Fighting games can die. At least, that is the illusion a community can paint without diligent care for a game. Our social media age can influence a gathering with a screenshot without context and pass as facts. In this case, fighting games that have suffered from the lack of smooth net code have always been dealt with growing fatigue. Sure, the game you are describing to your friends is fun but is it playable online? A haunting question that plagued the fighting game community (FGC) for years that has finally been exorcised. Rollback netcode is the future, but what will be of its longevity?
Long Live the Anime Fighter
Recently as of December 6, Blazblue: Central Fiction received an anticipated rollback online update to improve the six-year-old game’s netplay. The popular anime fighter has always been a flagship for Arc System Works that had an enduring community to support the game. Even the celebrated Twitter hashtag, #BBCFRollback, cemented the group’s hopes to keep the game’s online scene alive. Despite having the occasional tournament presence at tournaments like Frosty Faustings or The Pinnacle 2021, overall interest remained low. Essentially, without the breath of rollback, Blazblue was near permanently dead status.
Since the update, Blazblue: Central Fiction is currently boasting a peak four thousand plus player surge and beating current gen fighting games like Guilty Gear Strive and Melty Blood: Type Lumina. Recalling Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core Plus R’s rollback announcement, a new update to the older game had similar effects. It is widely apparent that rollback netcode paired with the fighting game genre is a winning combo. Nevertheless, a game like Blazblue that trumps its newer peers is not surprising because of the strongly formed community backing. Instead of having to rely on sparse local or regional appearances, Blazblue can make its online presence known once more.
The Demand for Rollback vs Offline
Unless someone possessed a supercomputer with smooth internet during the late 80s, the fighting game scene was mostly offline. Arcades, tournaments, or your cousin’s house when he had Tekken 3, players had to trek to different locations to get their fix. Between 1994 – 1997, fighting game were beginning to scratch the surface of an online existence. According to Fighting Games Online, “Using a dial-up 28.8k modem, the company created Xband an unofficial gaming network that would allow players to play versus games with each other across the internet.” While online fighting was an option, the physicality of a local scene had greater opportunities of learning a designated game.
Technological progress of effective internet connections had an impact on the fighting game scene. While a player could locate a physical spot to play, online was convenient with a player’s time as well. The nuanced preferences between offline and online can be discussed later but the truth is that both practices were on the table. COVID-19 having locked down the world increased online playtime to higher levels. The absence of local scenes left players yearning for a better online experience to stick with the grind. To appease the fans of the famed genre, developers sought out to make better netcode after some player campaigning.
Rollback Plus Your Favorite Game
The current standard for fighting game developers is to add rollback to upcoming games or to an existing title. Strive, King of Fighters XV and the unreleased Project L – RiotX Arcane wave the rollback feature proudly for fans to deem worthy. The future seems brighter for fighting games but what of those past games that players had to endure with questionable online? The underwater experience of Street Fighter X Tekken or the inconsistent Dragonball FighterZ have left many jaded. While Arc Systems Works did not set the standard of implementing rollback to older fighting games, it has proved that the technique can be executed. And with a proven method leads to exciting possibilities of rollback to other games. The chance of having a past fighting game with smoother online is fantastic yet raises a question.
Does Rollback Progress the FGC?
New interest in the fighting games is always great. The ideology of welcoming new players with opened arms is the current FGC outlook. However, newer players should be embraced and given a hint of caution. While fighting games have a reputation of difficulty, older fighting games can be unforgiving. This reflects on the player base as well. Picking up an old game like Guilty Gear +R or Blazblue can be fun yet fighting veteran players is daunting. While losing is certainly essential to their growth, getting demolished by a wide gap in player skill is not fun.
The biggest concern with implementing rollback netcode to older fighters is retention. How long will the community gather to fighting games of past generations? Not an impossible feat; Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is still a long running competitive game with an active player base. Nonetheless, rollback updates could either be a quick flash of popularity before players return to the newer flagship titles. The choice between learning a past game versus the trendy next installment of another game is a difficult decision. The capacity to learn an older game is entertaining but requires dedication.
]Finally, fighting games are still a business to the developers. A full priced brand-new fighting game can have better chances of returning profit than a netcode update to an existing product. Upcoming fighting games also offer bigger payouts to the games that collect the most attention. All fighting games can make it to offline events but can also remain as online only endeavors without enough significance. As exhilarating as rollback netcode is, the question to keep updating older games or wanting newer installments is existent.
Conclusion
Fighting games can die but they are never dead. If the game in question has a loyal community that is willing to sing its praises, then it is capable of life. Blazblue’s rollback update is to be celebrated for its newfound permanency. Newer fighting games are shaping to demands of better online and offline venues are also making a glorious return. Rollback netcode is a vital selling point but should not be the focus of trying a new/old fighter. Opening yourself to trying a fighting game for its mechanics and personal interest is the key. Rollback netcode is the proverbial cherry on top.
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