James Chen · @jchensor
14th Dec 2016 from TwitLonger
Arcade Mode
So I'm late to the topic, and my intention isn't to rile anyone up or re-fan the flames, but I really want to add my two cents to this because it's important to me and to people I know.
Arcade Mode is very important for a Fighting Game, IMO. It doesn't have to have the exact same constructs as existing Arcade Modes, but the value of a meaningful 1-player experience is very crucial.
Why, you ask? Why would anyone care about a 1-player experience for fighting games? Aren't fighting games MEANT for one-on-one competition?
Yes, they are. However, playing one-on-one takes dedication and time. And there are lots of people out there who enjoy what fighting games provide them, but they just don't have the time.
Case in point: my older brother. He's played Fighting Games since the original SFII. Got 2nd place in the very first SFII tournament they ever ran at UCLA. He, myself, and another friend took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in my first ever tournament. We've had COUNTLESS hours of battles on the SNES with SFII, HF, and Super spanning all the way to the Sega Saturn with the Alphas and Darkstalker games to the Dreamcast and the CvS Series.
But at some point in time, priorities of his life shifted. His main hobby moved to films and video games took a back seat. And he's now happily married with two wonderful boys. But you know what? He's never forgotten how much he loves fighting games. But he just doesn't have time anymore to spend more than just casual hours on them.
But even with as little free time he has, he bought Street Fighter IV. And Super Street Fighter IV. And do you know what he did? Played Arcade Mode. Beat it with every character. Multiple times. In short 20 minute bursts before going to sleep many nights. He HAD FUN in a relaxing and enjoyable way.
He has no reason to buy Street Fighter V. Survival Mode is a chore. The Story Mode barely lets you play. And he doesn't have time for online.
So yes, you absolutely are losing sales for not having Arcade Mode.
And now you may be asking: so Arcade Mode, then, is for like three old nostalgia-driven retired players? No, it's for people who like fighting games but just don't have the time to dedicate to playing against people. This can be older players or even some newer players or just fans of the genre that can't get good enough to compete but still want to feel good about playing the game and accomplishing something, like beating an Arcade Mode. They want to experience the game, but in a way that allows them to get the most enjoyment out of a game that they genuinely like in the least amount of time possible with the least amount of stress.
AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
Some people play games like Batman: Arkham City and have to collect 100% of the Riddler Trophies. Some people just beat the story and couldn't care less about those stupid Riddler Trophies. The beauty of video games, and most media, is and always has been that you can get your enjoyment in your own way, and we shouldn't force our ideologies of enjoyment onto others, because we all have different lives and different priorities.
That's what Arcade Mode brings. It provides an option and is so simple to implement. And again, it doesn't have to be directly like Arcade Modes of old, but just turning Training Mode into a CPU and fighting that isn't gonna cut it. It has to feel like a game still: it's helpful to have a start and an end. It's good to have an end boss after increasing difficulty. It gives a sense of accomplishment, even in getting those terrible endings no one really cares about. Even if it was just a screen at the end saying, "Congratulations!" and your character doing a win pose, that's better than nothing.
It shouldn't be overlooked. Yes Street Fighter is becoming more eSports. Yes the competitive scene is growing and making the competitive aspect more of the focus. But if there's no way to walk onto a court and shoot hoops by yourself or play tennis against a wall or go to a batting cage, you're cutting off a lot of potential casual fans who could very well be VERY interested in watching your eSports if you advertise it properly in-game.