Ono: Street Fighter III scared off gamers

By Fred Dutton Published 25 February, 2011

SFIV intended as a "happy class reunion".

Street Fighter III closed off Capcom's brawling franchise to all but the most experienced players, leading to a more inclusive revamp for the fourth entry in the series, producer Yoshinori Ono has revealed.

Speaking in a typically insightful interview with Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, Ono explained that, like his own game Shadows of Rome, the third entry in the long-running franchise was made with only die-hard fans in mind.

"They were also the loudest people who made their voices heard," he explained. "I really understood how they felt, so I thought their voices were everything. But I didn't realise there were other people to whom the game could not resonate with at all until just about four or five years ago."

When asked by Iwata what he thought the series had lost in its third iteration, Ono replied, "That would be the narrowing of the 'paths'. We had locked the doors of the 'entrance' without even knowing it.

"By designating the 'entrance', it ended up becoming a game that only a select few could enter."

Still, Ono is a big fan of the game - which first hit arcades back in 1997 - despite the fact it took such dedication to master.

"It was a kind of pleasure you feel by being a part of an exclusive group. We game creators also became drunk with that feeling. Thankfully, even 14 years after its release, there still are world tournaments held for Street Fighter III!"

When designing Street Fighter IV, Ono set out to go in the opposite direction and make a game that would bring jilted Street Fighter II fans back into the fold.

"Since we can't equate the loudest person as everyone's opinion, we went back to the roots of the people who played Street Fighter and tried to analyse it," he explained.

"When making games, I always tell my staff to never forget going 'back to the roots' and the 'class reunion'. Going back to the roots means to look carefully into the very beginning where it all started.

"The class reunion means to think how we could let the former players who played the original to feel like joining it again.

"For example," he continued, "when you are going to a middle school reunion, men usually think about the girl they liked right away.

"They'd have these thoughts about how she's doing as they head on over to the reunion. But when they get there, everyone has changed and he doesn't know which one she is. Something like that. If it were me, I'd try to imagine lots of things about that girl on the way to the reunion.

"The people who played Street Fighter until their fingers hurt back in the '90s carry a sort of image in their hearts. We can't reuse what used at the time in the same way, but we should make a happy class reunion that every attendee can imagine. That's the kind of Street Fighter IV I wanted to make."

Things worked out rather nicely for Ono in the end. Street Fighter IV launched on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2009 to stellar reviews and strong sales.

Next up for the franchise is a 3DS version, due in stores on 25th March.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • sfp_noodle #1 1 year ago

    I loved Street Fighter 3 and wish Capcom would give it the HD Arcade treatment like SF2. I want to play with all the classic characters that aren't in SF4. I can understand what he means by alianating newcomers though. It was a ridiculously hard game to master. Pulling off combos was far more difficult and when I first played the original SF4 I immediately noticed that the moves were easier to pull off. They didn't need as much accuracy or dedication to master.

    It was a game for the fans, as Ono has said. Please make an effort to make those fans happy one more time. I would much prefer a SF3 arcade release than the SF4 character pack. I miss the old sprites. The current SF feels a little too happy with it's vibrant colours. I want a return to the old days with the gritty backdrops and punishing combos. Do it Ono.

  • CaptainQuint #2 1 year ago

    So basically, everyone still playing SFIV is a n00b and always has been.

    It's true, though - skill is merely a relative thing.

  • inutaihanyou #3 1 year ago

    I first played Street Fighter 3 in the anniversary collection of PS2 about 4 or 5 years ago..and i can't understand how that game was never successful. Yes it was a harcore game but that's usually the people who are going to be playing these games right?

    I still bemoan Capcom's ditching of 2D :(


  • carrotcake #4 1 year ago

    It's not like many people got a chance to play SF3 if it was only on the Dreamcast and later on a compilation disc that you might have missed. They shouldn't assume it was all down to the game being less accessible... it was also less available. Far less versions of SF3 on far less platforms than SF2. I am waiting for the new PSN/XBLA version, it will be the first time I've played Third Strike.

  • work4EK #5 1 year ago

    I want a new Shadows of Rome game! Excellent combat but better stealth sections needed. Was an fine game.

