Comparing MK9 and MKX character reveals

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09/09/2014 07:13 PM (UTC)

Here, I did this for you guys, thanks to a lot of help from the MKO news archive. Should give some perspective to the people complaining about the lack of news.

MK9
E3: Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Reptile, Kung Lao, Mileena, Sektor, Nightwolf, Shao Kahn
8/18: Kitana, Cyrax (Gamescom)
10/28: Jax (GTTV)
11/20: Sonya (LEAK: IgroMania magazine)
12/7: Goro, Shang Tsung, Noob, Smoke, Sindel, Stryker, Kabal, Ermac, Quan Chi (LEAK: MK Website audio files)
12/8: Kratos (VGA)
12/14: Ermac (Official PlayStation Magazine)
12/21: Sonya, Sindel (PSX Extreme magazine)
1/8: Jade, Goro (Gameinformer magazine)
1/27: Liu Kang, Baraka, Stryker (IGN's Inside X-Ray vignette)
2/10: Kano, Shang Tsung (Liu Kang vignette)
2/15: Noob (IGN trailer)
2/25: Kabal, Quan Chi (LEAK: Australian Classification Board)
3/17: Kabal (GTTV)
3/26: Kenshi, Skarlet, Kintaro (Gamepro magazine)
3/28: Sheeva, Smoke, Cyber Sub-Zero (LEAK)
4/19: Sheeva, Smoke, Quan Chi, Cyber Sub-Zero (Never officially revealed before launch)

MKX
E3: Sub-Zero, Scorpion, D'Vorah, Cassie Cage, Ferra/Torr, Kotal Kahn
7/12: Raiden (EVO)
8/3: Kano (LEAK: German Gamepro magazine)
8/11: Kano (Gamescom)
9/5: Goro (official press release?)

-

Both games had E3 debuts, although MK9 demo'd four more characters than MKX. Both games had a showing at Gamescom, in which MK9 revealed two characters, but MKX only revealed one; as a trade-off, MKX got an EVO reveal and MK9 did not. But then it branches off: MKX got a (non-gameplay) reveal in September, whereas MK9 didn't. So from what I can gather, reveals are happening in quicker succession with MKX, but less characters have been shown than with MK9 as a result of E3 2010's large character dump. That's understandable, though. Consider that NRS had to leave a bigger impression at the time; they didn't have the goodwill and confidence they have now, because the MK series was in a bit of a rut in terms of relevance to the audience.

MK9's marketing in September/October period was very slow. Sound familiar? Fortunately, the reveals picked up in December and maintained strong until release; so, be patient and you'll get your flood of info around the holidays. The people following MK9 had to wait TWO months after Gamescom for the next reveal. I wonder if there were similar complaints about the wait at the time? Regardless, we're having it easier this time around, guys.

@Ion3008

•09/24/2014 10:22 AM (UTC) •

You're forgetting the big huge soundfile leak.

About Me

•09/24/2014 12:24 PM (UTC) •

Thank you for doing this. I knew people were way off base saying news for MK9 came out fast. I remember looking everyday for news and it just didnt come.
I also remember searching all over for reptile gameplay after E3. And there was only 1 trailer that briefly showed him. For that reason I am glad that they did not do a large character dump at e3. 6 was better because we got to see all characters more.

irishdude733

@irishdude733

•09/24/2014 01:10 PM (UTC) •

so by the way mk9 releases look, we should get the next 20 or so characters for mkx either through nrs reveals or leaks from October to close to release date. . .that makes sense.

JAX007

@JAX007

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•09/24/2014 02:17 PM (UTC) •

Exactly, they're been revealing less characters at a time but the wait between them is less this time...

As we get closer to release, there's going to be a flood of new info...and that's when threads about them showing/spoiling too much are going to pop up lol...

Lokheit

@Lokheit

•09/24/2014 02:23 PM (UTC) •

Thanks for taking the time and effort for putting this together. It shows signs that the rythm is actually good and will get really fast in some months.

Anyone remember the dates for the audio leak? I remember being one of the lucky guys that kept it open without refreshing the page after they removed them so I could help taking info from that lol.

JadedReign

@JadedReign

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•09/24/2014 02:27 PM (UTC) •

Factually true, but there is a big difference this time around.

With MK9, we knew from its announcement that it would essentially be a retold MK Trilogy. We generally already knew what to expect (save for story mode), but we were more awaiting their reveals to see details. How the characters/stages would look and such. Now the stakes are higher. We know there's a limited number of returnees and a whole bunch of new characters. There's more critical unknowns. People, as a general rule, don't deal as well with uncertainty as they do with certainty. So I completely understand people being much more eager for more information this time around.

Then there's the fact that we're getting a lot of interviews this time around that are basically rehashing the same material (like excessively so, can any one of you data trackers give an official count? lol). Given that there are a lot of unknowns yet, that's pretty annoying.

