Top Tier Gaming posted a video in which they spend some time with Mad Catz’s Mark “Markman” Julio. An interesting video to watch as we get to hear about some of the smaller details of the new sticks such as the Fight Stick V.S.’s larger compartment for the cord and its translucent black body. Check it out below.

The previously announced FightStick: SOUL Edition from Madcatz is now hitting the streets. If you aren’t familiar already I’ve included some pics. If you have been waiting, now is the time to head over to the Gameshark Store to grab one.

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) announced today the shipping of the SOULCALIBUR™V Arcade FightStick Soul Edition, a Tournament Edition fighting game controller designed for use with the upcoming SOULCALIBUR V videogame from Namco Bandai Games Inc®. The Soul Edition FightStick features the Namco® Noir button and stick layout along with custom artwork and is expected to be released for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system from Sony®.
“We are pleased to be working with Namco Bandai Games and supporting the launch of SOULCALIBUR V with our portfolio of fighting game controllers,” said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. “As market leader in the FightStick sector, it is important we partner with the leading fighting game franchises and continue our long-term strategy of supporting the product category and community by delivering specialty products for the passionate consumer.”
Additional information available at: www.madcatz.com/soulcalibur
About Mad Catz
Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) is a global provider of innovative interactive entertainment products marketed primarily under its Mad Catz® (casual gaming), Cyborg™ (pro gaming), Tritton® (gaming audio), Saitek® (simulation), and Eclipse™ (home and office) brands. Mad Catz also develops flight simulation software through its internal ThunderHawk Studios™; operates flight simulation centers under its Saitek brand; operates a videogame content website under its GameShark® brand; publishes games under its Mad Catz brand; and distributes games and videogame products for third parties. Mad Catz distributes its products through most leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information please go to www.madcatz.com.
Social Media
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MadCatzInc
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MadCatzInc
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/MadCatzCompany
Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Company’s business prospects that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information or future events or developments. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “goal,” “believe,” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: the ability to maintain or renew the Company’s licenses; competitive developments affecting the Company’s current products; first party price reductions; the ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; or a downturn in the market or industry. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators.
SOULCALIBUR™ V & © 2011 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.
This product is manufactured under license from Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft, Kinect, Xbox, Xbox LIVE, Xbox 360, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
PlayStation is registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:
Mad Catz Communications:
Alex Verrey, +44 (0) 1908 336 538
Global PR and Communications Manager
averrey@madcatz.com
Investor Relations:
Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated
Joseph Jaffoni, Norberto Aja, Jim Leahy
+1-212-835-8500
mcz@jcir.com

Mad Catz just dropped some serious news if you are fan of arcade sticks. At CES they announced that they will be releasing several new products based on Street Fighter X Tekken. This included new smaller than previous Fight Pads, New Fight Stick Pros and an all new product, the Fight Stick V.S.

The V.S. would be the most interesting of the new products as it allows you to buy a connector kit and combine two sticks to better simulate a real arcade machine.

Ours hats go off to Mad Catz as they continue to innovate when it comes to arcade sticks.

Below you will find pics, video and the press release.

Press Release

Mad Catz® Announce New Range of Street Fighter® X Tekken® Fighting Game Controllers
New FightStick V.S. is First to Allow for Single or Dual Play Tournament Configuration

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 10, 2012– Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) announced today a new range of Street Fighter® X Tekken® fighting game controllers, due for release to coincide with the upcoming Street Fighter X Tekken videogame from Capcom® expected to launch on March 6, 2012 on consoles.

Due for release on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the new range of fighting game controllers includes the Street Fighter X Tekken FightPad SD, the Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick PRO and the flagship Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick V.S.

“We are excited to support the Street Fighter® and Tekken® franchises with our new range of fighting game controllers,” said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. “Our new V.S. FightStick and FightPad demonstrate our ability to continue innovating in this category and we believe that the fighting game community will react enthusiastically to our new product designs.”

The Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick V.S. features genuine Sanwa Denshi™ arcade components. The unique chassis allows gamers to join two sticks together via the Arcade FightStick V.S. Connector Kit (sold separately) for a highly realistic arcade presentation.

The Street Fighter X Tekken FightPad SD features a 15% smaller chassis than previous FightPad designs, inspired by the gaming preferences of legendary Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono.

Additional information is available at http://www.madcatz.com/SFXTekken.

About Mad Catz

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) is a global provider of innovative interactive entertainment products marketed primarily under its Mad Catz® (casual gaming), Cyborg™ (pro gaming), Tritton® (gaming audio), Saitek® (simulation), and Eclipse™ (home and office) brands. Mad Catz also develops flight simulation software through its internal ThunderHawk Studios™; operates flight simulation centers under its Saitek brand; operates a videogame content website under its GameShark® brand; publishes games under its Mad Catz brand; and distributes games and videogame products for third parties. Mad Catz distributes its products through most leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information please go to http://www.madcatz.com.

About CAPCOM

Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Mega Man® and Devil May Cry®. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at http://www.capcom.com or http://www.capcom-unity.com.

Social Media

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MadCatzInc

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MadCatzInc

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/MadCatzCompany

Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. Capcom, Devil May Cry, Mega Man and Resident Evil are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd.

This product is manufactured under license from Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft, Kinect, Xbox, Xbox LIVE, Xbox 360, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Safe Harbor

This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Company’s business prospects that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information or future events or developments. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “goal,” “believe,” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: the ability to maintain or renew the Company’s licenses; competitive developments affecting the Company’s current products; first party price reductions; the ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; or a downturn in the market or industry. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators.

Source: Mad Catz Interactive, Inc.

Mad Catz Communications:
Alex Verrey, +44 (0) 1908 336 538
Global PR and Communications Manager
averrey@madcatz.com
or
Investor Relations:
Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated
Joseph Jaffoni, Norberto Aja, Jim Leahy
+1-212-835-8500
mcz@jcir.com

The arcade stick game is heating up. Mad Catz was the main player in town when it came to the licensed sticks but Hori just grabbed a big one, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. The stick is based on their HRAP.V line. I’m a firm believer that compitition makes things better for the consumer so I’m all for it.

Well i said I’d be showing you the pic of the Soulcalibur V Arcade FightStick Soul Edition as soon as I could. Well here’s the first shot.

#

Pretty sick right?

This design was done by b15sdm. It is a custom made stick with a Hugo theme. The detail on this thing is amazing! Check the chain links for instance. If you are impressed with it, head over to b15sdm Designs. They offer a bunch of arcade related services.

Madcatz is making moves when it comes to the Fight Sticks. Not content with just having Capcom licenses, they are now about to put out a few Namco branded ones as well. We recently heard about a new Tekken stick. How bout a Soulcalibur one? That’s right check the press release below.

SAN DIEGO, Oct 25, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Namco Bandai Games Inc, to produce the SOULCALIBUR(TM) V Arcade FightStick Soul Edition, a Tournament Edition fighting game controller for use with the upcoming SOULCALIBUR V videogame. The agreement gives Mad Catz worldwide rights to ship products for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoftand for the PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system from Sony(R).

“The FightStick product category continues to perform well for us globally and the addition of the popular SOULCALIBUR franchise leverages both our brand and market leadership.” said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. “Leveraging licenses on a global basis is part of our long term growth strategy to build our worldwide business.”

About Mad Catz

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) is a global provider of innovative interactive entertainment products marketed primarily under its Mad Catz(R) (casual gaming), Cyborg(TM) (pro gaming), Tritton(R) (gaming audio), Saitek(R) (simulation), and Eclipse(TM) (home and office) brands. Mad Catz also develops flight simulation software through its internal ThunderHawk Studios(TM); operates flight simulation centers under its Saitek brand; operates a videogame content website under its GameShark(R) brand; publishes games under its Mad Catz brand; and distributes games and videogame products for third parties. Mad Catz distributes its products through most leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information please go to www.madcatz.com.

