Dead Or Alive 6 Builds On Franchise's Core Strengths While Renewing Focus On Inclusivity

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HHH816

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The Dead or Alive franchise is infamous for its efforts to oversexualize its female fighters. That reputation has been helped along by the Dead or Alive: Xtreme spin-offs, a collection of titles that put all the women in skimpy bikinis as they play beach volleyball and seaside party games. The main series has also been difficult for newcomers to jump into, as each game lacks the type of single-player campaign that would help a beginner acquaint themselves with the combo-heavy system of strikes, holds, and throws.

Team Ninja's last entry in the franchise, Dead or Alive 5, did make an initial effort to broaden its audience by choosing to clothe the fighters in slightly more modest attire and write in a science-fiction story. However, the game still launched with the franchise's well-known mechanic of choosing your preferred levels of "boob jiggle physics," and DLC expansions brought many of the series' racy and fetishized outfits back into the game. The story mode also expected a certain level of skill from players, and since the tutorial system was a grind-fest of memorizing button combos, it was still difficult to learn the nuances of the game.

Dead or Alive 6 is trying to do what its predecessor could not and de-emphasize the sex appeal of its female combatants while also making the gameplay more approachable. The exaggerated jiggle physics are gone, and new mechanics and a more cohesive story are being added to help make the game more accessible. We spoke with Yohei Shimbori, director of Dead or Alive, at E3 2018 to further discuss the franchise's new direction and what exactly Team Ninja has in store for Dead or Alive 6.


At E3 2018, the only female characters available were Kasumi and Helena. I immediately gravitated towards the former, who's been the primary protagonist for the franchise since the original 1996 game. Kasumi's facial structure looks a lot older in Dead or Alive 6, and her new body model is a physically fit teen and not the oversexed supermodel child it's been in the past. "The boobs are smaller as opposed to before because we wanted the girls to appear more human. We don't want to reshape them smaller or larger just on a whim," Shimbori said.


Kasumi's outfit has also undergone considerable changes. She's abandoned her loose-fitting kunoichi for an armored bodysuit. Though not as noticeable a transformation, Helena is also rocking a new, more combat-ready outfit. "They'll be back," Shimbori said, when asked if the fighters' original outfits would make a reappearance in the game. He and his team want to make strides towards removing sexual fanservice from Dead or Alive, but they acknowledge that certain mechanics and aspects of the franchise are too ingrained in the series' DNA to abandon completely.

That seemed to be the underlying theme to everything Team Ninja had to show off at E3--maintaining the roots of the Dead or Alive franchise while taking strides towards making this entry both more approachable and accessible. Most of the core Dead or Alive experience remains in Dead or Alive 6. If anything, the more extravagant aspects of the franchise have simply been toned down. For example, you won't be high kicking prepubescent girls into spinning helicopter blades during stage transitions, but new stage hazards, like bystanders who trip up fighters, maintain the constant need to simultaneously read the battlefield and your opponent.

The intensity of the combat has returned as well, made all the more brutal through a new system that realistically portrays the types of injuries fighters would sustain in an actual fight. A fast roundhouse kick to Kasumi's face left a visceral cut across her cheek, and getting repeatedly pummeled in the stomach left a noticeable dent in her body armor. "This is an intense fighting game. Female or male doesn't matter. They are going to get dirty. They are going to get damaged. Their faces are going to be injured. All kinds of things," Shimbori said.



I immediately wanted to know whether this new combat damage mechanic would be used for a new game mode. The injuries act as an easy indicator for figuring out how much damage your fighter is taking without even having to look at the UI, but Shimbori denied the existence of any type of mode where there wouldn't be a health bar. "We actually haven't thought about that, having that type of game mode," he laughed. He wanted to reiterate that this is still the same Dead or Alive, with the same recipe. The added mechanics and features are simply new flavors.

And it's true. Despite her new appearance, Kasumi handles pretty much exactly as I remember. The one exception was her new Fatal Rush and Break moves, which are both new to the franchise. Every fighter has their own, and players can unleash them after performing combos that fill up a special meter. With the click of a single button, fighters can lash out with a powerful strike, and continuing to do so engages a Fatal Rush that temporarily slows down time and dishes out some serious punishment. That same button can be used while in retreat to perform a Break Blow (counter) or Break Hold (parry) to immediately respond to an opponent's attack, regardless if it's delivered from high, mid-level, or low.

