Was Street Fighter III A Failure?

Sectorseven

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I know it's considered either excellent or mediocre depending on who you ask, but how did it do financially?

By the time it came out there weren't a whole lot of arcades left (at least in the U.S.). And I don't even remember there being a SFIII locally until at least a couple years after it was first released, so I know it couldn't possibly have had the production numbers that SFII did.

So how was the public reception towards it when it debuted? Did cabs have the crowds surrounding them like SFII and MK did?
 
I know it's considered either excellent or mediocre depending on who you ask, but how did it do financially?

By the time it came out there weren't a whole lot of arcades left (at least in the U.S.). And I don't even remember there being a SFIII locally until at least a couple years after it was first released, so I know it couldn't possibly have had the production numbers that SFII did.

So how was the public reception towards it when it debuted? Did cabs have the crowds surrounding them like SFII and MK did?

I can at least tell you that it was a huge disappointment initially amongst the player base. New Generation got people interested initially, but it seemed to fizzle out. Second Impact completely flew under everyone's radars. I remember buying a Japanese Second Impact boardset about a year before Third Strike released for pennies on the dollar from a tournament player. People were just really turned off by the thing during that period.

By the time Third Strike released, people were nicknaming it "Third Strike: Yer Out!". The general popular opinion was that Capcom was trying to keep a turd afloat. It took a small dedicated group of players in the states pushing Third Strike, then the Japanese traveling to one of our events and revealing all kinds of crazy fun crap in the game to make most Americans reconsider it.

I am going to be shocked if any of the three made operators cash BEFORE Third Strike was rediscovered. People really seemed turned off by the series before then.
 
I remember the game drawing a crowd in my community - but that was because we had a lot of dedicated players that made it look good. Without that, it didn't stand a chance.

Most people were turned off of the game, honestly, because it was something new - which is the same reason I fell in love with the game as soon as I saw it. I still remember all the people complaining about the lack of Dhalsim, Honda, Blanka, etc., yet they completely ignored the incredible cast of new characters. How anyone can prefer Balrog over Dudley is beyond me.
 
I don't know about how well it did financially, but I know it's considered one of the best (if not the best) SF variation Capcom ever made. It had amazing art direction, breath of characters, new fighting conventions and deep gameplay.

I can understand if back when it was released, people were getting kind of tired of the variant releases much like they were with SFII near the end there. But to this day, I still see and know of locations that have SFII and SFIII still in service. They may not be making as much as they did in the 90s but enough to keep them in service.

If I had a good amount of money to spare, I'd definitely be searching for a working SFIII:3S kit or a complete setup in an HS-5. You'd have to replace the battery every 4-5 years, but how many people do you know own a legit or revived SFIII:3S setup? Very few, and those that do are admired. :)
 
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I know it's considered either excellent or mediocre depending on who you ask, but how did it do financially?

By the time it came out there weren't a whole lot of arcades left (at least in the U.S.). And I don't even remember there being a SFIII locally until at least a couple years after it was first released, so I know it couldn't possibly have had the production numbers that SFII did.

So how was the public reception towards it when it debuted? Did cabs have the crowds surrounding them like SFII and MK did?

They had one at a pool hall near me that got all the good games. I can tell you from experience that the game got so little play it was sad. I don't think I can recall a single time I played a human opponent, let alone having to wait in line to play it. It missed the mark and came out too late after all the SF2 versions. The game itself is pretty poor in my opinion and wasn't very much fun to play. A horrible art package and the fact that it went back down to 10 selectible characters, with only two returning characters, didn't help either. A real disappointment to me and I was a HUGE Street Fighter fan and avid player.
 
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How can anyone suggest that any fighter has "deep gameplay"?

It's a fighter. It's all about beating the piss out of each other. There's nothing really deep about that.

I dunno... I never got in to fighters much though I am finding myself playing them more often now that I don't have to pay for it. Basically, I suck.
 
How can anyone suggest that any fighter has "deep gameplay"?