Social Media

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MadCatzInc
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MadCatzInc
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/MadCatzCompany

Here’s some other notes about the stick from Markman

* Tago-san, the producer for SOULCALIBUR V told us at E3 2011 that he wanted a stick similar to the SSFIV Chun-Li Tournament Edition FightStick. We agreed to make something similar; but to make changes/improvements that cater to the fighting game fan and of course the SOULCALIBUR fan
* That being said, the SOUL Edition has a translucent body all around with the artwork of the Soul Edge and Soul Calibur swords tying into the case design
* The FightStick has a new button layout and has a button mapping that is unique to SOULCALIBUR. The new button layout and stick placement is following the NAMCO NOIR arcade panel layout; this layout is most reminiscent of the classic SEGA Astro City layout
* The bezel on the SOUL Edition FightStick is what we call the “EDGE” bezel; which helps give it more of a SOULCALIBUR look & feel
* The SOUL Edition uses 6 stainless steel screws; we’ve listened to your feedback and have noted that rusty screws are not appealing

So look forward to seeing some pictures of this new stick as soon as we get them!

UPDATE: Found this picture below on SD Tekken which shows a little bit of the stick. You can get a glimpse of the “edge” bezel.

I recently had the chance to do a little Q and A with Focus Attack’s owner/founder Jaleel Beck. If you don’t know already, Focus Attack is an online store completely dedicated to the Fighting Game Community. Check it out below and then head over to Focus Attack and pick yourself up a few items.

Tell us where the idea for Focus Attack came from and what are your main goals with the site.

Good question. Like most people these days, I was looking to earn a little bit of extra spending money while currently employed. Before this, I was selling Ralph Lauren shirts on ebay. It was very profitable to say the least, but you can imagine those finely tailored suits at Ralph Lauren didn’t like the idea. The business was shelved by eBay, and I learned some valuable lessons since then. If I was to create another business, I’d create a legitimate one.

Focusattack.com was borne out a desire to build a business based on something I knew, or thought I knew: fighting games. It was from this venture that some additional hard-knocks were offered and accepted. When I started Focusattack.com two years ago, the goal was to become one of the biggest sources for imported fighting game merchandise. This included posters, manga and art books, figures, statues, and plenty of colorful nick-knacks this side of Akihabara. It was a grand vision for someone with 20/100 eyesight and glasses thick as a Harry Potter book. Starting this business was a lot like playing offline. You *think* that you’re hot sh*t, until you head online and are swiftly thrashed by a Daigo Umehara or Justin Wong. I haven’t played them yet…I think my BP doesn’t meet the minimum height requirements.

It was then that the goals – and subsequently the business plans – changed. Sales at the original Focusattack began on eBay, but didn’t pick up until I started offering MadCatz TE joysticks worldwide. Upon that revelation, I gradually ventured into the fighting game community to better understand what kind of people besides myself played these games. A valuable lesson learned since then was that core players aren’t necessarily interested in the storied history, appearance or even fan-appeal of the characters they played. It was how well they competed with those characters; how well they won with those characters. It was here that I learned about frame data and why it was so critical. I’d head out to tournaments and watch young men and women play footsies and cancel moves into others that I didn’t think were possible to cancel. They knew the game, and were there to win. The only place where a character was displaying was on their joystick. Their joystick served as both badge and tool of the trade. It was highly customized in the same manner that car enthusiasts trick out their rides.

From there, I decided to learn out more about the fighting game community, and to offer a means for players to get creative with their joysticks. My BP is still laughable, but since offering arcade parts and good customer service, I’ve gained a little respect. No, Daigo and Justin still won’t return my calls.

Focus Attack seems to be a site that serves two types of Street Fighter fans. you have the products such as the Magna and Artbooks for the fans of the characters and you have the equipment for the hardcore player. Do you plan on continuing to serve both groups or do you see it leaning towards one or the other?

