Capcom Announces SFXT for Vita, Reality Show, Global SF Tournaments

A press release from Capcom, published in full by Joystiq, announced two new Capcom developments which both made me go WTF. First: Street Fighter X Tekken will be released for the Vita this autumn and will include 12 more playable characters than its PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 counterparts, and will include all of the platform-specific guest characters. Second: Capcom and IGN are working together to create, “the first ever fighting-game-centered internet reality show, completely LIVE.” They also announced 3^rd, not WTF, event, although pretty cool: a worldwide series of Street Fighter tournaments.

So in addition to Pac-Man, Mega Man, Cole, Toro, and Kuro, the Vita version of SFXT will have Blanka, Cody, Dudley, Elena, Guy and Sakura from Street Fighter, and Alisa Bosconovitch, Bryan Fury, Christie Monteiro, Jack, Lars Alexandersson and Lei Wulong from Tekken. No specific date was given for the release, but they did say to look for it this autumn.

Now, about this reality show… The full announcement reads as follows:

Additionally, Capcom is excited to be collaborating with iPlayWinner and Team Sp00ky to deliver the first ever fighting-game-centered internet reality show, completely LIVE. “Cross Assault” begins airing on February 22, 2012 and will feature 10 players (split between Team Street Fighter and Team Tekken) who compete for pride, fame and a grand prize of $25,000. Competing on Capcom’s next premier fighting game, Street Fighter X Tekken, players will receive strategic advice from the coaches and must work together as a team to find the most effective strategies to win team challenges, or risk elimination. Capcom is working closely with IGN to bring this innovative fighting game experience to fans everywhere. Tune in tohttp://www.ign.com/crossassault/ and… FIGHT!

You should note that the IGN link doesn’t work. So I don’t really know what is going on. It is either:

A. A MMA reality show where the 5 players on each team correspond to a character in the game and then they fight each other.

B. Something like Arena, except they only play Street Fighter.

C. Some disturbing cross between American Gladiator, Survivor, and Street Fighter.

I would love for it to be A, but it’s probably going to be B. I don’t have especially high hopes for this particular Capcom endeavor, but until they have more information on the format and the hosts, I’ll stay my judgment. I really hope it’s A, though.

Speaking of things like Arena, Capcom also wants to have a global series of tournaments throughout the year in celebration of the 25^th Anniversary of Street Fighter (are you feeling old?). The press release notes that there will be cash and prizes totaling over $500,000, and that the tournaments will feature Street Fighter X Tekken, as well as previous Street Fighter titles. There are no specifics on tournament structure or territories, yet, though Capcom says, “Soon.”

Street Fighter X Tekken is getting released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 6^th in North America (March 9^th in the EU), and for the PC on May 11^th (May 14^th). Somebody better get to making a video-game themed MMA reality show right now. I’m serious.