Fight Game Democracy, Can VF Survive?

Laughed so fucking hard at this.

I agree.

 

IMO, FS or VF6 will come out and it could sell about 500K at best.

The only way it will sell better than that is if 'we' (the VF community) somehow tell others that VF is the best fighting game out there.

 

I have just read something that might be relevante here:

Eurogamer
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Other publishers, however, are not in such a lucky position. Two classes of company find themselves in seriously troubled waters right now - those publishers who have largely survived off mid-range titles and licensed IP over the past decade, and new companies attempting to break into a full-priced console game market which increasingly high barriers to entry. </div></div>
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
The problem here is one of balancing risk. If you want serious blockbuster title, you're faced with much higher bars to entry than ever before - so you have to be prepared to spend a lot of money. However, once that kind of money is on the line, it's extremely hard to avoid an intense dose of risk-aversion, which casts aside any kind of sweeping originality in favour of copying successful formulae and trying to claw onto any passing cultural zeitgeist. </div></div>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Development costs have skyrocketed, but so too have marketing costs for any game that wants to notch up serious retail sales. If you're a major publisher with a catalogue of million-sellers, you can handle this. If you've spent the past decade getting by on a solid portfolio that's largely made up of second-tier games, though, the numbers are now looking very, very frightening indeed. </div></div>

The artcle is about Homefront, and How THQ gambled a huge amount of money to enter the race with the 'big boys' and apparently failed.

I think the situation is similar for VF, but the solution would be simple IMO, just release it on XBLA.

 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
The problem here is one of balancing risk. If you want serious blockbuster title, you're faced with much higher bars to entry than ever before - so you have to be prepared to spend a lot of money. However, once that kind of money is on the line, it's extremely hard to avoid an intense dose of risk-aversion, which casts aside any kind of sweeping originality in favour of copying successful formulae and trying to claw onto any passing cultural zeitgeist. </div></div>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Development costs have skyrocketed, but so too have marketing costs for any game that wants to notch up serious retail sales. If you're a major publisher with a catalogue of million-sellers, you can handle this. If you've spent the past decade getting by on a solid portfolio that's largely made up of second-tier games, though, the numbers are now looking very, very frightening indeed. </div></div>

The artcle is about Homefront, and How THQ gambled a huge amount of money to enter the race with the 'big boys' and apparently failed.

I think the situation is similar for VF, but the solution would be simple IMO, just release it on XBLA.
</div></div>

Probably, to be distinguished from development costs and marketing costs are IP (intellectual property and other licensing )costs that have to be added in as well. To put Darth Vader, Yoda, and Star Killer into SCIV had to require that IP licensing be obtained from Lucas. Look what went on with the UFC roster in UFC 2010, the fight between ThQ and EA on who would get the exclusive deal to use UFC's MMA fighters. That IP addds major bucks to the cost of the whole project.
Hell, even in the Yakuza series there was rumor that the reason its a simulated environment simular to "But Not" Tokyo was because of fear down the road that someone would want to be paid because their business was featured in the game.

So the realism has added to the cost. Are those GM cars driving up and down the street in VF5? If so GM wants their cut. So we have to make a generic car, one that can't be claimed by anybody

If Lei Fei looks to much like Gordon Liu, then Gordon is gonna want his cut, so we have to remove from VF any likeness of any person or somebody's gonna have their hand out.

That's why I'm worried that the whole business has gotten too big for Sega. They would be forced to take the democracy route
just to survive, and apparently, Sega doesn't do democracy.

So maybe VF5 is last version we'll see for consoles. Its still is the best fighting game on the planet. The graphics and animations are still top notch, the fighting engine and balance are second to none, and it does have VS mode. Although the PS3 version doesn't have online, it can still be used in live tournaments (which is the only real way to compete with VF anyway).

Here' the question: If it is the last version that will ever be produced for the consoles, will Sega continue to manufacture copies of the game for sale in retail outlets? Or is it the case that once the copies that are on the market now are sold, that it, no more, good by VF5

 

while i agree that part of a game's success comes from marketing, i do mostly agree with matteo's view. vf is not a game for everyone and whether or not your marketing is good, people will quickly realize what they do and do not like, and attractive advertising will not change that. it's unfortunate that there just isn't much interest in vf, but that's just the way it is, and i truly believe that no amount of "proper" marketing would've changed that outside japan.
i agree with number 3; the market doesn't need your product. they don't need it because they don't like it.

