Just because your cast isn't a fucking rainbow doesn't mean it's at the bottom design wise, suggesting that is ludicrous.
Read the rest of what I said. I suggested quite more than that.
This is their own original IP. They want it to sale ludicrous amounts. Part of a way to do that is to give more people an anchor point that pulls them in.
Even look at how Ono talked about wanting to make Laura a better representative of Brazil than Blanka. Or how happy Korea was to get a SF character in Juri. Respecting new markets with designs, or just giving a group of established players something they can get more in touch with, is a good thing.
I agree that Capcom definitely had that diversity on lock in the previous eras - partly due to how many games t hey had going (Rival Schools!).
But, ah, I don't think it's difficult to see that Kolin's face is different than Vega's. Design wise, you can tell what country they rep. Birdie doesn't really even look that American. It's kind of the sum of it's parts, you know? Sure, the blonde is there, but that's not the whole outfit. Changing just the hair color is lazy to me.
Rival Schools is such a good showing to how Capcom can take some freakishly similar designs, (they're just a bunch of school kids! and... some... teachers..) and yet make everyone feel fresh. Hinata, Sakura, and Unmasked Akira could basically be the same character under lesser designers, but they really knew how to make characters pop back then.
At least Vega has a mask! And a claw! These all change his silhouette and perception some. I just find it surprising for Capcom that you actually have to dig below the surface to see the differences. They used to be SO GOOD at even making the first blush or seeing a character strikingly different. Now a person sees tactical swimsuit Kolin fighting the Premium Cammy diver costume, and they think it's a mirror match! ;-)
I get that the blonde is offputting, but Birdie having blonde hair doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't count as a black person.
On the flipside, I do hope the next character isn't a blonde American. Ten blondes out of twenty five or so characters is cutting it close in my eyes.
It's not even that I have a prob with blondes (especially on him, he's not like any other blonde in the game... or almost anywhere else!), it's just weird how stuck they are to such a small pool in inspirations.
If the next 2 characters are highly creative and add something unique to the cast (visually!) , it'll be a good sign.
Edit: Hair color changes as a different alt should be a common thing. Not for diversity or anything, but just because it looks cool.
They did so good in the Sprite days. You'd think it be even easier in the 3D days. These Xmen-suggesting alt colors and stuff are completely a step in the right direction. I wish they started out with colors like that.
The Kolin thing is mildly irritating because her default is her Helen disguise which, from the story mode ending at least, seems to be an illusion created by Gill. So I would have preferred if they made the default a redhead or something while her nostalgia is blonde like everyone else.
Yeah, it would have been great if they used the "Illusion" excuse to make her look like something pretty different, especially in her alt colors. I love the varieties of costumes they gave her though.
Maybe Capcom is just very afraid of doing different things, because they have to stretch their design works for years on the same game. They're starting off very conservative, but workin' some nice stuff as time goes on.