Honestly don't know why people think Hayashi would talk about anything gameplay related (to the average game journalist at that), or that the community should be actively involved in balancing (or asked for approval)...
Not a matter of Hayashi talking about it. It's a matter of it being in there. 5U's earliest trailers displayed new characters, new system mechanics, new moves, new move properties, etc. 5LR's show nothing, and those who played the build at TFC confirmed there basically are no gameplay developments. It's just 5U with new lifebars.
or that the community should be actively involved in balancing (or asked for approval)...
Assuming for a minute that the community shouldn't be involved in balancing (which is very complicated), that's no excuse not for them to do or show anything. If they truly believe that the game's mechanics and balancing are perfect as is:
1) They're wrong
2) They shouldn't be trying to sell us a new game that is literally just the old game with no changes
The only gameplay related information pre 5U release that I remember was:
- there are powerblows
- a trailer with a few new moves (and not even all of them made it into the final build)
Let's see what I remember form pre-5U:
-Power Launchers
-Bounds
-Reworking ground game system
-5 new stages
-5 new characters
For Ryu:
-New tracking mid two-in-one
-New tracking gap-closer
-Completely different moves for PP4PK, 4PK and 3H+K inputs
-Completely re-tooled functionality on 9K
-Brand new low throw
Keep in mind that's mostly just notes pertaining to
one character.
so we are not that far off
Let's compare the above to what I can say about 5LR
-2 new (unrevealed) characters
-2 new stages
For Ryu
-nothing
"We are not that far off?" eh?
Yeah, we are that far off.