Poll: Should there be more fighting games on the PC?

[Antari]

As you probably know fighting games very rarely end up on PC which I think is a shame. I love fighting games but I'm mostly a PC gamer which sucks because the only fighting game we get is Street Fighter. I know that a keyboard isn't optimal for fighting games but you can use a controller on the PC and also I think that devs could easily come up with a control scheme tailor made for the PC.

What do you think? Would you play fighting games on the PC? If so why and if not why not?

And this is why game companies fail. They aren't nearly as in touch with the community as they boast, which all seem to know there's no reason why there can't be now that controllers are fairly common place.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Actually, it's not that easy to come up with a control scheme for the PC. Just like how shooters just work better on the PC because of better precision with a mouse and keyboard, a controller's control scheme just works better for fighting games.

Yeah it's not like all the fighting games sofar had the controls set up the same and worked fine, or that PC owners can plug in any peripheral and play with that.

Seems to me you get a billion fighting games on PC, but hey if you need more for some odd reason there is always the option of petitions.

 

[Antari]

Actually, it's not that easy to come up with a control scheme for the PC. Just like how shooters just work better on the PC because of better precision with a mouse and keyboard, a controller's control scheme just works better for fighting games.

Yeah it's not like all the fighting games sofar had the controls set up the same and worked fine, or that PC owners can plug in any peripheral and play with that.

Seems to me you get a billion fighting games on PC, but hey if you need more for some odd reason there is always the option of petitions.

Guns have been overdone to the hilt, by comparison martial arts fighting games (Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter, Mortal Kombat) have been fairly sparse.

 

[Naeras]

No.

Because I'd just set a macro for the best combos in the game and spam it constantly.

Like RTS games stumble under the restriction of a console's capabilities, so a fighter would whither and die under people who know how to automate complex command strings...

Unless we're talking about a game where hit-confirming by default is easy, spamming a macro will get you horribly killed by anyone who punishes you either by blocking or just having better spacing than you.

It could theoretically work in something like Tekken, because a regular launch gives you enough time to actually hit the macro after landing the first hit. Then again, combos are not the technically challenging part of Tekken in the first place, so you'd only get so far with doing that. And I can't think of any other game where a macro would help the slightest, because you need to set them up properly in order to not get horribly punished, and if you've managed to do that, you might as well learn the combos properly.

I don't think I've ever heard anybody say they prefer a keyboard over a controller for Street Fighter but it would be interesting to see good gameplay with a keyboard.

I prefer keyboards to regular gamepads, by far. Doing any kind of motion on a pad stick is awkward, and the buttons aren't very well placed. If you use this kind of key-setup [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfzuO91LLyc], there are actually some things that are even easier to do on a keyboard than on an arcade stick, particularly standing 360s/720s and charge-moves.

It's kind of awkward to use a keyboard in the beginning, but then again, so is arcade sticks. I haven't tried to use a stick-less controller on a 3D-fighter, but one of the best Tekken players here in Norway uses one(and beat me 50 - 2 with it QQ), so it's definitely usable for 3D games as well.

I still prefer arcade sticks, though, but keyboards are far better than most people would believe. You just need the right key-setup, which most people (understandably) don't use.

 

[TehCookie]

As you probably know fighting games very rarely end up on PC which I think is a shame. I love fighting games but I'm mostly a PC gamer which sucks because the only fighting game we get is Street Fighter. I know that a keyboard isn't optimal for fighting games but you can use a controller on the PC and also I think that devs could easily come up with a control scheme tailor made for the PC.

What do you think? Would you play fighting games on the PC? If so why and if not why not?

And this is why game companies fail. They aren't nearly as in touch with the community as they boast, which all seem to know there's no reason why there can't be now that controllers are fairly common place.

I haven't heard any group wanting fighting games on PC. A few individuals sure, but not a community. Look at how many active people it took to get Dark Souls ported. Fighting games have a huge loud community, if they all were asking for PC ports I'm sure companies would have noticed. Companies aren't doing charity work, they are running a business. Doing ports require time and money, so if the game makes no return why would they do it?

If other people want them, they can go for it. I wouldn't buy it though. PC doesn't have splitscreen (and I play most fighting games against my friends), I doubt it will have as large of a community, and consoles have the ease of use where you don't have to worry about hooking up your TV and controller and making sure it works.

 

[sanquin]

But you WERE willing to discuss it when you replied to Sanquin and you said the controller was always far better. Taking the easy way out here hmm?

I've played some fighting games on pc, and I agree, more fighting games should be released on it.

1: I am Sanquin.
2: Taking the easy way out? Well, maybe. I just don't feel like discussing this topic in depth.

 

[kasperbbs]

I don't think that there is a big market for fighting games on PC, but i would love to have tekken and mortal kombat on my system.

 

[sanquin]

Looked at the wrong name. I'm no goods with names.

