This is a pretty lame attempt on my part, but it describes the anguish for starters.

here

There are more actually, just couldn't find the ones I actually wanted.

EDIT: here's another one

Like, hu?

Well here's the thing, I don't not like Anime. But I do think it's possible to peg anime as a style. However broad of course. I'd say that it's style is that of a more sophisticated cartoon than traditional Americanized animation.

I can see what you mean as far as objecting to a style that is so generally defined, but it is definable. And it's root is of Japanese decent. All I'm saying here, is that I don't want to see that distinction expressed through a Mortal Kombat game. I enjoy the American interpretation for MK as a core reason why I'd take MK over IP's from foreign vendors.

It's a matter of taste//preference for this product that makes it something to be taken seriously.



Yea I agree, MK could definitely benefit from some specific cues taken from Asian art styles, and it has actually. But why do that when it's an American game, created by American creators, with American art styles? Albeit with influences from other art styles including, yet not exclusive to the Asian ones.

The way I see it, that would be the same ideology that lets the MKTeam assert some ridiculous minigame in the middle of a gameplay mechanic. When, if they would invested the time it took to make the base mechanic better, the playing experience would be better.

Basically, it's an inquisitive principle. "Why go get something else to make you better, when what you have is good? All you have to do is make that better."

Which plays to a brand in the first place, and it elaborates on the gargantuan pool of potential that MK has created for itself already. What I'm saying is, they don't need "something else", they need to make what they have better. They need to capitalize on MK's potential as an American made game. Not Asian//Anime art styles and principles. Even though, yea, MK takes alot from all kinds of art styles.

See what I mean?

A good analogy would be Ford vs Honda. Just because the Honda has better fuel efficiency, you don't turn the Ford in-to a Honda....You make the Ford more fuel efficient. You don't acquire Carbon Fiber fenders from Honda, no. You make your own carbon fiber fenders, and you make them better//lighter weight than the competition so the car burns less fuel carrying the car.

MK doesn't "need" their style of anything (I know you didn't say that MK does need it), it needs to perfect itself. Even if that means refining how vast that identity is.

So again, I agree with you that the MK developers could benefit from taking another look at it's competition. But, become it? Nah.

Not Namco, Capcom, Tecmo, or otherwise.



That's not what I'm doing.



Looking into it, I can see that. I actually salute Tekken on adapting to the market demographic appropriately. Because even though I basically despise Tekken, the game is more appealing to me now more than ever. The problem I have with that game though, is mechanical. Same with the likes of DOA, VF, and sometimes KOF.

- To address the point though, foreign games are getting close to tapping MK's potential. I definitely see that. It's something I brought up in our 2hr Fan Assessment. However, I think that this is a core problem with MK's identity, and not so much a benefit for games such as Tekken.

Why? Cuz well, they're following in that sense, do you think? They're not leading as far as "American Hyper-Realism". They're leading as far as Anime Hyper Realism. That's the way I see it.

And really, without MK on the ball like they should be right now, that presents a monopoly type of situation. Y'know? Anime's really the only admittedly good thing there right now. Spiked hair, big eyes, over elaborate costumes, super dooper bulging muscles, and enormous fireballs...

Heh.. Like I said, it's good (hell, it's great alot of the times), but what I'm looking for from MK is the subtitles of that influence in today's worldly, social, eco-society. In other words, I think MK should definitely recognize that Anime is in fact something people like, but not commit to it more than it really has to. Cuz it doesn't need to commit, or be subject to it.
Which while I'm at it, that should really only be a character specific issue.

Raiden: Japanese Mythology is obviously at play here.
Sub-Zero: Japanese Heritage is at play
Scorpion: Japanese Clan in play.

...and a couple other characters on the MK roster.

So, where it becomes an issue for me, is when we start thinking that MK would somehow benefit greatly from a fast growing norm. Anime. Instead of investing in the potential of itself. American. Which is encompassing to a point of Asian styles and so forth anyway.

- Mortal Kombat is the game I expect to be more realistic than those other games. I expect the characters to be more......contingent on things real-like than those other games. And I expect the story and fantasy element to help build or support those things.

Anime doesn't do that so much, and that's the influence those other games have going for them. I appreciate that absolute disconnect from reality in those games.....I would not appreciate that, from MK.