Virtua Fighter 5 a PS3 exclusive

by James Ransom-Wiley { May 8th 2006 at 12:00PM }

Sega has announced Virtua Fighter 5 exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The newest installment in the franchise will feature 15 returning fighters, along with two newcomers, Eileen (monkey kung-fu) and El Blaze (lucha libre). Sega did not confirm online multiplayer support, but did reveal a new game concept where players earn virtual currency for winning matches. The money can then be used to purchase goodies at an in-game shop, which will include costumes and "attachable items."

Virtua Fighter 5 is due out next spring.

Tags: E32006, kung-fu, lucha libre, LuchaLibre, PS3, Sega, Virtua Fighter 5, VirtuaFighter5

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Fan @ May 8th 2006 12:05PM

A decent online mode is the only thing that would resurect this genre for me.

Sense @ May 8th 2006 12:09PM

AM2 has already said that online multiplayer has been nixed. Something about online lag ruining the essence of the game. In reality, it's just BS. If Team Ninja can do it, AM2 can do it. Even if there is lag it's better than being forced to play it by yourself (especially if your friends don't dig fighting games.)

Not like it matters to me, since it won't be on 360, which is another puzzling decision to me. VF5 would have almost no competition on the 360, seems like a no-brainer. Oh well.

The1 @ May 8th 2006 12:14PM

I was never into VF and I hope this game will entice me to buy it.

Master X 24 @ May 8th 2006 12:15PM

If u read it right it said only on ps3 spring 2007 so maybe it will come to the 360 later kinda like GTA did and how the first splinter cell was on xbox and went to ps2 later u never know

WIley @ May 8th 2006 12:17PM

VF is the best fighting game series ever created in my opinion, and VF4:evolution is the best fighting game ever created,(a view shared by gamespot,ign, edge magazine and more...) this series has some of the perfect balance of allowing new people to be drawn in, while allowing experienced players a wealth of options and deapth to learn.

But why the exclusivity? I want to play VF on 360, i cant be bothered to wait for ps3! I dont understand why sega would want to limit the franchises market, its a game loved by many who dont own sony consoles. I cant see the point of limitng the great amount of potential buyers, besides the 360 needs help in japan....anyways i guess i'll have to wait for the ps3 to hurry up *Sigh*

It's annoying trend again now with fighting games. Ps2 had tekken exclusivity, Virtual Fighter exclusivity, the 3d version of streetfigher, all the stretfighter vs_________ games, and soul calibur 3 was again a ps2 exclusive. Nothing aginst the ps3, i want one too, but ive got a 360 already and I dont find DOA4 entertaining.......

Anyways I hope they make a psp version, (or ds version for the fans who may want it), i would love to link this up with the ps3 version, and simply carry on practicing my skills of akira on the go!

Helatrobus @ May 8th 2006 12:17PM

Can some microsoft fanboys please tell me how much this game sucks?

LongshotX @ May 8th 2006 12:24PM

Ever since Soul Calibur arrived Virtua Fighter has slid way down on my list of favorite fighters. It's not a very exciting game. I think Microsoft would find it wise to get Namco on their team, their games easily beat Sega's fighters in terms of sheer fun and depth. And the name "Virtua Fighter" is so 1995 it ain't even funny.

Ethan Thomas @ May 8th 2006 12:28PM

-Sense

Team Ninja CAN'T do it. They've patched DOA4 on 360 and yet it STILL lags so bad, it's unplayable. That game has been collecting dust on my shelf for a long time, as I only play it when I have friends over at my house. I was never really into Virtua Fighter, but I guess we'll see how this one turns out.

Michael @ May 8th 2006 12:32PM

@ #1+2

Even if a fighting game had online, I would never use it. Fighting games are probably the one genre that can't be allowed to suffer from the tinyest amount of lag. At least not one as technical as VF.

@ #5 WIley

It's not coming out 'til next year, so you shouldn't be too bothered with waiting for the PS3.

@ #6 Helatrobus

There are some games even the fanniest of fanboys can't trash.

Sense @ May 8th 2006 12:38PM

Ethan,

I still say online is better than nothing. I've had some pretty bad matches on DOA, but I've had some good ones, too. I haven't really played it online that much, so I guess I'm not one to talk about it. I just like having the option because so few of my friends like fighting games.

I guess it's better to at least try to make an online mode. Maybe AM2 could do a better job.

