YES!

However, I would like them to be treated better than they were in MK9. Voiced, alts, necropolis, etc)

See, that's the problem. And it's the reaction I'm getting as I read the replies to this thread. Even if they are DLC, it isn't good enough to have them content.

I get the argument that they should be included already. But people need to understand the direction the game is going! It didn't have room for MK4/MKDA/MKD characters. This is all about the next generation of fighters, and the farewell to another group of MK classics.

In addition, DLC will be a chance to actually test the popularity of these characters. A lot of people say they have a strong fanbase, and that there is a strong demand for them, but at the same time guarantee they wouldn't sell good as DLC. So then you should ask yourself if they are truly worth being included at all, if these characters will only cater to a small percentage of the overall MK fanbase.

If it stops the whining then yeah.

Make a 3D Era Pack:

Reiko
Fujin
Frost
Tanya
Li Mei

Those are the 5 characters that I think would have a realistic chance of being DLC from the 3D Era. I left out Shinnok and Kenshi because they appear to be already on the roster or maybe in the Kombat Pack.

but that's shafting them by throwing them to DLC, not getting enough buys and blaming it not on the bad way they handled it but the characters themselves. The pricing for the Kombat Pack and any standalone characters is also a factor.

Who sold the best in 9 according to Boon? The Guest Character: Freddy Krueger.

The only ones who could sell could have been the revenants.

Or maybe those oh so iconic characters wouldn't have sold so well either..

...needs more Havik.

I would have put Havik in there. They kind of let it slip he wouldn't be in the game during that live stream. Yes I think they were being serious. I really like Havik.

Ha! Yeah, I caught that too. I had some hope held out from the Noob Saibot ending in MK9.

I did too, I didn't know they thought of it as a joke/fail character. He was one of my favourites in the Deception.

How is that handling it bad, though? I actually think that it's better they are putting them in DLC. NRS can see this way if the demand for these characters is as strong as their fans claim it to be.

It's the perfect way to gauge how popular these characters really are. I don't get it. People say they are popular, but then they state that they wouldn't buy well? By that same logic, then people would have been upset with the roster and would have complained to NRS for their inclusion.

What is it then? Are they popular enough to be fitting for an MK game or not?

Tbh nothing will be good enough for everyone unless they made the roster with every character from mk . I would have been personally satisfied with fujin, havik, shinnok, and kai or reiko. I wouldnt have minded if my long time favs like kung lao and liu kang took a break for a game.

So by that are you admitting MKX roster is based solely on popularity?

Well, how could someone like Tanya sell as much DLC wise compared to someone like Kitana or Mileena? She hasn't close to the same exposure to the casual fans. That doesn't mean she should be left off a roster or scrapped completely. They should be pushing these characters in to build a more solid following with the casual gamers.

At this point, yes.

And I'm secretly thinking the two MK characters that are part of the Kombat Pack are actually two 3D-era characters that are being sold blindly because not many (when you consider the MKX gamer pool entire) would buy them individually if their identities were revealed. Recall that Himmerick said we'd know some of the Kombat Pack characters, but not all. And you can bet they're gonna market the hell out of the guests.

...But that's just conjecture born from my cynicism. :D

But basically, yes. Once people are over the story mode in a few months, the fact that a DLC character or two didn't appear in the story won't really matter all that much. What will matter is how they play. And better to have a character with a bio/trailer and no role in the story than to not have said character at all.

"It's the perfect way to gauge how popular these characters really are."

And again I argue it could have been for the iconic fighters (excluding a few like Johnny And/Or Sonya) as well. That's guaranteed buys because of nostalgia, popularity AND the kommunity maining them from MK9.

When it came to discussion about these 3D/MK4 characters it was never about "these guys are so popular you just don't know", it was "Okay how can we give this character the Stryker/Rain/Quan-Chi treatment in a brand new 2D plane?"

For a series that has always prided itself on changing things up and staying fresh over the years, I find it strange that the roster right now IS safe. It IS underwhelming. And I know I'm not the only one who feels that way.

You bet I would buy the DLC to support those 4/5/6 characters cuz I do believe they have potential and if given that chance you'd be surprised how many people they could win over. But I would prefer it be in the main roster and not as DLC. I just don't think testing the waters with them as DLC is a very good idea compared to what might be a sure thing for the classics instead.

With DLC you're giving said characters A TON of odds to overcome if they can even do it. Shinnok looks fucking incredible now but can you honestly see him selling well as DLC despite what could be an amazing moveset? One bad first impression is all it takes sometimes and last I checked Stryker wasn't DLC for MK9.

And Look at Skarlet, She was a brand new character but You have to wonder how well she sold even with a lot of factors going for her: Red Ninjette, rumor, blood abilities.

These are the underdogs, man. You should never sell those kinds of characters as DLC, you gotta let them shine in the base game and try and changed some biased minds that otherwise if used as DLC would just scoff and say "Tanya? That yellow chick? No thanks no buy" based on that alone.

But if they're in the roster and they come around after playing them AND THEN when the DLC rolls out: "Well I really enjoyed Tanya but I just can't wait for Kitana to be released!"

That would've been much better.

That's probably a very pessimistic view on things but I'd love to be wrong. Really really would love it.

This is exactly what makes me skeptical of post-MK3 era characters as DLC. I'm buying the Komplete edition due to financial reasons, but if I could buy the game at launch, I would DEFINITELY buy the DLC characters.

Agree with all of this.

First it was "you guys gotta wait 'cause the 3D characters are coming to main roster"

this has now changed to,

"you guys gotta wait 'cause the 3D character are coming to DLC."

