Mention Dead or Alive and many hardcore fighting fans will burst into obnoxious laughter. The series isn't exactly respected in the competitive fighting scene, though that isn't to say it isn't popular. Team Ninja has confirmed in a recent interview that this will not change; the team will not be aiming to make DOA5 a "hardcore technical" fighter. They want the game to be as accessible as possible and that means easier controls than something like BlazBlue. Hit the break for Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi's explanation.
We’re looking for simple, but deep fighting entertainment. We’re not looking to be a technical hardcore fighter. We want a game that a lot of people can have fun with, but people who want that depth can find it. When people watch the second part of the demo that will give players a sense of what we’re thinking of when we mean "fighting entertainment."
I can't wait to see the second part of the demo. The last thing we saw anything was at the Tokyo Game Show but that was quite a while ago. The DOA combat is perfectly fine the way it is, without many incredibly difficult or precise commands. There will be plenty of more technical fighters for fans to sink their teeth into next year. DOA5 will be available on Xbox 360 and PS3 early next year.