Over time, I learned that fighting gamers are a unique group of people. They are often young, resourceful, confident to a fault, and…did I say resourceful? It was one thing to know that core players are more interested in improving their Chun-Li game as opposed to loving Chun-Li’s thighs, but they also know where to shop. Amazon sells anything – from books to bathwater. You can get it there, and you can get it cheap. All sorts of fighting game merchandise is showing up on Amazon, much less the games and widely available joysticks such as the HRAP or TE. It’s safe to say that if Amazon itself started selling individual joystick parts, I’d be out of business. Eventually some widely-available fan-appeal merchandise will be phased out and I’ll concentrate on unique, easier-to-install items to build a better joystick. However, I’ll note that original items, such as the sick line of character pins and t-shirts designed by SINIX (@sinix077 on Twitter), plus other community-designed items will remain a part of Focusattack.com. It’s these great fan-made items that I hope to offer more in the future.

Lets talk products. Focus Attack offered a lot of cool stuff for joystick modders. tell me about some of the newer stuff that you are going to be pushing such as parts for custom LED modding.

Sure thing. One aspect of the modding community that I’m slowing learning is that soldering has almost become a requirement in some projects. If you wanted to get some sweet lighting effects for your buttons, you had to weild a soldering iron like you handle a fork. For a while, you either know how to do it, or you learned how it’s done. It’s a worthwhile skill to make the most of your joystick config, but some don’t have the time or inclination to learn it. I wanted to release products that made it easier to install effects like LED lighting, so I teamed up with Paradise Arcade (thank you 32teeth!) and with their help launched a pre-wired version of their Uila series button LEDs. These button LEDs are built with a wiring harness that connects to the Sparky PWM LED controller or FGWidget. The Uila S-Flash has a unique mix of both RGB and white LEDs that can be lit independently. No other LED PCB does this. The Uila S and Uila Budget are also pre-wired, and competitively priced, giving you the best bang for your buck when adding LEDs.

Speaking of the Sparky, Paradise Arcade worked with Eugene Andruszczenko (SRK’s 32Teeth) to develop a compacted version of his high-quality Sparky PWM LED controller. This is a great addition to the Uila-Series LEDs and its software and manually programmable interface creates fantastic color effects. The Sparky PWM will come with a specially made wiring harness for an easy install. We are releasing this controllerthis month, and priced similar to 32Teeth’s version.

For LED balltops, we are releasing both normal and extended hollow steel joystick shafts for the Sanwa JLF and Seimitsu joysticks, courtesy of Paradise Arcade. Those will also launch this month.

On target for that same week are wiring harnesses with insulated .110 quick-disconnects. These will come in 8 colors, and you can buy them in pairs of a specific color or all 8 colors in a pack of 16. This should make PCB to button wiring projects very easy to perform and organize.

While I mentioned most products for the following 2 weeks, I don’t want to leave out some great parts we’re offering for joystick and button modders in October. Joystick and button microswitches can sometimes need swapping, as opposed to the entire joystick. Starting Monday October 3rd, you’ll find several new replacement parts. For example, you can now buy the TP-MA PCB for Sanwa JLF, GT-8F square gate, MS-0-2P microswitches for the JLF, SW-68 button microswitches, plus JLF-SF springs. On the Seimitsu side, you can now get the LS-32-01 spring, PS-14-D microswitch (fits PS-14-K snap-in buttons) and PS-14-G switch. This fits the PS-14-KN screwbutton. Last but not least, we’ll start carrying quick-disconnects (QDC) at .110, .187 and .250 sizes. Sanwa snap-together QDC insulation clips are also coming.

QanBa has been our official fully-constructed joystick product, and for good reason. The Q4RAF is a 3-in-1 joystick that supports the major consoles + PC, contains official Sanwa parts, a great Hori-VLX inspired design, and a low price of $150. We anticipate restocks as soon as we can get them, plus carrying some of the color variations. Mind you, we’re still a growing company, so we have to acquire product variations for these joysticks when financially possible. These move fast enough to sell out pre-orders before they arrive, so we’ll continue to carry them. We also plan to carry the Qanba color joystick shafts and dustwashers, giving you even more ways to customize your stick.

