What are we missing? What do we need to get to this level?

[The_SNKE]

http://kotaku.com/these-dota-2-players-just-won-1-4-million-1105387987?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Facebook&utm_source=Kotaku_Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow

Seriously...I mean, our games (Fighters in general) are just as hype, if not more. If I'm also not mistaken, didn't EVO break records as far as video gaming related viewership? What do we need to do to get here? The interest is there, the audience is there...do we need to try to get more mainstream companies involved? Should we get into contact with Pepsi and Sprite? I wanna know what you guys think!

 

[Duck Nation]

Nothing. It can't happen. MOBAs are too easily appealing to people who are entirely too dumb and casual to breach the barriers of accessibility to a fighter, even a relatively easy one. They're one-dimensional, shit-awful games down to the very core concept of the genre.

 

[Cossner]

1) Lack of sponsors.
2) There's not a company with enough resources/willingness to take the FG to the mainstream.
3) Fighting games at a high level are difficult to understand. MOBAs/RTS people make sure that the game is understood at a fundamental level.
4) PC gaming has a way bigger audience than console people. FGs have mainly existed in consoles.
5) Those events are broadcasted worldwide. FGs have a very small audience anywhere but the US.

INB4 *It's because the community*. No guys, you don't matter one bit, don't worry about that.

Many other reasons, I'm too lazy to keep writing.

Nothing. It can't happen. MOBAs are too easily appealing to people who are entirely too dumb and casual to breach the barriers of accessibility to a fighter, even a relatively easy one. They're one-dimensional, shit-awful games down to the very core concept of the genre.

Absolutely not true. Hell this whole post was embarrassing.

 

[Jon Berg]

Nothing. It can't happen. MOBAs are too easily appealing to people who are entirely too dumb and casual to breach the barriers of accessibility to a fighter, even a relatively easy one. They're one-dimensional, shit-awful games down to the very core concept of the genre.

I usually like the stuff you post, but this might be one of the stupidest things ive seen written on TYM. And thats says alot.

 

[Duck Nation]

I usually like the stuff you post, but this might be one of the stupidest things ive seen written on TYM. And thats says alot.

Well, you'll be happy to know I've long since tired of discussing it. I've put the time in and came away gravely unimpressed. You don't like it? Oh well.

 

[AK Black Preon]

MOBAs don't have collusion.
MOBA communities don't have as much drama / beef / acting out
By proxy this makes sponsors more comfortable with sponsoring them.
MOBA communities tend to band together for common goals and such. They have tension but nothing like the FGC communities.

MOBAs have a much smaller game divide than the FGC.

Lots of factors play into it. A lot I haven't even put here but there is a TON.

 

[Jon Berg]

http://kotaku.com/these-dota-2-players-just-won-1-4-million-1105387987?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Facebook&utm_source=Kotaku_Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow

Seriously...I mean, our games (Fighters in general) are just as hype, if not more. If I'm also not mistaken, didn't EVO break records as far as video gaming related viewership? What do we need to do to get here? The interest is there, the audience is there...do we need to try to get more mainstream companies involved? Should we get into contact with Pepsi and Sprite? I wanna know what you guys think!

I think Evo broke participation, there's no way in hell it broke viewership. I think the biggest thing holding back fighting games from growing is the lack of online representation. The way games stand right now, online is a pretty shitty overall experience due to net code, and the best way to get better is to go to your local community. The problem is, these arnt found everywhere. You arn't gonna get in quality practice out in Montana or some shit. We have central hubs like cali, ny, etc etc. If you arnt in a decent area, you are pretty out of luck. I actually come from a competitive MOBA background (Dota and HoN) and some of the people I've played with have expressed interest in playing shit like street fighter after watching Evo, but then think to themselves "whats the point? I'm nowhere near a decent area."

If I start playing Starcraft, Dota, League, Cod, whatever it is, I can progress to the top of the heap strictly from the comfort of my home. I can get in quality practice whenever I want, I can participate in a ton of reputable online tournaments, and schedule scrims. And I can do this from anywhere in the world. You can't really do that with fighting games. I think the future, and the biggest step to take is to make much, MUCH better netcode and transition to mostly online play. Obviously majors will still be around much like LAN tournaments will always exist in MOBAs, but tons of Circuits and tournaments series and other online avenues and means of exposure will pop up. Well, thats my opinion at least.

