Wait, What? Capcom Won’t Screw Us Over With ‘Street Fighter V’ Re-releases?

Remember Ebeneezer Scrooge? He was all kinds of asshole, until his visit from those three ghost buddies of his. All it took was a quick pep talk (‘Hey, Eb, maybe you shouldn't, y'know, be such a bastard all the time') and he changed his ways and let the poor little urchins of England in for Christmas dinner. Or something.

My question, then: how many ghostly visions did it take for Capcom to stop their own cash-grabbery?

If you're a follower of all things gametastic, you'll know that these guys get a bad rap. What with their umpteen re-releases, quick HD remasters and endless Super, Hyper and Ultra editions of Street Fighter and all. But nuts to all of that. That is no longer the Capcom way. Apparently.

Yup, the times they are a-changin'. At EVO 15, a Q&A panel for the upcoming Street Fighter V showed that a very different model is in place. It's to be a 'constantly evolving fighting platform,' quoth Kotaku, which translates roughly to a less cash-hungry game. Which, anyone who's paid out of their butts for costume packs just to get Vega in his flowery pink grandma's outfit (guilty) knows, is a relief.

This ‘evolving' business just means a one-time disk release, busting out regular updates. Mechanics-based ones will be free, while those adding new modes and characters can be acquired through in-game currency. Two different kinds of which.

Fight Money is earned by playing, and can be used to purchase certain content. Other kinds can only be acquired with Zenny, which costs your actual real-life dollars to get. Presumably the latter is the useless-yet-tempting cosmetic stuff; the Call of Duty weapon skins and --obviously-- costumes. But hey, it's a step in the right direction. At least everyone will be able to play together without having to buy the latest Arcade Edition of the game like last time around.

And if each completed transaction using Fight Money sets off a soundbite of Balrog's death cry from the last game (MY FIGHT MONEEEEEEEY!), I'll be a very happy man.