It should not be a prequel because MK9 already set us up for the sequel. It would be pointless to start backtracking after all MK9 did. Maybe for an adventure game I could see a prequel.

I don't know. There are so many characters in the MK universe, and a prequel to MK1 would probably require at least half the roster to be new. Not that the post-MK4 characters were all bad, but they were definitely hit and miss. With the amount of new characters a prequel would warrant, I just don't think I want to roll that dice.

Even with all that aside, there are so many post-mk3 characters who ought to be restored, and prequel would just cause a traffic jam in the roster.

Fed up of prequels. Progress should be forwards not backwards. Pick up the story after Deception.

It would be cool to see a game revolving around Shao Khan's invasion of Edenia. Every game has been about Earthrealm. Not saying it has to be a prequel per say, but a game that is only about Edenia and Outworld. I know there is a lot of characters already, but this could be a chance to introduce more Edenian males, since Rain and Jerrod are the only ones we know of.

I'm definitely feeling sequel, with the story set up the way it is. I'm anxious enough to see what they're going to do with all the heroes, anyway.

A prequel would be cool, down the line though. It's just tough with competitive fighters, as players become so attached to certain characters... they basically become the character. If I were to enter a Mortal Kombat without Sub-Zero, I'd be lost. He's my character.

It kinda sucks when you invest so much time into learning one character, and developing your own style, to have it taken all away in the next game, while some players retain their characters.

Street Fighter avoided this by releasing expansions to build upon their games, and having a seriously long time between actual sequels.

I feel like, with fighting games, there's so much to learn. Years and years worth of stuff to invent and study, that if a sequel is going to come out during that time, it should have all the previous content while adding more. This ensures that no one will have their effort taken from them, and gives them more to keep learning.

I think that MK should stick with this engine (it's solid!), and build upon it for a while. It needs some tweaks, like adding hit trades and perhaps a "danger" status, in which you don't take chip from normals at less than 10% health (comebacks need to be a bigger factor in MK).

Perhaps once the story and fighting engine have run their course, the MK team can fire up a prequel, with a brand new engine to boot.

A prequel would explore the characters we all know, plus introduce some new characters. A sequel would take place after everyone dies in MK9.

It should be a presequel.

I would only like a prequel if they explored characters from the Great Kung Lao's period

I can think of characters that would be usable at that time.

The Great Kung Lao
Raiden
Fujin
Shang Tsung
Hornbuckle possibly
Goro
Sheeva
Kintaro
Shao Khan
Kitana
Jade
Tanya
Sindel
Rain
Jerrod possibly
Havik
Reptile, Baraka, Khameleon possibly(We already know Edenians and Shokan live for hundreds of years but I don't know about Saurians or Tarkatans)
Hotaru
Some new characters of course

Sequel fo' sho'.


Save the prequels for Adventure games, focusing on 1 or 2 characters.

Yes it should...
...be a sequel.

Sequel. The chars i use the most are given to come back. And a new game, before the arrival of the next gen featuring other chars of the series could make everyone happy if it keeps using the same gameplay as MK9. DLC is a good way to bring back a couple MK9 living or dead chars. Unless many different chars are introduced, a prequel would set us back and have us discuss Shao Kahn or Shang Tsung and Liu Kang again. I'm not in favor of going back again, yet.

Should an MK10 thread be in this forum or the future games forums?

My vote goes for the latter.

Our interpretation of "MKX" and what it signifies as a fighter, should be a sequel.

==================
-Development of a fighting game is crucial in terms of amount of time spent on the fighting engine to ensure a good product

-A prequel would be very plot oriented to justify feeding us all this new material and many new characters presumably.

-A prequel would require much of the development resources/time to be spent on these new elements and not the core of the fighting game.

-We will not receive as solid of a fighter.
==================

MKX as a sequel is the route to go. We have the story laid out, we have the characters. And most importantly. We have all the mistakes/slip ups that we have given NRS shit for. DBZ syndrome in the plot with every threat being the end of the universe and none more powerful. blah blah blah.

We have the frame work for a GREAT game. Even to top MK9. MKX should focus entirely on the invasion by Shinnok, easily the most underplayed foe in MK history, yet a BIG threat. MK4 came and went, and it really never made the impression it should have, in fans.

This game should have a long, hard battle which winds up setting things up for the DragonKing saga without "omg all realms will end".

I would expect Cy-Sub to be defeated, and resurrected/brought to salvation with an eventual resurrection based on his soul, rezzing him as his human Kuai Liang Self. NRS knows people will lose it without a playable human Sub, and Bi-Han, if returning at all, would most likely be NoobSaibot. They wouldn't trade noob for Cy-sub. Fans would snap.

ANYWAYS....

If a prequel is going to be done, and I stated before. I suspect it will. It should not be a 1-on-1 fighter. They need to concentrate on plot more than anything in a prequel to avoid a giant dose of plotholes.

With that being said. Bring on another MK:Mythologies game. I would love to see Takeda, Scorpion or perhaps Great Kung Lao. Likely with a MKSM-type engine. I wouldn't even distinguish between an MK:M and MKSM engine at this point because the later of the two is the clear choice.

With MKSM existing already, expanding on that framework could make for a really really great Next gen game. perhaps a ps4/720 launch title? I would be hype.

Indeed, old chap!
As for my thought on the subject, MK9 was already a reboot, a chance to go back in the past and make changes. We do not need a prequel after rebooting the franchise.

We don't really need a prequel to the series. We know how the events of the past unfolded because they were the backstory for the games we already had. There would be no point really to show us what we already know.

