AM2 hiring Virtua Fighter. VF6 incoming?

[Randroid]

If they throw in a boxer I'd like one that doesn't use kicks.

That way they can really make the punch strings really unique. Otherwise, it would be just another brad, or if he's a big guy, just another Jeffery.

and I was going to say "Tae Kwon Do character", but Sarah already is a kick heavy fighter. Not saying that it shouldn't be done. God knows there's a ton of style overlap in VF.

And hell yes to sega character costumes. Spent so much time doing that in VF5:FS.

[MadeManG74]

I was thinking of Sarah too when I said Tae Kwan Do, but I don't know enough about TKD to know if she's using a lot of their moves or not. I only know TKD from KOF and SF which is pretty far-out in terms of the moves.

As for the boxer, I think they can still make a unique character even if he has kicks available. It would be a case where he only has a very few kick-moves though, not even close to Brad's range of attacks. Just simple knees and mid kicks. But yeah, even with that Brad already has so much in the way of boxing attacks and strings I can't help but feel he'd be kind of redundant.

[semmie]

example of thai kwan do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyA3aq6lJZk
 its kinda taboo to mix that with boxing n u can see why.
but it has been combined in mma in a form of brazillian jiu jitsu boxing and thai kwan do.
the more skills u have the better of course.. but somehow sara is allready like that

this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL9ZXos8LfQ
contains the full quality of thai kwan do because the guy is forced to use punches as well cause his oponent s a kick boxer

[ROJM]

VF, while being an excellent fighting game has always struggled finding a western audience as it is stylistically and visually less iconic than any of its competitors.  It will continue to be an underdog until some serious image tweaking is done; whether that's a new take on the character designs or a new graphical style that stands out.  VF6 could be the entry that finally does this.

I think the timing of VF release and struggle for an audience outside the arcade (it doesn't struggle to get a western arcade audience) was more to do with Sega's slow demise in popularity and influence to the consumers with the saturn and DC which was really the only place to play VF games. Its no coincidence that most of Sega games from that Saturn/DC era have failed to get an audience for various reasons including any sequels to said games. Really outside of Sonic the only big selling Sega games in the west are two titles produced by companies they acquired, the ESPN license they once had and IRON MAN 2.As they were titles that surpassed the 300 000 -600 000 mark.

[Team Andromeda]

I think the timing of VF release and struggle for an audience outside the arcade (it doesn't struggle to get a western arcade audience)

I don't think VF games did well in the West and SOJ didn't even bother to bring VF 5 officially to the Western Arcades . I think its a combo of the sheer deepness and time needed to master the game and unlike Tekken or SC VF games marked a New SEGA board and great expensive for a Arcade operator , unlike the 1st few Tekken which used vastly cheaper and less powerful boards



I just hope VF 6 marks a new Board from SEGA and giving a series a kick up the ass , like what DOA 5 did for DOA series

[ROJM]

I don't think VF games did well in the West and SOJ didn't even bother to bring VF 5 officially to the Western Arcades . I think its a combo of the sheer deepness and time needed to master the game and unlike Tekken or SC VF games marked a New SEGA board and great expensive for a Arcade operator , unlike the 1st few Tekken which used vastly cheaper and less powerful boards



I just hope VF 6 marks a new Board from SEGA and giving a series a kick up the ass , like what DOA 5 did for DOA series

VF has always sold well in the west. Tekken is more popular on console than it is in the arcades. And VF5 did get released in the UK and most of them were n't import. I mean the numourous VF tourneys in the UK alone puts testement on how popular it is in the arcade that and the Capcom/SF games. Those are the ones that arcade gamers continually go to play on.

[MadeManG74]

Was it vf5r that we are thinking of never gerting exported? I think thats when sega introduced the lease only business model for the machine.

[ROJM]

I cant speak for the USA but i can speak about the UK, Sega had VF5 in all their booths during the arcade event shows before it was released, they were even giving away a couple of arcade games like VIRTUA TENNIS for a discount if they brought VF5. TA's correct that the game was expensive and many operators didn't bother with the updates to VF5 and to a lesser degree VF4 as well but the game was released and is more popular in the arcades than Tekken is. DOA, Tekken, Mortal Kombat and even Soul Caliber have effectively became popular with console owners with some of the titles only continuing in console format rather than arcade. VF and the capcom/SF have always retained their arcade popularity.

[Team Andromeda]

TA's correct that the game was expensive and many operators didn't bother with the updates to VF5 and to a lesser degree VF4 as well but the game was released and is more popular in the arcades than Tekken is. DOA, Tekken, Mortal Kombat and even Soul Caliber have effectively became popular with console owners with some of the titles only continuing in console format rather than arcade. VF and the capcom/SF have always retained their arcade popularity

Its not so much with VF 5 it was more with VF 1,2,3 . Unlike Namco who used PS based Hardware for it's series SEGA when the more expensive route with custom boards and that really hurt games like VF 3 in western Arcades , where has Tekken using it cheap boards would had a far better chance of seeing them not just n Arcades , but pubs, Cinema , Airports ect . In Japan it wasn't a issue but in the West I think it was .

Anyway I'm hoping for Big thinks with VF 6 . SEGA really need to up the anti now and hopefully we'll see a new Board too

[MadeManG74]

I would expect VF6 to debut a new board. Traditionally the series has always been used to showcase new hardware right?
VF1 - Model 1
VF2 - Model 2
VF3 - Naomi
VF4 - Dunno
VF5 - Lindbergh?