VF is the best technical fighter around and I really wish it was coming to 360. Maybe 360 will take off in Japan and convince SEGA to make a port. I can dream...

portorikan @ May 8th 2006 12:48PM

I've always had a liking to virtua fighter but it's always been an arcade stand up game to me.

striderhayasa @ May 8th 2006 12:51PM

VF 5 is THE BEST 3D fighter ever made. I wished for a 360 release and now this. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Damn you Sega, I did not want to buy a PS3 now I may not have a choice. Yes VF is so good that it's worth a console purchase. VF4 is the only reason I still have PS2

True Smoka @ May 8th 2006 12:52PM

ummmmmmmmm.....For those who say that DOA4 wasnt a good online fighter obviously have a piss poor connection because it is if not the best then one of the best online fighters ever. Sure there is lag when someone has a slow connection but for the most part the online runs smooth and definitely better than any last gen fighters. If sega doesnt put online in this game its gonna suck because the only reason DOA4 is still even playable is because of the online capability and the fun it brings........Peace bitches!

DG @ May 8th 2006 12:53PM

I will not be buying a PS3, so I'm disappointed to see this. The VF series is behind only the venerable SF2 series as my favorite fighting game. If VF5 is PS3 exclusive, perhaps a VF compilation is due for the other platforms? I'd love to give a try at VF3, the only game in the series I haven't played. Maybe a compilation disc could also include VF Kids and Fighters Megamix? I just got myself excited for a product that may never exist.

BPM? @ May 8th 2006 12:56PM

Since Sega pulled out of the console race, hasn't Virtua Fighter ALWAYS been on PlayStation? :S

Having VF5 a PS3 exclusive isn't a surprise...

SuicideNinja @ May 8th 2006 12:57PM

"Team Ninja CAN'T do it. They've patched DOA4 on 360 and yet it STILL lags so bad, it's unplayable. That game has been collecting dust on my shelf for a long time, as I only play it when I have friends over at my house. I was never really into Virtua Fighter, but I guess we'll see how this one turns out."

Unplayable? I can't say I agree with that. However, the "countering system" part of it suffers. But that's not essential unless you were playing a tournament or something.

Virtua Fighter never did it for me. Then again, most 3D fighters don't. I'm hoping MK Armageddon will help return fighting games to their previous glory with air combat...which is what most 3D fighters are missing.

Jeff @ May 8th 2006 1:04PM

"I'd love to give a try at VF3, the only game in the series I haven't played."

Be careful what you wish for.

VF3 was the biggest disappointment in the series, which basically looks like this:

VF1: Revolutionary. No other game doing what it did at the time.

VF2: A huge graphical improvement both in the arcade and at home (the showcase game for the Saturn), with an even more technical focus.

VF3: Funked-up controls, wonky physics and collision detection, and glitchy graphics that in some ways actually looked worse than VF2. After the revolution of VF1 and the big improvement in VF2, VF3 felt like a step backwards.

VF4: Basically VF2 on steroids. I remember even Yu Suzuki himself basically saying something to the effect that "Virtua Fighter 4 picks up where Virtua Fighter 2 left off".

VF3 is the bastard child of the series. You don't need to play it except for the curiosity factor. But that'll wear off after about 5 minutes.

I'm excited for VF5 on the PS3. Soul Calibur is fun and all, and DOA is nice to look at (though lest we forget, its roots are as a Virtua Fighter clone), but VF5 fills a niche that none of the others do. It's way more of a sim than any of the others. Some people are into that, some aren't, but it's good to have at least one game that's somewhat serious about real fighting techniques.

Jon @ May 8th 2006 1:12PM

"a new game concept where players earn virtual currency for winning matches. The money can then be used to purchase goodies at an in-game shop, which will include costumes and "attachable items.""

Can anyone say D0A4?

bobeotm @ May 8th 2006 1:19PM

Well, it seems that the ps3 will be a haven for fighting game fans like the ps2 was before it. With Tekken being Sony exclusive since its inception, Soul Calibur going sony exclusive with SC3, and now VF joining the fray, a ps3 is a no brainer choice for a fans of fighting games.

However, its hard to convince the DOA fanboys (all ten of them) and the nintendo fans who classify Super Smash Brothers Melee as a fighting game of the same type.

Doom127 @ May 8th 2006 1:25PM

Xbox Fanboys are getting scared.

Jedi6 @ May 8th 2006 1:26PM

Xbox Fanboys are getting scared!

dsub @ May 8th 2006 1:27PM

Yea, I was about to say the same thing Jon. In DOA4 you can buy new costumes for fighters, new avatars for online, new lobbies, and all sorts of other shit. This is not a "new concept" it just sounds like they took DOA4 online's concept and made it single player.

I love DOA4, and to anyone who claims it's "nothing but a button masher" should hop on a 360 and get online sometime so I can kick your ass while you button mash. Button Masher's get DESTROYED in DOA4.

