Bringing martial arts into games
Here's what happened.
After the brief meeting, everyone understood the situation.
But the problem is----
WHY?
Why a fighting game?
"I was puzzled when I asked Yuji Naka, the former chief of AM8 and now head of the SONIC-TEAM project team, who was brought in by Hayao Nakayama to Support AM2."
Theoretically, there are many types of substrates that can be made to enhance 3D functionality.
But----fighting??
Leaving aside the fact that the compatibility of true 3D space with fighting games is still uncertain, the addition of a new dimension would directly disrupt the current mainstream operating rules of all fighting games.
Even setting that issue aside, the fighting game market is already nearing saturation.
It is literally saturated.
Street Fighter and the King of Fighters have practically devoured the majority of the mainstream fighting game market.
Even a game as powerful as Gamenova, whose newly crowned underground king, Mortal Kombat, is merely a presence in United States arcades.
Looking at the entire East Asia market, Mortal Kombat's sales were shockingly low.
Without the constant influence of Hollywood culture and the immersion of the entertainment market in American comics, Mortal Kombat is really just a bloody and violent fighting simulator for Japan players.
While playing videos can be exciting, after experiencing aesthetic fatigue, people will eventually return to the machine in front of Street Fighter.
This is the current predicament of fighting games, or rather, most game genres.
This is no longer the 1970s or 80s.
After the golden age of video games, almost every genre has developed its own fixed formula.
They may not necessarily be the best, but they are definitely the ones the market likes the most.
To innovate, you have to risk creating a bizarre, incomprehensible mess.
If you want to remain stagnant, you need to have the resources to outcompete other manufacturers.
This is somewhat like a vicious cycle.
Just like an FPS.
Since GAMENOVA released the Quake Engine, a large number of FPS games have emerged, instantly filling the genre to capacity.
Want to go even further? Then you'll need to invest more capital in developing higher-precision textures and models.
More precise models, in turn, will put a strain on players' computer configurations, ultimately leading back to the need to upgrade the graphics card.
This step.
The higher the manufacturer's investment, the more likely it is to trigger a double debuff of aesthetic fatigue and hardware bottlenecks, resulting in a lot of money being invested but ultimately not even being able to recoup the costs.
However, with minimal investment, players are unwilling to pay for it.
It seems like everyone now has the ability to make FPS games, but things have come to this point.
It turned out to be a true test of a designer's skill level.
How can a game be polished to the point of having amazing feel, excellent graphics, and outstanding gameplay in order to truly break through the red ocean market?
These issues cannot be resolved simply by increasing financial investment.
So let's get back to the question.
Why make fighting games?
Yuji Naka really didn't understand, because if they were to delve deeper into 3D technology, it would obviously be better to make racing games or flight shooting games, which Sega is best at.
Both G-LOC and Virtua Racing have proven Sega's quality.
Even if none of these options are appealing, with Sage Lin's involvement, FPS games are still an viable path.
After all, Gamenova is the undisputed god of the FPS genre.
"I don't think the fighting game market is saturated at all."
Lin Lixin smiled and shook his head.
Are you kidding me? The 90s were the golden age of fighting games.
Although Virtua Fighter has become obscure in later generations, it is only remembered by Sega fans and uncles who once played it in arcades.
But during its most active years, it could easily sell millions of units.
Its creation even directly spurred the emergence of a successor to the spirit of 3D fighting games – Tekken.
The fighting game market still has huge potential.
He said.
Speaking of which, when Lin Lixin was checking Sega's developer list before, he noticed an unexpected name.
Masahiro Sakurai.
Kirby of the Stars Smash Bros..
The butterfly effect caused by his own appearance seems to have indirectly led this guy to Sega.
Perhaps due to Shui Shi's reluctance to accept the situation, or perhaps due to Sega's internal management issues, he has only been familiarizing himself with the work of a few project teams so far.
So, Smash Bros.. can be considered a type of fighting game in a broader sense.
Once its IP ecosystem matures further, perhaps it will be possible to release this thing.
"Fighting doesn't necessarily have to be One on One side-scrolling game. Unleash your imagination; controlling characters to fight can be considered fighting."
Smash Bros., wrestling, anime IP fighting games, weapon fighting------
For fighting games, we're still a long way from true saturation.
And let's not forget MUGEN, a frequent feature on video platforms featuring electronic cricket fighting.
"That's what we mean, but this time we'll still be making limited innovations within the existing framework."
Lin Lixin stopped short of making a point, bringing everyone's scattered thoughts back to the present.
Taking too big a step is also not good.
Sega's style has always leaned towards hardcore (at least for now).
