NORCAL REGIONALS RESULTS AND MY OPINION ON LIVE STREAM

Norcal Regionals is now over.  The matches were epic and it was a great show. Norcal Regionals is going to be even bigger next year thanks to the success of this year's event.

The Live Stream = S-Rank

A big shout-out goes to everybody who was involved in putting together and running the stream for this event.  I know that Haunts poured weeks of time and lots of heart into making this stream something special and it showed.  I'm speaking personally here but I have never seen a better live stream than this one, and I'm not just saying that because it was an IPlayWinner production.  I knew that Haunts and others were working soo hard on this stream for weeks and to see the result simply amazed me. 

Just check out the intro for the stream:

The overlays were really clean, easy to read, and looked great:

The cutaways between watching players to watching the matches was fantastic:

And the commentary was very entertaining! (Capcom's Seth Killian on left, Andry "Magus1234" Kane on right)

It was an amazing event filled with truly legendary players.

Here is a quick rundown of the results per game.  I hope those who watched the event enjoyed it as much as I did, and stay tuned to IplayWinner for more coverage of this and other events in the future.

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New Stage Speculation Weekend!

Because there usually isn't a whole lot going on over the weekend, I thought maybe we could have a little fun.  What's more fun than speculation? 

Here's the screenshot released by Capcom Japan.  It clearly is a new stage and is intentionally cut in half in order to a) not show you who Chun Li got focus attacked by and b) to not show more of the stage.

So what is the stage?

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Latest Japanese Official Super SF4 Blog Translation: Another New Stage and Something Big Coming Next Week! (Update: Stage is Metro City? See Bottom of Article)

Updated on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 6:37AM by FuriousRGD

The official Japanese Super Street Fighter 4 Blog has been updated once again.  This time there isn't a whole lot of information, but what's there is very, very exciting! 

The first is the (partial) reveal of yet another stage to compliment the new India stage revealed yesterday.  It's obviously a New York setting with a sky-scraper under construction and the Empire State Building in the background. Like the India stage, it looks flat out awesome!

The second piece of excitement is yet another announcement of an announcement.  The  image provided with the blog entry (see below for full sized version of the picture) is obviously cut in half and we can see a large-sweeping arc of a focus attack.  Also, read the text below this pic in the blog entry below. Is there any doubt it's a new character reveal? With that wide arc of a focus attack, does anybody care to speculate on which character it will be?  Is the "something really big" to announce possibly a clue? Let us know in the forums or in comments. We'd love to hear your guesses.

For now, here's the translation of the Blog entry. Once again, big thanks to Azrael for the translation!  The rest of the Blog translation is about the upcoming Japanese national tournament and the re-release of a Street Fighter art book. We've included it for completionist's sake. Enjoy!

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This Week's IPW Site Updates

For the last few weeks, Haunts has been busy on contributing to a big event you may have heard of: Norcal Nationals, which happens this weekend (21-22 November)!  Because of this, he has had a lot on his plate.  We have not slacked off, however.  In fact, behind the scenes, we are very hard at work trying to build guides and site features that will be helpful to players.

Every week we add match videos to the site.  Where do they go? Each character guide for Street Fighter 4 (and coming soon to other games) has a Matchup Notes and Videos section.  From here you can see videos broken down by specific matchups.  Let's say you are a Ryu player and you want to watch some videos of Ryu against Sagat. Instead of searching through YouTube you can come here, go to the Ryu Guide, click the "vs. Sagat" image in the Matchup Notes and Videos section, and you will find several videos of that matchup.  These videos aren't random scrubs either. They are videos featuring pro players or players who exhibit exceptional skill.

So keep an eye out each Friday for what we have added to the site. If you would like to contribute, you can give us an email at admin@iplaywinner.com, you can post in the IPW Forums, or you can use the handy submission form on the left-hand side of the site.

Now, onto the updates.

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The New Super Street Fighter 4 "India" Stage: Dhalsim's Wife?

It has been an exciting day for Super Street Fighter 4 fans! In the last 24 hours we now have not one but two new stages revealed.  The first of these stages is the India stage revealed yesterday evening in the G4 video.  What is shown above is simply a screen grap from that video (thanks to laudanum09).  If you want to see this stage in high quality action, watch the video here.  

Something very interesting has been brought up by Shoryu Reppa.  Shown below is the India stage from Street Fighter Alpha 2.  In the background you see Dhalsim's wife, Sari, cheering him on.  In the new stage, you clearly see a woman in the background standing a very similar way wearing a similar dress. Could that be Dhalsim's wife, once again present?

Source: Shoryuken Forums

(Click thumbnail above for larger image)

SUPER STREET FIGHTER 4: NEW "INDIA" STAGE REVEALED!

G4 Interviews CAPCOM's Seth Killian on Super Street Fighter 4. Not only is there footage of the new characters, but they also reveal one of the new stages! It looks like it's set in India with some highly detailed background models such as elephants draped with intricate looking tarps.

