The New Direction of Mortal Kombat

[CyberAkuma]

So it turns out that the recent Mortal Kombat games didn't do too well.
After MK: Annihilation was released, a lot of people (i.e John Tobias) who was in the inital original creation of the MK games left Midway due to poor sales and the overall lacking quality of the latter MK-games.

Now Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/943567.asp?q=Mortal%20Kombat%20DC%20Universe] is upon us.

Ed Boon has revealed during an interview [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33095.html?type=flv] that the new game will have the M-rating probably removed, changed probably to a Teen-rating. Superman and Batman [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/32977.html?type=flv] is going to be in the game. He said that the violence is going to be toned down and that the infamous trademark that is the 'Fatalies' of the game are going to be substituted with "big punctuations in the end".

What are your thoughts on this new direction the Mortal Kombat franchise is taking?
Is the new clash of universe something that is going to work for the MK-franchaise? Is a combination of universes something that can help a game seris evolve or is it going to send the game franchise to a downward spiral?

 

[jim_doki]

ok, to be fair i've never had more fun with a game than i did with Marvel vs Capcom, which was amazing. but then again it was neither canonical or 3D. I didn't mind Armageddon, it was clunky and bloated, but it was fun pitting everycharacte from mk history against each other. For almost 15 years MK has been going, each installment trying harder than the last. this game reaks of not trying. sure, its gonna be fun to beat the crap outta the black dragon with batman, sure, Dream vs Raiden would be awesome, but it really doesn't have the smell of effort the other games had

 

[LethalNiMiTz]

M to a T screw that everybody plays MK for the gore and the heads,legs,and arms being ripped off

 

[scoHish]

M to a T screw that everybody plays MK for the gore and the heads,legs,and arms being ripped off

Though I don't usually play games that are just put out for shock value, I gotta agree. Pretty much everyone who picked up a copy of MK back in the day, did so because they wanted to see some heads fly. If i remember right they tried taking out fatalities before, and the result of that little (big) tweak made many a fanboy cry. So as cool as it is to see Batman making Subzero his *****...I dont got high hopes for this one folks.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Hold on a minute...

Joker and Harley with Fatalities? Preorder now!

I'll just select that cute little Goth chick...Can you hear the flapping of the wings?

 

[PhoenixFlame]

The Mortal Kombat series is at the same place the Street Fighter series is - looking for relevancy in a changing genre. When the simplicity of combat of a Super Smash Bros. rules the roost and the core place where it ruled, the arcades, going the way of the dodo, innovation is needed. The crossover is an interesting concept but at the price of some of the trademarks of the MK franchise (fatalities changes being the biggest eye-opener)? I'm not sure.

 

[KypFisto]

Hold on a minute...

Joker and Harley with Fatalities? Preorder now!

Except none of the fatalaties will be moderately entertaining (if they even make the game) because they're shooting for a teen rating. I'm sorry but MK is a series that has established itself in the fighting game genre as being "the bloody one". If I can't tear Batman's head and spine from his body then there's no real sense in me spending money to play the damned thing.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

So it turns out that the recent Mortal Kombat games didn't do too well.
After MK: Annihilation was released, a lot of people (i.e John Tobias) who was in the inital original creation of the MK games left Midway due to poor sales and the overall lacking quality of the latter MK-games.

Now Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/943567.asp?q=Mortal%20Kombat%20DC%20Universe] is upon us.

Ed Boon has revealed during an interview [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33095.html?type=flv] that the new game will have the M-rating probably removed, changed probably to a Teen-rating. Superman and Batman [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/32977.html?type=flv] is going to be in the game. He said that the violence is going to be toned down and that the infamous trademark that is the 'Fatalies' of the game are going to be substituted with "big punctuations in the end".

What are your thoughts on this new direction the Mortal Kombat franchise is taking?
Is the new clash of universe something that is going to work for the MK-franchaise? Is a combination of universes something that can help a game seris evolve or is it going to send the game franchise to a downward spiral?

Kinda dumb the gore is part of the MK theme but I guess as long as they can sell copies tot he zombie horde(casuals) they'll do anything.

IMO the further MK gets away from DOA and tekken the better it will be...I didn't care for the bloated crazy control setups,I just find the 3D control setup clucky they need a easier and more fun 3D fighting system,Soul cab is not to bad maybe toss in some destructible levels and drop the OTT multi button combos....

 

[GloatingSwine]

Let's face it, Mortal Kombat was always a shit fighting game, with the only selling point at all being the ludicrous blood and fatalities.

