Castlevania Dungeon Forums
The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Topic started by: DingusBelmondo on May 04, 2010, 05:17:48 AM
-
I've often wondered this, but by looking at Lords of Shadow I guess the answer was "not popular enough". But I always wondered, as such an established series where it stood. Clearly it doesn't have nearly as huge of a following as Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Metal Gear Soild, Final Fantasy ect. But what about Ninja Gaiden, or Contra. I mean, I know that this forum isn't the ONLY community out there, and not all fans are active members. But then again, it's had a hell of a lot of games. Any ideas?
-
It's a cult game, there are fans, and quite a few but not a tremendous amount. There are also people who enjoy a game now and then, but it's just whatever for them.
-
Judging by the sheer number of Castlevania games released, this old franchise is probably selling more than Dave Cox would have you believe. It's clearly not up there with the likes of Halo or Final Fantasy, but Konami would've pulled the plug long ago if Castlevania wasn't making them any money. No one keeps making unprofitable games.
I would think Castlevania is more popular than, say, Contra or Gradius. It's probably the same as Ninja Gaiden, though NG found a whole new fanbase with the XBOX game. If done right, LoS could give Castlevania a similar boost in popularity.
-
I basically agree with shelverton's assessment. The thing is, Castlevania used to be on the heels of series like Mario and Zelda in terms of notoriety between about 1987 and 1992. However, after the success of Super Castlevania IV, there was nothing that really hit big in the consciousness of gamers until Symphony of the Night.
Essentially, the marketing/managaging of the series after SCIV was inconsistent. Castlevania had made its fame as a franchise on Nintendo home consoles, and after IV, Rondo of Blood was not only released on PC Engine, but was not even released in the US (until recently). Moreover, even though Rondo had some interesting gameplay ideas, one has to wonder what people would have thought about the loss of effects and dynamic swing controls found in SCIV.
When Castlevania finally made its way back to the US 3 years later, it was on the Genesis with Bloodlines--which split the fanbase in terms of console ownership. Then, 1995, Dracula X for the SNES arrived. (Despite being a very fun entry in my opinion), it was doomed for three reasons: It was not the infamous Rondo of Blood that some wanted, it did not have as much control or visual innovation as SCIV, and it was years removed from the release (and gamer awareness) of the last universally successful Castlevania title.
In 1997, with Sony Playstation bringing renewed interest in gaming, Symphony of the Night was released. In actuality, I don't know if this game was a well-received off the bat as SCIV, but it would go on to reignite interest in Castlevania and redefine the series for many. Again, the follow-ups would take a different route in terms of design and console with CV64 and LoD, which split the fanbase (these games were actually quite good, but people forgot that Castlevania is always trying to innovate and were hoping for a continuation of Symphony of the Night). The turning point--and curse--for Castlevania, was the release of Circle of the Moon. It was on the anticipated Nintendo GBA platform as a launch title and combined classic whip action with the style of SotN. It did pretty well; but it set an unsettling trend of also-rans. After that title, IGA took over and continued the SotN pattern with a few, random exceptions (Chronicles, Judgment). I think Lament of Innocence actually, ever-so-slightly captured imaginations that Castlevania might rise again, but the release of Curse of Darkness killed the momentum. (And stuff like Judgment, even with good intentions, has made Castlevania seem like a niche joke). The Adventure Rebirth was a nice nod to what the series is all about, but it's a drop in the bucket...and with the way gamers are used to Metroidvania now, it probably seemed weird to the mainstream modern crowd.
In the end, Lords of Shadow is in an interesting situation. It has a lot of buzz from those with a historical sense of gaming, but it doesn't appear to be on the radar of the mainstream God of War, Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden fans. The truth is, the name Castlevania is associated with portable Metroidvania/Sotn-nostalgia these days. Thus, the name Castlevania doesn't hold a lot of clout. I think the best outcome is Castlevania getting a revival of Ninja Gaiden's level...but that wasn't wholly true to the essence of Ninja Gaiden and also has never risen Ninja Gaiden to the heights of the top series. I'm concerned that the desire to make LoS more mainstream has crippled its ability to stand out from the crowd and capture any of the top spots in gaming.
(As an aside, you mentioned Metroid as a successful franchise, but that's a more recent trend. While the first 3 did well, the series was all but forgotten until the success of Metroid Prime. Since then, it's been more visible, but is still fighting to find its modern voice).
