The FGC is a passionate group and a very vocal one. In fact, it was the core FGC that showed Microsoft what the core gamer really thinks about the Xbox One when they booed out the very mention of Microsoft and Xbox One at EVO 2013. Today, the FGC has compiled a petition to get the attention of Netherrealm Studios and Warner Bros to release one final balance patch for Mortal Kombat 9.
The Change.org petition was put underway by Astro Cytic. It directly addresses Netherrealm's creative Ed Boon, producer Hector Sanchez, lead designer Paulo Garcia, as well as the rest of the crew at Netherrealm and Warner Bros, in order to get a title update or balance patch rolled out before the studio gets to work on their next title.
As noted by Mr. Snow Jr...
We the gamers who continue to play Mortal Kombat (9) 2011, regardless of level competitiveness, want nothing more but to see this game stay alive and fresh. We want to continue to support this game in any way we can (especially in our competitive tournament scene). This signed petition shows how much of a passionate demand there truly is for a fixed, updated, and finalized version Mortal Kombat (9) 2011. We feel we deserve it! We have been being loyal fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise for over 20+ years. WE NEED IT!
The Fighting Game Community is a strong one, despite being a niche one. Even though Netherrealm could very well ignore this petition and go on about their business, we all know that some petitions actually have the power to motivate and force a response from a larger company, sort of like when tens of thousands of gamers petitioned Microsoft to bring back the DRM for the Xbox One in order to see the console fail.
In this case the gamers just want to retain some core values for the game and keep the community strengthened by buffing the weak characters, taming the over-powered characters and evening out the timing and pace of the gameplay. Whether or not Netherrealm will heed the call of the core gamer is completely up in the air and only exposure and a bunch of signatures will actually make a difference, but at least the community is trying.
Given that Mortal Kombat 9 is now on PC as well, it's a lot more likely that we could see a few more updates before the developers completely move on to something else. Maybe they'll roll out a final update across all the platforms before calling it quits? Who knows.
Anyway, if you like what the petition is aiming to achieve -- no matter how big or small -- you can join in on the action and help convince Netherrealm and Warner Bros to issue one final balance patch for the game. The real question is: Is it worth Netherrealm to toss in the extra man hours and the $40,000 to update the game (assuming the patching fees aren't waived for AAA studios)? Time will tell.
You can check out the petition over at Change.org.
