KOF XIII Announced

I personally don't think that a great game should turn sour because of crappy (or even no) online netcode (look at fighting games that came out on ps2 - Tekken 5, VF4Evo, BR3, MvC2, SC2, etc)... Sure, I do feel that it hinders its success obviously, but it shouldn't be the be all end all... Prime example is Battle Fantasia... While this game was completely rebalanced for the console version, and I consider it a great blend of 3S and GG (depth and combos), people shot it down primarily because of the netcode being lackluster (and the game did have some advertising in several magazines)... On the other hand, you have games like Samurai Shodown Sen, which is basically a SCIV system with a SamSho shell, and it has a great netcode... I played DeadlyRaveNeo on xbl (he's on the southeast of the US) and I was able to wavedash with characters, and execute stair-stepping manuevers like a madman. Combos weren't dropped unless I was messing around with a character I didn't play with, etc... It was great, but the game was "shotty" (whereas I'm pretty sure if the graphics were beefed up and the game had different characters and not Samsho chars it would've been good)...

I know some games have netcode that's been built around the netcode used for the ps2 versions of the fighting games, since playing online in Japan is more stable, and the companies can accommodate them better... There are tons of fighting games for the ps2 (and even DC) that had online matchmaking in Japan, but that option was removed in the US/EU versions... My theory is that they took the same netcode for these recent ps2 games, thinking it will perform the same, when infact it won't-- primarily because the network infrastructures of the US and other areas vary from that of Japan's... So I'm thinking it wasn't built to be flexible at all... There's room for improvement, as XII's lobby system was good, but the netcode wasn't and they saw and heard that from many fans... I also believe that XIII's netcode is being built from the ground up, and supposedly its to "kick ass" as it was put by someone that worked there... Hopefully it does and it makes the "Generation GGPO" players go all out for this game (which includes local sessions/tourneys and such)...

 

I don't know if you guys have seen this but: KOF 12 was ported to consoles by 5 people...

This may explain why most SNK fighting games have shit netcodes... hopefully a console port of KOF 13 will be outsourced.

 

Jinx I hear you and agree to an extent, but to me, a solid netcode is like a cell phone: When only Zack Morris had one, and landlines were the only way to make call for the most part, it was fine to do it that way. But now that everyone has a cell phone, I don't think any of us could happily go back to using pay phones and landlines only. I don't think we'd want to go back to black-and-white TVs either. Technology has a momentum that almost always moves in one direction: forward.

For a fighting game in particular, the ability to play real people, any where across the country, on a connection good enough to maintain the overall fidelity of the game, was such a momentous improvement it's not a place FG developers can step back from now. The ability to play living opponents online improves the playability of a fighting game exponentially.

I remember sitting in my basement, for hours and hours on end, just playing the CPU in SUPER SFII on SNES. It was a lot of fun back then, but I wouldn't want to go back there now. Honestly, the ability to play real people from your couch at home, any time you want, is very likely part and parcel to the resurgence of FGs across the globe. I've always believed that FGs, as a genre, are the best two-player/multiplayer games in existence. No other genre pits your mind and body so completely in opposition of your opponent; we all know (and love, I assume) that feeling of elation you get when you decisively outplay and out-think the other player. Fighting games get my blood pumping far more than any other type of game; the only catch? That the excitement is intimately tied to playing another living person.

I don't live near an arcade and these days I doubt most players do. The ability to play good, intact games online is crucial -- it's my video game version of a cell phone. Video games are almost always more fun when playing with others (saving for some RPGs, platformers and action games, i.e. Resident Evil or Alan Wake type games)... If companies tried to start releasing shooters with out multiplayer again, I think they'd be in trouble.

Like fighting games, the best aspect of the majority of FPS games is the competition found when playing other, real people. As another good example, the popularity of TEAM deathmatch modes has certainly eclipsed the popularity of the original, every-man-for-himself deathmatch modes. Playing on team IMHO, is more fun than playing alone...

 

I agree with Jinxhand, a game shouldn't be written off just for poor netcode especially a fighting game most of which don't work right online anyway.

However now that arcades are long dead in most places and with much of the competition doing a decent job with their online play it is obviously vital to get that aspect right.
Whether I really like a fighting game or not though is nothing to do with the online play but it's gameplay. I still haven't even played VF5 online yet actually.

 

There probably wouldn't be anyone playing it anyway. Many are probably playing it for free on GGPO and Garou doesn't have a following nor did it ever get much exposure to get more players.

Supposedly Samurai Showdown 2 and NGBC do have good netcode but barely any players at all. Not enough fighting game players to go around.