-
I think Castlevania is extremely popular and that's due to the fact that we fans constantly bash IGA for messing around with the series and making inapropreate and unesissary changes that not only conflict with what we love but also about what we know about the series itself.
-X
-
Video game fans in general complain about two things;
1) When their favourite game series changes.
2) When their favourite game series doesn't change.
Hardcore fans basically wants to play the same old game over and over and over, but whenever a company starts to repeat itself, we don't want it anymore. How ungrateful is that? With Castlevania, I think Konami has been very generous, giving us many different types of games (some good, some not so good. But at least they tried.). I like what IGA did with the series. I don't necessarily care for all of his games, but he kinda saved the franchise from fading into obscurity. That obviously comes with a price - in this case we've been BOMBARDED with Metroidvanias for the last 10 years, but if it hadn't been for them, I think Castlevania would've been kinda dead today.
-
No change is bad, bad change is bad. We want change, we just don't want bad change.
A change we'd all welcome, I'd think is HD graphics. or a good 3d CV, that's kind of like NG or DMC, and for some of yous (not me) GoW.
-
One thing that disappoints me (maybe the most) about Lords of Shadow that it doesn't have the east meets west vibe that old Castlevania games have and instead goes for some kind off epic fantasy feel which, I'm sure we can all agree on, was never what the series was about. That's an example of bad change.
-
I once read that CV fan comunitty "Is a little larger than Megaman's but more exigent". Nice description i think. The problem with CV is that, if you remember well, Konami doesn't make a lot of cartriges, for example, HOD had 600000 MADE units. It's a cult franchise, but that's because Konami wants it to be, for the past 10 years, it have been a safe cash maker to produce their other games (MGS, SH,PES), that's what I'm glad they gave a good budget to MS (Even though KOjima's help was needed, a LOT) ;)
-
I always thought Castlevania as a hugely popular franchise, but that's when I wasn't a fan. I only started liking the series in the last 3 or 4 years, and now I am very much into the series. Now when I try to talk to people about it, it seems more people don't know about it than do. It upset me at first, I guess Castlevania is not as popular as I thought. But thinking back, I'm glad it's not. I like it being a cult franchise as it always seemed when something got too popular it would turn to garbage. Long live Castlevania!
-
Bad change is ultimately an opinion, which is why there's always a group of fans complaining. Some fans want this to change MORE some fans want it to change LESS, so nobody is always happy.
That's ultimately the problem that a series encounters when it caters to a very specific fanbase. Sure those fans are happy, but is it ultimately what is best for the series? The fanbase thinks that the purpose of the series is to cater to their interests, but a company sees its purpose as to make money. When the company doesn't listen to the longtime fans, the fans see it as betrayal. That's essentially what Castlevania has hit. The fanbase is large enough to make a profit off of, but if Konami's goal is to increase growth (which is essentially the goal of all companies) it's not making enough money.
In comes Lords of Shadow. Konami is trying to see if they can expand their sales by trying something new. I see nothing wrong with this. If people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. Ultimately I want Konami to succeed as a company so I can get more Castlevania. With IGA's recent entries, I think Konami is getting ready to small time Castlevania if things don't go well for Cox.
Ideally this would mean expanding the fanbase, but if they find a new fanbase which is bigger than the one Castlevania already has, they have no reason to not jump ship. Nintendo did the exact same thing with the Wii and they made tons of moolah. Like it or not, that's why games are made.
So to answer the original question, Castlevania was hugely popular, and has been in relative decline ever since SotN. I mention it's one of my favorite series, and I tend to get blank stares from 90% of my college mates, and that's saying something considering I'm majoring in video game development.
-
If people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. Ultimately I want Konami to succeed as a company so I can get more Castlevania.
I wouldn'y worry about this too much. If and when Konami co. goes belly-up, then whatever they have will be bought out by other companies including Castlevania. Following this logic, it is reasonable to assume that 'said company' will continue the frachise due to it's popularity cause they know it'll make them money. If not then we have the fanbase to give us our homebrews.
-X
-
Castlevania homebrews either suck completely or are never finished. God help us if that happens.
-
If people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. Ultimately I want Konami to succeed as a company so I can get more Castlevania.
I wouldn'y worry about this too much. If and when Konami co. goes belly-up, then whatever they have will be bought out by other companies including Castlevania. Following this logic, it is reasonable to assume that 'said company' will continue the frachise due to it's popularity cause they know it'll make them money. If not then we have the fanbase to give us our homebrews.
