Anybody agrees or disagrees with that?

I strongly agree.

Totally unbiased.

It was the only fighting game I played this year, so I guess it wins by default for me.

This is specifically about the VGA 10 Awards:

I'm sure I'd agree if I was allowed to play it.

Totally not still bitter...

As it is, I'd go with Tekken Tag 2. I played SFXT once and knew it wasn't my cup of tea. Didn't play DOA.

Fuck No. I'd go with Tekken Tag 2. That game was fantastic.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 should have won but when people who don't play fighting games vote, I'm not surprised that the Persona game won.

What is Persona 4 Arena?
Still haven't gotten around to buying TTT2 but I can say SfxT didn't deserve to win at least.
I'd assume people voted because they liked the Persona series, not because of the quality of the fighting mechanics though.

From an outsider's perspective, this seems like it has been a great year for fighting games.

It's the only fighting game I've ever played so yes.

I haven't played Tekken yet, and DOA has never been my thing... Street Fighter X Tekken is actually the only game I've bought this year that I've actually regretted buying...  
 
But god damn do I love P4 Arena. But hell, I'd love that game if it was a visual novel.

I've played countless hours of both Persona 4 Arena and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and I might just say I enjoy Tekken a little bit more but P4A deserves it. Also it's still the VGAs so yeah.

@Petiew said:

What is Persona 4 Arena? Still haven't gotten around to buying TTT2 but I can say SfxT didn't deserve to win at least. I'd assume people voted because they liked the Persona series, not because of the quality of the fighting mechanics though.

Persona 4 Arena's mechanics are just as good as any other fighting game, why would you think they're not?

Totally agree that it's an amazing fighter, and I can easily see why it won. Though if you're asking for opinions, I definitely voted for TTT2.

TTT2 was an awesome game

@Petiew said:

@FLStyle: Sorry, I guess I worded it strangely, that wasn't really what I was trying to imply. I can't play the game since its not out out here so I personally can't say anything about the mechanics. I've primarily been playing and enjoying a lot of blazblue recently, so I'm not even taking a jab at arc games. Persona is however already a well known jrpg series, when fans see the name they're going to vote for it regardless of how good the mechanics are, or if they've even played this version. (Like the guy on the European facebook page)

Ahh I see, makes sense. FYI the only fan voted categories at these awards are Most Anticipated Game and Character of the Year, all the others are voted by 25 journalists, including Jeff (though fans can vote who they'd like to win on the VGA website).

@FluxWaveZ: Thank god, some context.

@Petiew said:

@FLStyle: Sorry, I guess I worded it strangely, that wasn't really what I was trying to imply. I can't play the game since its not out out here so I personally can't say anything about the mechanics. I've primarily been playing and enjoying a lot of blazblue recently, so I'm not even taking a jab at arc games. Persona is however already a well known jrpg series, when fans see the name they're going to vote for it regardless of how good the mechanics are, or if they've even played this version. (Like the guy on the European facebook page)

And that's not how the main categories in the VGAs work, I'm afraid.

http://www.spike.com/articles/00jd9r/video-game-awards-meet-the-vga-2012-advisory-council: These are the voters. The only thing the public (in other words, the fans) votes on is "Most Anticipated" and "Best Character".

One could argue that P4A is one of the few games on that list that doesn't repackage what its predecessors have done (DOA, TTT2), and that isn't mired by very ugly circumstances, unlike SFxT (questionable "DLC", on-disc or not, bugs, etc).

Game seems solid. Only got it a couple days ago and mostly played story mode. Critics seem to like SFXT much more than the fighting game elite.

Dead or Alive 5 would of been my personal pick but not bothered it lost.

It's weird that a niche game like Persona 4 Arena won. I'm surprised and glad that it won though.

It was the unlikeliest candidate since the world collectively hates 'anime fighters'.

Best fighting game I've ever played, the one that got me into the inner mechanics of fighting games rather than just what works. My GOTY.

Only by judging that I really like both blazblue and persona, I'd bet that this would get my vote also, if I hadn't yet had the chance to play it. Never been a fan of tekken (and 3D-fighting overall), have yet to try a DoA-game but couldn't care less about the series and street fighter vs tekken is pretty fun but still never got me hooked. Oh well, guess I'll have to find out next year...

Tekken should have won. I thought Persona 4 Arena was an awesome surprise, but the things I liked about that game had nothing to do with the fighting.

I've never really been able to get into and like to play fighting games, but I LOVE this game.

I approve of this heartily, though I also enjoyed the hell out of the other nominees.

@Brodehouse said:

It was the unlikeliest candidate since the world collectively hates 'anime fighters'. Best fighting game I've ever played, the one that got me into the inner mechanics of fighting games rather than just what works. My GOTY.

yeah, now THIS is an unlikely candidate.

