Capcom not only making fighting games more accessible to casual gamers, branching off to other franchises as well

We are heading into a video game decline.

Im glad they used marvel as an example of casual friendly, not because SFxT or sf4 don't have their fair share of ways to make the game easier for new players, but because marvel is the most casual.

All my hate

Dig that ditch deeper Capcom.

As long as casual tactics aren't one of the strongest options like Boost combos in SF X TK.

Take Persona for example, they have autocombos which are rarely optimal for damage but they also have a use for high level play (Builds extra meter so they might consider using them early on, they also restores some burst meter)

If they can get more people into fighting games I am all for it. As long as they do it right.

The difference between the current FGC and the previous one is that people are more connected now than ever in the past. It has nothing to do with the way fighters are made nowadays. Not to mention, there was a time when the future of the genre was a big question mark; SFIV was the answer to everyone's prayers.

I understand the need for accessibility, just don't turn your back on those who supported the series. MvC2, I felt, was easy enough to pick up and play; the only downside was the lack of character balance. UMvC3 is as balanced as a fighter of it's kind can get and I dreadfully despise the game. From the look, to the feel, to the easy to do combos that make me feel like I learned how to play fighters as a kid just to go back to baby inputs. And the list goes on.

Games like KOFXIII are immensely easier than previous installments in the series, and yet they still don't feel like an entirely differnt game in terms of gameplay. The game didn't make me feel like I was getting thrown a bone or that I had practiced for years playing the older games just to have enough skills to win a game with a quick BnB 100% combo (although a 100% is possible in almost any fighter).

Games are more mainstream than ever; so, from a business p.o.v., the need for easy to pick up and play games is automatic is you wanna make a profit.

You can make a game that's easy for new comers to play but does not put the better player at a disadvantage, see sf2. The reason 3s failed is because of marketing. It became a niche product and thus 3soe became a niche product as well. Just make sf5 easy to play but remove all the comeback mechanics and input shortcuts

In b4 people say that "I will never buy Crapcom again!" and then said people will be first in line for SF5 or DS4.

But, this can be done but intelligenty. Games nowadays are so easy, its true. This is a trend that every game company and not just Capcom has been following.

SC2 is easier than Brood War. Tekken is 6 is much easier than Tekken 3 (Bound). Etc. As long as Capcom still makes the game play rewarding, engaging and fun, I will support the game. They just need to make the game so that People can see feel rewarded from playing it and also so people can automatically see who the better player is. That is why SFXT was a failure in a sense, it wasn't too easy, it wasn't rewarding to play and lower level players could win due to outside factors (Time.)

I will never buy Crapcom again!

RIP Quality games

yes they do, and they need to stop it.

I feel torn about this topic.

The new generation of gamers is very different from the 70's-80's generation.Kids today want instant and long-lasting gratification.If they don't get it,the game or whatever gets dropped,never to be played again.

Few players want to think and appreciate the work that was done to present a decent challenge.This is in IMHO,of course....I'm pretty sure there are serious and dedicated players out there.Hungry to prove themselves.

Company wants to earn some serious moola + Games a bit easier + ?????=Profit? As long there is hidden depth(like it's still apparent in all Capcom new FG games series),we'll be ok.

#7 Couldn't have said it better. I find it quite disappointing that they are trying to make games that will make a profit, instead of trying to make a legitimately complex, good fighter. I feel like the older games (Guilty Gear, 3S, CVS2, etc.) were the best of their kind, while now they are just making "Call of Duty fighting edition" style gameplay to cater to all the casuals.

The whole point of fighting games is the learning process, playing for tons of hours, figuring out the ins and outs of your character and/or team, and climbing the ladder.

High level play is like an art form, it takes time. I am strongly against this whole "make everything easier to access for new players" because it is the incorrect mindset for fighting games, instant gratification is not a good mechanic for fighting games.

Regardless Capcom is failing a lot in terms of new fighting games lately (UMVC3, SFXT) which I feel is exactly what #1 said. SSF4 isn't the greatest either, but at least it's not as bad as the other two.

thats exactly NOT what you want to do capcom! Look at mvc2, one of the greatest games of all time. Dont dumb down your games! it hurts us the players, which in turn hurts you the developers and also the entire industry

I don't have a problem with a game being easily accessible. It's great for drawing in casual gamers, and as long as braindead tactics don't dominate and the better person usually wins, I'm ok with them.

There is a difference between "casual gamers" and "beginners". Casual gamers will more than likely pick up the game, but it is unlikely they will stick around to play it for long, regardless of how 'easy' the game is made. Beginners on the other hand are people who are interested in learning the game but lack the skill or knowledge to be good at it (at the beginning). For example, if you ask a 'casual' what frame data is, they probably have no idea but if you ask a 'beginner', they may not know everything about frame data but they at least know about it.

