Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade PC DRM unveiled

Capcom has revealed more on the fighting game's PC edition, including the new lag-busting tech, system requirements and, unfortunately, some absurd DRM which disables features and reduces the character roster if you're not online.

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Capcom has shed a little more light on the PC version of Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition in a blog post from senior VP Christian Svensson. Topics covered include special PC features, the system requirements, and, an unpleasant "security" system which disables features and reduces the character if you're not online and signed into Games for Windows Live.

Saying that Street Fighter IV was "plagued by pirates and hackers that messed up leaderboards," Svensson unveiled Capcom's somewhat reactionary solution. "If you aren't signed in to an online GFWL profile, the offline mode has limited functionality," he explained.

"Obviously there's no online play, access to replay channels or other online-centric features (and this is the part that keeps the online play secure from hackers or pirates). Additionally, you won't be able to save any progress in challenges or settings, won't have access to any DLC you've purchased and all local play will be restricted to 15 of the 39 characters."

"If you happen to temporarily lose your connection in the middle of your session (let's say you're working on combos in the training room or working on challenges), no problem. You'll be able to keep doing what you're doing until you come to a logical break point, like exiting to a menu, at which point you'll be asked to sign back in," he said. "Assuming your PC is back online, everything will continue as it should, just like on Xbox 360." And if not, well, you have a problem.

While this is not quite as bad as Ubisoft's uPlay PC DRM was when first introduced--the publisher later cut back the requirement to always be online--it's still a bit of a kick in the teeth.

You're also in trouble if you live in a country not yet supported by Games for Windows Live. "Unless you have or can get a Games for Windows Live account and you don't live in one of the supported countries, unfortunately we don't have a good solution for you today," Svensson explained.

On the bright side, there's no installation limit, and "you can install it a zillion times" as long as you log into the associated GFWL account.

Onto cheerier matters, Svensson revealed that a player's system performance will be taken into consideration for matchmaking. Playing Street Fighter IV online against a player whose game ran slowly would affect your game too, messing with your timing. SSFIV Arcade will attempt to match those with good performance against each other, to side-step the problem.

There's also a new setting which governs how the game handles slow performance online. As well as the old SSFIV method of playing every last frame, slowing the game down, players will be able to choose a mode which drops frames to "to keep the gameplay speed and inputs consistent," and another that's a hybrid of the two.

The system requirements were also revealed:

Minimum Requirements:

  • OS: Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7

  • Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz and up

  • Memory: 1 GB RAM

  • Graphics: DirectX 9.0c/Shader3.0 and up supported (operation on-board is not guaranteed)

  • Video: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 and up (except for NVIDIA GeForce 7300), VRAM: 256MB and up (operation sharing with main memory is not guaranteed) or ATI Radeon X1600 and up VRAM: 256MB and up.

  • Hard Drive: 4.5 GB free hard drive space

  • Sound: DirectSound, DirectX9.0c Compatible Audio

  • Other Requirements: Online play requires software installation of and log-in to Games For Windows - LIVE

Recommended Hardware:

  • OS: Windows Vista/Windows 7

  • Processor: Intel Core2 Duo 2.0 GHz and up

  • Memory: 2 GB RAM

  • Graphics: DirectX 9.0c/Shader3.0 and up supported (operation on-board is not guaranteed)

  • Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 and up, VRAM: 512MB and up (operation sharing with main memory is not guaranteed)

  • Hard Drive: 4.5 GB free hard drive space

  • Sound: DirectSound, DirectX9.0c Compatible Audio

Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition is due to be released for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in July, priced at $39.99 on all platforms. The PC edition should launch "within a week or so of the console retail release," according to Svensson.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    May 26, 2011 8:15 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade PC DRM unveiled.

    Capcom has revealed more on the fighting game's PC edition, including the new lag-busting tech, system requirements and, unfortunately, some absurd DRM which disables features and reduces the character roster if you're not online.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 8:18 AM

      It's not like it is surprising from Capcom, but it is disappointing. Especially as the pirates will have a better game in about a week to play than the consumers do.

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 8:33 AM

        It is disappointing, but it's expected after what Svensson's said about his displeasure with the DRM in SF4.

        I hope this doesn't affect using custom skins.

        • reply
          May 26, 2011 12:35 PM

          People are disappointed about the DRM and how they can play their games and you are concerned about custom skins??? :)

          It is indeed disappointing, when I read that, it is enough to make me not want to buy the game, and no, I wont even pirate it just to prove the point.

          DRM just doesnt work most of the time anyway. If you make great games, then people will buy as long as its not riddled with crappy DRM stuff. The Witcher 2 (GOG version) prove this.

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 8:34 AM

        Barring GFWL I don't see how pirate version could be nicer.

