Virtua Fighter 6

Here's what I'd really like to see from Sega in relation to innovating Virtua Fighter 6 in terms of delivery and user experience, rather than gameplay.
Obviously we want to see gameplay innovations, but I think equally important to the game's history is what they've done outside the game like VF.TV, VF.NET, card systems and even social media integration.

ARCADE LAUNCH
I'd love to see the game release at arcades first to give them a chance to location test and then make adjustments based on a focused group of players before releasing to home via PC and Console.

FREE HOME PORTS
I think Sega has a real chance with the PC and console release to make a really succesful free fighting game. I don't mean free to play, I mean entirely free with all the content barring aesthetics available to anyone who downloads. Monetisation obviously needs to happen, and I would think that costume items and stage variations are a prime candidate. They could be purchased indivdually, via season passes or earned through 'item battles' online just like the arcades.

I think there's scope for sponsored content to be integrated without being offensive like SFV's huge ugly logos. If VF already has modular customisation in clothing pieces, why not implement things like T-Shirts with sponsors logos? You could potentially have a similar deal with NJPW like Tekken 7, with real life T-Shirts available in game for free. Think about even recent VF/Sega T-Shirt designs being made avialable like HardCC's VF shirts, Uniqlo and the like.

ONLINE PLAY
Considering the popularity of online game modes an the idea of 'massive' multiplayer gaming becoming more prevalent, I think there's a good way to include VF in that mix by having automated online tournaments that pull together big brackets from searching players (16, 32, or 64 depending on who's available) and seeding them by their ranking on the profile. Double elimination that pairs you up with similar skilled players and gives you a sense of progression and reward each time you place higher.
To satisfy the 'team' play aspects some people might want, why not implement a Beat Tribe style 5 on 5 tournament? I could see this lending itself really well to clan style gameplay and appealing to that team aspect that fighting games currently don't do at all.

ARCADE + HOME +MOBILE SYNERGY
Having the game free to home players seems like it would kill off the arcade scene, but there's a way for both versions to actually benefit each other. If the home game has items available to win from Ranked Matches, and the arcade version has items available as per VF5FS with item battles, then not only can progress be carried across both platforms via an online account (using phones to tap on/log in to your account at the arcades), but a 'boost' could be implemented for players who regularly visit their arcades rather than playing at home.
EG: Playing at home only gives you a drop rate of an item battle once every ten fights. If your account shows you've played VF at an arcade in the last week, then you have a drop rate of one in five instead. Anything you earn at home or at the arcade can be transferred to any platform via your account.

SOCIAL MEDIA INTEGRATION
This was already implemented with VF5, where you could automatically post to twitter when you ranked up at the arcades etc, but this could go even further. Maybe alerting your friends when you've arrived at an arcade or going online so they can join you, or even alerting your followers if you're playing against a top ranked or Star Player?

A bit disorganised, but this is stuff we've been discussing in discords and various places for a while, so I wanted to gather all my thoughts into an easier to read and find forum

 

Except for the last part (Star Player alert), the other features were previously possible via VF.Net, so it would be great to see this integration with Twitter, and possibly extended to other social media platforms, retained.

The Star Player alert is interesting, but I'm not sure if it would be practical. By that I mean, unless your followers had a way of spectating in real time then there's not much they can do with such an alert. Alternatively, if you had an option to "watch later" which would add some entries to your replay playlist (assuming, of course, that every match replay was saved as default), then such an alert could be useful.

Continuing with the social media integration, I'd also like to see:

• All replays saved by default
• An improved replay searching/viewing facility
• Ability to upload replays, or clips, as videos to YouTube, Twitter, etc.

 

It was more just a way to get chatter going amongst players/potential players. Like 'Oh wow I'm playing HOMESTAY right now!' then your friends can ask how you went or comment on the experience. Kind of how right now people will go online and tell others about 'Wow I have this killer in my pool at the tournament!'.

The idea around saving all the replays is great too. I remember 3S Online Edition actually had an option to upload the replays to YouTube from your console, but it wasn't utilised very well (240p quality I believe only, clunky interface etc). That would be outstanding.

I cannot believe how fast rumours spread from nothing. There is zero indication that Sega is making Virtua Fighter exclusive for a google console.

So far all we have are rumours that Google is making a console alongside their streaming service, and rumours that Sega may be 'working with them' in some capacity. This could be as simple as agreeing to release games on their service/console. I don't know where the idea of it being 'more powerful than XB1X' or even the link to VF came from.

 

The good thing is we don't have long to find out what it is. GDC is in a couple of days.
https://www.gdconf.com/

I believe SFV allows a kind of stage design with the Dojo mode, but it's relatively limited.
I really like the idea of custom stages in VF though! I think that's a fantastic idea.

It would be cool if you can choose the music from VF1-FS like in FS, but apply it to a specific stage you customised. Even if it's just time of day/lighting, music and something else purely cosmetic, it's a nice touch. My Wolf can have VF3 music, and VF2 Wolf stage at night for example.

 

Sounds like you don't want Virtua Fighter at all.
Jokes aside, all that stuff sounds like it's radically different to what Virtua Fighter tries to achieve, and in fact sounds like a completely different game. I personally want VF to stick to the formula that made it a success in the first place.