I think Capcom should definitely separate these two groups if they intend to make games 'easier' because casual gamers will probably never stick around for long and chances are, they aren't looking up information (or even this site). I'm not entirely opposed to them making games 'easier' to pick up, I just think that there still needs to be some complexity in the game for more advanced/hardcore players (i.e. finding "new technology").

from my experience, maybe inputs are a bit easier, but the whole gameplays still take a long time to even apprentice, not even master, and there is still a huge difference between amateur & master levels.

MvC3 is even an hardcore game, as far as i can tell. SF4 is a bit more accessible. But when you have to learn frame datas and all match ups, don't tell me it's too easy lol.

anyway, there will always be ragers won't don't like to loose and will find bad excuse for their loss

MVC3 is a hardcore game? LOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOL

Heres an idea, branch off your ass and make my god damn BoF6.

So pretty much a brand new fighting game IP with brand new characters/storylines can never be made again (outside of Skullgirls but as much as I like the game lets be honest, it didn't do well) by the big companies because it will kill off their casual fanbase?

RIP Creativity

I know its been dead I mean look at the re-hashing we have in video game ports, music (old music samples used for beats and such, and not to mention no creativity in lyrics pretty much you rap about your cars, your money, going to the club, your rims, your clothes or gtfo) and movies (no need to explain this one IE: The Karate Kid etc.) Creativity is just pretty much gone in this generation on all media/artistic fronts. Sad to see.

I would be happy if MvsC4 was steered back toward MvsC2, just with more roster balance attempted, at least.

#19

Yeah, That gave me a good chuckle

I want to be able to play like Lebron James. I'm 4'2'' tall, and I'm in a wheel chair. Help me NBA.

And if a noob still stinks at a game then let's make it so they can purchase an item so they can instantly block attacks or escape throws without even trying. Or make a good player almost impossible to beat with same assist gems .... er, I mean items.

Purchase a cheap win. Players will love them and Capcom will cash in!

Oh wait.

The new DMC better not remove the jump cancel mechanic shown in DMC 3 and 4....

the new DMC has ruined a lot rebirth, look it up on youtube. It's already a confirmed failure if you were a fan of the first few

I feel like the MvC series has been getting more and more accessible. But the accessibility allows the game do develop more. MvC1 to MvC2 removed 2 attack buttons, made assists 1 button instead of 2, and made dashing 2 buttons instead of 3. Instead of dumbing it down, people started doing stuff that weren't imaginable in MvC1. It only made doing the stuff that they did in MvC1 easy but then the standard things people did became more technical. I feel like the same thing is happening with MvC3. The things people did in MvC2 became easier but MvC3 became more diverse and dangerous overall. As people push the game, they go beyond what the previous games could do. The requirements for players change. As long as there's competition, players will try to be the best which means trying to push the limits of the game. The things that initially seemed dumbed down create a deeper game because new things open up but nothing ever closed.

@14 All game companies set out to make games that will make a profit. This is not disappointing: this is what keeps them making new games. Capcom is being really senstitive about not alienating the casual crowd because of what happened with the Street Fighter 3 series, and from a business standpoint, you cannot blame them.

That said, as fans of the games, this may be distressing news. But unfortunately, fans are not the only people who matter when it comes to decisions like this.

And, for the record, just because something is accessible does not mean it lacks creativity. You can argue whether or not the things Capcom has tried to make their fighters accessible actually made for a better game, but you can't argue that they haven't tried to do something different. Love or hate SFxT, but at least it tried some new things.

The funny thing is about Street Fighter X Tekken is that it does not have a lot of the "norms" that Marvel and Street Fighter 4 has. It does have a comeback mechanic to reward mistakes (X Factor, Ultras). It does not have vitality based damage scaling (SF4). What it does have is a fairly simplified system of combos (boost chains) which make a majority of characters highly easy to use for begginiers with still having stuff advanced players can explore and use. SFxT brought back a majority of mechanics that SF4 abandoned like parrys, and alpha counters. The only glaring "flaw" was the frame data around the boost combos.

Say what you want but, In my opinion, Is a lot better than Street Fighter or Marvel. I think that it could stand alone as a great game of people stopped comparing it to Street Fighter because it's NOT Street Fighter.

I dare anyone at Capcom to play Demon's Souls and Dark Souls.

SFxT is a great start. Flexible and accessible for advanced as well as noobs.

Outside of this debate about casuals. DMC can die in a muddy ditch.

I don't think offending their core fan base is the best way to go, but I guess that's why I'm not running the business.