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 8:41 AM

        well, after you buy it, just crack it. That way your game is fully functional. JUST LIKE THE PIRATES!

        • reply
          May 26, 2011 9:20 AM

          Seriously, when are these morons behind these stupid DRM schemes going to realize that LEGIT customers just crack the fucking game anyways.

          • reply
            May 26, 2011 10:23 AM

            A lot of legit customers don't crack their games, and are just screwed.

        • reply
          May 26, 2011 2:00 PM

          [deleted]

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 12:44 PM

        I had no idea Capcom was going full Ubi on this thing. Paying customers getting fucked once again.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 9:05 AM

      For me its not a deal breaker, but its also no longer a day-one purchase. Might just wait for a Steam sale.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 9:33 AM

      It's like they don't want us to buy it just so they can say "see? see? PC gamers are pirates!"

      And these are the kind of idiots that are the big kahunas of the PCGA?. Ha!.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 9:45 AM

      Well, it seems that Capcom managed to get aboard the fail boat, just as Ubisoft was getting off.

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 1:06 PM

        Source on Ubisoft getting off?

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 10:06 AM

      Leaderboards are screwed up EVERYWHERE, this isn't a PC-only problem. I bought Sonic 4 for 360 and people had used hacked saves to unlock everything which put them at the top of the leaderboards with stuff like 10 second completion times for time attack levels. Kinda makes me agree with MS for banning Live accounts of users with unauthorized memory cards; sure, you can overlook those people with the obviously hacked times but it takes away from the fun.

      Anyways, it'll be cracked.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 10:23 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 11:23 AM

      Fuck these guys. They should have stuck with It's not coming to the PC.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 11:27 AM

      Since 2009 I'm playing SFIV online 98% of the time, online is where it's at. No problem for me.

      Cant wait for AE on PC, i'm preordering it soon.

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 11:34 AM

        Is there still a solid number of people playing SF 4 on PC?

        • reply
          May 26, 2011 12:59 PM

          Yes and no. Many left since Super released on consoles, but theres a crowd still stuck on vanilla.

          According to the latest GFWL activity report on MajorNelson, SFIV PC is the 5th most played game online.

          http://majornelson.com/2011/05/25/live-activity-for-week-of-may-16/

          Wait for AE and buy it, there will be plenty of people to play, for sure.

          • reply
            May 26, 2011 1:48 PM

            I had no idea major nelson listed GFWL games. Fallout 3 is surprisingly high on that list.

            Yeah definitely going to pick up AE on launch, DRM or no DRM

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 11:59 AM

      Oh seriously, just go fuck yourself, Capcom - All you do is make people like me that buy all my games want to pirate it out of spite.

      How have they not realised that DRM doesn't help, it just pisses everyone off. Also, obligatory GFWL is terrible comment inserted round about here.

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 12:09 PM

        Guess they didn't see any of the backlash from UBI's always online DRM.
        They must have felt they had to do something after SF4 piracy rates that year, but they don't realize this sort of DRM only hurts customers. Once pirates crack it they'll be good, and legit customers with crappy internet connections will be flooding their support channels.

        If it was not a game I'd be playing online anyway, I would not buy it after this.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 1:28 PM

      Nice, so if some idiots take down Live like they did to PSN I can't even play proper offline with my buds.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 1:58 PM

      [deleted]

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 2:30 PM

        I'm actually hoping to unlock the CPU versions of boss characters to play them locally.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 2:27 PM

      Oh no, my always-on internet connection is required for a game in which the primary draw is the online play! Whatever shall I do?!?!?

      • reply
        May 27, 2011 6:45 AM

        exactly the same thing you would have done anyway while the pirates continue to pirate and the people it annoys continue to be annoyed and the company continues to pay big bucks for anti-piracy measures that continue to piss me off enough not to buy the game.

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 4:55 PM

      Doing the right thing is hardly ever the easiest thing but when it is, it's awesome re: Netflix vs. Torrents bandwidth usage

    • reply
      May 26, 2011 11:04 PM

      It's upsetting that when Capcom's programmers are putting out such BRILLIANT ports on the PC there are complete and utter fuckwits ruining their work by strapping ludicrous DRM measures to it.

      Those responsible should never work in the industry again, they're the ones doing it the most harm.

      • reply
        May 26, 2011 11:08 PM

        I wouldn't even call it a port. The SFIV arcade machines are PCs with intel CPUs (usually a core2duo) and a nvidia or ATI GPU running a special embedded version of windows.

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      May 27, 2011 5:00 AM

      I dunno, it's not like it's that big a deal. I can't remember the last time i played sf4 without an internet connection being present.

      They're already discussing limiting it to checking in once a month and abolishing the drm after a crack has been released on the capcom forums, so nothing has been finalized yet, i think they just wanted to test the waters and realized the waters were bitter indeed :P

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