Well, MK11 is coming out on current gen platforms so it’s not a “next generation fighter.” But I’m thinking you mean fighting game generations? Those don’t overly exist. I mean, you could say that there are fighting game eras. The 2D era with Street Fighter and MK and all the various 2D offshoots. The 3D era with Virtua Fighter, Tekken and all the other 3D games that were more popular and prevalent in the early aughts. But as far as MK11 goes, I’d still probably put it in the current era that began in 2008 with SF IV.
Since then we’ve had three Netherealm games (soon to be four), a bunch of stuff from ArcSys, a new Tekken or two, a new Soul Calibur, Killer Instinct came back and so on and so on. But I’m not sure how KI is a dividing line between a SF IV era and a modern era. To me it was another fighting game. Granted, it was the first fighting game that came out on this generation of consoles, but if we’re ignoring console generations and going by fighting generations or eras, I don’t really think it’s separate from what came five years before and in the five or six years since.
So why would MK11 really be a difference maker in this regard? Perhaps more importantly, what do you specifically think MK11 would have to do to usher in a whole new era for fighting games, since it’s obviously not going to usher in a new era from a gaming generation standpoint?
I think it’ll likely have the best story mode of any fighting game, at least in terms of length and depth. But that’s practically expected at this point. Beyond that though, what are your actual expectations in specific terms and how would MK11 be able to meet those expectations? Just curious. 
For me, at the highest end of my expectations, I’d like to see a cast that represents all of the eras of MK well, I’d like for the animation to be more fluid, I’d like the story to be well written and compelling; charting a new path forward for the story that finally puts all this timeline stuff to bed and I want a gear / collection system that’s fun, rewarding, and doesn’t require money and lootboxes to enjoy.
Beyond that though? I mean, like I was wondering before, what else would you logically expect? It’s easy to say that you want MK to take it too the next level, but rather than putting that on the devs to simply figure out, I want to know what would take this game, or the genre for that matter, to the next level. What is that next level and how would a game get there (in your mind)?
The only thing I can really think of is an even more organic storytelling with more depth of character, more complex themes explored and an overall tale that feels epic and has some real weight to it and even then, I wouldn’t call that taking anything to the next level. That would just be improving on what’s already been done. What’s the next true evolution?
Or perhaps Outworld? I could easily see a scenario where Earth is the invading force this time, leading to a new tournament. It’s interesting now though, isn’t it? We have three viable factions, where before, it’s traditionally been Earth versus Outworld, Earth versus Shinnok and the Netherealm, Earth versus Onaga, etc.
Now we have Kotal Khan, Erron Black, Reptile, Ermac, Bo Rai Cho, Li Mei and Outworld. We have Raiden, Scorpion, Sub Zero, the kombat kids etc for Earthrealm. Then we have Liu Kang, Kitana, Noob, and the revenants for the Netherealm.
How will each of these factions form up? Who will defect to another faction? Will Raiden going dark drive away some or even all of Earth’s warriors? Will Earth splinter in to a Raiden faction and a Fujin faction? Perhaps most importantly, how will this time goddess and time itself play in to all of this? Could we see a fourth faction with this lady and perhaps some new or even existing characters?
ARG, I can’t wait until the reveal stream!!