It's a fighter. It's all about beating the piss out of each other. There's nothing really deep about that.

I dunno... I never got in to fighters much though I am finding myself playing them more often now that I don't have to pay for it. Basically, I suck.

That is a pretty ignorant answer. Each fighting game has a level of depth that greatly varies from each game. Fighting games have more depth than 98% of the video games out today. Cant remember who wrote it but there is an actual book out in the wild that goes into depth that fighting games encompass. (trust me it goes deep)
 
That is a pretty ignorant answer. Each fighting game has a level of depth that greatly varies from each game. Fighting games have more depth than 98% of the video games out today. Cant remember who wrote it but there is an actual book out in the wild that goes into depth that fighting games encompass. (trust me it goes deep)

left-right-left (A)+(B)

...yeah... deep.
 
left-right-left (A)+(B)

...yeah... deep.

Remember...it would be left-right, up-down and all diagonal variants plus (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) in this case. ;)

Fighters actually can be vary deep. Sure there is a simple button mashing element like there is with any game, but adding in moves, combos and overall strategy make playing against a person who knows what they are doing is very challenging. A lot of the strategy in fighting games is lost now that the arcades are mainly gone. Against a computer AI opponent, usually there is a single move or two that can be used reptitively to exploit the computer. Back in the heyday of fighting games, playing human opponent after human opponent who all had different strategies was fun to do and great to watch. You could pick up a lot of great strategy this way.
 
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That is a pretty ignorant answer. Each fighting game has a level of depth that greatly varies from each game. Fighting games have more depth than 98% of the video games out today.

They also have more depth than most of the games made back in the day.

Know what sucked ass when SFII first came out? Playing someone you never had before because you never knew what the hell was gonna happen. Know what totally kicked ass when SFII first came out? Playing someone you never had before because you never knew what the hell was gonna happen. Just like Les said.

At least FrizzleFried has been playing a lot of fighting games, even if he doesn't realize just how deep they are.

I've noticed a lot of the guys on this board who don't seem to have an appreciation for Street Fighter usually own a Golden Tee.

Let me get this straight: early 90's exciting 2 player head to head game that caused a bunch of conversions yet kept money pumping into our now mostly gone and forgotten arcades for awhile = bad. Yet late 90's boring ass golf game that also caused a bunch of conversions which was played by every drunk douchebag in bars who wouldn't touch a videogame otherwise = good?

That wasn't a slam on Friz, it was just a Golden Tee rant I've had brewing. We now take you back to your regularly scheduled program.
 
the fact that it went back down to 10 selectible characters, with only two returning characters, didn't help either.

This. Street Fighter III: New Generation hasn't been back in a cab since I was able to aquire a different SF game.

Should have been called 'Street Fighter III: Who the Fuck are these People?'.
 
This. Street Fighter III: New Generation hasn't been back in a cab since I was able to aquire a different SF game.

Should have been called 'Street Fighter III: Who the Fuck are these People?'.

When I first played SFIII I thought maybe I had skipped a game, as I didn't recognize any of the characters.

The music was kind of off putting as well. It wasn't bad, just...not like SFII at all, and it didn't really fit the game imo.
 
Remember...it would be left-right, up-down and all diagonal variants plus (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) in this case. ;)

Fighters actually can be vary deep. Sure there is a simple button mashing element like there is with any game, but adding in moves, combos and overall strategy make playing against a person who knows what they are doing is very challenging. A lot of the strategy in fighting games is lost now that the arcades are mainly gone. Against a computer AI opponent, usually there is a single more or two that can be used reptitively to exploit the computer. Back in the heyday of fighting games, playing human opponent after human opponent who all had different strategies was fun to do and great to watch. You could pick up a lot of great strategy this way.

Fighters are great when you watch someone that knows a lot about them. Here is a tournament clip that really captures the intensity level around the game/competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSGW7CwD5GM

There is skill involved around fighters. I possess none of it though, lol although I don't resort to button mashing. ;)
 
They also have more depth than most of the games made back in the day.

