Journal of Other Forum Analysis (Volume II, Issue 1)

[Daffy Duck]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/i-think-a-fighting-game-sitcom-would-work.1068732/

To be clear, I AM NOT referring to a fighting game based on a sitcom but a fighting game's who story/tone/arcade etc are like a sitcom.

I came to this revelation years ago around the time of Dragon Ball Fighter Z's release, I can't remember if it was here or Reddit where I saw the post but it was from someone who didn't like fighters having storymodes asking if people really just wanted these characters to hangout (which was what most of FighterZ's story was) and the answer is yes. The main draw of a fighting game for most people outside of the competitive scene is the characters, they sell the game so of course people want to see these characters interact, get to know them, see what makes them tick, have fun etc. This is why Mortal Kombat's pre-fight chats, Tekken's beloved goofy endings or Street Fighter 6's mentor system have been so well received. It's why I'm fully convinced a fighting game with a friendship/romance system would work so well and be beloved (especially with fighters having their own sexualities, lesbian Cammy, please confirm Cammy as a lesbian!!!!). Hell I think Dragon Ball game devs figured this out ages ago and is why Xenoverse 2 lasted as long as it did or why Sparking Zero's alt stories are so popular.

Hell you see this with video game plots. For all the praise the MK games get for their stories, the plots themselves are fairly simple and humdrum and would fall apart if it wasn't for thing that made them work, the character interactions. It's not the end of the world plot people care about, it's seeing Scorpion and Sub-Zero interact, it's inter-character drama people love seeing. Same with Tekken 8's story, without the Tekken characters, it's a bonkers silly story but what makes it work is seeing these characters interact, the small moments between these characters. It's one of the (many) failings of MvCI's story and why moments like Morrigan and Ghost Rider's interactions are few bits people seem to remember from it.

This isn't even a fighting game exclusive thing, someone in another thread brought this up when it comes to Pokemon and why Masters became so popular because it gave fans what they wanted, the ability to hangout, interact with the many characters and see them live their lives and chill out in comedic and fun scenarios.

And the thing is, I know this would work because I've seen tons and tons of times in fan works; from Awkward Zombie's classic Smash comics to thousands of fan comics and fan videos and parodies dating back to all the way to the height of Newgrounds. Their is a market there.

Hell I think something like Pocket Fighters would be amazing for this. Instead of a single big story mode, have it be smaller "episodes" of a larger season (that can be added to via DLC) where the characters are doing funny and relatable things or are like the "actors" in between games etc etc.