But if they wanted to make a spin-off adventure game and set it before the games then I'd be fine with that.

It will 100% be a sequel, I'm sure of that. I would definitely not mind a prequel though, maybe someday. That would be fuckin' badass, but there is probably a reason they won't make the prequel games. Because it would pretty much be almost a new franchise, new characters, it would steer away from the characters we know and love. It would involve a whole shit ton of new characters and storylines would keep going on and on and on and cause a shit ton of confusion. I wouldn't mind just a simple prequel though, maybe someday.

Explore the past tournament,then the previous one,then the previous one then...... Nah just keep it moving forward

The only way I'd want a prequel is if NRS handled the sequels going forward, and somehow found a highly skilled developer to farm a prequel series out to, effectively splitting the franchise in to two series.

But if they could do that, I would LOVE a prequel that took place 500 years ago. Imagine an MK game that had historically accurate looking Earth warriors from the Bantu tribe of Africa, the Ming Dynasty in southeast Asia, Beduins from the Arabian peninsula, warriors from the Ottoman empire, the Holy Roman empire, the Mongols, Wallacians, Russians, Aboriginal Australians etc etc.

Then you mix those with the likes of MK characters that could have or would have been alive back then:

Kitana
Shang Tsung
Goro
Raiden
Reptile
Fujin
Quan Chi
Shinnok
Bo Rai Cho
Great Kung Lao
Lin Kuei ancestor
Shinrai Ryu ancestor
Drahmin
Sheeva
Baraka
Nitara
Li Mei
Skarlett
Sareena

As well as other existing people's like the Shaolin (non-White Lotus) and new clans, groups, orders etc that may have existed at this time or still exist today.

Maybe they include a handfull of those above and then get full authority to create new characters and a new story so long as it's in line with what current games say happened historically.

I'd be a fan of a MK sub-series like that. But if it were NRS having to do the next MK game and the one after and the one after etc? Sequel all the way. I want to see what happens next.

@ Baraka407

A prequel involving older characters than the earthrealm warriors in terms of age only could interest me for sure. Nice roster.

The idea of splitting the franchise existing characters in 2 seperated series could be benefit, but all this work (Probably both series stories would end up related sooner or later.) and make even more confusion than we are provided with since MKA.

Without question, it could create a logistical nighmare if both series are doing things involving characters ancestors and decendants and "is this character doing story-wise agreeing with what this character is referring to in this other game" and all that stuff.

I think that it could work if the writing is done by someone that's thorough in their research and knows everything about what has happened in both the original and alternate timelines.

In my opinion, I think that the stories could link up in terms of what happens in one game referred to as having happened in the distant past in another game, but I don't see that as a huge problem provided that they don't alter their own history later on.

Yeah, sorry, my head kind of spun while writing that sentence. Maybe I'm proving your point lol. But in all seriousness, I do think that two stories could exist, one as historical and the other as current, while having characters that fit in to both games due to their age, and while you'd obviously know who lives, we could still get insight in to their past without harming the current era story any.

Like I said, it could work, but you'd have to have some writers that actually know the series inside and out and/or are willing to do the research and make sure they're keeping what's been referenced in the past correct (ie, Kitana's alive at this point, but has Shao Khan already taken over Edenia? She wouldn't be secretly rebelling against him yet, would she? Stuff like that).

If there would be a new MK after 10, the prequel would be good.

It'll tell about the story of how the Great Kung Lao died and how he fought in the tournament.

Roster:
Old:
Raiden
Fujin
Reptile
Jade
Kitana
Bo'Rai Cho
Shang Tsung
Quan Chi
Goro
Shao Kahn

New:
Great Kung Lao
Suijin
Siro
Taja
Vorpax
Scorpion-like character
Sub-Zero-like character

A prequel wouldn't change what already happened. It would just tell a more detailed story of the events from the past. When Raiden sent that message in the past, he didn't go back that far.
Not many fans(even diehards)know every detail of the first tournaments. To make 10 MK games without even exploring it feels odd. It would be a nice switch up. Whether it's an adventure or fighting game, I'd be very interested.

Agreed 110% with this comment. I'd go even further and say that there's really not a whole lot that we know about what the MK tournament was like when Shang Tsung was defeated, only to return with Goro, who killed the Great Kung Lao and the events that lead to the corruption of the tournament and Shang Tsung taking control.

I think that there's a LOT of story that could be written about this era, new characters that could be created, ancestry that could explored, origins of clans and feuds, plus a ton of new content that could've taken place during this time period.

Also, what I really like about the idea, would be having MK in a very different time period. I always remember when I first saw the MK movie, how cool I thought it was when these souls that Shang Tsung had taken reemerged in the form of these older warriors.

I think it'd be kinda cool to play as warriors from around 500 years ago and what they might be like, especially when merged with existing MK characters that were around back then (and what they might have been doing or been like during this period).

I think that there's a lot of potential for something like this. A period fighting game (and not like Soul Calibur, which is about 50% in that time period and 50% fetish clothing for high pitched women).

Though would MK be any different in that regard? Hmm... I guess the women wouldn't have the high pitched voices at least. So that's a start...

Sequel..Im still waiting for the "wiping the slate clean",killing almost the entire cast and bring fresh blood to the MK Universe,the question is,will it happen??,no,not with all the whiney crybaby fanboys that will doom NRS for killing there favorite fighter,sad but true,these "hardcore fans" are the ones that keep the gears rolling because they buy any crap with the MK logo glued on it,they dont give shit about MK as a fighting game.