Although I can't really support it since I am not a fighting game fan and I only really liked it for the story (the gameplay was fine, but eh)

@Sauson said:

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 should have won but when people who don't play fighting games vote, I'm not surprised that the Persona game won.

I am. If people who don't play games vote, wouldn't they have voted for something they'd have heard of?

I don't know. It doesn't quite feel right with the region lock and everything. None of the games are special or clear winners though.

@Vade said:

I don't know. It doesn't quite feel right with the region lock and everything. None of the games are special or clear winners though.

well it's not like spike is bringing in Europeans to vote on this thing.

It might win Europe's fighter of the year in 2014 at this rate.

@Gaff said:

@FluxWaveZ: Thank god, some context.

@Petiew said:

@FLStyle: Sorry, I guess I worded it strangely, that wasn't really what I was trying to imply. I can't play the game since its not out out here so I personally can't say anything about the mechanics. I've primarily been playing and enjoying a lot of blazblue recently, so I'm not even taking a jab at arc games. Persona is however already a well known jrpg series, when fans see the name they're going to vote for it regardless of how good the mechanics are, or if they've even played this version. (Like the guy on the European facebook page)

And that's not how the main categories in the VGAs work, I'm afraid.

http://www.spike.com/articles/00jd9r/video-game-awards-meet-the-vga-2012-advisory-council: These are the voters. The only thing the public (in other words, the fans) votes on is "Most Anticipated" and "Best Character".

One could argue that P4A is one of the few games on that list that doesn't repackage what its predecessors have done (DOA, TTT2), and that isn't mired by very ugly circumstances, unlike SFxT (questionable "DLC", on-disc or not, bugs, etc).

Isn't mired by ugly circumstances isn't quite true, considering half the world still can't play it.

The game definitely accomplished a lot of things, notably greatly extending the reach of the type of anime fighter that never really got any notice in a way that was actually pretty accessible for a lot of players even outside of the genre (fans of the SMT/Persona who don't usually play fighting games, for example). It even implemented a really well-done high quality visual novel-esque story that fits nicely into the Persona 4 canon. Finally, as icing on the cake, its opening sales (in Japan at least) apparently outdid Street Fighter IV, Tekken 6, and BlazBlue.

That's pretty impressive, and I'd say it definitely deserves the distinction.

@Gaff said:

@FluxWaveZ: Thank god, some context.

@Petiew said:

@FLStyle: Sorry, I guess I worded it strangely, that wasn't really what I was trying to imply. I can't play the game since its not out out here so I personally can't say anything about the mechanics. I've primarily been playing and enjoying a lot of blazblue recently, so I'm not even taking a jab at arc games. Persona is however already a well known jrpg series, when fans see the name they're going to vote for it regardless of how good the mechanics are, or if they've even played this version. (Like the guy on the European facebook page)

And that's not how the main categories in the VGAs work, I'm afraid.

http://www.spike.com/articles/00jd9r/video-game-awards-meet-the-vga-2012-advisory-council: These are the voters. The only thing the public (in other words, the fans) votes on is "Most Anticipated" and "Best Character".

One could argue that P4A is one of the few games on that list that doesn't repackage what its predecessors have done (DOA, TTT2), and that isn't mired by very ugly circumstances, unlike SFxT (questionable "DLC", on-disc or not, bugs, etc).

Isn't mired by ugly circumstances isn't quite true, considering half the world still can't play it.

It feels unfair to say "I need to preface this with the line "I am a persona fan"" every time i want to say that the game deserves credit where credit is due. It also shows how catty some fighting game fans are too. Lines like "When non fighting game fans vote" or "I feel it shouldn't be on the list". It is buy and large, a Blazblue/Guilty Gear style game and thus deserves it. For all the talk of how the story is, the story shouldn't be your problem if your not into it. just love the games fighting engine since most fighting fans are used to no story at all or at best a b-movie slock-fest. Either way. I personally am not sure how it won. DOA5 is a good game, so was SFXTK if you cut past the crap and TTT2 has a lot of fans. I think it was because it was a fighting game for everyone, something hard to do and managed to turn fighting fans to a RPG and RPG fans to a fighter. It crossed the boundary :)

@Gaff said:

@Shirogane

@Gaff said:

@FluxWaveZ: Thank god, some context.

