Decline of fighting games

[playa_playa]

I was playing MvC2 with a few friends for like the first time since '04 or '05 and got to think; what the hell happened to fighting games? Besides Tekken, I really don't see any worthy games in the genre at all.

When I think of gameplay, I think of fighting games. Does its decline signify a decline in gameplay-focused games?

[thatmariolover]

Indeed. Smash Bros is the only fighting game I play anymore and I used to really enjoy a good arcade fighter. But the genre has been slim pickings lately.

[BreakABone]

Smash is a hard one since it isn't the purest form of a fighter.

I think the issue with most fighters nowadays are they have become very focused on serving the core audience who enjoys learning the nooks of the game and stuff.

There are still a bunch of viable fighting game franchises, but really think the move to 3D kind of killed them.

[Professor S]

I think that the fall of fighting games is two fold:

1) The decline of the video game arcade

2) The rise of console FPS popularity (fills the need for fast-twitch multi-play gamers)

[bobcat]

I think that the fall of fighting games is two fold:

1) The decline of the video game arcade

2) The rise of console FPS popularity (fills the need for fast-twitch multi-play gamers)

I agree with 1. However I still play King of Fighters 02 and it's failry popular.

I would say Try KOF98/02 and also Street Fighter IV is coming. Virtua Fighter 5 is a good fighting game too, Tekken....I don't like so much but many people do.

A decline shows that they are not so popular as they used to be. With that said I'm still an avid KOF freak here. They are great games to play, lots of tactics, lots to learn, and playing against high level people is really so competitive.

[Angrist]

The last 'classic' fighting game I have/played is Soul Calibur 2, and I didn't enjoy it half as much as the SSB games.

[playa_playa]

I think there are characteristics of fighting games that contributed to the loss of interest that has nothing to do with increased interest in other genres. Certainly, I don't consider the rise of console FPS games to have contributed that largely; fact is, FPS games aren't all that gameplay-intensive.

Some contributing factors:

1) same mechanics of damage and health - this has been the same since the inception of fighting games. certain moves do a certain amount of damage. a certain accumulation of damage results in a KO. every tactic of fighting games has involved working towards this accumulation. I think a reworked concept of damage may result in drastically new approaches.

2) same interface - lifebar, super meter and time. what improvements have been made?

3) same franchises - making a deep yet balanced fighting game is exceedingly difficult. that's why you see the same franchises over and over again. but reusing franchises will eventually decrease interest at a certain point.

I think the genre needs an overhaul. maybe it could learn from the success of WoW PvP system? it'd be tragic to see its eventual death at its current trend. but then again, I don't really have an optimistic view of gameplay-intensive games like fighting and RTS games in general anyway. times have changed.

[GameMaster]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be the greatest fighting game ever!

[Perfect Stu]

I really enjoyed Virtua Figther 4 on PS2 a few years back, and I'm usually not a fan of fighting games. Haven't played 5 yet but I hear it's just as good.

[TheGame]

Interesting topic. I used to be into fighters hardcore in the Psx era, Soul Calibur 2 is the last fighter I purchased and liked somewhat.

I think my taste in games has changed a lot though. While I still love sports games, I don't lean on beat em up action games or fighting games anymore for fun. I mostly play RPGs, MMORPGs, FPSs, and games that offer big RPG elements (character development) or good story lines. And games that change up how you play a lot.