You don't get it, bro. You just need to get a crypto gaming handheld console, bro. The only console designed for fast spending action.

Of course, this has lead to a race to the bottom of sorts in the long run since their space has got so used to unpolished, dated tech that openly grifter newcomers can do the same on purpose, all in the name of "being still early" in the so-called "web3".

So people who were not necessarily the most experienced or competent in their fields (e.g. amateurs or rookies who happened to be crypto enthusiasts too) suddenly became rich, whether briefly or permanently.

Not saying this is the reason but —no joke— a lot of people who had never handled more than a couple thousand dollars ended up with millions in capital due to the pandemic era cryptobubble. Not just the gambling, ponzi En Ef Tee types, but *dev teams* as well.

Didn't know Lillie could learn Darkest Lariat

That Gentle Slap was not so gentle

Too late

Also, due to DOA's nature as a de facto companion to Itagaki's Ninja Gaiden reboot, DOA's strength also relies heavily on the Ninja Gaiden brand, which hasn't been worked on anymore by Koei Tecmo either. Kasumi's character needs Ayane and Ayane needs Ryu Hayabusa. Simple as that.

And even if we argued DOA *was* competent as a fighting game, you need to market it as such, both directly and through word of mouth. That matter, of course, tends to be beyond game design's reach. It's largely marketing strategy at that point, which creatives and devs alike can't handle themselves.

Like, if it was simply the seuxalization, Skullgirls wouldn't be a thing (AKA a game whose problematic issues with female oversexualization overlap with real-life harrassment and an overall male chauvinist worldview of one individual). But the game is competent *as a fighting game*.

All of this is full of a subjective angle, of course, but I feel like the whole "hot women"/"sex sells" premise became too much for DOA's own good, to the point that a good portion of the fanbase just expected more hot women in hot outfits, etc. and less FG innovation.

3) Moreover, even the name "Venus Vacation" is featured more prominently than "Dead or Alive", which could signal a "Rabbids; not Rayman" moment.
4) Also, Mai clearly went on to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of King of Fighters on Street Fighter 6 instead, alongside Fatal Fury co-star Terry.

Games should be fundamentally enjoyable things and thus they ought to be inclusive by principle, so a game which is exclusionary by design is betraying such principles.

I could care less about "culture wars". I just happen to believe games are for everyone and they can portray all kinds of worlds or situations, simple or complex, in various welcoming ways. So this whole gatekeeping overlaps against my views.

That's where you can't call it anything else but misogyny: when girls who are fed up with the sexiness defaultism can't have nice things, but those who embrace them can't either because "they're just thirst traps" or what not. A rigged game were women always lose.

Anyways, the whole "hot women in games" thing always backfires (in the sense of exposing the creeps as precisely creeps) because then the girls who *do* identify with them and cosplay as them get harrassed by guys and even called out as "fake gamers" even if they are not posers or wannabes.