Nintendo of America has mentioned that a new feature of Team Battles will be introduced in the Knockout Tour mode of Mario Kart World. The online, local, and LAN players can now team up in pairs, threes, or fours to compete. The feature will allow the players to participate in the battle modes in a different way, but the reaction from the players indicates that the community is asking for larger content updates that are more realistic and interactive.
Mostly this new feature is what the gaming community is talking about. The Team Battles feature was introduced to the Knockout Tour mode in Mario Kart World! Joining forces with friends to fight enemies in the new team-based free-for-all sounds like an awesome idea! The developers at Nintendo have made efforts in every aspect; internet, local, and LAN. A great addition for those who love Battle Mode and a new method of bringing chaos to them! But still is it like we could have a gamer community based on the generous responses to the tweet? A Clear Reason where people are saying, “Alright but what is the real stuff?”
Are you shocked? Just one new feature and all the gamers’ requests burst forth like a floodgate. One of the most upvoted comments by Grimm3210 is a customer quality”-of”-life: “Please make it so the second player for online split-screen can use their own profiles.” Look at that! Not only the writer made a typo, but also requested a very basic correction. It is not even about the new mode! That is the feeling – the new thing is good, but can we fix what we have?
Then there’s the chorus. It’s a huge symphony of “Yes, but …” Rubén says he wants the timer in Balloon Battle to be removed and also he wants to select the Battle Mode online, and he adds “I don’t want to play coin runners.” That’s totally reasonable! Player Fine gets really excited but then he says “Now add 200cc and the ability to turn off courses like we can with items for private lobbies and I’m good to go!” The players are very thankful but they are also very starving. They are grateful for the update, it’s not a question of that, it’s just that getting one French fry with the whole meal that was ordered.
However, the one big, loud demand is always the same? New tracks. DLC. More content. It is incredible how many replies just plain ask for it. Syd is asking, “When is there gonna be dlc or more tracks?” JulianMagae1 comments, “Not to be mean or anything but will we ever get new content and dlcs?!” There is even a comment in Spanish from Luixen that translates to “be careful, something more is coming, mmmmm crumbs,” which is such a peculiar kind of hopeful skepticism. The community seems to be sharing a huge, beautiful game – Mario Kart World has an enormous number of tracks already – but the promise of more is always dangling there. The game has existed for a while, and the thirst for new circuits is huge.
The fans are in a whirlwind of requests. One of the users is asking for King K. Rool to be a driver – because who wouldn’t like that, right? Harmony thinks that the whole character selection UI is too overwhelming because of all the different skin pages. Then there are the random side-conversations like some people arguing about Sonic Crossworlds vs Mario Kart World, which is just so classic gamer Twitter. It is chaotic but in a good way.
What is very interesting is that the one update is like a mirror for the community. Nintendo allows the players to have a blast with each other, and that is a tremendous gift. Team Battles are going to be great for both kids and open leagues. Nonetheless, the players’ response shows that a significant proportion of the player base primarily desires to expand. The new-kids-issue people look for, apart from new tracks, the same speed classes (give me 200cc, please) and even more customization for private matches. It is not that they feel ungrateful; they just want to burst on the screen with enthusiasm. They love the game so much that they want more.
Currently, the situation in the Mario Kart World universe is a clear-cut example of what is going on in the community of a live-service game. Introduce a cool feature, and the players respond with, “Awesome! What is coming next?” The Team Battles update is a cool little step showing that Nintendo still regards the online ecosystem of the game as part of its marketing strategy. However, the gamers’ feedback tells the opposite story; it was the racing content and the fine-tuning of the experience that were at the top of the wishlist. The interaction is what keeps the game alive and the conversation ongoing and it is also a sign of the players’ passion for the longevity of Mario Kart World. This passion is also seen in communities for other platforms like PlayStation and Xbox.