@Petiew said:

@FLStyle: Sorry, I guess I worded it strangely, that wasn't really what I was trying to imply. I can't play the game since its not out out here so I personally can't say anything about the mechanics. I've primarily been playing and enjoying a lot of blazblue recently, so I'm not even taking a jab at arc games. Persona is however already a well known jrpg series, when fans see the name they're going to vote for it regardless of how good the mechanics are, or if they've even played this version. (Like the guy on the European facebook page)

And that's not how the main categories in the VGAs work, I'm afraid.

http://www.spike.com/articles/00jd9r/video-game-awards-meet-the-vga-2012-advisory-council: These are the voters. The only thing the public (in other words, the fans) votes on is "Most Anticipated" and "Best Character".

One could argue that P4A is one of the few games on that list that doesn't repackage what its predecessors have done (DOA, TTT2), and that isn't mired by very ugly circumstances, unlike SFxT (questionable "DLC", on-disc or not, bugs, etc).

Isn't mired by ugly circumstances isn't quite true, considering half the world still can't play it.

I'll just point at the Yanks' World Series: equally not quite true, considering half the world couldn't care less about baseball.

Except we do care about this game? Just in this thread alone there's multiple people who'd want to play it but can't. That comparison was just utterly stupid.

@Demoskinos said:

Fuck No. I'd go with Tekken Tag 2. That game was fantastic.

Ew. The only competition Persona 4 Arena had this year was from DOA5. But even then I'd say P4 was better.

@Worcanna: lol, I agree with you mostly, but people who like fighting games and like JRPG's is a weird definition of everyone.

Tekken Tag 2, everything about it was so well executed.

Granted, P4 Arena's purpose for me was interactive novel, for better or worse.

@LiquidPrince said:

@Demoskinos said:

Fuck No. I'd go with Tekken Tag 2. That game was fantastic.

Ew. The only competition Persona 4 Arena had this year was from DOA5. But even then I'd say P4 was better.

Dude. I haven't liked a Tekken game since Tekken 3 but it is without a doubt the best Tekken game in years. Even as someone who was very pro DOA going into September if someone asked me for a recommendation for a fighting game this year I wouldn't pause to say Tekken Tag 2.

@Animasta said:

@Vade said:

I don't know. It doesn't quite feel right with the region lock and everything. None of the games are special or clear winners though.

well it's not like spike is bringing in Europeans to vote on this thing.

Seeing who voted it makes sense that Persona won. This is from 2011 cant imagine it's changed much.

I only played Dead or Alive 5 wich was and still is really fun so that would be mine , I like Persona but not enough to get into Persona 4 Arena at the moment. I'm not that good at fighting games even less the 2D ones and seeing as this was done by the same devs who made the Gulty Gear/Blazblue wich is even more complicated in terms of understanding how the system works (stuff like some characers having an specific metter to count how many bullets or needles they have just puts me off those games) 3D fighters are usually more approchable (punch , kick , block no need for fancy button inputs on low level play) plus you don't have to worry about metters and ultra combos (in some of them) , DOA5 is more "simple" to understand for newbies like me! at and the roster wasn't as intimidating as the 30+ characters in Tekken Tag 2.

I'd say that the more exciting thing is that there were enough proper fighting games out this year to have a good, strong category without lumping, like, WWE or other "fighting-but-not-fighting" games into the list.

@Jeff said:

I'd say that the more exciting thing is that there were enough proper fighting games out this year to have a good, strong category without lumping, like, WWE or other "fighting-but-not-fighting" games into the list.

totally agree, curious to see where the genre goes from here though, if it will keep on staying strong, or if it will die back down now

Still waiting for a port for the PS Vita of the fighting game of the year...

doa sold well, so weil see another doa but im gonna guess that wont be for a good while as those guys will want to finish yaiba and redeem ninja gaiden on a next gen system, (which personally, DOA is my fighting goty, stupid boob jiggle and fake videogame ladies be damned, still a great fighting game with a entertainingly stupid story)

curious to see if they will continue persona 4 arenas story with another fighting game, or a full persona 5

we'll see another mainline tekken, but id imagine that one will be a reinvention of tekken

injustice is still a thing, hope we hear alot more about it next year. i want those guys to finish that game and get back to MK and do a MK10

and then blazblue is still moving forward with a sequel.

and then street fighter and king of fighters i imagine we wont see another one of those till next gen

Definitely not. But fantastic online.

@Brodehouse said:

It was the unlikeliest candidate since the world collectively hates 'anime fighters'. Best fighting game I've ever played, the one that got me into the inner mechanics of fighting games rather than just what works. My GOTY.

I disagree. Persona has a big enough following for it not to be considered 'just another anime fighter'. It's a bigger name than something like BlazBlue or Skullgirls. Frankly, I would have been surprised if it didn't win. Street Fighter x Tekken had the DLC backlash and a buggy launch, too.

@Apathylad said:

Frankly, I would have been surprised if it didn't win.

Why? Do you think Persona 4 is a bigger name than "Tekken" or "Dead or Alive"?