 

If people are playing it on GGPO, wouldn't that technically be a following??? There was a somewhat huge following for awhile, and there are people on both SRK and DC that talk about MOTW and setup matches on GGPO/XBL...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Supposedly Samurai Showdown 2 and NGBC do have good netcode but barely any players at all. Not enough fighting game players to go around.</div></div>

These games are kinda like VF, where the netcode is good, but its not a plethora of people on it, unless you schedule something with people... Again, these games are talked about on SRK and DC and sessions are scheduled as well... There's a few other SNK sites out there that do the same, and it would be cool if they all kinda merged for the sake of building the SNK scene... DC is attempting to do that, and then some... I feel that we as players of those games shouldn't just sit and do nothing... If there's a good game with good netcode, support it... I still get on any and every game I have in my collection, and sometimes am willing to trek through some lag matches because the game is actually good (like in Battle Fantasia)... If you can't get online matches for whatever reason, setup local sessions and see how it turns out...

I feel that alot of people just follow hearsay too much instead of just taking the plunge and getting into whatever game it may be... That's like the whole "this game is hard to learn" or "this game is a copy cat" stigmas appear, because one person says something, and everyone else takes it as gold, when that shouldn't be...

Another thing that's jacked up is that there are people who hear something negative about a game's netcode, and they don't hold out or do anything about it... Cats were saying something to SNK about the netcode, and they patched it... Granted its not the world's greatest, but from my personal experience, its better than SSF4's... Hell, SF4's netcode wasn't great (and imo SSF4's isn't either) but cats were still playing it online like it was the greatest thing (same with SF2HF)... Instead of just saying things like "The netcode sucks. Okay see ya later", try being vocal to the company... Most (Japanese) companies are actually realizing that being silent isn't gonna cut it anymore... Square-enix is listening to their ffxi/ffxiv players and making major changes to the game (really great changes, too). Capcom has people answering all kinds of questions for their fans and players. Even SNK has started doing the same (especially with their Facebook page for xbl/psn games)... I don't mean to ramble, and I'm not bashing anyone in particular, it's just if things are to change, we as players are gonna have to do be vocal... Granted, some things aren't gonna change, or might take some time to change, and we technically shouldn't have to say something for a product to be good, but change can very well happen...

I'm pretty sure people saying something about the recent KoFXIII news forced SNK to make a statement of assurance, 'cause they're banking on XIII to be their major money maker... From the sound of it, they might just have companies work on their game for them, while they do things like sell things that are sure to make money (like a $100+ figurine of Shermie or someone else). It's cheaper for them, too (Capcom does it all the time - they use Dimps). But who knows... Either way, I'm still playing their games and holding online (and attempting local) sessions...

If this sounds crazy somehow, my bad... To tired to edit right now (will do it later)...

 

Jinxhand, its not crazy, on the contrary, your words are inspiring and make a lot of sense to me at least.

What I wish SNK would do for KOF14 is to offer 2 set of systems like KO97/98 did: the KOF12 system (refined) and the KOF13.

IMO, SNK strenghts are its character design and fighting systems. Capcom doesnt do them equally well, what with SF being essentially the same game since 2 and SF4 being essentially a step back from 3S.

SNK can and should do well in the future,

One last thing about fighing games and games in general:

The worse thing ever to happen are fanboys: people moaning and bitching that things are not the way they were before. of course I understand that we naturally tend to stick with what we know and what it familiar to us, but this way the capacity for creativity is stifled,

We end up playing sequels and clones of games we already played for years.

 

KOF12 was awful in retrospect. The system barely qualified as a KOF game because of the way it handled throws, and the frame traps (mash close C or D) that led to half life or more were just retarded.

KOF13 is glitchy and needs some balancing, but looks more like an actual KOF.

KOF2k2 is ugly but it's one of the best competitive KOFs. Its update, KOF2002UM has the most balance and variety of any KOF lol. I'm not sure why Matteo is bashing it.

 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">KOF12 was awful in retrospect. The system barely qualified as a KOF game because of the way it handled throws, and the frame traps (mash close C or D) that led to half life or more were just retarded.

KOF13 is glitchy and needs some balancing, but looks more like an actual KOF.

KOF2k2 is ugly but it's one of the best competitive KOFs. Its update, KOF2002UM has the most balance and variety of any KOF lol. I'm not sure why Matteo is bashing it.</div></div>

 

I would like something new from king of fighters as well, but the 12th version's game play was "beginner like" to me.

The recent version, almost all of my favorite characters aren't a part of it, which is a bother, kind of. I consider old ones like 2002um and XI to be better from favorite characters to more depth.

 

I never played KOF 12 but every player I know says the same, its so true about the characters, my faves were Seth, Vanessa, Vice and they're all gone from KOF 12, at least they brought vice back in KOF 13,

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SNK please bring back Vanessa too

 

SNK needs to bring back Rick Strowd, as he is responsible for all of Vanessa's moves and her play style... Plus he id the only boxer character imo that is more stylish than Dudley...

