Ultra Street Fighter 4 characters "just the bare minimum" of expansion's updates

Ultra Street Fighter 4 producer Tomoaki Ayano has said Capcom is aiming for the new version of the fighter to be more than just a glorified DLC pack.

"Like the Ultra name shows, we're aiming for updates that go beyond just adding new characters. For us, new characters are just the bare minimum of new features to add," Ayano told Famitsu in an interview translated by Polygon.

"We plan to change it a great deal. With this project, we decided to make it a big update, a really 'new SF4' in a way," he added.

"When I say 'change,' though, I don't mean we're redoing combos or the whole structure as it exists now. What we're looking to do is get rid of the differences in character abilities that have established themselves throughout the series. I realize that some people are looking for new additions to the battle system, too-this is 'Ultra,' after all, so I'd like to do what we can in that way."

Ultra itself will be updated over time with new balancing.

"I think the battle balance in a fighting game is something that needs to be constantly changing. This is just my personal opinion, but I like to see updates happen at just the right time to retain a sense of constant motion within the game mechanics," he said.

"I'm sure I'll get feedback from gamers once Ultra IV is out for a while, and I want to use that feedback as much as I can to raise and nurture the game."

Ultra Street Fighter 4 has five new characters and is coming to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as a downloadable expansion or stand-alone retail pack in early 2014. It's also headed to PC, at "around the same time" as the console release. No other platforms are on the cards right now.