 

[The_SNKE]

MOBAs don't have collusion.
MOBA communities don't have as much drama / beef / acting out
By proxy this makes sponsors more comfortable with sponsoring them.
MOBA communities tend to band together for common goals and such. They have tension but nothing like the FGC communities.

MOBAs have a much smaller game divide than the FGC.

Lots of factors play into it. A lot I haven't even put here but there is a TON.

I highly doubt that other game communities don't have as much/more drama than the FGC. I actually feel that we have LESS drama than genre communities. I've heard horror stories of tons of fistfights in the FPS communities and sports games communities. Also, let's take a look at a type of game that is 100 times popular than any of our games...SPORTS

There is a TON of drama in sports. Drama sells, beef sells. I honestly see drama and beef as a good thing. It's entertaining, and people want to be entertained. As for banding together, we just raised $200,000 for breast cancer research, which I think is pretty damn awesome. I'm still not seeing our community as being a problem...

 

[GLoRToR]

http://kotaku.com/these-dota-2-players-just-won-1-4-million-1105387987?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Facebook&utm_source=Kotaku_Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow

Seriously...I mean, our games (Fighters in general) are just as hype, if not more. If I'm also not mistaken, didn't EVO break records as far as video gaming related viewership? What do we need to do to get here? The interest is there, the audience is there...do we need to try to get more mainstream companies involved? Should we get into contact with Pepsi and Sprite? I wanna know what you guys think!

Less drama, more maturity.

 

[AK Black Preon]

I highly doubt that other game communities don't have as much/more drama than the FGC. I actually feel that we have LESS drama than genre communities. I've heard horror stories of tons of fistfights in the FPS communities and sports games communities. Also, let's take a look at a type of game that is 100 times popular than any of our games...SPORTS

There is a TON of drama in sports. Drama sells, beef sells. I honestly see drama and beef as a good thing. It's entertaining, and people want to be entertained. As for banding together, we just raised $200,000 for breast cancer research, which I think is pretty damn awesome. I'm still not seeing our community as being a problem...

All of the FGC together raised 200000. League of Legends can raise that much on its own, without any of the other MOBAs contributing. As far as "drama" goes.

Sports are something that are rooted into culture. I mean lets not talk about FIFA. People live and die by that and will kill over team loyalty. Also olympics play a part in that too ect. ect. Its important on a global scale. However "EA Sports" tournaments aren't really too big a thing these days.

As far as us having less drama not at all. Ive seen some stuff in the FGC that makes me question whether or not parents are even doing their job. And sure you might say things about the FPS community online. Well its different when its a whiny kid doing it. Its not excusable, however when you see people over 20 doing it in the FGC on a CONSISTANT basis, you can see why some sponsors would be a tad bit reluctant. Also as far as seeing drama as a good thing, it might be for you. However can't overlook the fact that people who would be putting up the BIG bucks probably won't be seeing it that way for quite some time. Especially when most of the beef in the FGC is more hype than the game itself.

You talked about FPS games and Sports games ect. Which I don't like for the most part. However if I do decide to watch them its because I came to watch that game. Not to see if (Player A) can back up the "shit" he was talking with (Player B). And as far as fights in the FPS community they might happen. But they wouldn't be dumb enough to start the fight on a STREAM like we've seen here in the FGC.

 

[The_SNKE]

I think Evo broke participation, there's no way in hell it broke viewership. I think the biggest thing holding back fighting games from growing is the lack of online representation. The way games stand right now, online is a pretty shitty overall experience due to net code, and the best way to get better is to go to your local community. The problem is, these arnt found everywhere. You arn't gonna get in quality practice out in Montana or some shit. We have central hubs like cali, ny, etc etc. If you arnt in a decent area, you are pretty out of luck. I actually come from a competitive MOBA background (Dota and HoN) and some of the people I've played with have expressed interest in playing shit like street fighter after watching Evo, but then think to themselves "whats the point? I'm nowhere near a decent area."

