That’s not financially feasible in fighting games. Guilty Gear -STRIVE-, for example, currently has 32 characters even though it launched with 15 and that’s thanks to DLC selling well.
The current version of the game as we know it took nearly 10 years to develop. If you’re asking a mid-range developer to put 10 years of development into a self-published fighting game without seeing a single cent, you’re obviously disconnected from the market’s economics and are OK with the game potentially never seeing the light of day because it’s “not complete”
What does the “whole game” even mean in fighting games? It sounds like you’re applying non-fighting games standards to fighting games while ignoring any and all nuances related to the genre, which’s uninformed at best.
There’s “protect the consumer” and there’s “nuke the genre"—you’re calling for the second here.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 3 days ago
It was the whole game when you bought it, and then they added more. The reason they can continue to refine a fighting game after launch these days is that they sell stuff after launch. In the online era, you can’t really get away with releasing Street Fighter Alpha 1, 2, and 3 three years in a row, because the people who bought it the first time aren’t around to play with the people who bought Alpha 3, for example. I think there’s a happy medium to strike here, but literally no one has done it before or since Ultra Street Fighter IV.
greybeard@feddit.online 3 days ago
Obviously I can’t specify on this game, since it isn’t out yet, but there are plenty of cases were games are released very light on content and use season passes as a way to fill it out, as well as attempt to keep the player counts up.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 3 days ago
The alternative is they can pad the roster out with shotos and echo fighters if they want to seem like they’re offering better value, but the truth is that making a great fighting game character takes time and money. 15 characters is a pretty reasonable expectation for a base roster, and if it does well, they can add more, keep their people employed, and hone in on a better version of the game.
Squizzy@lemmy.world 3 days ago
I bought MK Deception at launch, it had multiple different play modes, a lot of characters and a new incredible sequel MK game came like the next year and another year after that an entire new game with every character ever.
3 complete distinct games that pushed the envelope in 3 years without DLC. New MK sucks, just looks more polished and people think it should be priced with RDR2 AND get the season model?
You are defending greed to the detriment of art.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 3 days ago
I never played the MKs from that era, but they do not have a great reputation compared to the modern games. There is a competitive game to be played here too, and a new one every year doesn’t really give any one of them time to breathe.
mohab@piefed.social 3 days ago
MK and the FGC divorced long ago. When people say fighting games, they’re mostly talking about Japanese fighting games and a few indies.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 3 days ago
That’s not true. MK always improves something and walks something else back, but the last few games have been their largest competitive community by a significant margin.