This sounds great to me. I'm sure people will be mad because "micro-transactions" is a dirty word, but this is just better than their previous business models.
Then: pay every time you want to play, have to go to an arcade to play. Alternatively, you can play a watered-down port for Full Retail Price. Whenever a new version comes out (which is every year) you have to buy it again at full retail price.
Now: arcade play still exists, but you can get the same experience at home but buying the game for Full Retail Price. New versions require you to purchase an update for a reduced price, but some balance patches are free. Costume DLC exists.
The Future: haven't heard about arcade plans at all, but you still buy the game for Full Retail Price. New balance patches will continue to be free, but new characters can be bought one at a time, OR unlocked through just playing the game enough. Costume DLC exists.
And even if the time required to unlock characters is absolutely stupid, like 300 lives of men? The actual character price can't be much worse than the SFIV era, where you basically averaged 5 dollars per new character (except you were forced to buy them in packs). So at the very WORST, we're getting the ability to pick and choose our new characters. I see no reason to be mad.