Free Step Dodge

I've come to feel like this is a DOA-fan-thing, a perception not based in actual reality. It only looks bad if you compare it to the likes of SF or Tekken. Those series hit their strides before DOA even entered the picture back in the first half of the 90s, DOA has done comparatively well for a series that hit it's stride in the early 2000s.

People do play DOA, the series has sold millions, people know about it at least as much as SC or KOF. Fanarts often put Chun-li, Mai, and Kasumi in the same picture. It's not some niche series, even just among fighting games.

Bringing up the sex appeal as a problem seems to come from some level of insecurity. As others have said, other FGs have it too. The few people complaining that they're not gonna play a fighting game because it's associated with a spinoff game that makes them blush is just looking for excuses or are already biased towards another series, imo, and their voices are made louder thanks to the internet.

People love to associate themselves with teams/tribes and take their personal alignments too seriously, and even if Harada and Itagaki were just messing around back in the day, some fans of their respective series really were assholes about defending their own "teams". Just look at the console wars as evidence how how ridiculous some people can get about loving what they love and hating the competition.

Being Xbox exclusive for a while I think was kind of a double edged sword for the series. Being always multiplatform would have given it even more reach and would have disassociated the series from MS for a lot of diehard Sony fanboys. But despite that exclusivity, DOA still managed to sell millions.

And ask people who's favorite FG series is Bloody Roar how they feel. Or even VF fans. DOA is a survivor.

But if the question is specifically "why don't more people play DOA competitively?" that's another question, imo.

I think the biggest factor that deters people from trying DOA is it's undeserved reputation as "the one with all the fan-service". This is a shame really, because I find that DOA6 actually balances the "sexy/cute" and "serious/deep" aspects fairly well. Most of the characters in DOA6 don't even behave in ways that are overtly sexual - there are plenty of other video games with an "M" rating that are far less tame.

DOA is the best 3D fighting game. At the end of the day DOA wasn't chosen by the big wigs, it was chosen by its players. DOA has always lived to the standard of its own name, and so will I. Dead or Alive... is it actually a question instead of a statement? I've been saying its name for over 20 fucking years so I think it would be crazy to stop now personally. There is no end to my love for DOA and never will be.

@RobHimself Lol, Koei Tecmo abandoned DOA6, no one else. Fans were criticizing and making their voices heard in the hopes that they'd allow TN to improve it and stop using it to do stupid things. And any fan who did that didn't stop supporting the series. There's other ways to support the series than buy DLC. Multiple people here make their own content, even just that shows support for the series.

Anyone who had no qualms about DOA6 and absolutely loved it, even going as far as to call it their favorite or the best in the series, fine, but I don't know why it's so hard to understand they're likely in the minority of fans. It disappointed most competitive players and non-competitive fans for different reasons. You'd be least likely to have an issue with the game only if it was the first DOA you ever played.

Say what you want about DOA6, but it through its problems the game would not have existed if it wasn't for Shimbori and the community. The same goes for DOA5. DOA has been a community passion project since the days of DOAD when the community helped develop the game.. Who hasn't done shit for DOA? Sony. Sony was the worst thing that ever happened to the series.

Thanks for the comments everyone! Lots of good discussion in here! I find the reasons why people don't play DOA are:

- Misconception on franchise and stigma, i.e. "Titties"
- DLC practices
- Don't have anyone to play with
- Netcode
- Don't like the "hold system" or mechanics
- Don't understand how the game operates because it doesn't play like any 2D fighter, and doesn't play like SoulCalibur or Tekken

Virtua Fighter is actually the only fighting series that plays similar to DOA and it arguably struggles just as much with popularity. DOA is at a deceptive disadvantage because it doesn't play like any of the "popular" fighting games.

@Force_of_Nature : The irony is that while DOA's stigma lies in certain focal points of aesthetics, VF's stigma is not only the myth that it's "inaccessible", but that the games themselves don't do enough to immerse the player into it's lore and characters compared to... well, every other 3D fighting game.

Here are My thoughts on what people's thoughts on why they don't want to play DOA, mainly DOA6 (A game that I consider the worst DOA game):

First is any comments revolving around fanservice/boob jiggles/beach games/sexy costumes as "the reason they're put off by DOA", "DOA has tranished", or think "It's ridiculous." are comments that belong in the trash and comments not worth listening to. (cont.)

DOA just isn't made for people who felt put off by fanservice/sexualize/boob jiggle stuff like MK isn't made for people who don't like overtop gore/violence. There are some other comments (that I find bit interesting in terms of peoples opinions), where even if there is zero sex appeal all they would've been given is a game that may not worth playing to begin with.

Second is Season Passes, sure people are always going to have their issue with the price tag. Even then this was a thing back in DOA5LR which span through 6 Passes (with 7th being reduced and the last pass), and DOA6 is just follow up from the previous game. People should just have less interest in DOA or KT games if that is such a big deal.

Third is Character Design are usually the price of being a 3D fighting game that are similar to their superiors like Sega & Namco, there will be times that DOA cast may not stand out that much or will prefer their superiors. Not every fighting game can be a winner, which who knows maybe TN should have a new fighting game that will be better than DOA.

Fourth is Art Style is not going to be everyones cup of tea, and another situation where prefer better games than what DOA normally offers. Personally I think DOA (5/X3/VV/6) looks more pretty than any games that look realistic from the Triple A line up. Maybe DOA take in "realism" starting in DOA5 may not be right direction for some people.

And Last Gameplay once again not everyones cup of tea. If I had to pick a reason why people don't play DOA or had to reduced it would be Gameplay. What would people have even without sex appeal, is a guessing game (how hold system works), getting thrown around the stage (because of the hazard), or what DOA6 recently added Break Blow/Meter that not everyone likes.