Thanks to Dragon316 once again for giving us the heads up on this one.

Video Game - E3 2009 - X-Play

King of Fighters XII "Ikari Team" Combo Tutorial

Bulletproof over at Neo Empire has put together another outstanding tutorial video for King of Fighters XII.  This video will demonstrate KOFXII combos with the Ikari team: Ralf, Leona and Clark. You will find combos for beginners and as well as for experts.

Source: Neo Empire

Tekken 6 PSP Goes Gold: Available Soon at Retail and PSN

   

Tekken 6 for PSP has gone gold (meaning it is completed and is ready for manufacture) and will be available in the coming weeks.  Soon enough you will be able to play Tekken 6 on the go. Here's a snippet from the press release:

Players can test their might in a variety of game modes such as Arcade, Story, Time Attack, Survival, and Gold Rush to collect in-game money, customization items and view character specific storylines. In addition to containing all 18 battle stages and 40 playable characters found in the home console version, Tekken 6 for the PSP will also support ad-hoc multiplayer battles across an additional four stages. Furthermore, players will have the ability to transfer ghost data allowing fights against opponents' characters even when not connected with them.

Tekken 6 for the PSP, rated “T” for Teen, will be available at retailers nationwide on Nov. 24, 2009 and through the PlayStation Network on Dec. 10, 2009 for $39.99.

Source: Namco

Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars Producer Shares Experience Implementing Wi-Fi Support for the Game

Ryota Niitsuma, producer on Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars for Capcom, has written a blog post for Capcom Unity about his experience trying to get Wi-Fi online support implemented for the game.  Here's a small slice of the post.

Because it will be against Nintendo's regulations and policies, I can't mention too many details, but basically, it's about matching those with good connection and the one that is not as good, determining transmission speed, and nailing down where it is the most appropriate to develop and implement the online battle mode while we figure out the development restrictions that we have.

Through a long testing process with extensive trial and error, we were able to make it happen, so it would be great if you could try and test it when the game is released.

If you would like to read more on Niitsuma-san's work to get wi-fi implemented into the game, follow the source link below.

Source: Capcom Unity

BIZARRE FIGHTING GAME FINDS #2

Have you ever had the feeling of "I wish I never had the internet"? I have that feeling almost everyday. The internet has ruined my innocence forever. 

This week on "Bizarre Fighting Game Finds" we dive into the world of uncomfortable combo videos and Street Fighter 2 hacks that just don't seem quite right.

Hope you enjoy!

                  The King Of....weird combo videos?                   

Have you ever watched something only to find yourself scratching your head afterward? This video definitely made me pull out a few hairs. The awful editing, the out of place music, and awkward pacing makes for a video that leaves you feeling dirty.

The Ballad of Koryu

If you've ever played a Street Fighter 2 hack named "Koryu" then you know what to expect. If you haven't, I recommend watching the video and tracking down a copy of the ROM ASAP. Imagine SF2 but flipped upside down and thrown into a blender filled with programming bugs and vomit. Set this all to JPOP and you have yourself a pretty bizarre video. 

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IPW Poll: What do you think of the new announcer for Super Street Fighter 4?

It is interesting to read the various opinions about the new announcer being created for Super Street Fighter 4. Some people like him but there's definitely some hate out there as well. This made us curious, so we would like to get your opinion on the new announcer. At the end of the week we will tally up the votes and hopefully get a sense of the players' general opinion. So, do you love him, hate him, or somewhere in between? Cast your vote!

For reference, the following 2 videos in the "New Gamespot Videos of New Super Street Fighter 4 Characters in Action" article on IPW allow you to clearly hear the new announcer's voice.

I will post the results over the weekend as well as any interesting comments on the topic from this thread, if any are worthy.

So register for our forums if you haven't already and cast your vote and leave your comments here!

Madcatz Marvel vs Capcom 2 Tournament Edition Stick Available Now

The Madcatz Marvel vs Capcom 2 TE sticks are finally available. It had identical features to the Street Fighter 4 TE sticks that were released earlier this year, but features Marvel vs Capcom 2 artwork and different colors for the stick's other components to compliment it.

It retails for $159.99 and you can find it at Gamestop.

Here's Gamestop's sales pitch from their website:

...the Tournament Edition FightStick uses arcade-quality components sourced by legendary Japanese arcade manufacturer, Sanwa Denshi. Featuring a Japanese-style ball-handled joystick, 30mm Action Buttons, and button placement matching the Vewlix arcade cabinet configuration, fighting fans will feel right at home. The D-Pad Control Switch and Dual-Turbo functionally add twin levels of turbo control to any of the Action Buttons, enhancing the arcade experience for both new and seasoned players. Complete with detailed touches such as screw-on rubber feet for solid surface play, unobtrusive placement of the Start and Select/Back Buttons, a locking mechanism preventing accidental activation of turbo settings for tournament play and authentic Marvel VS Capcom 2 artwork, the Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition represents the best possible choice for gamers and comic book fans alike.