Know what sucked ass when SFII first came out? Playing someone you never had before because you never knew what the hell was gonna happen. Know what totally kicked ass when SFII first came out? Playing someone you never had before because you never knew what the hell was gonna happen. Just like Les said.

At least FrizzleFried has been playing a lot of fighting games, even if he doesn't realize just how deep they are.

I've noticed a lot of the guys on this board who don't seem to have an appreciation for Street Fighter usually own a Golden Tee.

Let me get this straight: early 90's exciting 2 player head to head game that caused a bunch of conversions yet kept money pumping into our now mostly gone and forgotten arcades for awhile = bad. Yet late 90's boring ass golf game that also caused a bunch of conversions which was played by every drunk douchebag in bars who wouldn't touch a videogame otherwise = good?

That wasn't a slam on Friz, it was just a Golden Tee rant I've had brewing. We now take you back to your regularly scheduled program.

I can guarantee you that Golden Tee has helped to cause many many more brewtastic evenings than ANY fighter EVER has or will.

Beer > Aggression = Golden Tee FTW

Once a person grows up... Golden Tee seems much more attractive for a good time than some beat-em-up.

;)
 
I can guarantee you that Golden Tee has helped to cause many many more brewtastic evenings than ANY fighter EVER has or will.

Beer > Aggression = Golden Tee FTW

Once a person grows up... Golden Tee seems much more attractive for a good time than some beat-em-up.

;)

No, any time I see someone playing Golden Tee its some douchebag who doesn't know shit about gaming. In some strange, cruel twist of fate the average GT player doesn't know how to hang out with ladies either. Just overgrown frat clowns who like to impress each oher with the amount of schwag canned beer they can knock back. If that's what being a grown-up is all about, I'll continue being a happily married pot smoking 40 year old man child, you can hang with the beer pong playing never got over being frat dudes who can't figure out why "them fuckin' bitches don't dig me, maaaan" and get your Golden Tee on. "Woooohoooo, ftw!".

Dude, I'm theSTONEDgamer. What the fuck makes you think I would care what game is fun with beer?

Golden Tee is for dicks. Don't be a dick.

*Insert goofy smiley face here. But don't let your GT playin' pals see it, they'll think you're, like, totally gay, dude*
 
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No, any time I see someone playing Golden Tee its some douchebag who doesn't know shit about gaming. In some strange, cruel twist of fate the average GT player doesn't know how to hang out with ladies either. Just overgrown frat clowns who like to impress each oher with the amount of schwag canned beer they can knock back. If that's what being a grown-up is all about, I'll continue being a happily married pot smoking 40 year old man child, you can hang with the beer pong playing never got over being frat dudes who can't figure out why "them fuckin' bitches don't dig me, maaaan" and get your Golden Tee on. "Woooohoooo, ftw!".

Dude, I'm theSTONEDgamer. What the fuck makes you think I would care what game is fun with beer?

Golden Tee is for dicks. Don't be a dick.

*Insert goofy smiley face here. But don't let your GT playin' pals see it, they'll think you're, like, totally gay, dude*

Irony... even the game playing pot smoking 40-year old man children I know have no idea how to talk to the women-folk... except for the ones who are married.

:D

I don't do GT at bars... only at home... but I can tell you for 100% fact that much more fun has been had playing GT Fore and Silver Strike Bowling than Street Fighter (any) or KoF...
 
Don't bother with this argument. You're not going to convince the elderly of anything. Just let them babble about their golf games and donkey kong high scores and believe that is considered deep high stress competitive gaming. Even their cousins over in pinball know what's up.

So weren't we discussing something about the success and failure of sf3?
 
Don't bother with this argument. You're not going to convince the elderly of anything. Just let them babble about their golf games and donkey kong high scores and believe that is considered deep high stress competitive gaming. Even their cousins over in pinball know what's up.

So weren't we discussing something about the success and failure of sf3?

Hahaha... the elderly... hahaha...

That's great. I feel so decrepit now...

:D
 
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