-X
True the company will go on, but if Castlevania fails, we'll just get more Metal Gears. Not that I don't like Metal Gear, but I want to see Castlevania.
I mean, if you were a company that sold steak and chicken, and then people stopped liking your chicken, despite changing the recipe a few times, would you still sell the chicken?
-
I mean, if you were a company that sold steak and chicken, and then people stopped liking your chicken, despite changing the recipe a few times, would you still sell the chicken?
That's a strange analogy. What I would say is DON'T stop selling the chicken, but hire someone who can make it work. Then branch out in the food market. Why stop at JUST steak and chicken? Why not sell fish, as well? Bring up the variety of ways you can serve such meants(Hamburgers, grilled fish, friend fish, friend chicken, rotisserie chicken, chicken soup, stew, pizza, stir fry, ....). I mean, if you WANT a bigger place in the market, why are you JUST going to stop selling chicken and continue to sell JUST fish? You're going to expand your business to cover many tastes.
-
Also, I don't think video games and food are the same kind off market. You can't compare the two.
-
I eat video games while playing food all the time :o
-
The perfect future: games are packaged with food.
-
Both food and games are products based off of personal enjoyment, so I'd say the analogy works.
There's only so many times a business is going to dump money into spicing up a product that nobody wants. If everybody is buying their steak (Metal Gear) but not their chicken (Castlevania) even after attempts at making it new, they might not eliminate the chicken from the menu, but they're going to not be spending much time on making it good.
Also, bringing in fish and other foods is essentially irrelevant to the point I'm making considering that Konami does have other franchises. People just don't buy them as much. I mean, Konami is trying to sell Castlevania in different ways. Judgment, Encore of the Night, and Harmony of Despair are perfect examples of this. The point is that when people go to Konami for dinner, they really want to eat their world-class steak. Konami's trying to make their chicken better, but people just might not bite.
-
Both food and games are products based off of personal enjoyment, so I'd say the analogy works.
No, they literary are not the same thing. Both of the markets they belong to work differently. Its basic economics really.
-
No, they literary are not the same thing. Both of the markets they belong to work differently. Its basic economics really.
Of course they're not literally the same thing. The markets work differently, but both restaurant food and video games are a luxury good, and thus both follow the same rules of economics.
-
Food is homogeneous, every chicken is the same whereas the Castlevania series is heterogenous, its a totally unique series with its own stamp on it. You can't change your chicken, not to mention that I wouldn't be smart to not sell it anymore completely since all your buyers that you have left for that product would go to your concurrents. Which isn't the smartest move.
With the Castlevania Konami has a monopoly since its completely unique (comparing a Castlevania game to any other random video game is the same as saying every kind of food is the same) and besides it not not selling all that great they were still making profit since they kept pumping out one or two games every year before and even more after if you still remember Castlevania was releasing/announcing spin off titles and media like crazy in 08. If you look purely at the DS titles sales data they were doing fine with the two first games. OoE's decline in sold copies should be ignored because it was made after LoS started developement in 07. Or at least before the plans for the reboot were made. With a monopoly and moderate sales Konami has no reason to just give Castlevania the boot. In fact its quite stupid.
Therefore the only reason why Konami wants Castlevania to reboot is to turn it into a triple A series. Thus your logic is flawed.
-
Food is homogeneous, every chicken is the same whereas the Castlevania series is heterogenous, its a totally unique series with its own stamp on it. You can't change your chicken, not to mention that I wouldn't be smart to not sell it anymore completely since all your buyers that you have left for that product would go to your concurrents. Which isn't the smartest move.
With the Castlevania Konami has a monopoly since its completely unique (comparing a Castlevania game to any other random video game is the same as saying every kind of food is the same) and besides it not not selling all that great they were still making profit since they kept pumping out one or two games every year before and even more after if you still remember Castlevania was releasing/announcing spin off titles and media like crazy in 08. If you look purely at the DS titles sales data they were doing fine with the two first games. OoE's decline in sold copies should be ignored because it was made after LoS started developement in 07. Or at least before the plans for the reboot were made. With a monopoly and moderate sales Konami has no reason to just give Castlevania the boot. In fact its quite stupid.
Therefore the only reason why Konami wants Castlevania to reboot is to turn it into a triple A series. Thus your logic is flawed.
Orange chicken is not the same as lemon chicken, and chicken fondue is not the same as a chicken breast sandwich. Case in point.
