Capcom Scr 1

Street Fighter V is the gift that keeps on kicking fans in the shins, as Capcom has nonchalantly added in-game adverts to the title this week. While there was uproar when the publisher announced this, we’ve been waiting to see what kind of guise they’d actually take – and the results have had us creasing with laughter here at Push Square Towers.

Sometimes, you’ve just got to giggle at how brain-dead these publishers can be. Okay, so the first kind of commercial isn’t really all that bad – you’ll see a ‘Supported By’ message during loading screens, which promotes various bits and pieces of add-on content. It’s no different to the kind of promotional messages you see in sports games, and while it’s not great in a full-priced product, it’s easily ignored.

The other form of advertising, though, is so egregious that it borders on outright barmy. So the publisher has added Capcom Pro Tour emblems to various stages, but it hasn’t stopped there – it’s also slapped them on its iconic cast. This means that the kanji on the back of Akuma’s outfit has now crudely been replaced by a promotional logo, as has the tattoo on Guile’s arm.

Considering these are iconic, timeless characters it’s… Well, it’s disgusting to see them treated in this way. You can turn the advertising off, foregoing a small trickle of additional Fight Money in the process – but that’s not the point. These are among gaming’s most recognisable heroes, and Capcom’s treating them like cheap advertising hoardings.

And for what? We have to imagine that the people playing Street Fighter V are aware of the Capcom Pro Tour, and even if they’re not, is plastering the logo everywhere really going to make them more interested in it? Perhaps the long-term goal for the publisher is to sell this ad space, but the second Pepsi Max starts appearing on M. Bison’s chest is the second that this legendary series dies for good.

[source eurogamer.net]