Though I haven’t played DOA4, I played the others and think it’s an ok series to play around with people who really aren’t in to fighters and like to just mash a bit and have fun. More than a few people have made it know that DOA4 is the best of the series, yet still lacks the depth of 2D fighters and even other 3D fighters, I get that.
The problem I see is that a lot of people are hoping that the success of DOA4 will somehow translate into the increase in people playing fighting games in general, which I don’t necessarily agree with.
So when some incarnation of the SF series hits Xbox 360, do you really think the DOA fanboys are going to spend serious time with it? The graphics are outdated, the combo system doesn’t make itself apparent until you’ve played it for a long time, and the game overall, isn’t flashy – this is of course the viewpoint of many modern players who consider DOA4 the holy grail of fighters.
SF is the anithesis of this. It takes timing, patience, years of playing, and years of studying frame data and match videos to even be mediocre at. DOA4 takes a week or so to master the high-level tactics.
What is my point? My point is, those who are loving DOA and have never really been into 2D fighters aren’t going to give a crap about any and all 2D fighters that hit the 360 either. Because 2D fighters, especially SF, require a level of dedication that most of today’s gamers aren’t willing to adhere too. They want to hit buttons and have cool flashy moves come out. They want to press buttons with no consequence. They don’t care about footsies, perfect timing, or anything like that. They want unpunishable moves that can be spammed over and over, tons of unlockable outfits, and girls with photorealistic boobs.
So yes I look forward to ST and the other Capcom greats hitting the 360, I don’t think anyone but those who are already in the community, will be making the jump because they enjoyed playing DOA and nor do I think the numbers will ever be as good for a 2D fighter on the 360 as it will be for the 3D ones, especially with the entry-level accessibility of DOA. The Xbox Live community is a perfect example of that and the numbers of actual 2D fighters sold on the first incarnation of Xbox. The numbers are abyssmal.
I guess my point is that all the arguing won’t change the fact that the DOA4 will pretty much not influence any and all future 2D fighters on the Xbox, IMO, because it’s an entirely different realm. But then again, as long as the SRK folks who like the 2D stuff get to play others who like the 2D stuff, that’s all that really matters. The same goes for DOA4.
A game is a game is a game, it’s just that we have either grown up with or experienced the best there is and since that time, graphics have gotten better and so has accessibility, but the core elements have gone downhill. It’s the same with everything in life – games are no different. People don’t want to work for it, they want instant gratification. Street Fighter is like good wine, it shows its true worth with age. I’m afraid many of today’s mainstream gamers don’t understand this. But as long as there is a community that does, even if it’s tiny compared to the others, we’ll get to keep enjoying the “classics.”
ssb