But then again I'm certainly not buying DmC either.

SFxT COULD have been the right balance.

There were several things they did that allowed newer players to get deeper in while still allowing for advanced tactics, like boost combos, getting rid of double-motion supers, and the larger input window for links. The gem system itself could've been a big step, allowing for RPG-style customization for advanced players while the assist gems allowed casual players to do more. SethLOLOL's gem-optimizing approach with Law/Kuma is something I expected to become the norm for the game by now.

The problem isn't that they wanted to make the games more inclusive. Ono himself said Third Strike wasn't expected to sell much, so they just focused on making it something hardcore players could sink their teeth into. The real issue with SFxT is how badly the good ideas on paper got screwed up in practice. Whether due to rushed development (all the balance issues, poor netcode, bugs), greed (pay-to-win gems), or simply boneheaded decisions--like not letting people screen out assist gem users online, thus allowing people who don't need them to abuse them.

Even if SFxT was a colossal mess, I still feel like the underlying ideas behind it could work. Its's just a matter of doing a good job and not money-grubbing through microtransactions.

(Also, if I buy DmC at all, it'll be for $20--$30 at the most. They gameplay is decent, but the game is obnoxious as hell and tries WAY too hard to be edgy. I don't want to reward Capcom and NT with a new purchase.)

Catering to casuals is fine and dandy and all as long as you dont let that tarnish the end product. Simple.

non-lock-on launcher.... NOOOOOOOOO THEIR RUINING DMC!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think DmC is going to be a good game that will sell reasonably well. I wish for nothing but success for that game.

mvc3 is pretty casual an hardcore with so that's a good start sfxt was a good try too but too many things hold it back I wish they didn't have to make games this easy to get into but they gotta make that money an this seems to be working

Okay as far a fighters are concerned there has been ups and downs especially with the games I mention below

Mvc2
Fun game but this game supports a time when it was less about hitting combos and more about having fun and doing crazy stuff. However the learning curve to do big combos was too high and the balance of the roster was too poor so pretty much its dominated by the top tier characters(cough magneto and well all know the others are given the most viable stuff)

Umvc3
Despite its problems such as on disc DLC pretty much no mvc2 characters, Online netcode, bad matchmaking, and a terrible ranking and tutorial system, along with the lacking of any real defensive mechanics and only the about the top 15 being good characters and the rest being bad(simple mode was also bad). The system idea for this game is good as it supports casual, begginner, and advanced players equally. There's extremly easy to extremely hard combos in the game. Reasonable changes are made especially to air combos which should be simple I shouldn't have to press 56 buttons when all I want is an air combo.

SSF4
Good game not many complaints here accept some matchups could be better and capcom could shoot make made every matchup 5 5 cause its a big issue.
Street fighter third Strike
Good game but there's one big problem which is why I won't play this game learning curve is wayy too high usless you played this game in the past your screwed end of story.

Tips for capcom
While making parts of the game easier that should be(like an air combo which should be simple) don't completely water down the game like sfxt or make the learning curve too high that pretty much only tornament players will play the game(like sf third strike).

Another thing is make it easier to obtain skill and get better at the game. Like mini games that increase our execution, defense, and offense even patience and timing. Create mechanics that tells us the holes in our game and how to improve them. Making it easier to obtain skill and play at the highest level which I feel many fighting games lack.

Last but not least every matchup needs to be 5 vs 5 period cause what happens (especially in bad matchups) one player is allows to make as many mistakes as he wants while the other makes one and can lose the game so pretty much allowing a player to get a pass unless the other player get lucky or tries pretty much too hard to win the matchup.

PS: If they can't make every matchup 5 v 5 which is cool then there needs to be intel of how I need to play every matchup not just some of them which is what option select and many over sites did.

Maybe I'm becoming a grumpy old man, but f**k this trend of instant gratification. If you get everything handed to you, what's the point of investing your time and keeping on playing?

At the same time, I know it's necessary to attract new people because if you don't the scene WILL die out. It's a rotten situation.

And it has nothing to do with Capcom btw, this is much bigger than them alone.

so just waiting for that bayonetta 2

for those waiting on bayonetta 2 you're screwed if you don't buy the wii u. sorry

This "Newcomer" reason is the same reason we don't have CVS2 Online Edition. The people that want things easy isn't gonna want to learn the game. Its not hard at all

@6 Boost combos give you huge damage scaling and less meter build. It's terrible to use boost combos outside of just switching a character out.

@44 - How the hell do they justify Third Strike Online and Darkstalkers Ressurection, then? No, it's most likely because of licensing issues, yet again.

