The HD overhaul of the iconic Street Fighter II is well on its way to becoming the highest grossing digital game ever, according to Capcom.
Since its release last month on Xbox Live and PlayStation network, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix has been downloaded 250,000 times. “HD Remix has shattered both one day and week one sales records and will most likely break 30 day sales records as well,” Capcom’s John Diamonon wrote on his blog. “It’s on its way to becoming the highest grossing digital title ever.”
The success of HD Remix caps off a string of success stories for downloadable revivals of Capcom’s classic franchises. Bionic Commando Rearmed raked in the digital dollars as well, selling 130,000 units in its first week on sale, while Mega Man 9 also made a big dent upon release.
Diamonon went on to thank the multiple teams involved in the creation of the game. “It would be idiotic and quite frankly, irresponsible to attribute the success of this game to just one person,” he wrote. “That’s like saying Boxer has better kicks than Chun-Li, it just ain’t true…HD Remix was a labor of love for everyone involved.”
It’s nice to see labors of love rewarded, especially when they’re in the tubes for as long as HD Remix was, and even moreso when they almost get canceled because their art wasn’t good enough. So whether it’s nostalgia for the halcyon days of arcade gaming, brewing anticipation for Street Fighter IV or something else, there seems to be little doubt that the Street Fighter franchise still has plenty of appeal for gamers.
As Capcom sees it, credit for that goes to the hardcore community, who still hold tournaments and argue tactics after a decade-and-a-half of playing the same damn game, and who are probably ceaselessly dissecting the intricacies of this newest version at this very moment. “I want to give a big shout out to the hardcore Street Fighter communty…who kept this game relevant for the past 15 years and spread the word to the entire gaming industry that Street Fighter is still the best around!” Diamonon said.
(Down, right, Fierce – like a Hadoken, get it? Heh.)
Published: Dec 18, 2008 09:00 pm