As the pioneering work of the SEGA-Mode|-1 board, Virtua Fighter is obviously the most suitable choice.
"Take Street Fighter, the current leader in fighting games, for example. Its gameplay revolves around the control of distance, frame rate, and resources."
He gestured for the key members of the project team to sit down and continued, "For this purpose, we designed various unique gamified moves for it, such as ' Sonic Boom ' and ' Hadouken '."
"Yes! The character has a very strong personality! That's what I like most about it."
Yu Suzuki agreed.
Street Fighter is a game that sells characters.
Look at Zangief's massive muscles and powerful moves! Who wouldn't be stunned after seeing him slash someone's health bar by half with a single throw?
And how many people can resist Guile's flawless squatting posture?
In its design, GAMENOVA deliberately emphasized the unique characteristics of each character.
Especially the recently updated annual edition.
Although Lin Lixin was not involved, it was entirely Sam leading the team to rehash old ideas.
However, after overlaying the image and sound effects, it is still an excellent work.
They are using an exaggerated, almost cartoonish style to design the characters.
While it transcends reality, it also brings a unique visual appeal.
Each character leaves a deep impression on the player's mind.
This is very important for an entertainment giant like GAMENOVA, which needs to continuously manage its IP universe.
"Street Fighter is like this, and so is the King of Fighters, so what if we give up on manga adaptations?"
Lin Lixin slightly raised his head and glanced at everyone present.
Abandoning exaggeration means designing characters, and even moves, from a realistic perspective.
Every punch and kick must be logical.
This doesn't seem to be a problem.
But those present were all veterans of the gaming industry, and they immediately realized the problem.
"In that case, the visual appeal of the moves might be greatly diminished."
While fighting games are an art of strategy, the presentation is equally important.
Looking at the stiff graphics of SNK's later works like "The King of Fighters XV" and "Fatal Fury," a simple comparison with Capcom Bitch makes it easy to see why SNK has been on a downward spiral.
Advocating for a game of strategy doesn't mean we can abandon refining the performance.
The feel and strategic depth of a fighting game determine its upper limit and how high it can go.
However, the performance and entertainment value are the real keys to a fighting game's commercial success or failure.
If a casual player doesn't find it appealing at first glance, then it's destined to just sit around and wait for its resources to run out.
"Perhaps so. Without those surreal superpowers, it certainly wouldn't be as glamorous as a comic book."
Lin Lixin nodded noncommittally, then changed the subject, "But who says realistic action design is necessarily bad?"
"Uh, how should I put it?"
Kung-Fu Master, or martial arts.
Isn't it a coincidence? GAMENOVA happens to know quite a few good buddies in this field.
In particular, the project from a while ago included almost the entire motion capture data of a certain Hong Kong action star.
Now it's time to put this information to good use.
Friends, aesthetics is not an isolated phenomenon.
Lin Lixin got up and went to the easel.
He grabbed a pen and quickly drew a diagram.
Surprisingly, he didn't draw any figures in action; instead, he drew a house.
A unique little house with a whimsical design, as if it stepped out of a fantasy story.
But this house—no matter how you look at it, it gives you a strange sense of unease.
"Suzuki, tell me what you feel?"
"----Uneasy, awkward."
"Very good."
Lin Lixin nodded and then drew another house next to it.
This time, the chosen house is a standard Europe medieval wood and stone structure with Gothic elements.
In comparison, its beauty is highlighted all the more.
"Aesthetic appeal must first and foremost be logical."
In architecture, a house that conforms to mechanical structure and logic often gives people a comfortable feeling.
If you are top-heavy and have an unbalanced center of gravity, it will cause discomfort.
Even the most counterintuitive mechanical structures made of reinforced concrete are often designed with proportions in mind.
The same applies to actions.
Of course, this doesn't mean that fictional elements are bad; the important thing is that they are reasonable and self-consistent.
The supernatural energy generated by martial arts is released through the body.
It requires both action and luck.
You can't say someone stands there like a post and suddenly unleashes a Hadouken from their buttocks.
As long as it aligns with one's intuition, it can make one feel comfortable.
On this basis, if the movements are designed beautifully, they can effectively bring out the aesthetic appeal.
In this area, those who practice Kung-Fu Master are experts.
Authentic martial arts is an integral part of aesthetics.
Even in CG-driven popcorn blockbusters or tokusatsu dramas, nobody enjoys watching two sides just throwing punches at each other.
Bruce Lee's legacy continues to dominate Hollywood action films, and Jackie Chan's future foray into Hollywood proves that excellent action sequences will never go out of style.
Even more American-style films, action movies like John Wick with its fluid and stylish action sequences are more popular.
"By the way, do you guys like watching Hong Kong action movies?"