 

[Mattchoo]

I think that most of these posts have validity to them, but everyone seems to be looking at the situation a little to bleakly. First, the fact that they decided to combine to completely unrelated ideas/franchises (that is MK meets DC of course)I think is a fantastic idea. The concept of taking characters who don't normally belong together and putting them in the same setting has always been appealing and is something that people talk about in theory all the time. IGN.com actually has consistent polls that ask who would win between two equally badass characters (Master cheif vs Samus, Solid Snake vs Sam Fisher, etc). A man who goes by the name Monty Oum (if you guys don't already know who that is)actually went he extra mile and animated an entire fight scene between the Master Cheif and Samus and it turned out brilliant (if you haven't seen it I suggest to anyone who enjoys games to check out his films 'Haloid' and 'Dead Fantasy 1&2'). As someone already mentioned, look at Marvel vs Capcom and the success (as well as fanbase) that it's generated. If a 2-D fighter can pull off cross-franchise death matches that well in 1998 (2000 for MVC2)imagine what we can do now.

I agree that moving that game from an M to T rating probably wasn't the best idea but should in no way turn somebody off from buying a game. If you bought MK (or any violent game) soley for the blood and disembodiment of your opponents then you have every right to be upset about this. But a game doesn't NEED violence to be good, even in a fighting game. Look at Super Smash Brothers, Tekken, Street Fighter, MVC (already mentioned). Don't get me wrong, I love blood and gore in games just as much as the next guy. But if they end up sacrificing violence for an intuitive gameplay feature or outstanding graphics or a newer and better control system then I think that's completely acceptable. If they focus their efforts into making a truly great fighting game then the lack of violence is a small loss.

My point is that, while these changes being made are slightly drastic, it doesn't correlate that the game is going to flop, it just means that it'll be less bloody. Games are constantly improving with new innovations in gameplay, graphics, concept, etc. every day. This is Midway's first shot with MK on a next-gen console, don't give up on them just yet.

 

[MRMIdAS2k]

This game will probably sell reasonably well, but will have all the soul and fun of a crushed cardboard box.

 

[BloodshotGtr]

This seems like a stupid idea. But somehow I really hope it's amazing, and I really can't help but thik this is a good idea. Mostly because they are merging two of my favorite things here. I will admit that the last few MK games haven't been so good (save for Armageddon IMO it was awesome...and Shaolin Monks.) but I really hope this game is good.

 

[jim_doki]

MK vs. DC
Ok, now my first thought was a mixture of disbelief and ?What the Hell is that??, but I give you my solemn promise, as far as I can ascertain this game is going to come out, and it?s going to be interesting.
Potentially, this game has an opportunity to return the MK games to their former glory. Back the day when there were two dee fighters all over the arcades, MK was a pioneer, implementing finishing moves and using pallet swapped characters as more than just clones (I?m looking at you Street Fighter 2). Somewhere around the third re release of the third game, people started getting suspicious that they were out of ideas, enter MK4 and all the problems that came along with it, stiff combat, bloated rosters and an overall loss of feel. Each game tried something new to keep people interested like the Konquest mode, but the magic seemed gone. In a blatant attempt to recapture said magic, they have offered us this. A crossover game based around two of modern fiction?s darkest universes, DC and MK with a load of potential, as stated at the beginning of the paragraph.

The first thing that came to mind is that this game has got to have a roster of popular characters from both universes in order to work. Both franchises are more than capable of this, but I bet you ten dollars this is the first place it falls down. We have already heard four confirmed characters: Scorpion, Sub Zero, Batman and Superman. This, friends, is where my suspicions first arise. Who here remembers any good game ever that had Superman in it? Off the top of my head there was Justice League Task Force and that?s about it. And even THAT wasn?t very good. What this game needs is some cool DC characters that are not indestructible like Green Arrow or Rorschach or Morpheus the Dream King. While we?re at it, let?s get rid of Onaga and Blaze. Balance issues are going to be a big deal here, and there is no way Scorpion could beat Superman, ever.

Now I think it?s fair to estimate that this story is going to be essentially fan-fiction. Let?s be honest about it, it?s a crossover. Now, here are some elements to be avoided:
1 anybody in the DC universe being chosen as Mortal Kombatants
2 Superman/Batman discovering a universal rip filled with the Mortal Kombatants
3 Time Travel
Those things will all lead to this game being the hokey crossover that so many think it?s going to be.
The story needs to be solid enough to work with both universes. For example a much better starting point for a plot would be ?The Black Dragon has infiltrated Gotham City?. This simple one line synopsis gives us not only a plausible reason for Batman to get involved, but also adds Kano to the roster. You could probably say that Joker or Two Face or someone like that is PISSED that this has happened and are taking matters into their own hands. Sonya would be chasing the Black Dragon. Do you see what I?m doing here? I?m not throwing in characters I think it would be awesome to see fight, I?m looking around and making it plausible for the characters to be there. Maybe I should write some fan fiction...