Also, the only time I experience lag online is when a player jumps into my game that has a poor connection. This happens maybe in maybe 1 out of every 10 games I go into. When these people come into the game I usually just ask them to leave because they are slowing down the game, and voila, no more lag. The problem is that DOA4 requires some really high bandwidth to run smoothly (my guess would be at least a 3meg/512 connection) and seeing that all the 360 requires to play online is a "broadband connection" that means anything from 512k download on up. It's not like team ninja can put something on a box that says "must have at least 3mb download speed connection to play" they have to adhere to XBOX live's standards.

I'm not saying VF5 will be a bad game, or that VF4 was bad, it was great, but online Fighting is without question possible, it's just difficult to achieve. My guess is that Sega's main focus will be to simply port the Arcade version over and work out any bugs. They're also gonna want to have it ready for launch, which probably doesnt mean it'll be online.

Jedi6 @ May 8th 2006 1:28PM

This is bad for Xbox 360.

Ethan Thomas @ May 8th 2006 1:34PM

-Sense

I agree with you there. Online is always better than nothing. Even sub-par online is still better than not having the option all-together. It'd be great if they could get it running smooth in DOA4 though, as then I would probably have a reason to play it. And, even though I never really had an interest in it, I do think it'd be pretty sweet if the VF series did come to 360. Here's hopin.

striderhayasa @ May 8th 2006 1:55PM

Jedi6, it's very bad for 360 and puts another nail in the coffin for 360 in japan. It's funny though how so many of these DOA fans talk about sega ripping off Tecmo when DOA is a straight VF rip and was admited to by Tecmo development staff. Get over it. It's about time Sega took something back. How can you compare a clone to the originator and best in 3D fighting.

Jeff @ May 8th 2006 2:01PM

"In DOA4 you can buy new costumes for fighters, new avatars for online, new lobbies, and all sorts of other shit."

Of course, you could do that in VF4 (arcade via VF.net) approximately 4 years before you could in DOA4. So, you know, semantics and all. But VF5 is copying its predecessor if it's copying anybody.

mandarin @ May 8th 2006 2:04PM

VF sucks!

striderhayasa @ May 8th 2006 2:19PM

David @ May 8th 2006 2:37PM

Good ol playstation and fightings gems. See this is why I don't want the new controller to have the weird control pad placement a la xbox 360, it just doesn't work as well in fighting games. I can just imagine how playing guilty gear with the 360 would lead to some serious finger cramps.

reklesgemini @ May 8th 2006 2:46PM

I'm sold

but of course this is bigger news in japan. Sony will dominate the east. Tis all.

theboy @ May 8th 2006 2:55PM

So it runs in 720p? Whatever happened to sony's supposed god system that ran games in 1080p in 32:9 on a single supposed 7900+ gpu. Utter BS? what? yeah.

The ZeroCorpse @ May 8th 2006 2:56PM

360 will have plenty of fighters, including the ONLINE, high-definition version of Street Fighter 2, of which VF was originally a pale imitation, anyway. Sure, SF2 is not 3D, but in fighters, I'm finding that the 3D aspect seems to kill the games and turn them into juggling matches rather than exercises in timing and skill.

I'll probably have a PS3, but I doubt I'll have VF5.

PS3 Enthusiast @ May 8th 2006 2:57PM

Sega is still ran by incompetents. Unless Sony paid a hefty sum of cash, there is no reason to make the game exclusive.

David @ May 8th 2006 3:03PM

ZeroCorpse

"I'm finding that the 3D aspect seems to kill the games and turn them into juggling matches rather than exercises in timing and skill."

You my friend have obviously never played virtua fighter :D

@theboy

Why would you ever want to play a fighting game, where you have to be right next to the other guy to hit them, in super widescreen? On a side note I believe in a recent 1up podcast they said that Gran Turismo may be on the show floor on a 32x9 set up... (drool)

Kamalot @ May 8th 2006 3:28PM

Screen shot available:

http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12338

Looks asstacular. :(

theboy @ May 8th 2006 4:08PM

I can completely understand if the game is not in 32:9, but they DID Push out the idea that 360 was not HD gaming because it wasnt 1080p harder than a pregnant lady has to push a baby out.

shaka @ May 8th 2006 5:07PM

this is one of my favorites fithger's ,though tekken is the king of them all in my book. cant wait for this one should be hot,interesting alot of fun ,so yes.

Adropacrich2 @ May 14th 2006 4:57PM

Apparantley Virtual Fighter 5 is already running on 360 hardware and was indeed at E3.Bear in mind there has been a download video of it at gametrailers.com for ages now.I have also read how a few people have played this at E3 just gone.I know stories like this can be made up but what with official 360 mag confirming it and like i have just said , people do seem to have been playing it at E3.

To quote "I played Virtual 5 at the show ,i don't understand why they didn't mention this it was there"

It's only what i have read myself but it does seem to point to the existance of VF5 .