We’re also talking with FoeHammer, maker of professional-quality wood joystick cases, and will start distributing those later this year. Doug Johnson, the designer behind these top-quality cases, is working on an exclusive Focus Attack case that we’re very excited about.

Sanwa OBSC-30 buttons are also on our targeted lists for November or sooner. We plan to offer both translucent, plus clear rim and color plunger buttons. Some other arcade parts stores are offering their stash of the translucent buttons, which is fine. We’ll have them, too.

Finally, we aiming to become one of the biggest distributor of Akishop’s upcoming do-it-all PCB, the PS360+. This PCB is compatible with the two major consoles, but now adds other consoles via a software-upgradable interface and RJ45 + USB cable-based output. We now know that the first additional consoles that are supported are the PSOne and PS2, and will use an RJ45 to PS2 cable. We are working to provide players with the cables as well. This project has been in the works for several months, and I’m with everyone who is patiently awaiting more details and a release date. Akishop has been keeping a tight lip on both, but promises us that we’ll have enough in stock to meet pre-order and release demand. We expect those to move fast.

Seems like a person can not turn around without running into a event that has been sponsored by Focus Attack. Can you talk a little about how Focus Attack is involved with the community now and how it will be going into the future?

Right now, Focusattack.com mostly partakes in tournament sponsorships such as Seasons Beatings, NEC, Shadowloo Showdown. We’re also sponsoring Team Dominion Gaming Method as members such as PR Balrog, Dr. Chaos, Inthul, BurnYourBra, and Kor as they take some of the top spots at many tournaments including EVO.

Mind you, we try to help with as many tournaments as feasible, but those can get expensive, so we’re potentially looking for new ways to support the community. For one thing, I’m considering a way to assist prominent joystick builders that venture to tournaments and offer their services. A tight-knit community of builders and modders already make up SRK’s Tech Talk community and really help out their colleagues. I’d just like to be a part of it.

One thing we’re big on are contests. There aren’t many arcade retailers that offer contests to win new stuff, and we love giving things away when it becomes available. The last contest we ran offered a MadCatz TE joystick, Uila button LEDs, Sparky Jr LED Controller, Seimitsu buttons & bubbletop, and an Akishop PS360 PCB. Before that, we offered two Qanba Q4RAF joysticks. People love the chance to win prizes. We’re sure to have another one (Hint: Darkstalkers)

Lastly, while it is obvious Focus Attack is on the move. Where do you see the company 5 years from now?

I’ll need to be totally honest with my answer here. Like any company, its future is potentially uncertain. Focusattack is still a very small company. I’ve kept another job while managing the store because in these times and competition with other arcade retailers, one can’t guarantee success. If players wonder why my XBL or PSN gamerscore is so low, it’s because between FA and the job there’s very little time to play. That said however, I believe that FA has tried to offer great customer service and fast turnaround. Many of the questions that customers ask are personally answered by me, and I always try to respond within 24 hours. If something is broken, missing or otherwise mixed up, we do our best to address it quickly. Customer satisfaction is our highest priority. You’ll see that in our reply messages, but it’s true. I think that quality has helped us stand out.

A few weeks ago, we ran a contest that asked players to suggest additional joystick-building products that we should carry at Focusattack.com. The suggestions we received, such as blank cases, plexis, specific wiring and electrical components, tools and so forth are being compiled into a plan, and we’re already following up on many of the top requests. We hope to continue with many of those suggestions, and will likely launch another contest. With some luck and a few more hard-knocks from the fighting game community, Focusattack.com will be around for a few more years. Who knows, even my BP might rise above “Free” status.

Thanks again to Jaleel Beck for his time.