And how does that make my logic flawed? "Doing fine" is your opinion. Clearly Konami disagrees and believes Castlevania should be a AAA title. I'm wagering that if it fails to make that jump, Castlevania will be permenantly stuck in low budget spin-off land.
-
Orange chicken is not the same as lemon chicken. Case in point.
Yeah like only one store got the brilliant idea of adding flavours and what not to their chicken (or prepraring it differently) and other stores still have to catch up. That is all inrelevant, chicken is still homogeneous.
And how does that make my logic flawed? "Doing fine" is your opinion. Clearly Konami disagrees and believes Castlevania should be a AAA title. I'm wagering that if it fails to make that jump, Castlevania will be permenantly stuck in low budget spin-off land.
Oh I see I thought you meant it was the reason why the reboot was made in the first place as some claim.
-
Yeah like only one store got the brilliant idea of adding flavours and what not to their chicken (or prepraring it differently) and other stores still have to catch up. Flavour doesn't matter, chicken is still homogeneous.
I'm talking restaurants. You're talking stores. Why do you think a person would prefer chicken from one restaurant over another if it was all homogeneous?
-
Seems I interprented that wrong though the logic behind it still doesn't make sense. There is nothing that prevents them from trying as many recipes as they want (if we just talk about the way it is prepared rather than quality) since well uh chicken can taste good if you prepare it right. Nothing would prevent them from trying as many times as they want since they are still making profite with all their other dishes. Its not like people don't buy anything if they don't like the chicken. You got also got Metal Gear stake.
-
Nothing would prevent them from trying as many times as they want since they are still making profite with all their other dishes.
Except if the series didn't sell well even after few reimagings, Konami could possibly abandoned for some time (not forever of course) or use it as cheap sticker that can be put on anything. Though this already happened with Medal and Pachislots. Besides tasty chicken could done by a single human in one day. Video games require team, time and money.
So if franchise fail after several attempts - Konami could possibly put it on hiatus, because they simply don't want to spend their money and people on creating games no-one interested in.
And catering to the fans is a generally bad idea. Sooner or later, series will be in desperate need of changes and so-called fans will sink new formula, just because it was never done before and in their mind it is not true part of the series or some other nonsense.
-
EDIT: Wait, I condradicted myself with the last sentence of my previous post and I have no idea why I said that. Talk about mindtwists. Otherwise the post makes perfect sense.
-
I basically agree with shelverton's assessment. Mario and Zelda in terms of notoriety between about 1987 and 1992. However, after the success of Super Castlevania IV, there was nothing that really hit big in the consciousness of gamers until Symphony of the Night.
Hi everybody. Thanks for this subject.
Basically, I think as RichterB, many thanks for this big history explanation. It's quite right, what you say. And more interesting than difference between chicken and video games, sorry for Nagumo and e105beta.
I think hardcore fans are ready for changes since ages. SOTN was a very good game. COTM too. But since then, Castlevania games are always the same, minus the difficulty. I don't want to explain again why Harmony was a deception. The worst were the 3 DS games, which are basically upgrades copies of GBA games, which were already less good than SOTN and COTM. What can I say more ?
In my view, Shattered Soldier was a good change for Contra series. Ocarina of Time was a very good game too. Ninja Gaiden was an excellent reborn for the series. And finally, Resident Evil 4 which offered a total change for the series is probably one of the best. Super Mario 64 and Galaxy are maybe the 2 best Mario as well.
= every major series can reborn in a new way / new dimension / new gameplay.
As someone said, no changes is BAD. I agree. What hardcore fans do no want anymore, is : continuity in mediocrity. Castlevania are not medium game. They used to be TOP games, HITS for every release and ranked CULT games. There is no more innovation in actual Castlevania games. No more innovation since...2002.
So yes, it's time for big changes and even long-date fans like me need and EXIGE big changes. The completely renew style with Lords of Shadow, can be the best thing the series ever had since many years. I understand why IGA fans want other games made by him : they correspond to the type of guys who absolutely rejects any innovation and changes. They should see what does concurrence has to offer since Next Gen machines.
Actual Castlevania directed by actual producer are less good in many ways than concurrence, so it's time for change.
Thanks Konami and Cox for bringing new elements and new Gameplay to the series. We'll see if LOS sales will be huge or not. I have confidence in gamers. An all new database of fans can be created with this reborn. I hope so to see new & more radical changes in Castlevania saga in the future !
