You're the one who chooses to look at the situation in that light. The thread is asking why its more popular in this specific region not whether or not it deserves the popularity it has.
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Mortal Kombat vs Street Fighter, why is MK more popular in the US?
- Thread starter Doosi
- Start date
You're the one who chooses to look at the situation in that light. The thread is asking why its more popular in this specific region not whether or not it deserves the popularity it has.
double jump
you haven't lived until a random little kid ask you "how do you make love".
I think the general western public has an easier time digesting a realistic art direction more so than anime based ones.
I wish the Asian based markets embraced MKX or even had the chance to. It'd be worth it alone just to see all the different play styles. The Asian markets always seem so xenophobic when comes to most western based products within the realm of gaming. I know mobile dominance in that region is a large part of that but it still makes me wanna throw shade. lol.
All that crap aside this feels like a fighting game renaissance atm with something for everyone. Even though everyone has their favorites that which game is better crap only hurts the community imo.
I wish the Asian based markets embraced MKX or even had the chance to. It'd be worth it alone just to see all the different play styles. The Asian markets always seem so xenophobic when comes to most western based products within the realm of gaming. I know mobile dominance in that region is a large part of that but it still makes me wanna throw shade. lol.
All that crap aside this feels like a fighting game renaissance atm with something for everyone. Even though everyone has their favorites that which game is better crap only hurts the community imo.
JuanLatino
Member
i actually think that SF V could hit 5 MIO LTD if everything goes right.
This time there is only one version of Street Fighter over the generation, so unlike SFIV (that was replaced by new editions) people will only buy this one SF Game over the next years, which is why SFV should have stronger legs than SFIV.
Also Capcom focusing on ESports this time should gain a lot more attention over web, even tough SFIV was already the most popular ESports Fighting Game after Melee
Also last gen the 360 was dominating the US Market, which is why i think the Xbox sales for SFIV were good on 360. But since the Ps4 is now dominating, the exkclusivity shouldn't hurt that much
This time there is only one version of Street Fighter over the generation, so unlike SFIV (that was replaced by new editions) people will only buy this one SF Game over the next years, which is why SFV should have stronger legs than SFIV.
Also Capcom focusing on ESports this time should gain a lot more attention over web, even tough SFIV was already the most popular ESports Fighting Game after Melee
Also last gen the 360 was dominating the US Market, which is why i think the Xbox sales for SFIV were good on 360. But since the Ps4 is now dominating, the exkclusivity shouldn't hurt that much
entremet
Member
It's not xenophobia, but preferences.
Disney stuff is really popular in Japan and it is technically Western.
Didn't help that Western developers fell in love with gray and brown in generation 7.
Personally I expect vanilla SFV LTD to be lower than vanilla SFIV LTD.
The only thing that may change that is if "vanilla" SFV is indeed the only version (with DLC to upgrade the game).
EDIT:
Well that and also how well it will perform on PC...
MrCookiepants
Member
And SF4 needed 5 versions across 5 platforms to not even sell as much as vanilla Tekken 3.
Tekken has been going nonstop for 20 years. SF barely reached its 10th anniversary before it died and went MIA. Just some perspective, hm.
Rhys Wilde
Banned
I'm not a big fighting game person outside of Super Smash Bros. and I really like Mortal Kombat. The combat is easily approachable and the massive amount of single-player content appeals heavily to me. I don't play online very much but I like the story mode and the challenge towers a lot. The Krypt was a fun thing to play around with in MKX as well.
I like Street Fighter but as such a casual player who can't even really pull off a Shoryuken I just get bodied all day when I play online. I feel like the only non-online modes they have are a really barebones Arcade mode and then the training stuff. It's really all there just so you can play with others online.
I like Street Fighter but as such a casual player who can't even really pull off a Shoryuken I just get bodied all day when I play online. I feel like the only non-online modes they have are a really barebones Arcade mode and then the training stuff. It's really all there just so you can play with others online.
