Wow, you guys really like MK9. I have no earthly idea why.
I doubt that MK will make it because a) top players stop playing after the PDP tournament, b) (if I'm not mistaken) it had less numbers that most of the other tournaments at EVO last year, besides maybe Tekken 6, c) even MK players themselves, like LI Joe and Sabin, said their tournament scene has mostly died off after EVO, for a variety of reasons. [see this link:
http://www.avoidingthepuddle.com/ne...ombat-special-feat-arturo-sanchez-and-li.html]
Tekken 6 won't make it, because their tournament scene has died off too, though it will probably explode again for TTT2. Not even MLG could revitalize it. I know this because I stay close to ATL, which could be considered the Tekken Mecca (outside of maybe SoCal and Texas). Even there, Tekken players have trouble finding people to play. Not to mention people were very vocal about being bored to tears with Bob vs. Bob at last year's EVO. Also,
people forget how T6 WASN'T EVEN ON EVO 2k11 LINEUP originally, but was added a mere 1-2 months before the tournament [likely due to namco dollars]
Marvel and SF4 are shoe-ins.
SFxT is having alot of PR troubles, but honestly,
the game still has a great chance of making the line-up for the simple fact that it's a Capcom game at a major that historically has focused on Capcom games.
My Viola crystal ball tells me that there will be six games this year (unless EVO finally turns into a 4-day expo, which is unlikely this year) Marvel/SF4/SFxT will be 3 spots.
There WILL be at least one 3D game, so EVO can tout variety when advertising (which will be a good move). There probably won't be more than one, though, so
SC5 automatically fills that spot.
KOF XIII has a very good chance of making it, because it has been an almost universally-praised game with positive coverage, even despite the bad netcode (which is super-surprising). The only thing holding it back is the relatively small amount of players, but to which is growing fast, if NEC, SCR, and press coverage is any indication. I think they are approaching BB player levels right now, which is great considering the SNK scene was non-existent as of early November.
BB has a better chance than Skullgirls, I think. Skullgirls has aloooot of support and potential fans, but it doesn't have a guaranteed number of people willing to play in tournaments like BB does. Nobody's played anything outside of an early beta, and people are still learning how the game is actually supposed to work. Even with SFxT, people have an idea of how will play (like a simplified SF4 with tag). It's still too early for the game to have solid opinions on the game, so while it will be exposéd at EVO, I doubt it will make the main lineup -- the last delay killed its chances for that, I think.
I'm just sad that VF won't be out in time to make it.... :(