Aren't we asking the wrong question here? If we are doing stuff to attract newcomers, shouldn't we make the COMMUNITY more accessible. There is a lot of stuff of thing that people do that are not easy to learn (like playing an instrument or sports), but people still do it in they are integrated in a community that rewards them and pushes them to become better, instead of calling them noobs or scrubs. If we would be more welcoming towards players who are trying to get their feet wet in fighting games, then it wouldn't matter how intricate the game we are playing is, if kids thing it's cool, they will play it.

#41: I agree with everything you said except that instant gratification is necessary to attract new people. Instant gratification is not necessary to attract new people. Fighting games can attract people by being interesting. If someone isn't interested in fighting games, making it easier will not do much in terms of getting them into the community.

If you like fighting games because you like them, you will put time and effort into progressing in them. I wasn't attracted to fighting games because they were "easy" I liked them because they were interested, promoted analytical thinking, and had really cool character design, mechanics, etc. I continue playing fighting games for the same reason.

They're suppose to get easier as you learn them, not right off the bat. The skill gap exists for a reason. They are trying to make it harder for a casual player to see, which might make them more money right off the bat but I don't think it will do much for the community.

TL;DR: If someone isn't interested in fighters for the game itself and not how easy/hard it is, they shouldn't play them.

interesting*

I understand what they are trying to achieve, but it isn't a smart move IMO. By making the game easier, being 'good' doesn't really mean s*it. And the little shortcuts in SF4 isn't really needed. If you can't hit 623, then you really shouldn't be playing a fighting game. I don't think they should make things easier, I'm sure you all know the feedback of Ninja Gaiden III. As I am getting better and better at SF, I noticed I've slipped toward 3S over AE. Capcom needs to rethink this decision before they lose more than what they may gain.

yeah screw that, these things is what is killing the video game industry. Might as well say "we want the call of duty audience" while you're at it.
If new people want to play then let them start how most of us did, by learning the techniques and moves. No need to dumb things down for the sake of stupid decisions.

#31's comment made me smile.

@47

I like your thinking, an elitist community won't help anyone in the end, but with internet anonymity, it's just so easy for people to get up on a high horse and demoralize everyone else.

As for my take on this, it seems like with Street Fighter 4, they just tried to make it so that anyone can perform all the basic movements, but only the good players will know what is appropriate and when. Now, instead of being a battle of wits and execution, it's more-so just a battle of wits. It's not a bad idea, but I just hope that they still keep some aspects of the game that require practise to master, such as 1-frame links, etc. to ensure that those who really practise the game can get more out of it so that the best player will always win.

I see a lot of love for CVS2 here, but a lot of hatred of SSF4 ultras. 2 grooves in CVS2 gave comeback mechanics (S groove gave you infinite level 1 supers when you were low on life and K groove built most of its meter by getting damaged). People claim that it's easy to get beat up, ultra your opponent and everything is equalized when it's not. Don't get me wrong, CVS2 is my favourite game, but it just seems so bipolar of the community to trash SSF4 so hard for it's ultra system.

Ex. If I have 100% life and no super meter and I take you down to 50% life; then you manage to connect an ultra on me - sure, I may have roughly 60% life left, but you gave me over a bar of super meter and possibly an ultra of my own while you gain neither.

Also, how would you guys have implemented the ultra system instead?

I don't see a problem here. Just a bunch of butthurt whining fraudulent capcom haters that will buy the next capcom game released and then hate on it.

First Resident Evil 6 and now the new Devil May Cry game. I just hope they don't screw up the next Street Fighter installment.

New players need to feel there's a reason to put time into a game. Doing away with execution barriers, and making games more accessible is a good way to do that. You know, "easy to learn, hard to master"?

Not a hard concept, guys.

Next they'll nerf chess.

The ideal fighter is easy to play, hard to master. That's an appreciation most comments are here are missing. Those games DO exist and I honestly think Marvel3 is a good example of that. Acting like the game "isn't hardcore" just makes you sound like an ass. Everyone who plays it knows that a lot of mechanics are just as difficult as previous ones, but some are just simpler. I'll apologize for being in the minority for feeling like a game can be gratifying without requiring players to buy a $100 stick and master plinking and kara-throwing with their eyes closed before it can be considered a serious figher. Awesome if you can do that--but not required to be decent at the game.

The learning curve for fighers is still 10x steeper than those of almost any genre, the time invested in Capcom fighters for competitive players dwarfs that of shooters (generally). If the combo and gameplay system remains deep but it happens to have casual-gamer-accessible elements, I'm fine with it. Just means more friends to fight against.

Some of you sound nutso.

A lot of companies that have shifted their attention from mostly hardcore players to more casual player have found success and a much larger community for their games.