Better (or at least cooler looking) characters.Seems easier to pick up and play.The gore is fun. MK games also tend to have much better single player modes. Least those are some of the reasons I prefer MK.But that said I would fully admit that SF is mechanically the better fighter.
Mr Fahrenheit
Member
For one I think more people are nostalgic for MK because it was their first violent video game and more kids probably had the home versions. And the general American audience is much less serious about fighting games and MK is a much more casual game (plus now they've got the whole novelty thing going on with all the movie characters).
UnderWaterTree
Member
MK is way easier to get in to
Yup. And the Series continue to increase:
64 - 5.55m
Melee - 7.41m
Brawl - 12.93m
U/3DS - 11.40 as For September 2015 ( Will be easy >15 million LT )
SolarPowered
Member
MK has had more content than SF for a while now and all the gore can be a big plus for selling to the young and middle aged western male demographic. Nothing wrong with the latter, but I guess that gets some people on both sides of the aisle uncomfortable for some reason.
Europe here too and both SF and MK are popular but Street Fighter seems more important.
It would be the opposite with my girlfriend. She couldn't tell the name of a single MK character but knows most of the SF2 cast.
It would be the opposite with my girlfriend. She couldn't tell the name of a single MK character but knows most of the SF2 cast.
entremet
Member
Tekken 3 was an amazing success for Namco, but that was during the PS1's heyday. Much different times.
The last few Tekken installments didn't come close to that.
i agree that they are slowly learning how to create fighting games but they released like ten years or more of complete disasters with no real mechanical foundation ... how do account for the sales of whatever awful mk game from that time period? even mk9, their big return to form was mechanically a mess. there was a reason they had to patch that shit so often.
Leafhopper
Banned
Well I have only really loved 1 MK game and that was UMK3 so I am bias. I don't think playing MK is all that fun anymore but, that's me and you are right.
Then again I have only ever liked 1 Street Fighter (string) of games with SF3 over all too. So I have no horse in either of these franchises.
I am liking the SFV beta though at the moment.
NYCmetsfan
Banned
As a non fighting game fan this is it. I can play mk and have fun. The combos as simpler and I can do fun stuff without learning for hours. I'm a causual player and mk is way more accessible. I respect fighting games I just am more likely to spend my money on mk than street fighter.
And it's funny you mention vf4evo because that was the last Japanese fighting game that I really spend a lot of time on.
NYCmetsfan
Banned
As a non fighting game fan I have no idea what you mean by mechanically a mess. The games have all felt fine since the last two ps2 era games (Armageddon?)
Slamtastic
Member
Being the better game for the last two titles.
Here's hoping SFV is good enough to be real competition!
Here's hoping SFV is good enough to be real competition!
MK is a solid fighter at its core, but on top of that, they have established their characters, their relationships and worlds with storylines that are easy to follow and as a result, people became invested in the franchise. Throw in the over the top violence, variety of content and ways to play and...it's pretty easy to see why MK has done so well as of late.
Outside of gameplay and legacy, SF has NONE of that. No clear character direction, ages, storyline, relationships, or pretty much anything to relate to them on almost any level.
Outside of gameplay and legacy, SF has NONE of that. No clear character direction, ages, storyline, relationships, or pretty much anything to relate to them on almost any level.
Gunslinger
Member
I don't see sfv selling similar to MKX numbers. Probably around 500k on launch and 3 mil for the year.
You are underestimating Mortal Kombat in America.
In US MK and MK vs DC sold more than SFIV and SSFIV.
Rice-Eater
Member
This is what I'm hoping for as well. I think the game will hit 3 million by the time sales basically die down. So I'm hoping that the E-sports movement will help move units consistently over the next 3-4 years. Hopefully it can continue attracing new players who start watching the tournaments as the tournament scene grows over the years.
breadtruck
Member
Us Americans love gore and cleavage.
Street Fighter only has one of that potent combo.
Street Fighter only has one of that potent combo.
Competition for what? Units sold?