WELL IF YOU DON'T WANT INDEPTH DISCUSSION ON A GAMING FORUM, MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T SAY: "MY CONTROLLER IS BETTER THAN YOUR KEYBOARD AND MOUSE FOR FIGHTING GAMES. NO I AM NOT WILLING TO DISCUSS IT." >:|

God forbid someone expressing an opinion without a discussion coming from it, right? >.> Also, I hardly use controller. I mainly game on PC, with keyboard and mouse. And I think the keyboard and mouse are superior for almost any gaming type.

 

[Bad Jim]

No.

Because I'd just set a macro for the best combos in the game and spam it constantly.

If you can faceroll through all the non-cheats just by doing that then the game is bad. The game should not boil down to who can do the trickiest input sequences. Sure, games like Street Fighter 4 have issues with special moves (especially ultras) needing a lot of practise. A player who has mastered the moves he will probably pwn any player who hasn't. But it's not all about that.

You may be able to do the Dragon Punch easily but I can block it and hit you on the way down. You may be able to execute Ultras easily but can you land them? Or will I block or jump over them? You can spam fireballs, but I can jump over them or throw an Ex fireball that eats through your fireballs and hits you. There is no move that a good player cannot punish you for spamming.

Mastery of the controls is still mistaken for true skill in Street Fighter 4 because it takes so long to learn them. But there is a real game behind it where the real skill is in doing the right move at the right time, sometimes an Ultra, sometimes just a humble light punch, while avoiding your opponents attacks. It's no less fun on the 3DS, where you can actually do specials just by pressing the touchscreen.

the keyboard is actually a good control scheme once you get your head around it but it can actually be too good which is why it is banned in tournaments at least to my knowledge as in some games you can block in all directions at once and hold down charge moves even while jumping etc things which are not possible on a controller or stick.

You can do some of that with controllers by using the Dpad and the analogue stick simultaneously.

 

[dimensional]

the keyboard is actually a good control scheme once you get your head around it but it can actually be too good which is why it is banned in tournaments at least to my knowledge as in some games you can block in all directions at once and hold down charge moves even while jumping etc things which are not possible on a controller or stick.

You can do some of that with controllers by using the Dpad and the analogue stick simultaneously.

While it did cross my mind while typing that I havent tested it but yes you can, easily and practically however not really you would have to break the way you have played games on a pad for years in order to learn a new control scheme which may benefit you in a handful of games on a 360 pad it would be easier but on a ps3 you need to use your thumb on the analogue and finger on the dpad and then there is trouble using L1 and 2. But yeah on the 360 blocking both ways by using both analogue and dpad is almost practical lol I will have to try it and see if it works but the charge move shenanigans are still not that easy. All this on a keyboard however is simplicity itself.

That wasnt really why I dont think there arent many fighting games on PC though (big name retail ones anyway)its just that from what I have heard they dont sell well on PC simple as that, most fighting game fans dont think PC when it comes to these games its either console and/or arcade for the most part. Same if your an RTS fan you dont think console really it would take a lot to change this perception and lets not forget fighting games dont exactly have a huge market really if its not a huge name its going to even struggle to get noticed at all anywhere let alone just on PC.

Although some work well on PC like M.U.G.E.N and there was Vanguard Princess recently as well and lets not forget roms not that I am endorsing using these but they are there. There is actually a huge amount of fighting games on PC its just not the big current names the market for them on PC appears to small it helps that the ones I mentioned are all free as well I dont think they would be very popular otherwise.

 

[dimensional]

the keyboard is actually a good control scheme once you get your head around it but it can actually be too good which is why it is banned in tournaments at least to my knowledge as in some games you can block in all directions at once and hold down charge moves even while jumping etc things which are not possible on a controller or stick.

You can do some of that with controllers by using the Dpad and the analogue stick simultaneously.

While it did cross my mind while typing that I havent tested it but yes you can, easily and practically however not really you would have to break the way you have played games on a pad for years in order to learn a new control scheme which may benefit you in a handful of games on a 360 pad it would be easier but on a ps3 you need to use your thumb on the analogue and finger on the dpad and then there is trouble using L1 and 2. But yeah on the 360 blocking both ways by using both analogue and dpad is almost practical lol I will have to try it and see if it works but the charge move shenanigans are still not that easy. All this on a keyboard however is simplicity itself.

That wasnt really why I dont think there arent many fighting games on PC though (big name retail ones anyway)its just that from what I have heard they dont sell well on PC simple as that, most fighting game fans dont think PC when it comes to these games its either console and/or arcade for the most part. Same if your an RTS fan you dont think console really it would take a lot to change this perception and lets not forget fighting games dont exactly have a huge market really if its not a huge name its going to even struggle to get noticed at all anywhere let alone just on PC.

Although some work well on PC like M.U.G.E.N and there was Vanguard Princess recently as well and lets not forget roms not that I am endorsing using these but they are there. There is actually a huge amount of fighting games on PC its just not the big current names the market for them on PC appears to small it helps that the ones I mentioned are all free as well I dont think they would be very popular otherwise.