Funny how anyone would think that it is killing the industry. Lol.

They never made AE beginner friendly, only mash friendly. It creates this painful zone where you don't DARE to try hit your links on a live opponent, which is discouraging toward the learning process.

ugh you don't dumb down devil may cry games that's some of their freaking appeal jeez i want to feel like i had an epic battle that i barely won not one where i didn't have to try.

I don't understand the whining about input shortcuts. I bet if TWW had had down-toward down-toward as the dp motion from the beginning nobody would be mentioning it. They look on it as training wheels but it's just an alternate way of inputting, end of story. And a lot of the top players use them; i've seen Daigo crouching and wiggling the stick to buffer a dp for example. Using every tool in his arsenal instead of acting like he's above it.

dmc is dead to me,
resident evil is dead to me,
final fantasy is dead to me,

i don't understand why they try to impress new gamers by rebooting IP's when they could just invent new ones

Well Im gonna flamed but i guess thats how the FGC is

First off let me say I was a "casual gamer things like frame data and footsies" just a year ago were alien to me. I played mv23 as a casual gamer with my brothers and ended up stopping playing it because the game was so hard to play and all of my other friends had moved on to smash bros.....

then MVC3 came along and suddennly I started preforming real combos and actually understanding the game and playing against high level players in my eyes. I stumbled across people like maximillion and started watching EVO and other stream because of it AND YOU PEOPLE WANT TO FLAME ME FOR THAT?

You guys seem like a bunch of grumpy old folks "back in my day we didn't have calculates u should do everything out on paper" SO What? time moves and things move forward and you guys are like no lets stand still you concentrate on the bad and not the good.

Fighting games have more depth than ever and your saying marvel 3 isn't hardcore? Someone please give me a definitoin everyone is open to their oppinoin but you have no right to DEFINE a game you dont play.

And the FGC is growing because of the accesibility. NO NO Lets keep its small. These are the reasons that Capcom arent fully supporting their fighting game because of YOU GUYS. This is why your beloved SNK3 hasnt come out yet. So thank you for killing the community and ruining the fighting games THAT EVERYONE NOT JUST YOU NO MATTER WHAT SKILL!!!!! Like to play I think im gonna stop playing them right now

@ 60

You can take advantage of a mash friendly environment with baits and frametraps though, just gotta stay ahead of the curve

Wow, a lot of people don't want more casuals getting into fighting games...

Here's a thought: Ya gotta start somewhere. Due to online match-making, fighting real people occurs WAY more often, and due to how online matches work, it's sink or swim. It's intimidating. For people that are already in to this type of thing, we're all used to getting salty over a loss streak, knowing when to stop for the night or else we'll say "just one more win" till 3:00 am, tinkering around with moves until we can find a nice, practical combo or reset. A new person has NO CLUE about these things, nor may he/she understand the importance of it when fighting someone that utilizes these things. They give up easily, they get frustrated quicker, they're really damn quick to trade in their copy of a game, and if they see two good players going at it, they don't get hype...they get scared. This is Capcom's way of keeping fighting games from dying twice. They HAVE to sell, for everyone's sake, so stop acting like extra hardcore salt inducers like CvS2 are what everyone needs. They aren't. Period.

Also, just cause it's easier, doesn't mean it can't be hardcore. UMVC3 has a HUGE random factor. Being consistent with that in mind is pretty damn good, mind you. I'm not saying Mario Kart is hardcore (TOO random), but UMVC3 can be played on that level (expect some hiccups though).

I don't think Capcom can make a fighting game any easier to play without making the execution non-existing otherwise it'll just be a turn-based game.

UMvC3 like Smash Bros was designed to be easy to play but only through emergent gameplay did it become harder to master. I think that's just about right for the casual player.

Learning how to get better is one of the best parts in playing fighting games.

Since Capcom keeps insisting the idea, let's execute it and see how the sales figure do.

No. No more scrubs and noobs, please...

The problem with a low skill floor is that it always goes hand in hand with a low skill ceiling, which is bad for competitive play. When you make a game overly accessible and fundamentally basic, then top level play becomes stagnant. This is fine if your target audience is the casual gamer, but don't then expect to see your game played amongst the hardcore fighting gamers who go to tournaments and genuinely care about competition. I'm looking at you, SFxT and Playstation All-Stars.

Easy stuff is boring get the bullcrap out of here. At the end of the day if it's not challenging it's not rewarding. There is no instant gratification in life.

lol, "no more noobs". But when there is a new game, even you are a noob :)

and i still don't understand people saying that games like SF4 & Mvc3 are too "user friendly". Well if it's so easy, then win as a noob against someone who practiced a lot :)

easy inputs does not change the fact that you have to learn the frame datas, the match ups, the options select, the combos, the timings, well everything else.