The Street Fighter 4 series has sold a combined 8M units over it's very long life, a lifecycle that by the way, will probably be longer than MK9, Injustice and MKX combined. It's unlikely MKX will sell 8M before it goes away for good, and very likely Street Fighter 5 will be a multi-platinum selling game in short order.
Even if MKX did have wider casual interest and sales power in the US, these are people buying the game, playing it's SP content, watching shit on twitch for a couple months and then taking off. USF4 has been the bigger stream game between the two since ~June and generates more entrants, more interest and bigger paydays.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Street Fighter is very popular in the U.S., as is MK. BOTH were huge hits in American arcades.
It seems like there's a narrative to say MK is somehow preferred because the U.S. Loves blood and gore.
It seems like there's a narrative to say MK is somehow preferred because the U.S. Loves blood and gore.
MK is not allowed to be sold in Japan and i doubt your figures include DLC. Also does it include complete edition for MK?
Could have edged out the gore with some butt slapping but alas!
Chronospherics
Member
I don't feel that it is. From what I've seen, MK games have good attendance for a year, then the casuals disappear and tournament attendence and spectatorship drops with it. SF is more popular in the long-term, with a stronger, competitive community, even in the US.
I could be wrong though. I mean, I'm from the UK, what do I know.
I could be wrong though. I mean, I'm from the UK, what do I know.
sixteen-bit
Member
Gunslinger
Member
Yeah even though SFV will probably not sell as good as MK it has better player retention.
Evolution of Metal
Member
MK is a bigger game.
At the core, it is a highly competitive fighting game. On the outside, it is a complete package with campaign, online, faction wars, all sweet gore movies etc. I think that all the blood and violence does add unique value, but that is not the main selling point.
You should also look at the history of both games. MK was a household fighting game for PSX/PS2/Xbox generations in the west. Tekken was popular too, where Street Fighter wasn't on those consoles. MK mechanics are iconic: uppercuts, blocks, some character movies. Characters themselves are popular: Scorpion, SubZero, Jax, Goro etc.
So in the end, you get an iconic brand backed by a huge publisher. The game itself is reviewed very well and packs a ton of value.
At the core, it is a highly competitive fighting game. On the outside, it is a complete package with campaign, online, faction wars, all sweet gore movies etc. I think that all the blood and violence does add unique value, but that is not the main selling point.
You should also look at the history of both games. MK was a household fighting game for PSX/PS2/Xbox generations in the west. Tekken was popular too, where Street Fighter wasn't on those consoles. MK mechanics are iconic: uppercuts, blocks, some character movies. Characters themselves are popular: Scorpion, SubZero, Jax, Goro etc.
So in the end, you get an iconic brand backed by a huge publisher. The game itself is reviewed very well and packs a ton of value.
Tekken does pretty good.
I saw the numbers in the thread and i am not sure how to interpret them.
The SFIV series in total has more copies sold than MK9, MKX and vanilla SFIV has more copies than MK9, but MKX has more copies sold than any one version of SFIV. Also we don't have numbers for U.S ltd or any upgrade sfiv versions which i imagine are a lot since those are a lot cheaper and is what most people who had previous versions would chose.
I think it is true though that MK is more popular with the casuals because of the single player content and SF is more popular with the fgc. It was a wasted opportunity imo for SFV to not include a more complete package with a few more single player modes this time, even if it was silly low budget stuff like those mk challenges, towerthingies whatever it was called.
The SFIV series in total has more copies sold than MK9, MKX and vanilla SFIV has more copies than MK9, but MKX has more copies sold than any one version of SFIV. Also we don't have numbers for U.S ltd or any upgrade sfiv versions which i imagine are a lot since those are a lot cheaper and is what most people who had previous versions would chose.
I think it is true though that MK is more popular with the casuals because of the single player content and SF is more popular with the fgc. It was a wasted opportunity imo for SFV to not include a more complete package with a few more single player modes this time, even if it was silly low budget stuff like those mk challenges, towerthingies whatever it was called.