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For those outside the Fighting Game Community, it can be hard to explain how much impact a single producer can have over the success of an entire genre. For us, the one responsible for the resurgence of the fighting game genre was the legendary producer Yoshinori Ono, who has recently retired after a nearly 27 year long career with Capcom.
Yoshinori Ono and the Fighting Game Community
In the mid 2000s the fighting game genre had been stagnant and niche for quite some time. The games were frequently hard to find, hard to learn or play, and oftentimes filled with serious balance issues and bugs, and lacking in identity.
Ono had been put in charge of managing Capcom’s next entry in the mainline Street Fighter series, Street Fighter IV. His openness to new ideas and dedication to what drew people to classic games in the series like Street Fighter II led to a blend of new ideas and core gameplay that attracted new players while giving plenty for veterans to explore.
The incredible success of Street Fighter IV was credited with almost single-handedly reviving the fighting game genre among mainstream players.
Yoshinori Ono’s continued involvement after Street Fighter IV
Ono’s reputation developed among fans of Street Fighter IV until he became one of the most recognizable producers for the series. This popularity allowed Ono to help tournaments and fighting game events get on their feet, and his role quickly morphed into that of a brand manager.
He remained involved in Street Fighter’s continued development, working on the expansion/sequel titled Super Street Fighter IV, and the later Arcade Edition and Arcade Edition 2012 versions, each iteration rebalancing the game and adding in additional content.
The Fighting Game Renaissance
Street Fighter’s success wasn’t limited to just one fighting game. As more players made their way into the series, many picked up some of the other options available. Whether it was Tekken, Soul Calibur, or more niche games like Guilty Gear, almost every fighting game saw an increase in popularity thanks to Street Fighter’s success.
Ono’s departure marks the end of an era for the fighting game genre.