Unboxing video by Scoooorn

Sources: Capcom Unity and Gamestop Online for TE feature description

Tekken 6 online patch rumored to be coming very soon: This week?

There are rumors going around that a patch for Tekken 6 to improve the game's online play is coming very soon.  One respected source on the Shoryuken forums has stated that it was scheduled for this week, although even he does not know when for sure Namco will release it.  The week is not over yet.

We will bring you news on the patch as soon as it arrives.

Source: Shoryuken

Sonic Hurricane's Bi-Weekly Combo Video: Ken

These combos are incredible to watch, as usual.  Head over to Sonic Hurricane's post about this video (use source link below) to get some idea of how they were pulled off. 

Would have been epic if they used the song from Good Morning, Mister Masters as the background for this vid.

Source: Sonic Hurricane

Seth Killian from Capcom demos Juri, Dee Jay, and T-Hawk to G4

Seth Killian from Capcom has been doing the rounds lately, showing off the first 3 confirmed new characters; Juri, T-Hawk, and Dee Jay.  Recently he did a preview of the characters with G4.  In the first video he, once again, gives us a rundown of each of the new characters. 

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Capcom Says More Character Announcements to be Made "Soonish"

Capcom's Christian Svensson has made a few interesting remarks on the Capcom Unity forums.  They are both related to the roster of characters for Super Street Fighter 4.  The most intriguing comment is the statement that a new announcement related to Super's characters is to be expected in the near future.

Here's what he posted on Capcom Unity: 

Is there any chance of a character poll for Super Street Fighter 4?

Sven: To set expectations the game is rather far along and one of the FIRST things we did was sort out what the roster would be. While we're happy to accept additional feedback for future titles (if they should exist at some point in the future), the ship has pretty much sailed for Super Street Fighter 4.

Ono said there will be about 8 new characters in SSF4, does this number include Dee Jay, T. Hawk and Juri or not?

Sven: You'll get a straight answer... but not today. :) Indeed, we are playing things a bit close to the vest and we will have more announcements soonish that shed more light.

Source: Capcom Unity Forums

Official Japanese Super Street Fighter 4 Developer Blog Translation: Replay Channel

Here is Azrael's translation of the 17 November posting on the Japanese official Super Street Fighter 4 Developer Blog.  This installment is about the replay channel.  It is an interesting read if you love replays as much as I do.  Thanks again to Azrael for the translation.

Hello everyone. This is Tsukamoto.
Continuing from where we left off next week, a closer look at the network modes! Well then, let's get right down to it with the Replay Channel.

First, tell us about how the Replay Channel came to be.

Shiozaki:
While we were making the PC version for SFIV, we thought "isn't there something we could do with the replays?" Our very first image was of producer Ono coming out of the bath in his bathrobe, with a drink on the rocks in one hand while he watched replays, like something out of a comic book (laughs). The basic idea there is that you wouldn't have to touch the controller. "A drink in one hand, petting a cat with the other", or for us, we'd be gathered around a heated table with some oranges. At any rate, we wanted to make it so that you could watch replays without having to press any buttons.

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Super Street Fighter 4 Character Videos with Seth Killian Commentary

Here are several Super Street Fighter 4 videos made by IGN.  Each video shows off a different new character: Dee Jay, T-Hawk, and Juri.  The videos show most of each character's moves, some of the strategy behind the character, supers and ultras, and other things.  If you want a good rundown of the playstyle of each of these new characters, these videos are good viewing.  Capcom's Seth Killian does the commentary for these vids.

Dee Jay

Click to read more ...

Capcom's Seth Killian interviewed by Playstation Blog: Sagat will get better in Super Street Fighter 4!

Sagat haters out there had better get ready to face the horror! According to Capcom's Seth Killian, Sagat will be even better in Super Street Fighter 4!

Watch the interview for this, some info on how Capcom is touching up stages, and confirmation of the return of combo trials. 

A lot of this is recap you probably already know, but those tidbits make watching it worth it.

Source: Playstation Blog

Norcal Regionals Next Weekend: Stay Tuned for IPW Coverage!

Presented by:

NAMCO | KS2 PRODUCTIONS | iPLAYWINNER | KINEDA

JOHN CHOI | JOEY "MR. WIZARD" CUELLAR | ALBERT CARMONA | JOE FLORES

NOVEMBER 21-22

| Street Fighter 4 | Tekken 6 | Marvel vs Capcom 2 | SF3: Third Strike |

| Capcom vs. SNK 2 | Super SF2 Turbo HD Remix|

Big Players in Attendance:

Stay Tuned for IPlayWinner Coverage!

http://www.norcalregionals.com

Update on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 11:22AM by FuriousRGD

In response to a reader comment on this article:

This event will be streamed, and it will be streamed right here on IPlayWinner!

The hype is coming, and we will bring the hype to you! Stay tuned!!