Capcom has made an odd statement in regards to its plans for supporting the Nintendo Switch, with the company’s COO stating that they will monitor the sales of Ultra Street Fighter 2 in order to evaluate their partnership with the console.
Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers is a remake of the 1994 classic Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, which has already been criticized for its high price point with it set to retail at $39.99. In an interview with Toyokeizei, Capcom COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto outlined the company’s plans for releasing games on the Switch. Speaking to the outlet (via IGN), Tsujimoto said: “With Street Fighter 2 going on sale in May, Capcom will monitor its performance with regard to supporting the Switch.”
Considering that Ultra Street Fighter 2 is an upgraded re-release of a game that has already been re-released an abundance of times since its initial launch over two decades ago, many are concerned that Capcom basing its plans for the Switch on its success will lead to the company overlooking the Nintendo console. While Capcom and Nintendo have a lengthy history of working together, the Street Fighter franchise has mostly been absent on Nintendo consoles, with the series last releasing on a Nintendo platform back in 2011.
Considering the Wii U’s poor sales it’s difficult to blame the company for not focusing its efforts on Nintendo’s previous console, but the Switch has proven to be a major success for Nintendo so it’s curious that Capcom is seemingly still questioning whether or not to bring their games to it. Back in November 2016, Capcom revealed in an investor call that they were still looking into bringing their games to the Switch, indicating a hesitance to support the platform. “We are currently carrying out research with regards to multiplatform implementation of software for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on to the Nintendo Switch,” a spokesperson said in the Q&A.
With the $40 for Ultimate Street Fighter 2 being a huge barrier in front of its success, it’s hoped that Capcom was using the opportunity to simply promote the upcoming new game, and that the company isn’t basing its support of the Switch upon its sales. With the company having released the majority of its best games on Nintendo consoles, hopefully it doesn’t overlook the Switch in the future.
