I think this thread shows exactly what SC needs to be saved from...infighting and backbiting among the fans. and a lot of it coming from the competitive players. Few other competitive communities are so hostile to their casual/non-competitive members as this one seems to be. A plea to players to unite to keep SC going, and many posters are attacking (or at least rudely responding).
A bit about me: i am a hardcore, loyal fan who owns every game from Soul Blade to SC5 (except for broken destiny; I don't do portable gaming...too hard on my eyes). Except for SC and SC3, I bought the game on multiple platforms to support it. I love the series and it will always be special for me.
With this said, there are a number of problems with the series, and if they are not addressed, it is possible SC will not continue. While different sources cite different figures, the general consensus indicates SC5 has sold poorly compared to earlier versions or to competing fighters (MK 2011, SSF4, etc.). In a time when fighting games are making a comeback of sorts, with series like SF and MK re-inventing themselves and hitting big, Namco couldn't afford any missteps, yet they committed several.
One of the worst is the bare-bones single-player mode. There is nothing "noob" or "scrub" about wanting a $60 fighting game to contain an actual arcade mode; every fighter ever released has had one, and for veteran fans like me, it was critical for a long time until the series went online. Not everybody who buys the game wants to play in tournaments or online every time; sometimes it's nice to just play alone against the CPU, enjoy some actual character endings, unlock a few items, and improve your game before fighting online or against live buds. Not including a proper single player mode for SC5 was just plain laziness and poor decision making. MK 2011 proved a fighter can have a strong single-player experience and still be a competitive game.
Another slip-up is the loss of so many characters and no real explanation as to why. IMO it was a sexist attempt to pander to horny pubescent boys; how can one otherwise explain why, with few exceptions, the missing characters are all female? I feel Project Soul decided that, since SC5 picked up nearly 2 decades after SC4, that the women would be too old to be sexy, and were therefore dropped. Even worse, many of the fighting styles are missing, but there are 3 mimics. These things matter to fans, as evidenced by the poor word of mouth that this game received. Combined with Namco's lackluster marketing and promoting, this has resulted in a sales flop which has put the series' future in question. The game just received a price drop to $39.99; just 2 months after it was first released, it was temporarily marked down to $29.99 just to move some copies. This is a shame, since SC5 is really fun, looks great, and has what I feel is the best gameplay of the series.
In closing, I agree that we all, whether competitive, casual, or whatever label you choose, can help keep SC5 afloat and ensure a sequel. As many have said, organize tournaments, either online or live. Doesn't have to be huge, just a handful of people, but it will give people a chance to play who may not have picked the game up. Recommend the game to friends...hell, BUY them a copy if you can afford it; I bought it for my brother and for my nephews. And finally, enough with the infighting already!! Let dissatisfied players vent. Let casual gamers not feel intimidated for not having the skills as the competitive players. And realize the two groups need each other. The casual crowd has the #'s and the $$ to keep SC profitable. The competitive gamers are needed to build buzz and provide valuable input to developers on how to refine gameplay, which results in a more engrossing, satisfying, buyable game.