    1st ever post by the way! :-)

  • FenderMaster #6 1 year ago

    SF3 wasn't even released on the most popular console (PS2) in europe.

    The US got in the PS2 anniversary collection, europe got it in the XBOX anniversary collection, but for some stupid reason, the european SF anniversary collection didn't have it! why capcom?

  • FenderMaster #7 1 year ago

    SF3 wasn't even released on the most popular console (PS2) in europe.

    The US got in the PS2 anniversary collection, europe got it in the XBOX anniversary collection, but for some stupid reason, the european SF anniversary collection didn't have it! why capcom?

  • inutaihanyou #8 1 year ago

    "I am waiting for the new PSN/XBLA version, it will be the first time I've played Third Strike."

    If you liked any of the Alpha games(especially 3), then you'll love SF3, because its just that, except more technical :)


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0u19F9_z...
    Edited by inutaihanyou at 25/02/11 @ 01:49

  • FuzzyDuck #9 1 year ago

    I've had so much trouble trying to get my hands on this game. PS2 was my console last gen, so no fun with the Anniversary Collection (as FenderMaster said, why Capcom?!).

    I picked up the original Xbox in 2007 for about 20 quid just to play it, (got a still sealed Scandinavian copy in 2008), but the disc drive rarely works and the controllers are of course, crap. Girlfriend got it for me on the Dreamcast last year and then i lost all my Dreamcast peripherals moving house.

    This game needs to be made available on the current consoles. I'll buy it twice.

  • Machetazo #10 1 year ago

    Don't forget that Capcom announced Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition, last summer.

  • jambii267 #11 1 year ago

    Really? What's with the fucking cheap AI then?

  • frazzl #12 1 year ago

    I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore SF player, but I still think SFIII: Third Strike is by far the best SF game available. As sfp_noodle said earlier, a HD release of the SFIII games would be very welcome.

  • ilmaestro #13 1 year ago

    Ono prepping himself for major 3s online shilling duties.

  • NewbieZilla #14 1 year ago

    Street Fighter 3 was awesome. I prefer it far more to SF4.

  • TRUTH #15 1 year ago

    SF III was deeper and more exciting, the 2D still looks great today. Personally I prefer SF III over SF IV...Let's hope Capcom gives us SF III in HD - come pleaaaaaaaaaaase capcom!!!

    Fans of 2D fighters might want to check NeoGeo Battle Coliseum on XBLA - updated to HD and dam good fighter.

  • SlackMaster #16 1 year ago

    Hey loud people, shut up!!! ;)

  • KujiGhost #17 1 year ago

    @work2EK

    I loved Shadow of Rome too! You should send a tweet to Ono to let him know. I wrote one yesterday and he actually got back to me saying "Wow! Thx for playing it". Brightened up my afternoon that did! :D

  • TelexStar #18 1 year ago

    I lost him when he started talking about class reunions for five paragraphs.

    Never played SFIII. I'm certainly one of the disenfranchised SFII players who came back "into the fold" with SFIV and SSFIV. I wouldn't mind giving it a go if they brought 3rd Strike out on XBLA though.

  • Cheapshot #19 1 year ago

    Ono you arse! 3rd Strike is the best fighting game ever made BECAUSE it took dedication to master, I've been playing that masterpiece for 2 years solid on GGPO and still constantly learn new things every time I fire it up - Street Fighter 4 stops surprising you after about a week...

    The reason it "alienated" people wasn't because of the depth, I mean it still has a simple moveset for the characters like SF4, any new player can pick it up and have a blast. The problem with SF3 was its timing; 2D was old hat during the 3D boom of that time, the casuals would always pick Tekken 2 over this. The completely new roster of characters probably didn't help either.

    Give us a date on 3s Online already! -_-

  • Quint2020 #20 1 year ago

    I hadn't played a fighting game since Tekken Tag on the PS2, mainly because they were becoming so complicated to pick up, I kind of lost interest in them, Street Fighter IV rekindled that interest, so I guess his plan worked!

