Topic: Koji Igarashi Leaves Konami, Founding New Studio, Metroidvania GDC

[Dremn]

ANOTHER interview. He's going all out. I don't think this one has been posted here yet and it was just put out 3 hours ago. This one with Jeremy Parish, one of the popularizers of the Metroidvania term.

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-resurrection-of-koji-igarashi

USG: I noticed you did seem to focus on appealing to Japanese gamers in some ways. The anime art style of Dawn of Sorrow, for instance...

IGA: This is actually a common misconception that occurs. And that is the anime style chosen in Dawn of Sorrow - it wasn't to make it appeal more to the Japanese market, it was to make it appeal more to the DS market...

USG: Ahh, I see...

IGA: ...and the rationale there was that people who were gaming on the DS continue to get younger and younger versus previous handhelds. And if you, with the franchise, don't continue to try and get new fans and new customers, then you just end up with older and older gamers that sometimes stop gaming or peter off. So that was pretty much us trying to appeal to new, younger users, to try to get them interested in that series. Though it didn't really work. 

Interesting.

[Flame]

thats not new. its old news actually. hes said before that it (and por) was meant to appeal to a younger audience. i would wager the same for the plot actually. (for both games)

[beingthehero]

That whole bit about Ayami Kojima was the best.

EDIT: whoops, now that I reread it, he was talking about Yamane.

[Viskod]

Definitely

[DoctaMario]

I'm interested to know how close a resemblance his new project will bear to CV and if it does, how Konami will react. That Koumajou Densetsu game bears a preeeeeetty close resemblance to CV (Sotn) and I'm wondering if IGA will go that route.

Far as Japan and social games go, it seems pretty obvious that games like that appeal to people who aren't gamers. my girlfriend's GRANDMA plays Farmville religiously. iOS games are games you can sell to people who would probably never buy a console but still might want to play a game, and with phones being more powerful than portables now, it makes sense.

DMC4 ran at a stupidly slick 60fps and its combat system was (and still is) an absolute delight to play.

Doesn't matter how many fps the game plays at or that Dante was an amazing character when you consider the level design was CoD-tier and you played half the game with Nero, a pretty underwhelming and limited character, considering it was the 4th game in the series.

[Mike Belmont]

I'm interested to know how close a resemblance his new project will bear to CV and if it does, how Konami will react. That Koumajou Densetsu game bears a preeeeeetty close resemblance to CV (Sotn) and I'm wondering if IGA will go that route.

Taking Inafune Mighty Number 9 project as example, I can imagine a 2D platform, metroidvania style. As its said here in the forum, Konami doesn´t own the name Dracula, so IGA can make a game involving Dracula as an antagonist (or protagonist ). The problem would be if, in pair with IGA, Konami anounces a similar 2D game (I really doubt) with Dracula in it.

[justin312]

Before everyone gets too excited fantasizing the new dream IGA metroidvania like its 1999, just remember that the majority of video game startups fail before getting off the ground. Also, fans always seem to complain that Konami never gave IGA enough of a budget, which in theory is the reason many of his his games were flawed. Running a startup, I doubt he would have anywhere near the budgets that Konami gave him to produce gems like Judgment or Harmony of Despair.

Remember, he can't take the sprites with him...

[Mike Belmont]

True, but for that reason, Kickstarter exists .

Just see how much Inafune gets for the MN9 project. Yes, we can just wait to see if IGA start a Kickstarter´s project, and his budget vision...

[beingthehero]

And he said he's talking to publishers and other developers at GDC for that very reason.

[crisis]

story-wise, i dunno... im kinda torn on whether i would like to see iga take on the vampire mythos again, continuing to use dracula or anything. then again, i dont wanna see more "Nanobreaker" nonsense either. however vampire mythos is what hes accustomed to, i just not sure if i want it to be too derivitive of traditional castlevania. he has an opportunity to give us something completely original, and that concept seems more intruiging than anything else

i guess we'll see soon eounugh

[Neobelmont]

Is it odd that I was playing harmony of dissonance today on my statistics break?

Santa belmont. But anyways bring a whip and whip it good IGA lord knows you want to.

[Maedhros]

He could make something with Wayforward guys... I'm sure they will try to look for him. Not only them, though.

The possibilities are very interesting. Maybe he can try to make a new series, without a gothic look and more of a horror, or something Lovecraftian inspired or something. I know that I'll fully endorse his new endeavor.

While Castlevania I'll be approaching with caution, since the last thing the series gave to us was LoS... which I don't like at all.

[Neobelmont]

I just thought what if he made a getsu fuma like game or gradius, or contra like game? He could be the answer to other players prayers as well. 

[ganonfloyd]

Lovecraft can be a difficult tone to nail down, especially in an action game. Although a boss fight against the Colour Out of Space would make the entire thing worthwhile.

I just thought what if he made a getsu fuma like game or gradius, or contra like game? He could be the answer to other players prayers as well. 

I miss Gradius.

[Viskod]

After reading these interviews and seeing how Igarashi left on quite amicable terms, and how he was pleased with Lords of Shadow as a series I don't think he'll try to copy Castlevania or step on their vampire mythos toes just out if respect for Konami and the series.

He's quite grateful to them and wants the series to continue to be successful so I don't see him trying to undermine or sabotage Konami.