Moving on, everybody is talking about the fatalities, or lack thereof. Now while I?d be hard pressed to say that MK was all about fatalities, they are directly responsible for a good portion of the fan base. Although, since MK3 the fatality system has kind of lost its magic. There were friendships, there were animalities, it was a little out of control. Then we come across MK:A where they introduced a Kreate-A-Fatality system where things just got stupid. Now I?m all for finishing moves, but let?s think about this for a second. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, these people don?t kill. They just don?t. To make them do so would be a perversion of their character. It makes sense for them not to rip out someone?s heart. This begs the obvious question, Why are they in Mortal Kombat then?

Regardless, i?m not giving up hope. This game still might be awesome.

 

[BloodshotGtr]

MK vs. DC
Ok, now my first thought was a mixture of disbelief and ?What the Hell is that??, but I give you my solemn promise, as far as I can ascertain this game is going to come out, and it?s going to be interesting.
Potentially, this game has an opportunity to return the MK games to their former glory. Back the day when there were two dee fighters all over the arcades, MK was a pioneer, implementing finishing moves and using pallet swapped characters as more than just clones (I?m looking at you Street Fighter 2). Somewhere around the third re release of the third game, people started getting suspicious that they were out of ideas, enter MK4 and all the problems that came along with it, stiff combat, bloated rosters and an overall loss of feel. Each game tried something new to keep people interested like the Konquest mode, but the magic seemed gone. In a blatant attempt to recapture said magic, they have offered us this. A crossover game based around two of modern fiction?s darkest universes, DC and MK with a load of potential, as stated at the beginning of the paragraph.

The first thing that came to mind is that this game has got to have a roster of popular characters from both universes in order to work. Both franchises are more than capable of this, but I bet you ten dollars this is the first place it falls down. We have already heard four confirmed characters: Scorpion, Sub Zero, Batman and Superman. This, friends, is where my suspicions first arise. Who here remembers any good game ever that had Superman in it? Off the top of my head there was Justice League Task Force and that?s about it. And even THAT wasn?t very good. What this game needs is some cool DC characters that are not indestructible like Green Arrow or Rorschach or Morpheus the Dream King. While we?re at it, let?s get rid of Onaga and Blaze. Balance issues are going to be a big deal here, and there is no way Scorpion could beat Superman, ever.

Now I think it?s fair to estimate that this story is going to be essentially fan-fiction. Let?s be honest about it, it?s a crossover. Now, here are some elements to be avoided:
1 anybody in the DC universe being chosen as Mortal Kombatants
2 Superman/Batman discovering a universal rip filled with the Mortal Kombatants
3 Time Travel
Those things will all lead to this game being the hokey crossover that so many think it?s going to be.
The story needs to be solid enough to work with both universes. For example a much better starting point for a plot would be ?The Black Dragon has infiltrated Gotham City?. This simple one line synopsis gives us not only a plausible reason for Batman to get involved, but also adds Kano to the roster. You could probably say that Joker or Two Face or someone like that is PISSED that this has happened and are taking matters into their own hands. Sonya would be chasing the Black Dragon. Do you see what I?m doing here? I?m not throwing in characters I think it would be awesome to see fight, I?m looking around and making it plausible for the characters to be there. Maybe I should write some fan fiction...

Moving on, everybody is talking about the fatalities, or lack thereof. Now while I?d be hard pressed to say that MK was all about fatalities, they are directly responsible for a good portion of the fan base. Although, since MK3 the fatality system has kind of lost its magic. There were friendships, there were animalities, it was a little out of control. Then we come across MK:A where they introduced a Kreate-A-Fatality system where things just got stupid. Now I?m all for finishing moves, but let?s think about this for a second. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, these people don?t kill. They just don?t. To make them do so would be a perversion of their character. It makes sense for them not to rip out someone?s heart. This begs the obvious question, Why are they in Mortal Kombat then?

Regardless, i?m not giving up hope. This game still might be awesome.

Excellent! Extremely well said.

 

[HK-47]

statment: cross fiction games have always been well received by certain meatbag minoritys, its likly this new direction will be well received by the long running fans of both the D.C and M.K franchises regardless of its inevitable flaws.

 

[HK-47]

s7@7men7:: 1 apoIog1se 444 th!s s7@7men7...S33ms !m 1n n33d o5 ma!nt!nenc3

 

[HK-47]

releived statment: ahh it seems I have recovered from that abrupt fritz, I hope I didnt discharge my weapon whilst I was malfunctioning, I wouldnt want to hurt a meatbag in the process.

Confession: actually I would!

 

[portuga-man]

mortal kombat isn't the same since it got 3d. The last mortal kombat i played and enjoyed was ultimate mortal kombat 3. Nowadays it just looks like bland fighting game #87421

change the game to 2d, go back to using human sprites, and all will be forgiven.