In order for fighting games to grow, and have the average joe or joe-ette feel like they have a shot at winning big, the games need more randomness, like poker. I don't think it can get big just as a spectator sport, and it will be interesting to see if it stays as popular as it is after the shift from Usf4 to sf5.
I don't know how someone would make it more random, but that's the only way for it to get really big imo.
Maybe if they added something like random items: power boost item that increases health and certain characters can get to it faster than others but they have lower health; an item that boosts speed; and a mystery item that can cause damage if you use it or lead to another power advantage(Imagine the salt/hype that would come if neither player used the mystery item and it could have won the game. You could even reveal it after a game ended, like when someone folds in poker and would have won). You could also bet meter to acquire the item the fastest, like if I have 3 bars, and you have 2 bars, and we both see a random item appear--if I bet my 3 bars by doing some motion before you do, or before you reach it I get the item but I lose the meter. So, it's a trade off, but one that doesn't require a ton of skill other than reaction time and meter management.
You would have bad beats, where luck would beat skill, but it might be hype and it would let bums feel like they have a shot, which brings in more money.
Anyone agree/disagree? Since it's a competitive site, there will probably be a lot who disagree or who just don't care, but I don't think it's such a bad idea. It's better than making characters that can do stupid powerful attacks(cough El Fuerte) that seem difficult to make sense of(I have figured out Fuerte though), and random but only for one player.
Just a thought I had, wondering why weaker players go to tournaments that they almost have no chance of winning. I know some people go to hang out, but it seems like more people would go if they thought they had a shot.