"I don't want to give an exclusive character for any particular console," elaborated Ono to VideoGamer.com, adding, "And that applies to downloadable characters as well ... because it's not very fair."

The revelation follows Project Soul's recent inclusion of platform-exclusive characters in Soul Calibur IV (PS3, 360).

Among the playable characters set to appear in the home versions of Street Fighter 4, Cammy is a confirmed addition. Dan, Fei Long, and Sheng Long are likely, but the details have yet to be set in stone.

"Figuring out the right number of characters is a lot like chess. You need to know the rules well, and things need to be balanced properly. We'll see what we ultimately end up with," Ono explained to 1UP.

Ono has promised to reveal more at this fall's Tokyo Game Show. In the meantime, Street Fighter 4 is hitting American arcades this week with PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 versions slated to arrive sometime next year.