I don't even understand what you call easy. Are Virtua Fighter 4 & 5 easy ? because from my point of view, input wise, their are really easy for a noob like me :) the only hardcore part of this game is to memorize all the moves, for all characters because you have to learn the match ups :)

I thought that was what power stone(I miss that game) was for but anyways yeah they got easier execution wise over the years and their are a few less buttons to press you can still to "dial a combo" in all MvC games so i don't see what the crying is about here cuz if an amateur wants to beat a seasoned player he's going to have to learn big ones eventually also crying about the cast of MvC3 its Marvels fault not Capcom, they tell them who they can and can't use. So "modern fighters" just like CoD it takes no skill to learn to play but it takes skill to win consistently you can not deny that.

Guys Guys remember capcom is not a corporation, so making money should be their last resort, they should be making a complex fighter that most of the people who comment on this site will rave about how good it is but wont play(sf3soe,skullgirls, vf5, etc.)SF4 is probably the best game that capcom has done, it is the perfect balance of easy and complex, where anyone who knows anything about street fighter can just pick up and play, but at the same time its hard to get good at and consistently win. Now we know that all vocal 09'ers pretend that sf4 requires no skill to be good at any recent capcom game, but they know that they will never be top 32 at any tournament so it doesnt matter.

TL;DR-ALL FGC HIPSTERS STFU, CAPCOM DOESN'T MAKE GAMES TO CATER TO YOUR TINY INFLUENCE IN THE MONITERY SUCCESS OF THESE GAMES.

I call bull. What the hell do they mean not many new fans entered DMC4. It was the highest selling DMC game ever. These greedy bastards have resorted to dishonestly to excuse their dumbing down of games.

Give it up Capcom, you'll never be the Japanese EA no matter how much you want to be.

I just got on GGPO for the first time 2 weeks ago. I played ST and used Jumping MK with Chun to get in, then just spammed low forward and standing strong into strong throw. They get knocked down, repeat s. strong into throw, etc. Sure, the expert players blew up this tactic 9 times out of 10, but against beginner/intermediate players it succeeds pretty well. I think "comeback mechanics" and "easy to get into" have been around for a long time, it's just that game developers have started to emphasize it.

I didn't play Tekken 2 much because it had sluggish controls and didn't interest me much. Tekken 3 came along, had responsive controls, inputs seemed easier, combos did big damage, etc. I was far from an expert player, but the big damage and easy combos did alot for me. I played the H*** out of the game at the arcade, mostly against the CPU.

Anyone rememebr all the complaining about Eddy Gordo being so cheap because newcomers could spam Left Kick/Right kick + Joystick in random directions and win easily vs people that didn't know how to block? Yea, I remmeber those days. How easy fighting game fans forget (the ones that were around in those days anyway :P).

SFxT is the perfect balance for me.

The combo system is more flexible and easier for noobs (less 1 frame links, less complex motions) so they can play the game, have fun, do all sorts of flashy things and think they are good. But at the same time there is something that separates the bad players from the good. And that is footsies, the neutral game and ressource management. And the whole game is designed around those 3 things so in effect, no matter what come back mechanic they try to put in, the bad players will always lose to the better player in this game. Unlike other similar fighters.

Cant wait to have more 11yr olds at EVO yay

why is this news again?

@80

Dude, having more 11yrs old like you at EVO would be AMAZING and EPIC (no pedo).

@80
Accompanied by their parents.

Believe it or not...we need noobs, kids, and casuals if we want to see the FCC progress forward. Unfortunately, bigotry and arrogance are common traits shared by most in this community. Lag and salt doesn't help while playing online either. I play noobs on UMVC3 daily. I usually send a msg to a fairly new players and give them tips. Secret inputs were dead once social media took the world over. We need more people like Max who cater to the noobs. I doubt a friendlier community will ever be able to exist with all of the salt going on.

Capcom should make a 9 button fighter where Kinect reads your face and the correct eye squint is required to link normals for combos beyond 3 hits. The strongest super arts do about 11% damage and if someone gets you below half health--there is no coming back.

Fighting games should stay for the dedicated. I'm not saying "hardcore" becaues I was compeletly new to fighting games when I met vanilla IV, the last fighting stuff I played before was MK4 on PC and MK2 on NES. But I didn't give up, I spent some weeks to find the best controls for myself, then some characters I felt I can improve myself with, and after another 3-4 months I found my main I'm still playing after 4-5 years. Those first few months were spent with playing online, learning how to behave in a fight, how to think, how to realize my options and limits while manipulating others. The rest is only technical stuff accessible to anyone event with guide sites like Eventhubs.