 

Let's bring this topic back to life with some possible console release news: Ken Bogard Translated Interview

 

Orochinagi deleted it because Frionel wasn't allowed to make written statements but I found it elsewhere so here it is:

Frionel was the source mentioned in the last interview with Hokuto, kept under wraps as not to damage any relations with SNKP. Frionel has now gone public in an interview with Ken Bogard from Bas Gros Poing, where they officially (meaning if this info is wrong they are liars) confirmed the release ‘date’ of XIII plus a few bits and pieces. Here’s a translation (not literal) by Delphine, edited by yours truly.

" KOF 13 was released last summer in Japan, where version 1.0 was at Tougeki, and then 1.1 was released to fix bugs. There weren’t any balance changes, just bug and infinite combo removal. There was a rumour that Raiden would be weaker in 1.1 but this was not the case. Now everyone is playing 1.1, even in the US. The question is, will it be released on console? For all the other KOFs it was announced quickly but for XIII, we heard nothing. The reason why we didn’t get an announcement is because today SNKP have a strategy of “all or nothing”. When they were working on XII, which wasn’t finished, they released it because there were commercial issues at stake with another game company resurrecting a huge fighting game saga (which I forget the name of ).

KOF 12 was an extremely ambitious project by SNKP, where they decided to use 2D and offer a rich and interest fighting experience, while staying in traditional 2D with a quality of pixel art never seen before. And it’s a very risky proeject because of the cost of developing an animated frame by frame, pixel by pixel game. It is far more expensive than developing a 3D game, where you create models and just add textures. The challenge was simple: keep KOF in 2D but attract a new audience and a new youth which would lead to the “re-birth” of KOF.

Today SNKPlaymore has a simple strategy. Their goal is not to replace SFIV or other big titles like that. They have their own niche market, and within that niche, their own niche of fans. They want to focus on these fighting games players; focus on the hardcore. In Japan, when you tell people you play KOF, you might as well tell them you’re mentally disturbed. SNKP want to keep that type of niche fanbase while attracting more of the mainstream without trying to dethrone SFIV because they know KOF just won’t appeal to that mass audience.

The problem was that if Capcom released a new version of SFIV when XIII was released on console, SNK would be left headbutting the wall – SF wouldn’t give KOF a chance – Capcom is a marketing steamroller. There isn’t one fighting game that can rival SFIV in terms of sales. It’s just impossible. Everyone can take advantage of the sales of SFIV for the fighting scene in general but they can’t compete with it. So the plan for SNKP was to make sure the release of XIII didn’t coincide with any other fighting game release. Because of that, SNKP wouldn’t say anything at all before Capcom announced SFIVAE – which they have now done, so now it is safe for SNKP to announce XIII. I can officially say it will be released before the end of 2011. Anytime from Summer onwards. It will contain extra features that are not present in the arcade and there will not be any balance changes. As for new characters, I cannot say, but there will be exclusive content such as characters, stages, music, things like that. The version is now officialised.

And there is very good news regarding the netplay. For those who already played it in arcade, they know there is a ‘reduce lag’ option*. This will be present in the console version. The feedback from testers is that the lag input option is better than SFIV’s. SNKP understands that the game’s success may well depend on the netcode. So yes, KOF XIII is arrriving and official news will be coming very very soon, now that the threat of SFIV interfering has passed. At this time of year, nothing can get in the way, so keep checking the usual sites and you will get info.

One last thing, I play KOF 13 in Paris Arcades and it seems the game is the most played there. Why? Because it is magic. It’s hard to define with words but SFIV players are jealous when they see us playing this game.

*This ‘reduce lag’ option was for laggy monitors (more on this later)."

It’s a real shame SNKP couldn’t have said anything to us, but you now you understand why. All is forgiven? They did pretty well to keep that info secret. But at what cost? Will XIII be able to capitalise while SFAE is still fresh in the arcades, or will people be quickly bored of super-duper-angry-I-can’t-afford-clothes-Ryu and flock to XIII? Or will it still not have enough underage girls to attract a ‘mainstream’ audience? WE LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING OUT!

 

This is 2nd in my list of most wanted console games.

1. VF5FS
2. KOFXIII
3. Shenmue 3

Hopefully it's true and that they really will support the game with dlc/patches in future but at the moment I'm really enjoying KOF 2002UM. Might well be the best fighting game I've played since VF.

 

They probably won't bring her back, but here's some stuff from Dark Geese that he feels makes her stronger than what she is listed as in 02UM.

 

Here's the video regarding the interview with Frionel:

http://dreamcancel.com/?p=794

 

Thanks for posting the video jinxhand

I honestly cannot wait to start playing this, looks like they took all the crap out the last game and replaced it with KOF goodness