So we have been hearing that Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition was getting some DLC. Many have speculated but no one was quite sure what would be coming. Well today Capcom’s Derek Neal broke it down for us.

First off, “Color Pack 1” will be launching next week, on September 6th/7th. The price for this is $2.99, and buying this one pack will add 7 new colors for each character! The colors are available in pretty much all modes, but can’t be seen by people who haven’t purchased the DLC. (Also, we weren’t able to save the color palettes in replay files, so please be aware of that.)

In addition to “Color Pack 1” (and future color packs), we’re proud to announce several other DLC offerings today, which should be showing up in the next month or so.

The first of those announcements is: a set of Music Packs(!), which add new songs. Specifically, they add…all the character themes from the first two Street Fighter IIIgames, “New Generation” and “Second Impact”! But wait, there’s more. In addition to the Unlock Keys, Color Packs, and Music Packs, we’re also going to be offering Match Packs.

As some of you may know, we held a semi-secret tournament at the CAPCOM offices earlier this year, and called it Fight For the Future, 2011. We invited 16 high level SF3 players from all around the world to participate, including 4 from Japan. With these Match Packs, we are now going to bring that tournament straight to you, in the comfort of your living room. Each pack comes stocked with over an hour worth of content, and every single match is accompanied by professional commentary, recorded by the one and only: James Chen! Finally, there will be two of these Match Packs. One will cover the entire Tournament Top 8, while the other is a “best bouts” pack stocked with all the hypest matches from the event. Look forward to it later this year!

So what are my thoughts on this? Well, we knew we weren’t going to get new characters or anything like that but I can’t help but to feel it comes a little weak. One thing I would have liked to have seen is a pack that includes stages from the first two versions of Street Fighter III. What do you guys think? Is this enough for you or do you think Capcom could have come with something more?

So as we all know Poison is back. And by “back” I mean pretty much making her debut in a fighting game (I refuse to count obscure Sega Saturn games). Poison’s popularity is very odd because she has really never been more than a background character but fans love her. Why, you ask? Most likely because she has a rather interesting back story. To make a long story short, When the first game she was in, Final Fight, made its way to US shores back in the late ’80s a very conservative Capcom USA thought people would not be happy with the game’s heroes Haggar, Guy and Cody punching Poison and her fellow female partner Roxy in the face (of course not too long after that gamers were punching Chun Li all in her face and liked it very much!). So Capcom Japan came up with the bright idea that Poison was not a female at all but man dressed as a woman or a former man who had gotten an operation to become female. Which story is correct depends on who you ask. This all created controversy as there are not too many transgender/ transexual characters in video games. As with anything controversial some people loved and some people hated it. However instead of embracing Poison’s cult following, Capcom avoided Poison like the plague and other than some background cameos, she hadn’t been seen since Street Fighter III when she appeared as Hugo’s manager. More recently many people were asking asking for Poison to appear in a current Street Fighter game. Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono often dismissed the notion, chalking it up to being too controversial and complicated to actually happen. However Ono surprised us all and revealed that Poison is indeed going to be a fully playable character in Street Fighter X Tekken (boy was I wrong about that).

Poison’s inclusion in Street Fighter X Tekken can only be described as pure fan service. We aren’t talking about Elena or Rolento here, we are talking about a character that had never even been playable. Yet Capcom listened to the fans and rewarded them for not letting up. So what does this mean?

Firstly, it means the flood gates are open. Up until now Street Fighter X Tekken should have been called “Street Fighter 4 X Tekken” because every character on the Street Fighter side was from Street Fighter 4 and were even sporting their game model from that game. Poison being added means Capcom is not going to be completely lazy on the Street Fighter side of the game and simply port over half the cast of SF4. Its exciting because who knows old friend we are going to see next. All things point to Hugo being added also. It’d be nice to see some off the way additions such as Eagle, Oro or Q. Until Poison was shown I found myself more excited about who was being added on the Tekken side because the Street Fighter side was so predictable. That has all changed now.