If I start playing Starcraft, Dota, League, Cod, whatever it is, I can progress to the top of the heap strictly from the comfort of my home. I can get in quality practice whenever I want, I can participate in a ton of reputable online tournaments, and schedule scrims. And I can do this from anywhere in the world. You can't really do that with fighting games. I think the future, and the biggest step to take is to make much, MUCH better netcode and transition to mostly online play. Obviously majors will still be around much like LAN tournaments will always exist in MOBAs, but tons of Circuits and tournaments series and other online avenues and means of exposure will pop up. Well, thats my opinion at least.

Thanks for the post, this is an interesting point. The convenience of competition. Does lag turn off THAT many people? What about games like Tekken, SCV and VF5? Apparently they have really good online. Even Injustice's online is very playable IMO if both parties have decent connections. I still think your point is valid. But more than anything, it could be that fighters just don't get enough exposure, and maybe we're not welcoming enough new players to come and join us...

 

[Jon Berg]

Thanks for the post, this is an interesting point. The convenience of competition. Does lag turn off THAT many people? What about games like Tekken, SCV and VF5? Apparently they have really good online. Even Injustice's online is very playable IMO if both parties have decent connections. I still think your point is valid. But more than anything, it could be that fighters just don't get enough exposure, and maybe we're not welcoming enough new players to come and join us...

I agree, the lag on a lot of games is not THAT BAD, but its enough that online and offline feel different. I've been to events for HoN, and it feels basically the same as online. Add to that the fact that online play in fighting games is generally shunned, and top competition doesnt really bother with it. If I queue ranked on injustice right now it will probably hurt my overall gameplay. I will queue into people that don't really know what they are doing, and i'll pickup bad habits. I have to go out of my way to message people to play private sessions. I just got out of a game of Dota 2, and on my team was Koreya- of Root Gaming. Thanks to hidden MMR, you will always be with people that will be competitive with you. You will learn most of the time (if you seriously want to and go into a game with a learning mentality) and you will improve. Sure top teams mostly scrim for real practice, but you will also find them spamming ranked games. Its much easier to get good games in a game with accessible online than it is without it, and it really is a big factor.

 

[VOR]

One of many things is the lack of universally appealing and interesting characters that people instantly care about in many fighting games. Many of the current games characters are relatively pretty dated. Tekken is doing something right in having new character polls and nrs is quite the leader and that category. The average serious gamer does not care too much for the aesthetic design of many fighting games. This is solveable, but a few games would not make the cut getting across to the masses.

 

[LEGEND]

i think this is a good place to post this, thought about making a thread for it awhile back but never got around to it:

 

[Limelights]

There are a lot of factors that go into LoL and Dota's popularity, the two biggest being the free-to-play model and developer support. The games are free and somewhat easy to get into so it has a giant pool of players. Then Valve and Riot can advertise tournament streams and information in the client itself.

Fighting games are hard, expensive, and tournament organizers can't advertise on the scale that Valve and Riot can.

 

[The_SNKE]

i think this is a good place to post this, thought about making a thread for it awhile back but never got around to it:

Youtube Link

I 100% wholeheartedly agree with this guy. Which kind of brings me to....

One of many things is the lack of universally appealing and interesting characters that people instantly care about in many fighting games. Many of the current games characters are relatively pretty dated. Tekken is doing something right in having new character polls and nrs is quite the leader and that category. The average serious gamer does not care too much for the aesthetic design of many fighting games. This is solvable, but a few games would not make the cut getting across to the masses.

I think LEGEND 's post hits the nail on the head honestly. The MOBA games and FPSs do NOT have characters that people care about, but they probably have teams/players that people get attached to. A good example in our FGC is this past EVO. I don't know shit about UMVC3 and could really care less about 90% of the characters, but I knew of Jwong's history with MVC2 and wanted him to win against Chris G in that epic Top 16 (?) match. I didn't know shit, but I cared enough about Justin (without knowing him) to root for him. I feel like it's a very basic human thing - you create a character (in this case a player) that people care about and can root for, and it's gold from there.


I'm loving the responses so far, it's good discussion. So far, I feel the narrative thing (which I feel like is very possible with the FGC) and proper exposure are key to getting ourselves noticed more. We need a good mainstream reality show or something haha. Also, I feel branding is also very important. People are attached to the brand of The Lakers, or The Jets. Maybe we can start branding by region or area or something, turn areas of the country into characters instead of the players.

 

[Rampage254]

We need swag