Conclusion: LEAVE THE FIGHTING GAMES AS THEY ARE. They tried to make it casual, and we know that game as the biggest failure in CAPCOM's history, called SFxT. Meanwhile on PC: still 1.02 unplayable online. Just saying.

It's never changing. All of gaming is this way, not just Capcom. If want challenging gameplay, just go back and play older games because it's all your going to get. The age of dumbing down has only started and DS4 (if it's being made) is going to suffer HARD because of it.

I think now with the world of the Internet with youtube vids and sites like this learning a game or new strategies are made more easier but I think capcom want more they want casual gamers, players that don't know how to do a fireball hence sfxt easy inputs the only problem is finding a balance I think players that use these assists gems should have a bigger defesit maybe less health. The key is for these beginners is to find a balanced match, playing someone of their skill, things like fight tracker on this site are very handy but a casual gamer will not know or want to research this, this sort of thing needs to be on the game. If I was a beginner at sf and bought sfxt I wouldn't even know how to setup up my easy input gem lol the game needs a simple way to implement this maybe a mode when you first turn the game on beginner mode or normal. If you go beginner mode you should have all gem slots automatically sorted with assist gems and when you go to play online you will only play people in that mode and vice versa.

This will please the more advanced players and beginners as they will not bump into each other.

Ithe only problem Witt this is that it will lessen the players online as it is split between modes so... I dunno lol

It's pretty stupid to even put DmC into the same category because I'm someone who ACTUALLY played DMC4 properly. Spending hours in Bloody Palace learning such tactics as: Jump cancelling, Instant revving and effective style switching to even reading animation data. The new DmC is almost as indepth as DMC4 and mostly likely better than DMC1 and 2 combat.

The fact this review talks about how they DmC easier is pretty BS because the demo has been eaten up by the 'actual' DMC community. We've got combo/trick videos for DmC showing off jump cancelling, advancing combos, prop-gun cancelling and so much more.

What surprises me the most is that the fighting game community are saying how DmC suck yet haven't actually played it and I'd think that this community would be the most appreciative of a game that's just as indepth as any fighting game (with the tricks and in-depth mechanics I mentioned).

Another point is that so many of you forget how pathetic MvC3 is of a game. That game got rid of actually having to learn your characters launch in MvC2(Magneto [c.HP]/Venom [c.LP > c.LP]). MvC3 got rid of that level of skill and replace ALL launchers with one button (S) and so many people eat MvC3 up....even with it's BS X-factor mechanic. DmC is far from easy.

Personally, I'm not sure how to feel about the casualization of fighting games. In one hand, it's great to branch out to new users and get them interested, but in the other hand, it's a bit frustrating for people whove been in the genre to get destroyed just because the casualized mechanic is a bit too much (looking at you x-factor).

I think so long as Capcom and other Fighting game developers move forward, they should consider the flaws with too much casualization and yet, consider that if something is indeed harder, that it is more rewarding to succeed (ie. KOF13 and Demons/Dark Souls)

It's hard to cater to both, though, cause if something is just easier to do, people would flock to that mechanic, such as the difference between Ryu and say... Gen or Viper.

#58 Spoken like a true casual.

#64 Lol fighting games have more depth than ever? Yeah no. Where are you getting your facts from? The FGC is what is supporting fighting games, casual players are not supporting them, hardcore players are. Casuals don't do anything for the community. You're an idiot, seriously, why are you even allowed near a computer? I'm surprised you are able to even use a keyboard without the instructions on your left hand side.

It's supposed to be intimidating because it's difficult. Stop being a pussy and learn how to play instead of hopping online the first you thing you do and getting bodied by someone who actually put time and effort into learning the game. You think people were just hella godlike right off the bat? Do you think athletes are just born good at sports? It comes with time and practice, like anything that takes skill. Why do casual players need to be catered to? Why exactly do they deserve any special treatment?

It's not that hard to google "fighting game name here" strategy or how to play "fighting game name here" on google or watch videos on youtube like the rest of us do. Do you not know how to use a computer? If you can't figure out basic things like that, you're not going to get good at fighting games.

If you give up easily and get frustrated fast why do you even play fighting games? Go play Call of Duty or something. Go play MK if you want a casual friendly fighter, it's probably the most casual friendly fighting game at the moment.

