? New vaccine developments are giving us some new hope. And finally, we take a closer look at Punk's recent SF5 tier list.

Timestamps
01:23 - Street Fighter 6 is coming
04:50 - Ono's performance since Street Fighter 4
10:49 - Why Capcom married Sony for SF5
15:13 - Expectations/standards for SF6
26:39 - Progress toward returning to normalcy in the FGC
34:54 - People are itching to get back to it
41:29 - Punk's tier list
43:25 - People are sleeping on Gill!
50:07 - General balance is... really good?
1:00:12 - Obstacles to fun in SF5

 

How far off is online play from being 'legit' in the FGC's eyes? PlayStation 5 may have input delay issues, and new Tekken 7 netcode gets huge praise

There's been a lot of progress made when it comes to fighting game network play, and with as many wins as we've seen in recent times in this avenue, it seems a good time to evaluate where the FGC currently sits as far as its feelings toward the legitimacy of network play. Plus, Tekken players really love their franchise, PlayStation 5 might have some input lag woes, and there's a surprising amount of things to say about chip damage.

Timestamps
00:45 - Indiana Jones
02:30 - We've been making progress online
06:40 - Tekken netcode update reactions
13:25 - How warm are we to the idea of online play as valid for competition right now?
24:10 - Hardware matters
32:12 - Encouraged by progress
34:57 - PlayStation 5 might have naturally high input lag
43:49 - Chip kills, picking the right mechanics, and risk vs. reward 

Do we want more frequent balance updates for future Street Fighter titles? Should we expect Dan and Season 5 to actually begin rolling out in 2020?

We're looking to the future on this week's episode as Catalyst and I consider Capcom's approach to balancing Street Fighter 5 and ask whether or not we'd like to see more frequent adjustments as the standard for future titles. Plus, we're getting closer to the release of Dan and the first batch of Season 5 content, but should we be expecting it to actually happen here in 2020? 

Timestamps
01:49 - When should we be expecting the first batch of Season 5 content?
04:03 - Capcom baked in an option select
08:30 - Capcom Cup isn't happening until 2021
13:14 - "Just do it when it's READY"
22:08 - How often should Capcom be balancing Street Fighter games?
26:47 - Arguments and counters for more than once or twice a year
37:43 - Is the community ready for an updated approach?
45:00 - The FGC likes incremental changes  
53:50 - Having a balanced attitude

Seth has emerged as a monster of a character right now in Street Fighter 5 and we explore why, plus discuss SF4 vs. SF5 in 2020

Seth has been popping up more and more and more frequently in Street Fighter 5 competitions as of late naturally leading us to worry that the character is overpowered and too easy to win with, but we're not exactly sure that's the case. In fact, Seth might actually be one of SF5's biggest achievements yet. Plus, Tokido switches to Urien and misses his shot at getting into Capcom Cup, a new Dhalsim player is starting to turn heads, we're revisiting Street Fighter 4 to compare it to Street Fighter 5, and I have a new Raptor's recommendation.

Timestamps
00:54 - Inappropriate butt slapping
02:50 - ITK's Dhalsim is turning heads
10:22 - Tokido picks Urien over Akuma... doesn't win CPTO... WHY?
16:55 - Why is everyone (and their mother) playing Seth right now?
24:23 - So many ways to play him
30:55 - Axe kick
37:04 - Good, but not TOO good?
42:15 - Comparing SF4 to SF5 in 2020 
47:42 - "SF5 is more Marvel than Street Fighter"
50:15 - Remembering the fun of SF4
56:04 - Raptor's Recommendation

Online tournaments are causing drama in the FGC, are we ready for this new horizon or do we need more time?

The fighting game community has had a few good months now of major online tournaments and things have been... interesting so far. Recent drama with ChrisG and the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour as well as a few issues in 2020 Capcom Pro Tour Online events juxtapose with the fact this medium very well may be the way of the future and leave us asking ourselves whether or not our community is quite ready for online majors or not. Plus Twitch is changing drastically forever and we introduce a new segment.

Timestamps
00:51 - Initial thoughts about online right now
03:58 - ChrisG and the DBFZ World Tour
11:20 - How do we (the FGC) navigate these waters?
22:29 - Moving forward without losing sight of the standard
31:23 - Specific solutions/practices for right now
37:22 - Twitch is changing forever (Tons of sudden DMCA takedown claims)
43:15 - Who is at fault?
48:13 - Who is making money off this?
51:25 - *New Segment* Raptor's Recommendations

Why the latest netcode update for Street Fighter 5 might especially benefit PS4 users, how Capcom looks to be evolving the game in Season 5, and more

Street Fighter 5 just got a new netcode update and Catalyst and I have spent some time this morning exploring it directly while also trying to figure out what specific changes we should expect moving forward. Speaking of changes moving forward, Capcom appears to be planning to evolve the game in some significant ways in Season 5. Finally, why does Mortal Kombat's Mileena have such a rabid fan base? We explore a bit of the psychology behind the fandom of this simultaneous sexy bae and devouring monster from under your bed. 

Timestamps

00:52 - Netcode update for SF5, what are we seeing already?
02:35 - Potential direct impact for PS4 users
08:26 - What should we expect?
12:55 - We suspect Street Fighter 5's identity is going to change significantly (again) in Season 5
16:50 - What kinds of changes have we seen thus far? Plans for new mechanics   
21:17 - Capcom understands the game better than ever before and there's evidence
25:52 - What's SF5's identity like right now? (And what, therefore, needs change?)
35:00 - Giving credit where it's due
43:47 - Why do people love Mortal Kombat's Mileena so ferociously?
46:23 - Two themes: Sexy bae and devouring monster
49:47 - Mileena is your mate and your mom  
51:30 - Kiss of Death

Street Fighter 5 survived where Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite and Street Fighter X Tekken died, we discuss why

Capcom's fighting game department has been notoriously bad at launching games in recent years as Street Fighter X Tekken, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, and Street Fighter 5 all suffered through horrendous early chapters. Why though, did Cross Tekken and Infinite wind up failing entirely while Street Fighter 5 was ultimately able to keep its head above water? We investigate the particulars to find possible answers to this question.

Timestamps
01:07 - Street Fighter X Tekken's sad story
05:56 - SFxT rough launch woes
13:21 - "SFxT seemed to be including things to outright piss off the player base"
16:00 - Flooded fighting game market
22:00 - Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite's initial hype and early warning signs
28:00 - It hits the fan
34:55 - Functions
47:56 - What about Street Fighter 5's launch? Bad looks... but not AS bad?
50:50 - Raptor's final answer

Akuma's overpowered status in Street Fighter 5 isn't getting enough discussion, here's how we feel Capcom will address him in upcoming balance changes

Believe it or not, we're entering the final months of 2020 and that means a Street Fighter 5 balance patch is likely on the horizon. With that in mind, we're a bit surprised at how little we're hearing in the way of calls for Akuma nerfs and so we're diving in to highlight the specifics of why he's overpowered and how Capcom should go about fixing him. Also, we recently got more information about Season 5's first DLC character, Dan, and it sounds as though there's a chance the joke character might present some very intriguing opportunities for both casual and eSports players if the stars indeed align like they're threatening to.

Timestamps
01:51 - Not enough people are talking about the best character in Street Fighter 5
08:16 - How far are we hoping Akuma falls down tier list mountain and how does that specifically happen?
19:16 - What do we think Capcom will actually do?
28:58 - Tournament performance observations in 2020
31:16 - Why Dan has different potential than any SF5 character we've seen yet
39:22 - Potential for eSports charisma
50:02 - Depressed, sweatpants, plastic vodka bottle Alex