"Also, another reason: who doesn't love eSports?," Shimbori continued, in response to the inclusion of the new moves. "Spectators who watch the game can more easily pick up on DOA6's action. The new moves create slow motion effects that allow the combatants a moment to check out their competition, the audience to see if either contestant is nervous, and announcers to catch up to the action of the fight. These new moves are as much for the spectators as they are for the players."


But Shimbori doesn't just want more of the eSports community in on the action, he wants the casual gaming audience to enjoy Dead or Alive 6 too. So Team Ninja is really focusing on telling a cohesive single-player story for any who want to play the game solo. "For Dead or Alive 5, we made one continuous story," Shimbori said. "We're going to continue that story in Dead or Alive 6. DOA5 had a problem, though, in that people didn't completely understand what was happening. It wasn't always clear. We want to use DOA6 to clarify the storyline."

Dead or Alive 6 will continue to tell a science fiction, so the evil clones and cyborgs aren't going away. Shimbori and his team just want to put a little more reasoning behind the twists and turns in the story and broaden its appeal to Western audiences. "Timeline-wise, DOA6 starts immediately at the end of DOA5," Shimbori concluded. "It won't be seconds after, but DOA6 picks up the storyline right after DOA5."
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-or-alive-6-builds-on-franchises-core-strength/1100-6460271/
 
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HHH816

Well-Known Member
my opinion on this article
- confirming they changing girl figures (especially boobies)
- old costume will be back as paid DLC? (rip off:mad:)
- less stage transition more stage interaction/environment damage. (so no more 20 feet fall?)
- injuries gonna be more apparent along the fight. (they gonna add more than E3 built?)
- more towards e-sport
- science fiction? phase 4 and raidou confirmed? less fan service story?
- DOA6 story maybe a month or two after DOA5
 
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Leifang12

Active Member
I completely disagree with the stage transitions statement. They need to have over the top fantastical things happening in DOA stages. That's what they are known for. I just don't get why they just wont stick to their guns and produce a game where the original DOA values stems from.

I really don't care for the blood and the closeups. I think it is unnecessary in every aspect of a DOA game. DOA has always been beautiful and fantastical. Big beautiful stages, animals, cars, stairs, slopes, snow, rain, thunder, multiple areas, fireflies and so much more!!! It is so important to keep those things in the core of DOA. DOA was never meant to be a "realistic" fighter. I still don't get why these "realistic" character models, can't fit into the old world of DOA stages! Stages in DOA2, DOA3 and DOA4 looks and plays so much better than DOA5 and I was not at all impressed by the stages in the DOA6 trailer !! They seem to think that being a easy to use game and an E-sport game is what everyone wants. It isn't ! We wan those aspects yes, but not by removing things that keeps DOA fun and beautiful !

I love the new character models faces. I think they look amazing and I like that over the anime round shaped all look the same face. But they still haven't put any consideration into each characters individual aesthetic, body type, and look. Not all girls need to be curvy. I always loved the fact that Leifang was a slim, and not so curvy girl, with very long legs. But in DOA5 they seemed to ruin that with the "we need more ASS" . I just hope TN and TK really takes their time to develop each characters individuality.
 

Lulu

Well-Known Member
So here's something I don't get... whats the FGC's issue with Fighting Games becoming more like E-Sports ?
 

just_me

Well-Known Member
Standard Donor
Where did they say that old costumes will only be DLC? That doesn't seem like something you can extrapolate from the article…

I completely disagree with the stage transitions statement.

It's not a statement from anyone, it's simply the author's observation from the E3 build…

In general I think the author is barely familiar with the series… and basically didn't understand what he was playing at E3 lol

a few select quotes:
However, the game still launched with the franchise's well-known mechanic of choosing your preferred levels of "boob jiggle physics,"

This is false… DoA5 didn't have the breast motion setting, it was introduced with 5U. It also shouldn't be a “well-known mechanic” of the franchise, since no such option existed in DoA2,3 and 4 (there was something in DoA1 wasn't there?)… and the age setting didn't do anything either. Not even the DoAX games have this (well maybe X3 if you count the lotions)

"The boobs are smaller as opposed to before because we wanted the girls to appear more human.

Lol… what a horrible thing to say. I have a hard time believing this is an actual quote.

She's abandoned her loose-fitting kunoichi for an armored bodysuit.