There is also a really good Naruto fighting game I'd like to suggest for you guys. Really easy to learn and lots of "random hardcore fun" to be had for everyone to enjoy. =) Naruto combos only require one button and absolutely no timing, just mash that button HARD and you will do a SICK, 20+ hit combo and impress yourself and all your pals. Unfortunately you have to charge your chakra at times, which IMO is a bit too complex, they should just remove that mechanic completely. GOOD THING if you lose a little more than half your life, you get this cool x-factor mechanic called an awakening, where you do more damage, can teleport instantly behind the opponent from anywhere on the screen, and other fun, hardcore, random things!

On a more serious note, a random factor =/= a hardcore game. Random factors are NOT a good thing, they are a BAD thing. A random factor just simulates the illusion of a competitive match. You are trying to turn something like chess into something like shooting dice.

Well, here is praying that if/when they make a new Guilty Gear, they do NOT follow this "trend" and make it a game worth putting time and effort into.

@91 "The FGC is what is supporting fighting games, casual players are not supporting them, hardcore players are."

^ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

these fighting games sell millions of copies in the us (usually their highest selling market) and you think that makes up the fgc? The FGC makes up a very small part of the sales, and the ones who actually play competitively make even a smaller part. Smash bros brawl and Mortal kombat are high selling fighters (either easily sold more than ss4ae,or umvc3) and one is non existant in the fgc and the other one isnt nearly as popular as the other two games.

People who complain that most games are too easy are missing the point. The main point is depth. Yes have easy inputs I struggle to do links on my pad playing sf4 yet i have zero problems doing combos in tekken/virtua fighter or even mk. Some things in sf4 i find hard to do for no reason. Like doing two cr mps in row with ryu that's just stupid as my friend put it that's fake depth. Put the moves on the table for players make them easy add NEW moves for new games parry/cancel mechanics that is actual depth. I didn't buy sfxt cause the sf chars all had the same moves they always have they just link a different way (oh wow). A casual player who bought sf4 can't tell the difference between that and sfxt. Also advertising new/old ip sells well if advertised properly damn the expense casual players are not on these websites (not even ign) we don't need the aggressive marketing they do.

If they really do continue with this view of thinking, then RIP Capcom fighters. Seriously.

Now I'm pretty scared for Darkstalkers 4 if it ever happens.

I actually want to make a fighting game where all special moves are just frame only and as hard as KOF's hardest commands. Now, you really have to put in work to be good in that.

That's basically what it feels like for a casual player to learn how to do a shoryuken.

Now you "hardcore" players can experience what you all love to ask casual players to do too.

SFIV sold 3.1 M in 2 years
T6 sold 3.5 M in 2 years
MK9 sold 3 M in 6 months
Casuals got the power

@#24 "I want to be able to play like Lebron James. I'm 4'2'' tall, and I'm in a wheel chair. Help me NBA."

That is probably the more horrible analogy I have ever seen.

Unlike video games, a position in the NBA isn't a consumer product that you can buy. The NBA isn't supported financially by people BUYING positions in the NBA. It's supported by spectators. Video games are not supported by spectators. They are supported by people who want to PLAY, from the noobs to the pros. NBA positions are given ONLY to the best players. Video games are purchased by whoever wants to play video games, which included newcomers and experts alike.

Believe me, if video games were only given to the best players, 99% of the people on this site would be exempt from playing...including you.

@#96

"SFIV sold 3.1 M in 2 years
T6 sold 3.5 M in 2 years
MK9 sold 3 M in 6 months
Casuals got the power"

As with most video games, most of those SF4 and T6 sales were made toward the beginning of their life cycles. So, it didn't take 2 years for SF4 to sell 3 million. Most of that was probably done during the first year, just like with MK9.

Also, after year 1, SF4 sales got killed by SSF4, which sold another million.

Bad data interpretation.

But, still casuals DO have the power. That part is true.

Those sales data are authentic and shows how mk9 outsold both SF and Tekken despite having a smaller community and I am sure T6 sold 3.5 millions as of May 2011 (2 years after its release), SFIV and SSFIV are two different games, just like T5 and DR...

*grabs popcorn with extra butter*
Sweetness!

Great. Just like we've always wanted huh. Did they think the difficulty settings like Dante Must Die mode and Heaven or Hell was a bit too much and unfair? The future Ghost and Goblins games are gonna be more easy than the brutally hard ones back in the mid 80s and early 90s? Megaman will have only an easy mode? Great, you are doing so much good for your franchises Capcom. Nintendo has been increasing difficulty setting lately, even New Super Mario Bros with their challenge mode. Did they hate DK Country Returns they wanna prove Nintendo or other companies that kid friendly and easy mode is the right way to do it.

Devil May Cry- Mash buttons and you win a SSS rank.
Resident Evil- Stupid controls in an action game.
Street Fighter or Marvel VS series - So easy a child can compete at tournaments.
Mega Man - Let the fans make one for us.