New Bandai Namco patent could change the way players learn Tekken 8 and more future fighting games
If you teach them, will they come?
Advancing from beginners to competitive play remains one of the largest obstacles to learning fighting games with both players and developers facing the issue.
Bandai Namco appears poised to try a bit of a different approach to leveling up, as they recently filed a patent aimed directly at helping fighting game players improve their execution and options, which could prove big for Tekken 8 and other future titles.
The patent itself is multifaceted in its approach to offer various tutorials and bits of advice to players depending on the circumstance at hand.
One of the largest aspects of these proposed systems seems to be built on the punish guides and My Tips already offered in Tekken 7, but taken to the next level.
In this system, players would be given specific counter attack options based on the move blocked where the game will display a proper punish.
Where many of the additions come into play are from advanced displays and player / character information gathered.
For example, the game would tell players whether they're hitting buttons too late or early to land the attack and repeat according until performed correctly.
On top of that, it'll also look through personal player data to determine a user's play style and preferred options in these scenarios to make suggestions.
Other players' information can also be injected to see how others using the same character are finding success.
To help players of various skill levels, the moves displayed can be adjusted into different categories including the easiest option to hit, high-effect single hits, high-effect combos and trends like the one mentioned above.
Considering fighting games already log every action we perform in matches, it would certainly be nice to see all of that data used to help players in more innovative ways.
Just because Bandai Namco filed the patent, however, doesn't mean all of these features will end up being included, and their ownership essentially prevent other developers like Capcom and Arc System Works from implementing the same or similar systems of their own.
Given the diagrams and similar modes being used, Tekken 8 would likely be the first place for these systems to show up in a new title.
Tekken 8 hasn't been officially announced, but it was included among dozens of other prospective games in Nvidia's recent server data-mine alongside other major fighters — although the company claims their listings were purely speculative.
Image source: United States Patent and Trademark Office.