Demon_0

@Demon_0

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•09/24/2014 02:55 PM (UTC) •

Those people claiming that NRS released info on MK9 in a faster and better fashion compared to MKX are talking out their asses. MK9 info release was painfully slow. I remember they had this timer on their official site counting down for a two month period or so and at the end you remember what we got? The fucking word "SCORPION!!" and a fucking Scorpion fatality wallpaper that went along with it

About Me

•09/24/2014 03:44 PM (UTC) •

Demon_0 Wrote:
Those people claiming that NRS released info on MK9 in a faster and better fashion compared to MKX are talking out their asses. MK9 info release was painfully slow. I remember they had this timer on their official site counting down for a two month period or so and at the end you remember what we got? The fucking word "SCORPION!!" and a fucking Scorpion fatality wallpaper that went along with it

ohhh Shit! I DO remember that. That was terrible.

@ JadedReign: Your reasoning for MKX to reveal information faster is my reasoning for them to have a slow output of info.

The information that was withheld from MK9 had to do with the changes in the timeline due to Raiden's "flash-forward". (besides sheeva)

-Quan was never in the original trilogy.

-Cyber subby and human smoke were reversed in the original timeline

So with that fact in mind; doesnt it seem like NRS likes to keep surprises hidden up to launch? and wouldnt that mean that information related to the story/ and the returning cast be slower to come out?

I agree with you that it is the reason people are salivating over new info this time around, but it is also the reason why NRS won't reveal everything quickly.

JadedReign

@JadedReign

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•09/24/2014 03:51 PM (UTC) •

thisiscourage Wrote:

....Please do not misinterpret my position. I did not say they should reveal information faster. I said that I understand why some people are eager for more information.

Kratos05

@Kratos05

•09/24/2014 03:52 PM (UTC) •

Keep in mind that MK9 also have those awesome vignette trailers to fill the gap between reveals.

WeaponTheory

@WeaponTheory

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•09/24/2014 04:01 PM (UTC) •

Oh my fucking God, I was going to do this! HAHAHAHA. Nice work.

But it wasn't just character reveals...so...I'll fill in what I personally gathered.

1.10.2011 - Mileena Render Released on Official Facebook
1.13.2011 - Mileena Vignette
1.14.2011 - Kitana and Mileena Renders released
1.31.2011 - Mortal Kombat Blu Ray w/ Bonus DLC (Jade)
2.4.2011 - Kitana vs Mileena Trailer widget
2.17.2011 - Mileena Retro DLC Revealed as Wal-Mart Exclusive
3.21.2011 - Toys R Us Retro Kitana DLC Costume
3.23.2011 - Kratos gameplay

Hmmm....look at that pace. Given it was near when the game was about to release. And I'm sure more could be found...but I'm lazy.

Icebaby

@Icebaby

•09/24/2014 04:06 PM (UTC) •

At times I wish Boon could be more like Hideo Kajima and not say anything about the game... Then watch people's reactions when the main lead turns into a really poor received character.

But that's just me, so maybe this can finally end all the complaints in threads about their pace in revealing things? Because I don't know about you, but I'd like to have conversations that's NOT about their release consistencies and such.

Yeah.

RedSumac

@RedSumac

•09/24/2014 04:10 PM (UTC) •

Icebaby Wrote:
At times I wish Boon could be more like Hideo Kajima and not say anything about the game... Then watch people's reactions when the main lead turns into a really poor received character.

I support this.
Not the poor received character part.

About Me

•09/24/2014 04:11 PM (UTC) •

JadedReign Wrote:

thisiscourage Wrote:

....Please do not misinterpret my position. I did not say they should reveal information faster. I said that I understand why some people are eager for more information.

Ok, I wasn't sure which side of the fence you stood on.. But now I do! lol

Again, though, I do agree with your analysis on why people are more fiendish for info this time around.

MKshizz

@MKshizz

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•09/24/2014 04:38 PM (UTC) •

For me, the only significant difference this time around is they have a much tighter lid on cam recorded footage from all the different conventions the game is being shown at.

That kind of stuff was keeping me hyped in between reveals. That, and they were making a big deal about the official website, where they slowly revealed art work and gameplay from the few characters that were on there.

raidenthefridge

@raidenthefridge

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•09/24/2014 04:41 PM (UTC) •

Perspective is a funny thing.

I remember thinking "Oh my god, I have to wait a whole 9 months for MK9!" this is so slow and gonna take forever..suddenly its 2014 and were waiting on MKX next year :D

About Me

•09/24/2014 05:12 PM (UTC) •

MKshizz Wrote:
For me, the only significant difference this time around is they have a much tighter lid on cam recorded footage from all the different conventions the game is being shown at.

That kind of stuff was keeping me hyped in between reveals. That, and they were making a big deal about the official website, where they slowly revealed art work and gameplay from the few characters that were on there.

That is a really good point. There is no leaked footage from cell phones and such this time around. Which sucks because the average cell phone in 2014 blows the average cell phone in 2010 out of the water.
meaning: The quality of the videos would be slightly better lol.

•09/24/2014 05:28 PM (UTC) •

How do I multiquote? I had to copy/paste a bunch of "add originals".

JadedReign Wrote:
Factually true, but there is a big difference this time around.

