Street Fighter IV debuts in Japanese arcades 'late July'

While it's been less than four months since Capcom's announcement of Street Fighter IV, the game's debut today at the Amusement Machine Operators’ Union show in Japan revealed that its development is far enough along for all known characters to be fully playable. Given that, it's not surprising that Capcom already has a good idea on when the game will be ready for the arcades.

In a sales leaflet given to arcade dealers and members of the press during the event, Capcom once again confirmed that Street Fighter IV is on course for a summer release in Japan. According to the leaflet, arcade operators who purchase the game board in conjunction with a Taito VEWLIX arcade cabinet will receive their order in late-July, while those picking up the board stand-alone will receive their orders in mid-August.

Gamers eager to check out the latest edition of Street Fighter for themselves will have two chances this month to do so in Japan. The game will be playable at the AOU show when it opens to the general public tomorrow, and the game's first beta test will take place at Plaza Capcom in Tokyo from February 22 to 24.

For more on Street Fighter IV, check out GameSpot's hands-on with the game from AOU 2008.