Yeah, there are a lot of game genres in this situation. RTS is another example. You should check out Metro, game has stealth mixed with FPS and pseudo-Open World. It's damn good, especially Exodus. Stealth isn't exactly Splinter Cell levels, but pretty good.
I'll definitely check it out.
DLC characters can keep the interest for only so long. It is a very short term strategy, that doesn't really pay off much in the long run.
If you want the game to thrive, you have to give OPTIONS to the gamers. UE3 engine, no matter how customized it is, is clearly outdated and very limited. It is using outdated compression system (a fighting game that is almost 100GB in size. W.T.F to that), outdated shaders and MK11 being called best looking fighting game, is like saying that you're best runner in the world, while competing in the race by yourself. NRS is the only company that is going for more "realistic" look and for that they use technologically inferior engine, just cause they are comfortable with it. You can't build a new gen gaming platform on that.
To keep people's interest, you would need to bring in new stages, new costumes, new intros, new outros, new game modes. Basically give options to players. If player has an ability to customize his experience, then they will gladly stay there for way longer and will be more keen in investing into the game.
Even so, if the said game were to keep producing content like that, then they would have to be built in that fashion. Look at SFV. It could have been easily one of the best fighting games, if CAPCOM didn't decide to make the game more Casual friendly and get greedy. It had a great core idea. They built the game as a platform, that could allow new different "modules" to be added into the game over time. New game modes, new collectibles, new story expansion, etc.
But just DLC Characters? Ok. You buy the character. Play it for 1-2 weeks and forget the game. Until the next DLC char.
They're releasing the costume packs for Aftermath until October, the Eternal Klash skins are on rotation in the store and they have a few versions of the sleeveless klassic / movie Shang Tsung skins rotating in the store to get with Krystals, as well. Plus, they always come up with holiday skins, Brutality Towers and other things to keep people interested, so it's not just the DLC characters.
The reason why I initially mentioned DLC characters because those 8 characters (in specific) seem to be the ones that people want to have in MK11 the most, and NRS would make a shit-load of money by selling those characters in packs because they'd be selling people the characters that they want.
As for buying the character and only playing it for 1-2 weeks, yes some people will, but the people asking for those characters could also very well have their next main once that DLC character drops.
Shit, Shang Tsung has been my main since he dropped in June of least year, and so has Fujin since he dropped in May.
Also, Aftermath JUST came out a few months ago and added the 4 additional stages, Stage Fatalities, Friendships and additional story mode.
There's enough stuff to keep people interested for a while, and this is supposedly the game that they're supporting for the longest time (so far).
Aside from the Aftermath content, there's plenty of free stuff that they've added within the last few months.
That's a lie and you know it! If purists were getting their way, there would be no guest characters, no reboots at all (you know, the exact opposite of what you claimed), and no backstory retcons whatsoever (ESPECIALLY the Sindel retcon)!
EDIT:
The argument can also be made that there's an over-saturation of klassic stuff in both MKX and MK11, as well, Trash:
- Just about every klassic character in MKX and MK11 has had klassic costumes
- Just about every klassic character in MKX or MK11 has had 1 (or more) of their klassic Fatalities return via free packs / updates (MKX) or Brutalities (MK11).
- 3 klassic stages have returned in the last 2 games (multiple stages if you count Retrocade). The ruined version of the Courtyard is a redux of a klassic and so is Goro's Lair, so technically MK11 had a few klassic stages already in prior to Aftermath.
- Friendships came back for MK11.
- MK11 has Shao Kahn as a selectable voice announcer
- People moaned and complained because Baraka, Kabal, Jade, Noob Saibot, Shang Tsung, Sindel & Nightwolf weren't in a "KP3" for MKX and all of them are in MK11.
On top of all that, people (in general) love to gloss over the fact that between MKX and MK11, every single playable character in MK9 aside from human Smoke, Rain and Stryker has been playable in the last 2 games.