 

You both make my case for democracy. Say for example Sega had
asked the community for feedback on VF4evo, both negative and positive feedback, and had engaged the community on how they could make the VF5 better. That kind of democracy is part of the marketing process. If Sega had listened and made the adjustments necessary then:

1) Sales of VF5 would have been better, because it would have
been a better game, by virtue of responding properly to
constructive feedback.

2) People that did not like VF4Evo, because of something it
lacked, might have been satisfied with VF5 after Sega
listened and then acted on their concerns, which again
would have led to more sales.

Allowing the community to tell you what's right and what's wrong with your game, and then giving them the opportunity to put together a wishlist that will actually be seriously considered, is democratic and major marketing function.
And fight gaming companies are leaning more and more to the democratic process to help increase sales.

I honestly don't understand where Sega's head is at on this one. Maybe they just don't have the money to do the marketing.
Maybe they just don't have the expertise to make VF a democratic process. Or maybe they're satisfied with what sales they did get on the console, because everything after the arcades is gravy.

Outside of marketing and a democratic process, there is no logical reason why Tekken should out sell VF 3 -to 1 , 4-to-1
to the unitiated consumer both games are just far to similar, and if you've never played either game, there has to be explanation why b4 any gameplay happens, the consumer chooses Tekken 6, 3-to-1 . 4-to-1 times more often

 

Marketing is one thing, learning to make a console fighter is another. The reason being is......Ooooo lack of a story mode no fancy CG intros,marketing, community care or lack there of, having the lead character (Akira) have some real tuff inputs for noobs no story behind these characters!!!! Other than what's in the manual, making it seem like SEGA is too lazy to care while Namco and Capcom even DOA have been doing it for years. Those games r the competition u know. Sega has treated these conversion of arcade games like..... arcade games with a touch or two of extras. Not going to measures up when the comp has that and more, presentation is very fucking important!!!! In movie trailers, on a date,in a video game, job interview etc etc. U can be the best and VF is king in where it counts.... combat. But everything else could and should be better

 

I dont know. Are we still discussing VF survival? or are we talking about CG intros?

I think CG intros have come and gone, VF never needed them. it did well enough with in-game trailers.

I bet AM2 is stubborn like that, priding themselves on the no-frill approach of VF. Having said that, they have the best AI of all fighters, and the best customisations (Yes, I said that, I dislike SC4 customisation and I play a jet-black Taki P1).

Oh and the best quest mode of the current generation of fighters...unless you like Tekken6 take on the genre.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ja26E-_ANZk

It's like Namco is throwing it in our faces. "Hey look! Tek-kan! We know SEGA won't say sh*t about anything involving VF to you oversea players but we sure as hell will!"

I honestly hope Sega looks at this trailer and realizes there is a freaking market for international releases. JESUS!

 

Lots of cool vf ripoff stuff now with Facial expression. WOOT!

 

It is mind boggling. I think every fight game producer except Sega no matter how big they are or how small they are at least makes an attempt at connecting with fanbase and potential market check out this new low end Soul Caliber fighting game:

Poor Man's Realistic Soul Caliber (Deadliest Warrior)

The developer is even pushing this game, which BTW is not bad
for a 9.99 download. It is surprisingly addictive and fun, and the slo-mo replays are kewl. But the developer is pushing it, they have a dedicated website/page? for it, there is already a
cult following for this fight game, its already had 1 or 2 DLC
and the publisher is asking the fanbase to be on the look out for more.

Everybody gets it except Sega. Everybody! The small companies, the start up companies (e.g. Kungfu Factory) everybody! Look at the Mortal Kombat hype and the community plans around that game:

Here Comes Mortal Kombat

And the MK site covers all the versions.

So even if Sega was never going to produce another console version, they should still have a site dedicated to all the console versions for the fans. I know they had one once upon a time is it still up?

Even fight game producers that don't have anything real at the moment manage to keep rumors alive that something is coming

DOA 5 Will blow Fans Away


DOA Reboot, Starts with N3DS
Walmart Advertises Fight Game

Come On Sega and AM2 If you don't want the responsibility of marketing and upgrading VF then give it to Team Ninja

--as PO ducks --

 

Both games rip each other off.

 

Yeah but VF had Facial expression first.