With MK9, we knew from its announcement that it would essentially be a retold MK Trilogy. We generally already knew what to expect (save for story mode), but we were more awaiting their reveals to see details. How the characters/stages would look and such. Now the stakes are higher. We know there's a limited number of returnees and a whole bunch of new characters. There's more critical unknowns. People, as a general rule, don't deal as well with uncertainty as they do with certainty. So I completely understand people being much more eager for more information this time around.

Then there's the fact that we're getting a lot of interviews this time around that are basically rehashing the same material (like excessively so, can any one of you data trackers give an official count? lol). Given that there are a lot of unknowns yet, that's pretty annoying.

Yeah, you're completely right. I didn't think about that.

Ion3008 Wrote:
You're forgetting the big huge soundfile leak.

MKO didn't report on it, so I couldn't find the release date. In any case, the complete roster was also leaked because of an image of the select screen, which is covered on the list (late March). If someone can find audio leak date, I'll add.

WeaponTheory Wrote:
Oh my fucking God, I was going to do this! HAHAHAHA. Nice work.

But it wasn't just character reveals...so...I'll fill in what I personally gathered.

1.10.2011 - Mileena Render Released on Official Facebook
1.13.2011 - Mileena Vignette
1.14.2011 - Kitana and Mileena Renders released
1.31.2011 - Mortal Kombat Blu Ray w/ Bonus DLC (Jade)
2.4.2011 - Kitana vs Mileena Trailer widget
2.17.2011 - Mileena Retro DLC Revealed as Wal-Mart Exclusive
3.21.2011 - Toys R Us Retro Kitana DLC Costume
3.23.2011 - Kratos gameplay

Hmmm....look at that pace. Given it was near when the game was about to release. And I'm sure more could be found...but I'm lazy.

Yeah, I saw that. (Although you are giving examples of the springtime, when advertising was merciless - look at the consistency of September and October; it may be a lot different.)

It would be nice if we had renders and wallpapers and more screenshots for MKX, but I personally don't think that stuff is worth complaining about. I guess it would quell some impatience, so hopefully NRS gets that going, but it's not necessary.

As for the story vignettes, I assume we're not getting those because they want to keep MKX's new characters and storylines a surprise. They did that for MK9 because the MK1-3 story was common knowledge. Also, again, they needed to be more aggressive for MK9's marketing, since MK hadn't proven itself in over a decade.

RedSumac

@RedSumac

•09/24/2014 05:49 PM (UTC) •

Lord_Greyjoy Wrote:
MKO didn't report on it, so I couldn't find the release date. In any case, the complete roster was also leaked because of an image of the select screen, which is covered on the list (late March). If someone can find audio leak date, I'll add.

It was in the begining of december 2010.
News about the leak.
It didn't outright confirmed characters, since none of them was mentioned by name in the leak, but it gave some food for speculations about presence in the game human Sektor, human Cyrax, Quan Chi and Cyber Sub-Zero among others.

•09/24/2014 07:02 PM (UTC) •

Thanks. Added.

Not that it's very relevant to MKX's schedule (I'm sure NRS will be more careful with potential leaks this time), but I'll put it up for the sake of having a complete list.

WeaponTheory

@WeaponTheory

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•09/24/2014 07:18 PM (UTC) •

Lord_Greyjoy Wrote:
Yeah, I saw that. (Although you are giving examples of the springtime, when advertising was merciless - look at the consistency of September and October; it may be a lot different.)

It would be nice if we had renders and wallpapers and more screenshots for MKX, but I personally don't think that stuff is worth complaining about. I guess it would quell some impatience, so hopefully NRS gets that going, but it's not necessary.

As for the story vignettes, I assume we're not getting those because they want to keep MKX's new characters and storylines a surprise. They did that for MK9 because the MK1-3 story was common knowledge. Also, again, they needed to be more aggressive for MK9's marketing, since MK hadn't proven itself in over a decade.

It was a work in progress info gathering, all I did was typed in Kitana and landed in a spider web. Then I typed in a few more characters and stopped to work on it another time.

Both games were revealing it's almost equal pace of info. Then MKX would be almost no different than MK9. Slow progress in it's early months, and then months before release we shall see steady pace of content revealed.

"It would be nice if we had renders and wallpapers and more screenshots for MKX, but I personally don't think that stuff is worth complaining about. I guess it would quell some impatience, so hopefully NRS gets that going, but it's not necessary."

Ding ding fucking ding. That's what SHOULD happen. If the company went by this, then there probably wouldn't be a lot of complaints. At least the people are seeing some progress of the game.

Mick-Lucifer

@Mick-Lucifer

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•09/24/2014 07:53 PM (UTC) •

Don't forget the reverse angle, folks. MK2011 was an MK-MK3 do-over. The value of what they were giving away before release was (ultimately) less than the brand new, top to bottom world of MKX.

About Me

•09/24/2014 08:27 PM (UTC) •

I am still pissed about the absence of gameplay, not so much reveals.

I mean we got literally nothing from gamescom. We got a choreographed trailer of subby vs scorp and raiden vs kano at PAX.

Even the characters that have been revealed are undergoing changes and balancing; move's are being added and dropped. Different builds of the game are being made with damage, stamina, and power meter balancing. I wish we were able to see more of it.