Topic: Confirmed: IGA not involved with Castlevania anymore. Europe helms the series.

[Ahasverus]

Thanks to Tora Shiro, a Konami empoyee on Neogaf, we finally have confirmation that Koji Igarashi ended his role as series producer. The series is now under jurisdiction of Konami Europe (not even Japan now)

Konami employee here. He's still around, but isn't involved with Castlevania at all right now. That is 100% in MercurySteam and Konami Europe's court.

I think that's the limit to what I'm allowed to say.

He also suggested that he was /demoted/ to a window (e.g. burocratic) job after being suggested for IGA to go the inafune route

Not everyone is brave enough or ambitious enough to follow Inafune. A lot of producers that have 'window jobs' at major companies are there because they get demoted to a comfortable position of being less relevant but not affecting their pay (not saying this is true for IGA, but rather true for many current and former producer roles).

You all know I'm happy by these news as I personally consider IGA to be in permanent creative stagnation since... ever, but the guy has his fans, so mourn it a river if you please.

The most interesting this is, will MS let go the franchise? will it continue in Europe? Is the rumor about Climax Studios true?

[Neobelmont]

The heck... Mhhh.... ehh well.... I'm not the biggest fan of IGA(in the end he and his team just did not cut it) but now cv is in a very interesting position. What are some good European studios ATM that could work on cv? I do not have any that come to mind.

But window job ehh. Gunpei Yokoi If I recall correctly was assigned to a window job/seat after the virutal boy incident (G4 icons defined what a window job is). So all in all he's pretty much useless now? If he wants to makes games he has to leave.

Also climax studio? Who are they?   

But hmm.... do we have a link? I kind of cannot believe it.

[Ahasverus]

Also climax studio? Who are they?

They guys from Silent Hill Origins and Shattered Memories, and the LoS PC port. They seem to do well with stablished gameplay systems. They make lovely 2D games too. I like them.

[Neobelmont]

They guys from Silent Hill Origins and Shattered Memories, and the LoS PC port. They seem to do well with stablished gameplay systems. They make lovely 2D games too. I like them.

Still kind of hard to believe you know. Why neo-gaf? I just kind of question it that's all.

How good are SHO and SM?

[Kingshango]

Totally expected. Castlevania is gonna go the Silent Hill route from here on out.

Also climax studio? Who are they?   

Developers of Silent Hill Shattered Memories, Silent Hill Origins, Rocket Knight XBLA and Castlevania Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition. They have a history with Konami already, wouldn't shock me if they're next in line for Castlevania.

Still kind of hard to believe you know. Why neo-gaf? I just kind of question it that's all.

Gaf has quite a few industry insiders (if confirmed by mods and if they're not they would get banned) so I doubt he would risk his account for lying.

[Neobelmont]

Totally expected. Castlevania is gonna go the Silent Hill route from here on out.

Developers of Silent Hill Shattered Memories, Silent Hill Origins, Rocket Knight XBLA and Castlevania Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition. They have a history with Konami already, wouldn't shock me if they're next in line for Castlevania.

Gaf has quite a few industry insiders (if confirmed by mods and if they're not they would get banned) so I doubt he would risk his account for lying.

Is this something to be afraid off? I did hear rocket knight was okay but nothing to write home about. So with time and polish could  they do a good cv game? Also since I do not know anything about them, how has their track record been overall?

[Kingshango]

Is this something to be afraid off? I did hear rocket knight was okay but nothing to write home about. So with time and polish could  they do a good cv game? Also since I do not know anything about them, how has their track record been overall?

Moderate Hit or giant miss mostly.

[Ahasverus]

Interestingly, they're british so they are under Konami Europe's orders. Dave Cox' too, even. And SH origins was still based on a Team Silent storyline, Shattered Memories story is AMAZING, probably one of the best stories/storytelling of the medium. As for the gameplay, I think they are comfortable when there are systems already in place, and they did LoS port so they know how the combat works mechanically.

[Neobelmont]

Moderate Hit or giant miss mostly.

Oh okay so not to be pessimistic but



aren't we.

[Odile Kuronuma]

Yeah.RIP Castlevania for real this time.

[Ahasverus]

[Neobelmont]

You ---> <----- Reality

ahh so reality is Alucard no wonder it sucks 

[Kingshango]

Reality be a cruel mistress I tell ya what.

[DraculaFan1981]

I wouldn't worry too much, Cox himself planned to end the LoS series after LoS2 and Mr. Shino said that MS and Konami Europe hold the rights as of now. That could still change in the future and another competent japanese developer could still do the series justice if not by a slim chance IGA himself.

Calm your jets. I know some of us are very excited about this new direction, but there is nothing definitive at this point.

[Abnormal Freak]

So all in all he's pretty much useless now?

He's got himself a job.

Things might have been different if he had done any real games after OOE. A fighting game and half-assed multiplayer game weren't really what the series needed (nor what anyone desired).

Not that I'm any more happy with Cox or anyone else currently involved with the series.

Hopefully Konami will hire some good outside talent to make good games again, or even some inside teams. I've always felt that Castlevania should never be under the hands of one producer. It's the experimentation and different teams and talents that made the older games so good.