14 DAY TRIAL // Street Fighter IV should be one of the most important early releases of 2009. Capcom has already set the game up in arcades in Japan, where it is playable since summer, and there are probably some machines available in the United States. But most players will see the game when it is launched for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 on February 17, 2009. A PC version of the fighting game is also set to arrive later in the year.
The initial box art featured Chun Li, the protagonist of a Street Fighter movie, also supposed to arrive in 2009. But fans of the series provided feedback to Capcom and persuaded the company to ditch that cover and replace it with one focusing on series stalwarts Ken and Ryu.
The publisher has also announced that the game is set to receive a special Collector's Edition that should cost 80 dollars and feature a lot of extra stuff. PlayStation 3 owners will get a limited edition figurine of Ryu, with Xbox 360 purchasers getting a figurine of C. Viper and both can enjoy a 65 minute animated movie called The Ties That Bind that is supposed to tell players the story of the series as it happened after the events of Street Fighter II.
In the package, there are also a soundtrack CD, a Prima strategy guide and a token that can be used to download a piece of DLC Capcom is not talking about, rumored to be a collection of five new costumes.
Street Fighter IV comes on the heels of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, which has sold so well that it has established new records for an Xbox Live and PlayStation Network game. Capcom is surely hoping for similar results for Street Fighter IV.