I honestly don't care how much of a stink the fanbase has kicked up (and it surely is an ALMIGHTY stink at this stage), I genuinely doubt we'll see post-trilogy characters as DLC. It breaks my heart to say, reality is Boon & Co. have a safe and set idea of what will make them money now which they don't want to even slightly deviate from. They don't seem too interested in keeping some of their longer term supporters happy (even with just one, or two key roster choices) balanced against a business decision. Ultimately, it stings a little too much to hold out hope now - and I'm not gonna disappoint myself again.

I love MK, but my trust in NRS has been damaged by some of their choices this game.

Also, the trolling took on a whole new level of mean-spiritedness this time around. When you're toying with fans who've been waiting several years, with legitimate expectations for one thing, you tease one thing, then deliver another - actually, that's disrespectful.

I understand both POVs. Having them as DLC would be a good way too see just how popular they really are and what kind of demand there is for them, but then again, I am willing to bet a character like Shang Tsung or Liu Kang would outsell any MK4+ character by large margin.

Having them on launch roster would make them more accessible, some people don't do DLC, so if they are already in more people will likely play them which would probably be good for them in the long run.

I personally am not a fan of most of the MK4+ characters besides a handful of them, and there are none that I would be really upset about not being in so one way or another I will probably be cool with whatever NRS decides to do with them.

+1

If they wanted to throw a bone to 3D era fans, they could do something like

Pack 1:

-Smoke
-Bo Rai Cho

Pack 2:

-Nightwolf
-Havik

Pack 3:

-Jade
-Reiko

And it would probably do a better job of selling them individually to gauge their popularity, and the people buying it for classic characters might try the other ones out since they came with it and grow fond of them.

This is probably shitty for business in ways I can't comprehend because I'm not a game dev or marketer but it's just an idea.

Btw, in answer to the OP's original message, I would be OVER-THE-MOON and ELATED to have revamped 3D characters as DLC. I even bought my PS4 and 50inch TV just for this game. At this stage, I'm not even bothered which ones. If we got just one - literally, any of the 3D characters revamped - I would be delighted. It's take what you can get!!

I'm just realistic and hardened, we've seen how NRS is operating for MKX now.

My answer to the op is yes and no. Getting a beloved character as dlc is like getting McDonald's french fries, but the cook forgot to salt them so you have to put the salt on yourself with the seperate bullshit packet of salt, but by that time the fries have cooled down so the salt doesn't stick to the fries that well, so they're not as good, but they're still good so you eat them anyway partially satisfied but still kinda mad because they should been salted in the first place.

1. NRS needed to include those handpicked Trilogy characters to represent the story and the direction the team was taking. Which is why they aren't DLC.

2. Stryker and Sheeva suck still. They were only in MK9 because it was a representation of MK1-MK3 +Quan Chi and Kenshi. Let's be honest here: Quan Chi has one of the most important roles in Mortal Kombat and has quickly become one of the most popular characters in the series. That's down to his own story and his unique look. Not every character can get "this treatment" because not all characters are suppose to be extremely important characters, rather supporting characters. I think a lot of MK4/MKDA/MKD characters fall into this category. Do people want to see their faves in a 2D plane? Sure. That's why DLC is the best way to go.

3. Look at the bigger picture. Think for a minute the "next generation" message that NRS was going with from the get-go. The roster clearly depicts a new generation of fighters. The focus is on these new-generation characters and their stories. It's also the farewell game for Cage, Sonya, Lao, and Jax because this new generation of fighters are ready to take their place.

4. NRS won't just release them in DLC and say "Buy them". They'll be properly marketed just how other DLC characters were. They'll get their trailers, their renders, and be promoted through Facebook/Twitter/YouTube etc. IF they are popular how the fanbase thinks they are, they should buy well. The casual gamer WILL be intrigued to buy a character like Fujin because it's something they've never seen before. "God of Wind, wait what? Is that Raiden's brother or something? Nice!". Also think about the fact they are building up characters like Reiko in the comics in a way that's never been done before. Releasing klassics right after we just had MK9 won't be smart. Are we getting some? I think so. But I can almost guarantee the focus will be on other characters. I could be completely wrong though.

5. If you think about it, giving these characters the exclusivity of being DLC puts the spotlight on them and casual gamers can be introduced to them. They will probably see them during Story Mode and either love them or hate them. Knowing they aren't playable, if a casual gamer happens to like Reiko or Fujin, and they see them as DLC, what do you think will happen?

6. Skarlet was the nail in the coffin in terms of revisiting every possible character in the Trilogy era. She was never done before, and the team felt it was the right team to bring her out. Not sure if she sold well or not.

7. These characters are shining though! Through the comics, and through Story Mode. In fact, it makes more sense now. They are building these characters through other means so that casuals that are just picking the MK story now, get to know these characters they are not familiar with. Reiko is kicking ass in the comics. With all the build up leading to a DLC, hell yes he will sell well.

8. Again, I believe putting them out individually, having the spotlight exclusively on them is a better way to go. Different points of view on this.

Quan Chi is only pushed so much because the developers are fans of him. He's not particularly one of the better characters introduced in the 3D Era. I'd put Styker and Sheeva above him any day of the week because they didn't get played out nearly as fast.

Cage/Sonya/Jax/Kung Lao might be gone in the next game but they sure ain't gonna be gone for good. They'll skip a game or two or show up as DLC next time around when they wanna fall back on nostalgia again.

Also Skarlet's not the last Trilogy era character they could make from a rumor into DLC. We've still got Nimbus Terrafaux and Hornbuckle if they really wanted to get funny.

Yooooooooooooo, I would cum all over your face so hard if that happened.