Yeah, but here's one thing. When Midway made MK3, it used 3D backgrounds, but still the 2D Action. It's likely to be in 2D action, but 3D and new-generation backgrounds. And who knows, if it could happen, you wouldn't see Sub-Zero or Scorpion anymore. It would be like brand NEW MK characters taking over for them.
Quotes from Mr. Ed Boon:
"The main thing we’re doing right now is the core technology. We’re using the Unreal 3 engine, and we’re getting our base, “How do display a character, normal-mapping, bump-mapping, shadows” all the things that are expected of the game. I have a bunch of ideas on paper in terms of things that I’d like to theoretically try, but it’s not like it’s in a playable state yet. — We’re doing something with the next game that’s unbelievably unexpected, and there’s going to be an announcement. I totally was told, “You cannot talk about this thing.” I think it’s going to be rolled out."
And about doing it all over again?
It’s really scary. There’s some stuff that I thought really worked well in the previous three games, but I really feel that we can’t do any more of it. We can’t do the new fighting-style stuff. We need to do something different. A lot of people say, “How do they keep selling well?” And we really believe that’s one of the reasons. We’re not afraid to say, “That’s working, but it’s time to do something new because it’s been five years.”
Ed Boon is likely pulling for a November 2008 release for MK8.