Story mode looks nice (nice-ish), but it isn't a substitute for a regular arcade mode, which it still needs in my (and others) opinion. If you take that story arc and use that as a basis for the arcade mode, it would have been great. Definitely would have taken longer, as every character arc would need to be fleshed out, but there would at least be a decent offline mode for players that has always been part of the SF franchise.

I get the e-Sports angle. I get wanting this to be the big draw for Evo. I get arcades aren't a thing anymore, and that H2H live competition is a core component. Lord knows the money I shoveled into SFII cabs when it was first released. But honing your skills against the CPU is also a big part of ANY fighting game, which this one still lacks. You don't get the same sense of accomplishment in training mode as you would in arcade mode, where even if you aren't against live competition, you feel like you accomplishes something. As for H2H play, online connection speeds are still suspect, and for a good deal of players online isn't a viable optiion for a number of reasons. Capcom took a piss on that entire contingent, for better or worse.

I'm kinda happy they get major TV coverage, I really am. At the same time, my enjoyment of the game is quite low, and my concern for the franchise is raised.