I don't even know what to expect, but I can't wait to see what they have in store. I know a lot of the hardcore fans are a bit unsure about some changes in Final Showdown, namely the throw escape system (Which I actually like) and things like high level defensive options shutting down a lot of defence, which also might be a cause for the balance suffering compared to other games in the series.

Considering VF has such a strong following mainly in the hardcore fighting scene, I do think they need to address these issues as a matter of importance as well. I think they can make the current system work with some tweaks to make everyone happy.

I also really hope that they just keep the west in the loop from day one. Don't keep us hanging so long like with VF5R and Final Showdown!

[Suzuki Yu]

I would expect VF6 to debut a new board. Traditionally the series has always been used to showcase new hardware right?
VF1 - Model 1
VF2 - Model 2
VF3 - Model-3
VF4 - Naomi 2
VF5 - Lindbergh?

I don't even know what to expect, but I can't wait to see what they have in store. I know a lot of the hardcore fans are a bit unsure about some changes in Final Showdown, namely the throw escape system (Which I actually like) and things like high level defensive options shutting down a lot of defence, which also might be a cause for the balance suffering compared to other games in the series.

Considering VF has such a strong following mainly in the hardcore fighting scene, I do think they need to address these issues as a matter of importance as well. I think they can make the current system work with some tweaks to make everyone happy.

I also really hope that they just keep the west in the loop from day one. Don't keep us hanging so long like with VF5R and Final Showdown!

fixed

[ROJM]

Its not so much with VF 5 it was more with VF 1,2,3 . Unlike Namco who used PS based Hardware for it's series SEGA when the more expensive route with custom boards and that really hurt games like VF 3 in western Arcades , where has Tekken using it cheap boards would had a far better chance of seeing them not just n Arcades , but pubs, Cinema , Airports ect . In Japan it wasn't a issue but in the West I think it was .

Anyway I'm hoping for Big thinks with VF 6 . SEGA really need to up the anti now and hopefully we'll see a new Board too

But that didn't stop the operators buying those games and it didn't, i'll admit there was a definate drop off when VF3 TB was released but we are talking about an era when the arcades was still strong in this country. In the time of VF4 and VF5 in a shrunk arcade market however you were still able to find smaller operations having these games, more so with VF4 than 5 but the answer is usually the same that VF games while expensive do draw a lot of money from the hardcore element but that's with one system. SF always domniate and the sammy titles because of them, being cheaper and they could place two or three SF systems to draw a crowd and money. from whati 've read in other forums and personally been told from people who are involved in that side of things.

[Team Andromeda]

But that didn't stop the operators buying those games and it didn't, i'll admit there was a definate drop off when VF3 TB was released

In Japan the game was a smash , the trouble was even in Japan Model 3 wasn't very profitable and led to the AM# Arcade teams posting one of the their very few losses, where has VF 4 was a complete smash in Japan and I think still SEGA best ever money making coin up and single handedly led to SEGA post a profit in 2002 .

Anyway that was then and this is now . SEGA needs to do big things with VF 6 not just in the graphics stakes but in the gameplay dept and maybe even go back to VF3 interactive and multi tier backgrounds

[ROJM]

In Japan the game was a smash , the trouble was even in Japan Model 3 wasn't very profitable and led to the AM# Arcade teams posting one of the their very few losses, where has VF 4 was a complete smash in Japan and I think still SEGA best ever money making coin up and single handedly led to SEGA post a profit in 2002 .

Anyway that was then and this is now . SEGA needs to do big things with VF 6 not just in the graphics stakes but in the gameplay dept and maybe even go back to VF3 interactive and multi tier backgrounds

Well i wasn't living in Japan back then, i'm only talking about the UK market. VF lackability coincides with the fall of Sega's arcade centres and the decline of arcades in this country overall. VF3TB wasn't my fave VF game anyway its boring and the VF4-5 has kinda started to get too tekkenesque with the grittier appearences and all, other than the ridiculous over saturation of  the variation boards. I perfer the simple days of VF-VF2 and VFK.

[MadeManG74]

Well i wasn't living in Japan back then, i'm only talking about the UK market. VF lackability coincides with the fall of Sega's arcade centres and the decline of arcades in this country overall. VF3TB wasn't my fave VF game anyway its boring and the VF4-5 has kinda started to get too tekkenesque with the grittier appearences and all, other than the ridiculous over saturation of  the variation boards. I perfer the simple days of VF-VF2 and VFK.

Do you really think that VF5 is gritty? I would have to disagree, it's still got all the bright colours and blue skies and whatnot I think. Look at Jeffry's stage or Vanessa's stage for example, not to mention the fun they have with the customisations.

TA:

Anyway that was then and this is now . SEGA needs to do big things with VF 6 not just in the graphics stakes but in the gameplay dept and maybe even go back to VF3 interactive and multi tier backgrounds

What do you think they need to change in gameplay? I think that they've got a pretty good thing going right now and they shouldn't change it too much. As I said, maybe some changes to the throw and defensive options (talking high level stuff like evade, dash cancel, throw escape combinations) but overall I wouldn't change it. Virtua Fighter's main strength is it's uniquness and it's great fighting system, if they overhaul it too much or water it down too much then the hardcore fans will abandon it and it won't win over casual audiences or other fanbases either.

That's also the same reason I don't want the different level backgrounds to come back, I don't really see much benefit to it to be honest. It just makes it more difficult to play spacing and see if you're attacks will connect or not. And interactive stages? Breakable walls isn't enough?