Secondly and probably most importantly, it means the fans mean something. Often companies talk about how they listen to the fans but they have nothing tangible to show for it. They pose like they are taking the fans suggestions when the things they do could very well have been things they were going to do anyway. For some time now Capcom has been showing itself to be a company who cares about the thoughts of the people who keep it it business. The last few years it has been quite a treat to be a fan of Capcom games and Poison is like the cherry on top of a great public relations sundae.

On the flip side Capcom may have opened up Pandora’s box in that if fans begin to feel like they have a heavy influence on the content of games, their voices may only grow louder and more demanding. At the end of the day, though players have great ideas, there is a reason why they play games instead of making them and if a company like Capcom tries too hard to please everyone who makes a suggestion or complains, the overall quality of games may go down.

Truth be told there is likely a group of people out there who are already thinking Poison as a playable character was the beginning of that lowering of quality.

As expected Capcom and Yoshinori Ono drops a bunch a bunch of news for Street Fighter X Tekken. New fighters, ew gameplay features and more .Check out trailers, pictures, gameplay video and more below.

So as you have heard, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is coming. Below is everything we got so far on the game. This includes, pictures, video, press releases and leaks. Check it out.

Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, and Marvel Entertainment today announced that Ultimate Marvel® vs. Capcom® 3 is in development for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will take the epic battle to all new heights with new iconic characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes, a refined fighting system, eight new stages and new modes when it releases this November for the low MSRP of $39.99.

The highly acclaimed fighting game adds 12 new legends to the robust Marvel vs. Capcom 3 roster, bringing the total overall roster of characters up to 50. The first new characters revealed for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 include much-requested Capcom character Strider who slashes his way into the fray along with Ghost ‘n Goblins™ villain Firebrand. On the Marvel side, Ghost Rider will finally exercise his vengeance and Hawkeye will pick apart foes. More characters will be revealed in the coming months.

In addition to characters, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 features a host of enhancements and new features to improve the game’s balance and online functionality. One of the biggest additions to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the fan-requested Spectator Mode, which allows fighters to watch live online matches together. With multiple improvements and 12 new characters, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 brings home the ultimate fighting experience for newcomers and pros alike.

GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
The epic rematch looms in the distance as Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 prepares to take the battle to all-new heights. With new iconic characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes, 48 characters on disc, a refined fighting system and new modes, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 continues the Capcom fighting game legacy when it releases this November for the low MSRP of $39.99.
FEATURES
• The Ultimate Roster – Twelve new legends from Marvel and Capcom join the fray, bringing the roster of characters on the disc up to 48, and a total of 50 with DLC.
• More Legends – : Includes some of the most iconic and celebrated characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes, including Strider and Firebrand from the Capcom side and Ghost Rider and Hawkeye from the Marvel universe.
• Newly Balanced – Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 offers re-balanced gameplay that will provide accessible depth for both newcomers and pros alike.
• Enhanced Modes – After many fan requests, Spectator mode is now available as part of an overall improved online experience along with other new modes and enhancements.
•Low Price – The ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom experience can be had at a low MSRP of $39.99.
Details
Genre: Fighting
Platforms: PS3™, Xbox 360®
# Players: 1-2
Release Date: November 2011
ESRB Rating: RP (T for Teen Expected)
Developer: Capcom

In addition to all that it it seems like some other info is already leaking. We are getting word that the remaining 8 characters have been leaked. Doctor Strange, Frank West, Iron Fist, Nemesis, Nova, Phoenix Wright, Rocket Raccoon and Vergil. Images have been added to the gallery.

Check this out. Omi Gibson dressed up as everyone’s favorite kinda sorta lady brawler, Poison. Don’t worry guys, you don’t have to feel bad looking at these pictures cause Oni is all woman regardless of the character she’s playing.

So what have you guys, is she a Smash or a Pass?

[Omi's Website]

Maybe you heard of Nao Igarashi already. From what I hear, she’s a pretty well known Cosplayer. In these pictures, she squeezes her behind into a rather skimpy Cammy costume. So what do you think guys? Smash or Pass?

