Note: You don't get this from the PSN Store. Just run the game like normal and it will update it.
Tournaments:
The tournaments offer a new take on classic SFIV competition. They are
broken out into 5 different levels, which means everyone can
participate and find a good challenge without getting blown out of the
water or bored. You score Grade Points (GP) for tournament wins, and as
your GP total grows, you’ll become eligible to enter into more
exclusive tournaments. Winning tournaments will also net you
Championship Points (CP). The CP work basically like “prize money” up
for grabs in the tournament. The higher the GP skill of the players in
a particular tournament, the bigger the CP prize!
In true tournament tradition, character selection is double-blind. With
the CP purse on the line, you won't be able to see who your opponent
has picked until you've both made your choices, and the battle is set
to begin.
The tournaments are run according to a standard type of
single-elimination bracket, but your opponents are generated
dynamically. This means the matching system will automatically match
you with a player of your skill level participating in that tournament
type, so you don’t have to wait around. Since the tournaments are
already seeded by player strength, you’re assured quality opponents at
your same skill level, as fast as possible. If you can advance through
the rounds to take a top placing, you’ll score GP and CP. As your
points increase, you’re eligible for tournaments with increasingly
strong opponents.
--SG Championship (SUPER GRADE): 5 rounds long. The highest grade championship in which only top players can participate.
--G1 Championship (GRADE 1):５ rounds long, for advanced players
--G2 Championship (GRADE2 2): 4 rounds long, for intermediate players
--G3 Championship (GRADE3) 3 rounds long, for beginners
--FREE Championship (Free Grade): 4 rounds long, open to anyone regardless of their level.
The tournament system is set up to reward you for participating. At G3,
you actually score a point even if you get knocked out in your very
first match. At G2, you don’t gain points for a first-round loss, but
don’t lose any either. Similarly, you never lose points by
participating in the FREE rank tournaments. Only in the top G1 and SG
tournaments is it possible to lose GP, and even then you only ever lose
5 points for a first-round loss.
One of the best things about the new mode is that can play in
tournaments in just the same way you can use the “arcade request”
feature, so you’re free to play in arcade mode while waiting for your
next tournament challenger, who will be chosen automatically based on
your rank.
Last, but most certainly not least, disconnecters, aka pullers, aka
ragequitters, your days are numbered: If you disconnect during a match,
the system will also dock you your progress in the tournament, so
pullers will never be able to advance into the higher ranks of
tournaments. What’s even more fun is that the system also happily
displays your disconnect percentage, so if you've got a bad habit, it's
right there for everyone to see.
Replays
Replays are generated straight from the
Championship Mode tournaments. The top 5000 Championship Point leaders
will be given the option to upload a replay, which are then available
for anyone to watch. Everyone on both X360 and PS3 will have be able to
watch any of the replays on their platform, but there are also some
system-specific extra features on the replays:
On PS3, viewers
can watch your replay and vote in real time according to
characteristics like “beautiful” or “funny.” For the nerds, you can
vote once every 30 frames (that’s 2x a second!), although there is a
cap to avoid total vote spamming. Replays will be ranked according to
the user-submitted reviews, making it easy to find the flavor of
replays you want to see.
On X360, you can’t vote on the
matches, but you can watch and then save a number of your favorites.
While watching your saved matches, you’ll also have the option to turn
on input commands (just like the Training Mode option), so you can see
the gritty details of exactly what button and joystick inputs the top
players are using to win.
And just for good meansure, the full press release is below:
Update to Street Fighter IV: Championship Mode comes free!
Capcom
is bringing new options to Street Fighter IV with an eye towards
serious players. Street Fighter IV’s Championship Mode update expands
on the fighting fun by offering players the chance to compete in
tournaments and to watch replays of the best tournament matches. Best
of all: it comes to you at no cost! The Championship Mode update will
be available for both PS3 and Xbox 360 owners on Friday, April 24
(times TBD).
Championship Mode offers you the chance to compete
in 5 different grades of tournaments, creating the right challenge for
players of every skill level. You’ll score Grade Points (GP) for
tournament wins, and as your GP total grows, you’ll become eligible to
enter into more exclusive tournaments. Winning tournaments will also
net you Championship Points (CP). CP are like “prize money” up for
grabs in the tournament. The higher the GP skill of the players in a
particular tournament, the bigger the CP prize!
Replay Mode allows you to select and watch the best Championship Mode tournament matches.
On
the PlayStation Network, you can rate matches while you watch according
to characteristics such as “awesome” or “funny.” Replays are then
ranked based on these vote ratings.
http://www.capcom-unity.com/s-kill/blog/2009/04/16/sfivs_free_championship_mode_update_