DOA Name Possibly Removed from Venus Vacation

Dead or Alive: Venus Vacation has been out for a long time, and over the past five years or so of the game lifespan we’ve started to see the regularly announced Venus (that aren't originally DOA girls) completely outnumber the OG fighters that made this series famous to begin with. Now the Dead or Alive name could be missing completely. Was this an oversight from Team NINJA? Could this be a separation of the fighting and volleyball series? Or could this even be the end of the DOA franchise in totality? There are many questions to ask, but we will not be equipped to know for sure until Tokyo Game Show 2024 where Koei Tecmo will air their live presentation.

What we do know is that Team NINJA will be releasing a new project surrounding the Venus Vacation name. We also know that this is one of the most lucrative productions within all of Koei Tecmo, sporting their best numbers to date and a fanbase that is constantly ready for new content and new characters that they can fall in love with. There are many players out there that are ready for a new 3D fighting game. How would these players react if the new fighting game was an all-female cast featuring Venus that take styles of previous male characters?

When you think of every possibility; it's hard to factor in a decision Team NINJA could make that doesn't invite some type of controversy. Players are understandably in an odd place, and they have the right to be concerned for their favorite franchise that they have supported for over two decades. My personal belief is that there needs to be a compromise that pleases both parties. After all, Yasuda has said for several years now that he wants to return to classic series and outside of NINJA Gaiden - Dead or Alive is the only classic franchise that Team NINJA has under their belt.

We will keep you updated with all of the latest news prior to TGS and after the event with our news posts and Indepth analysis of Koei Tecmo. This is an interesting time in our long history, and we thank you here at FSD for being a part of our constantly growing community. It's interesting because despite the news or lack thereof for DOA we continue to grow with our readership and user numbers. We know that you guys fight strong and are completely dedicated to this franchise and will continue to honor that with our work.

 

I saw an interesting theory today about why the "DOAX" part is removed from the title - it suggests that there may be a new XVV-style gacha project that is instead centered on the Atelier franchise. @deathofaninja do you think this sounds plausible, based on your knowledge of Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo?

Whoever made that theory about why "DOAX" name is removed, and centered on Atelier franchise may be 100% wrong. Because Atelier takes place in a fantasy world (akin to some of Final Fantasy games, & Dragon Quest franchise loosely inspired Medieval World that may come from Europe), and there is a 2nd picture which shows off a location

https://www.freestepdodge.com/attachments/screenshot_20240920_190029_x-jpg.39774/

That is Venus Island, which is part of DOA universe which takes place in present setting (close to our world) which has cars & technologies. So a Venus Vacation project centered Atelier franchise, doesn't sound plausible let alone make any sense. Doesn't Atelier have their own Gacha game? (aka Atelier Resleriana)

 

That screenshot (from Twitter/X) kind of gives me hope that the game will have that look, or graphics.

 

Gust official twitter account didn't retweet this.

 

Gust official twitter account didn't retweet this.

Don't you think if that were to be the case it would ruin the surprise if they did?

I doubt that an Atelier Collaboration to that extent would happen anyway, but still.

 

Maybe..but ussually got one secret announcement at the end of the stream

 

With each release of the last DOA (5, 6), the speech was that the game was a fighting game, wanted to become a competitive game and denied its sexy and sultry side. (Remember "I'm a fighter!"... (and not a bitch!).

Each time, all this was reversed with the first releases of increasingly short swimsuits, but the fact is that there has already been twice this desire to move away from the sexy side.
So, removing the DOA title from the VV games is for me a new attempt to make this demarcation: DOA is a fighting game, that's all.

For me, it's the first step of a marketing plan for the release of the next DOA, which I imagine being a kind of reboot that will again be focused on the "serious fighting game" side. (and 6 months later, it will be a bikini party, lol).

 

Personally I didn't get my hopes up about a new DOA fighting game since it's been 5-6 years since DOA6 came up. There is a 7-year gap between the last DOA titles. I think KT is trying to squeeze everything out from the DOAX/Venus alongside the other TN games to finance DOA7, i don't know.

Regards.

 

honestly you can appease both types of fans lol. there is zero point in doing what they did with original doa. promote it as serious fighter, then release the swimsuits later on.

 

???

 

Dead or Alive: Venus Vacation has been out for a long time, and over the past five years or so of the game lifespan we’ve started to see the regularly announced Venus (that aren't originally DOA girls) completely outnumber the OG fighters that made this series famous to begin with. Now the Dead or Alive name could be missing completely. Was this an oversight from Team NINJA? Could this be a separation of the fighting and volleyball series? Or could this even be the end of the DOA franchise in totality? There are many questions to ask, but we will not be equipped to know for sure until Tokyo Game Show 2024 where Koei Tecmo will air their live presentation.

View attachment 39777​

What we do know is that Team NINJA will be releasing a new project surrounding the Venus Vacation name. We also know that this is one of the most lucrative productions within all of Koei Tecmo, sporting their best numbers to date and a fanbase that is constantly ready for new content and new characters that they can fall in love with. There are many players out there that are ready for a new 3D fighting game. How would these players react if the new fighting game was an all-female cast featuring Venus that take styles of previous male characters?