Her loose-fitting kunoichi, eh?

The injuries act as an easy indicator for figuring out how much damage your fighter is taking without even having to look at the UI

I mean that seems totally dumb… given that the injuries are sustained over rounds and thus cannot be used as an indicator of how much damage you've taken… the other observations regarding the damage effects don't seem to match up with the stuff that was actually in the build either.


(also seems like the original article 404s at the moment?)
 

Cadaveri

Well-Known Member
So here's what I'm seeing so far from DOA6(granted the game did look good on E3):

-No sidestepping
-Toned down stage interactivity (or stages in general I guess)
-Toned down characters (characters will now appear more human cuz less boobs!)
-Broaden its appeal to Western audiences (yay I'm really appealed o_O)
-Continue story from DOA5 (same cyborg/clone crap continues)

+ more esports support I guess
+/- more violence(wasn't really needed If you ask me)

Not seeing many positives here myself, but maybe I'm in the minority on this.
 

UpSideDownGRUNT

Well-Known Member
It says nowhere the old costumes will be dlc or that there will be dlc at all, and it says its a quote but the whole smaller boobs thing is bullshit lol Kasumis boobs are pretty much the same as they were in DOA5 they're smaller than in 1-4 and Xtreme but they're the same as in 5.
 

HHH816

Well-Known Member
shimbori said about the old costume "they'll be back" instead of "they'll will be in the game" when asked.

seems sound like a future dlc to me.
 

Ceviche

Member
Lol… what a horrible thing to say. I have a hard time believing this is an actual quote.

I think it may be a mistranslation, and they wanted to say something along the lines of "we wanted to tone down the boobs according to the characters' body proportions to make them look more realist".
But I don't think they look that different. And tbh I don't care, Kasumi and Helena look gorgeous and their outfits are really well done, easily one of the best they've ever had.

The game and his characters looks great as of now, but I really wish the next interviews are going to be more gameplay-focused because we don't know a lot of things about it aside from the new mechanics. I want to know how the previous mechanics are going to be handled/tweaked and I think that's a more important matter than the boring "less sexualization/more violence" non-controversy that is really starting to get old.
 

Jadeinchains

Well-Known Member
Yeah I feel like the interviews may have placed misinformation in this or things have been mistranslated because at least from what I've seen Kasumi's chest at least looks the same but who knows, Helena though does look different but honestly I don't mind they both look amazing regardless. I guess they just changed them a bit. Also so Doa6 will probably start like a couple weeks to a month after doa5 I guess, So that's cool to actually know now. That explains why the characters are the same age as in doa5.

Also come on! I'm dying for another reveal!
 

Hayabusiness

Well-Known Member
I really hope the "less boobs = more human" is a mistranslation because that's shit and it's pissing me off more than it should lol.
The writer of this article seems like the usual DOA bypasser :/

Aside from that, well, ok, more DOA coming up.
 

Jadeinchains

Well-Known Member
Yeah I was actually gonna say something like that...None of these interviewers seem like doa fans ( which obviously they don't have to be to do an interview ) but still like each of them spend the interview time making passing swings at the past games for this thing or that thing and focus so much of the interview time on trying to get the developers to talk about how much they've toned down the fanservice and almost nothing else. Like cool but we already know that from the other interviews ask them something else!
 

Tyaren

Well-Known Member
Standard Donor
@ the girls' breasts being smaller, them having more fit, teenge bodies and their costumes being more practical and less fetishized:

200.gif


Look at Kasumi, her chest is just as unnaturally big as in DOA5. They probably mean not as huge melons as in DOAX3? That's right.
Look at her character render, she has the exact same body type she had in DOA 5. She doesn't look any fitter or more like a teenager either.
Look at both Kasumi's and Helena's costumes, they are no more practical or less sexualized than characters' default costumes were in DOA5. Here they are either still super tight (Kasumi) or revealing plenty of skin (Helena). Especially Kasumi's suit is as sexualized as it can possibly be, super tight and with tiny armor bits that barely cover her chest and crotch. The way it is designed is to especially accentuate and sexualize the female body form. Her black DOA5 suit was less sexualized.

I don't know what is funnier, Koei Tecmo actually thinking they can trick people by saying all this stuff, while showing us the direct opposite, or people actually believing them, while seeing what is shown, and them making a huge fuss over it.
 
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