'Tekken 7' Story Mode Teaches Gamers How to Play Right
"Tekken 7" did away with the usual tutorial segments, with Bandai Namco dropping introductory tips in favor of teaching players as they go. There's an objective reason for that, too, as numbers suggest that players would rather learn on the job than sit down to a prep guide.
"Tekken" producer Katsuhiro Harada sat down with PC GamesN during a recent interview to talk about their new approach to teaching new players. He opens by explaining how they've come to the conclusion that "Tekken" players mostly feel that tutorials are mostly a waste of time.
"We can tell with most of our games which modes players are spending time in," Harada said, referring to the telemetry data that they receive from consoles.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"You hear a lot of people say this game is great because it has a tutorial but when we look at the data, not many people play these tutorial modes," he added, noting how it's the same with people taking new products home and tossing aside the manual.
That said, they have not given up on the idea of easing people into the game. The story mode, according to the producer, "was envisioned on teaching the player with baby steps whilst playing the game."
It's similar to the approach that sports game titles, especially those that have a story career mode like "FIFA," "NBA Live," or "Fight Night," take in introducing players to their game mechanics, as Polygon observes.
The interview also sheds light into how a game development team, at least for the one working on the "Tekken" franchise, take into consideration not just the feedback that fans send to them but also data gathered from players.
The game, which has sold more than 2 million units since launch, is now available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PCs via Steam.