  • Whitster #21 1 year ago

    Personally I loved SFIII, but I can see his pont. In my last house only me and one other housemate would either play it when we fired it up, when SFIV came out the house was all over it. Went back there the other night with MvC3 and that went down even better.

  • mingster #22 1 year ago

    Street Fighter III 3rd Strike is definately one of the best fighting games ever made.
    It's also the best reason i have for having custom firmware on my PS3.

  • espibara #23 1 year ago

    Problem is there are defo 2 types of beat em up player.

    The types who learn the "super y upper double flip cancel midair reverse swing combo special breakers"

    and those

    WHo just like to smash their mates up after a few in the pub whilst perving over Cammy and Chun-Li and jumping up and shouting "PERFECT"

  • Ranger101 #24 1 year ago

    For those of you who keep posting "I wish they would release 3rd Strike on XBLA":

    Capcom are already working on SF3: Online Edition for ps3 and XBLA. Jsut though it should be reiterated again. Ono has released teaser images of part of a menu screen in hi-def. It's probably not going to be hi-def sprites though.

    Also, the 3rd Strike Arcade scene in London was SICK. Back in 2001/2002 heading over to Casino or Play 2 Win on Oxford St., massive crowds around the 3rd Strike machines, with S++ Seans and Elenas ringing it in with the Yuns and Uriens.

  • coderkind #25 1 year ago

    I'm sure SFIII is excellent but so far I much prefer SSFIV.

  • infernox1 #26 1 year ago

    but i liked street fighter 3.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #27 1 year ago

    SFIII was awesome IMO, but I am a hardcore player. While SSFIV has met the happy medium well, I still feel by comparison MvsC3 has become too user friendly for its own good. Getting more people playing is a fine thing, but when there's less actual skill and progression, it becomes annoying.

    SFIII I will invest in on Live, because I'm hope they won't mess with its goodness, to meet more sales. Us hardocre gamers still need a place to call our own.

  • S2K #28 1 year ago

    IMO, the only reason why 3rd Strike alienated most gamers was that you can visually see the common divide between the bad and good players. 3rd Strike was one of those games where you see the results of constant practice; mainly because of mind games and execution. The reason why it is still my favorite SF of all time, is that it STILL innovates with its strategies, even at this present time. The parry mechanic means that potentially, every character in the game can win, even if the game is very un-balanced. The fact that when you lose, you feel it is your own fault for losing.

    I can go on all day, but yeah...can't wait for 3rd Strike Online Edition...

  • iamtheoneneo #29 1 year ago

    so sf3 was the best, most skilled fighter where chunli wasnt nerfed to shit and actually decent - yet capcom decide to release a shambles that was sf4 with dumass play to appeal to all the 10 year olds that want to think there amazing with there ken spams..amazing way of keeping a 'decent' community capcom.

  • ZeroAX #30 1 year ago

    It also didn't help that you removed almost the entire cast of people's favorite characters.

  • 32768Colours #31 1 year ago

    @Cheapshot

    I think you're spot on about the 3D thing. I don't think it scared off gamers at all. I remember newer gamers at the time being disgusted by thought of playing 2D games. It's why quality titles like Tombi disappered without a trace too. Its nice that 2D and 3D are finally able to live in harmony together!

  • TRUTH #32 1 year ago

    When is SF III being released online ?...Hope it's for real not a myth.

    I understanWhen is SF III being released online ...Hope it's for real not a mythd a new King Of Fighters from Snk is on the way too all in HD 2D.

  • Ryze #33 1 year ago

    Yep - wonderful game, but I was so NOT BOTHERED about it, until it fell in my lap via the Streetfighter Anniversary Collection on Xbox.

    I didn't even buy it for that game though - bought it for Hyper Streetfighter II online on Xbox Live, as I already had the PS2 version.

    Started playing SF3 with a mate, and learned of THAT video online at the same time. Amazing game, but yes - the door is locked and it's atop of a tall mountain!

    I can't wait for a remake of it, though. It'll be legendary in HD. If they can avoid breaking it, it'd be lovely if they could add a few characters like Blanka and E. Honda to SFIII and keep the style and balance of the game.