When you think of every possibility; it's hard to factor in a decision Team NINJA could make that doesn't invite some type of controversy. Players are understandably in an odd place, and they have the right to be concerned for their favorite franchise that they have supported for over two decades. My personal belief is that there needs to be a compromise that pleases both parties. After all, Yasuda has said for several years now that he wants to return to classic series and outside of NINJA Gaiden - Dead or Alive is the only classic franchise that Team NINJA has under their belt.

We will keep you updated with all of the latest news prior to TGS and after the event with our news posts and Indepth analysis of Koei Tecmo. This is an interesting time in our long history, and we thank you here at FSD for being a part of our constantly growing community. It's interesting because despite the news or lack thereof for DOA we continue to grow with our readership and user numbers. We know that you guys fight strong and are completely dedicated to this franchise and will continue to honor that with our work.

Dead or Alis not dead; far from it. Doa is on hiatus. I know it sucks, but 6 was a rush job that was pushed to make up loss of sales from failed DW9 and its engine. Doa6 was a scape goat and the higher ups pushed its release, not the devs who knew the game was far from ready. DOA will return, you all can count on that. In he meantime tho, I will continue to enjoy Venus Vacation. I wonder what this is? A western release? A new ambitious sequel? Idk, dont want my mind to wander and get my hopes up tho.

 

I'm with @deathofaninja here, as this could be a number of things because the removal of the DOA name didn't really conclude anything. It still seems a bit vague on what that actually means. I don't see it as good nor bad, but on the sense of ....... what does that even mean? this is not a doom & gloom post here, this is genuine curiosity.

For start, VV was the only thing at the moment that was supporting DOA in terms of sustain. Some type of pillar of support. If you take that out, how would DOA even sustain itself? there's no new fighting game, there's nothing in the market that's keeping DOA afloat, and the competitive scene is unofficial support etc. We have to remember that official support for DOA6 finished a couple years ago, so the only one that was keeping DOA on the map in the market was realistically VV.

I know some say that the removal is a sign of good things to come so that VV becomes it's own thing and that DOA can escape it, but my question is... how exactly? I think that shipped sailed too far gone on what DOA is, so separating the two would probably lead to yet another controversy. (We had too many of those already.) I personally don't believe DOA IP is dead, but what are they even going to use the brand for then if they are separating it? they aren't going to just magically make another fighting game without some type of budget and support, and Shimbori left no?

At the same time, maybe it's not a big deal type of thing and something rather minor in effect where both still use each other even if the DOA name isn't there.

Doa is not dead, it’s on hiatus. End of speculation for everyone lol

 

To be fair, it's hard to not believe DOA is truely done when you put everything into perspective.

1. Koei Tecmo's higher ups do not like the Dead or Alive IP and the only reason we ever saw Dimensions is because Shimbori pretty much begged KT to let him do it, not only that but 6 only got greenlit because DOA5 DLC sold well you can see where I'm going here right?
2. Yohei Shimbori DOA's most passionate fighter and literally the only reason DOA is still around has left Team Ninja to work at TEKKEN Project. Maybe there's someone else at KT/TN that wants to continue the series but as far as I know there's not anyone yet.
3. The most recent even is Venus Vacation dropping the DOA name and quite possibly even the DOA girls to become it's own thing entirely DOAX was pretty much the only thing keeping DOA IP on life support.

 

i guess we will see, what happens. no point in speculating til they announce something.

 

I saw an interesting theory today about why the "DOAX" part is removed from the title - it suggests that there may be a new XVV-style gacha project that is instead centered on the Atelier franchise. @deathofaninja do you think this sounds plausible, based on your knowledge of Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo?

That's funny - the reveal ended up being almost the exact inverse of this. Instead of a Venus Vacation-style gacha game with Atelier characters, it's an adventure game with Venus Vacation characters lol

 

As it should be. It's no longer DOA anymore.

 

As it should be. It's no longer DOA anymore.

Wouldn’t you say that Tamaki and Honoka leave that up for debate though?

 

Tamaki? No she is a Venus Vaction character first and foremost. While she is in DOA6 she is treated as a guest character which is why she's around the same price Mai lol
Honoka is a weird one because while she is 100% a DOA OG being created specifically for the fighter she's notably more popular because of DOAX.

 

1 DOA girl among a cast of 6 makes her seem more like a guest, lol. When a game like Senran Kagura had more actual DOA girls (Ayane and Kasumi, even) than a game with "Dead or Alive" actually in its title... that's just weird, lol.

I think they could have got away with totally leaving the DOA name out of Prism's title, but who knows why they kept it... maybe the devs didn't want it and KT insisted? Maybe all of them still feel the DOA name carries weight and want to keep milking it?

 

Wouldn’t you say that Tamaki and Honoka leave that up for debate though?

Yes. But I think someone could also argue that the only reason Marie and Honoka were created in the first place was because they made a good fit for Venus Vacation audience.

 

Yes. But I think someone could also argue that the only reason Marie and Honoka were created in the first place was because they made a good fit for Venus Vacation audience.

But they both were made way before DOAX3 was even a thing. Marie debuted in 5U 2013 and the Japanese base liked her loli appeal and Honoka debuted iirc in 2015 for the high school girl moe aesthetic. Venus Vacation i don't think was even a thing until 2017 and even then they only got prioritized in X3 since they placed 1st and 2nd in the popularity polls