No, the site is not dead but if you have visited lately, you have noticed that it has not been updated as much. Very Rarely in fact. Unfortunately my life is packed with an insane amount of responsibilities and X-ISM has has gotten pushed to the back burner a bit. With that said, I love this site and still have serious plans for it but things are going to need to change somewhat. I have come to the conclusion that X-ISM just can not be a news site anymore. I do not have the time to post enough to compete with sites like Eventhubs and Shoryuken. I wish I did but I don’t and as a small business owner I am a firm believer that if you can not compete in a particular space then you need to get out. Those guys do a great job and I respect that. So where does that leave X-ISM then? Well, there is an area where I feel X-ISM can serve this community going into the future and that is by providing thought provoking editorials and exclusives. I never wanted X-ISM to be just another news site but that is exactly what it had become. And if I am being honest with myself, it wasn’t even that good of one. At least in terms of getting the news out there quickly. So going into the future I only plan to put things on this site that are original. This is a major shift for this site and it may take some time to truly find that niche where we belong but X-ISM is here to stay in one form or another. It has been a pleasure interacting with you all up until this point and I hope you will all join me in the next phase of X-ISM.

Here we go again with another round of Smash or Pass. This time we have a Hsein-Ko. Wish I had a name for the young model in these photos but I do not. If you know who she is, feel free to drop me a line. Anyway, you know how this works, Is she a Smash or a Pass?

[The Kartel]

So news has finally been released in regards to Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition‘s release for consoles. Was it gonna happen? If it was was it going to be a disc release or DLC. Details were vague up until now ut now we have a lot more to go on. Below I got some details, trailers and gameplay videos for ya. Let me know what you think.

Features

• New Playable Characters: Four new challengers enter the ring: Yun, Yang, Oni and Evil Ryu.

• All playable SSFIV characters will be unlocked out of the box, including Yun & Yang, Oni, and Evil Ryu.

• Updated Character Balancing: Features all new character balancing, further refining gameplay.

• Will launch worldwide on June 7 for $14.99 USD, while a disc version will hit stores later in the month

Updated Replay Channel

• Replay Follower: Be able to follow up to 5 separate player replays making it easier to find your favorite players’ latest replay.

• My Channel Advanced: Allows players to distribute their replay data to up to 50 players.

• Elite Channel: Watch replay data from elite players who have a rating of 3000PP or more.

Now that the embargo has been lifted we can share some news aout Street Fighter X Tekken> So I got a few trailers as well as some gameplay footage for you. Also Capcom has released some artwork too. So far included characters include Ryu, Ken, Guile, Abel and Chun-Li on the Street Fighter side, and Kazuya, Nina, King, Marduk, and Bob from the Tekken side. Enjoy.

Features
• Dream Match Up – Dozens of playable characters including Ryu, Ken, Guile, Abel, and Chun-Li from Street Fighter® as well as Kazuya, Nina, King, Marduk, and Bob from TEKKEN®.

• Real-time Tag Battle – Fight as a team of two and switch between characters strategically.

• Familiar Controls – In SFxT, controls will feel familiar for fans of both series.

• Robust Online Modes – In addition to the online features from SSFIV, SFxT features totally upgraded online functionality and some new surprises.

Here are a couple more cosplayers for ya. Of course there is a Morrigan ( I swear 90% of all cosplayers dress up as Morrigan) but there is a Lilith too. Once again I’m not sure who the models are in these photos. If anyone knows, please drop me a line so I can give them the proper credit.

Anyway, what do you think of these ladies. Smash or Pass?

[Pendejaditas]

Thanks to a huge leak a while back, we have known about Oni for a while now. Capcom was not quite ready to spill the beans and officially acknowledge the character until now though. Oni is now available for play for Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition and Capcom has posted some pictures on him in action as well as some video clips of his Ultras. You can find all that below.