Not only will the creators of VF5 not add online fights
to its repertoire, but they also "feel that doing so would create something other than Virtua Fighter." (Er,
maybe Virtua Fighter… Online?)
According to IGN: "Instead of allowing for direct fights, they hope to build upon the network functionality featured
in VF4, allowing for greater player communication and building up a strong community."
Will fights in future home ports of the technically proficient franchise also remain offline? Lag or no lag, this
answer from Sega's stalwarts sounds suspiciously like the sidesteps on the subject from the folks at Namco (whose dev
teams punched out the latest offline iterations of Soul
Calibur and
Tekken for
the PS2 this past year). Hopefully an announcement of a solid online plan will nab Sony more broadband brawlers in the
future.
Engadget
TUAW