Fighting games and Online Play

Amongst the Fighting Game Hardcore stems a heated argument about online play.
There is a clear line - those who like it and those who hate it.

Those are against it repeatably state a glaring flaw - the latency in fighting games. While I do agree that execution can be critical in high-level matches, some critics go as far as saying that it completely changes the game.



While I am not going to argue with those two critical points, I do believe that all fighting games from here on out should have online play. If you are in the United States or Canada, you'll notice that arcades are far and few between these days. Even if there is an arcade around, there is no guarantee that the local arcade will even get the newest game just for the sake of a few people. By the way, a 4 cabinet setup in an arcade will cost them $70k! SEVENTY THOUSAND! Wow. Just wow...

So what else is there? Consoles and online play. Like it or not, online play is here to stay. We've come a long way, and service keeps improving. Not enough for some of the critics around. Online play allows one to play games in the comfort of their own home. For those who don't like it? Don't play online. Have a getogether. Go find an arcade that does have it. But don't spoil it for others who simply want to play other people.

Anyhoos, this geared more towards Sega. HAVE ONLINE PLAY! Namco is coming out with an online version of Tekken 5; Soul Calibur 4 will have it, SF Turbo HD Remix will have it... Why do you hate us, Sega?!?!?!?

Lots of topics, so little time...

So lately there are a bunch of topics that I'd like to blog about, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of time for me lately. I need to make time.

So here's a quick rundown:

ST HD Remix for Xbox Live Arcade - great that they will update the graphics, but what about the sound?

The Houston/Planet Zero/Showdown debacle - I call it a debacle because it has received a lot of negativity in the Fighting Game community. Plus, it hits home for obvious reasons.

Virtua Fighter 5 and it not being online on Xbox 360 - That's a can of worms that needs to be opened. People from both sides of the argument are debating whether a game should be available online, even it could detract on the original gaming experience that the developer wishes to convey.

The fighting game scene's path - It's pretty obvious that we're at a critical junction in the community. What needs to happen?

My path as a poker player - I've moved up in limits recently - does that make me good?

Lots of good stuff to blog about. Stay tuned!!!