(Sorry for the long post)
-
As someone said, no changes is BAD. I agree.
Correction, no changes is bad by default.
-
Man, this topic is making me hungry.
-
There is nothing that prevents them from trying as many recipes as they want (if we just talk about the way it is prepared rather than quality) since well uh chicken can taste good if you prepare it right.
Still requires time and a new chef.
But I digress. We're getting kind of far off topic.
-
Man, this topic is making me hungry.
uzo's right, bring out the BBQ!
-X
-
Still requires time and a new chef.
Like a chef is limited to only one recipe. Its just a dumb way of comparing it to video games when you take into account outside factors that only apply to the latter and that even though it can be prepared differently food like chicken is what people expect because its not something unique and taking that completely out of your menu only harms that restaurant's business. Also, since food is homogeneous that doesn't mean neccesarily you have to change the recipe since you also can change the way you prepare it because believe it or not that doesn't take a whole lot of time or a new chef. That's onther reason why comparing it to vidoe games is dumb. Excuse my rambling. :(
Anyway, I shouldn't worry to much if LoS isn't a succes since there is also the IGA pitch and the American pitch. And just because they weren't chosen doesn't mean those games would turn out to be of inferior quality. There is nothing to worry about.
-
I basically agree with shelverton's assessment. The thing is, Castlevania used to be on the heels of series like Mario and Zelda in terms of notoriety between about 1987 and 1992. However, after the success of Super Castlevania IV, there was nothing that really hit big in the consciousness of gamers until Symphony of the Night.
Essentially, the marketing/managaging of the series after SCIV was inconsistent. Castlevania had made its fame as a franchise on Nintendo home consoles, and after IV, Rondo of Blood was not only released on PC Engine, but was not even released in the US (until recently). Moreover, even though Rondo had some interesting gameplay ideas, one has to wonder what people would have thought about the loss of effects and dynamic swing controls found in SCIV.
When Castlevania finally made its way back to the US 3 years later, it was on the Genesis with Bloodlines--which split the fanbase in terms of console ownership. Then, 1995, Dracula X for the SNES arrived. (Despite being a very fun entry in my opinion), it was doomed for three reasons: It was not the infamous Rondo of Blood that some wanted, it did not have as much control or visual innovation as SCIV, and it was years removed from the release (and gamer awareness) of the last universally successful Castlevania title.
In 1997, with Sony Playstation bringing renewed interest in gaming, Symphony of the Night was released. In actuality, I don't know if this game was a well-received off the bat as SCIV, but it would go on to reignite interest in Castlevania and redefine the series for many. Again, the follow-ups would take a different route in terms of design and console with CV64 and LoD, which split the fanbase (these games were actually quite good, but people forgot that Castlevania is always trying to innovate and were hoping for a continuation of Symphony of the Night). The turning point--and curse--for Castlevania, was the release of Circle of the Moon. It was on the anticipated Nintendo GBA platform as a launch title and combined classic whip action with the style of SotN. It did pretty well; but it set an unsettling trend of also-rans. After that title, IGA took over and continued the SotN pattern with a few, random exceptions (Chronicles, Judgment). I think Lament of Innocence actually, ever-so-slightly captured imaginations that Castlevania might rise again, but the release of Curse of Darkness killed the momentum. (And stuff like Judgment, even with good intentions, has made Castlevania seem like a niche joke). The Adventure Rebirth was a nice nod to what the series is all about, but it's a drop in the bucket...and with the way gamers are used to Metroidvania now, it probably seemed weird to the mainstream modern crowd.
In the end, Lords of Shadow is in an interesting situation. It has a lot of buzz from those with a historical sense of gaming, but it doesn't appear to be on the radar of the mainstream God of War, Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden fans. The truth is, the name Castlevania is associated with portable Metroidvania/Sotn-nostalgia these days. Thus, the name Castlevania doesn't hold a lot of clout. I think the best outcome is Castlevania getting a revival of Ninja Gaiden's level...but that wasn't wholly true to the essence of Ninja Gaiden and also has never risen Ninja Gaiden to the heights of the top series. I'm concerned that the desire to make LoS more mainstream has crippled its ability to stand out from the crowd and capture any of the top spots in gaming.
(As an aside, you mentioned Metroid as a successful franchise, but that's a more recent trend. While the first 3 did well, the series was all but forgotten until the success of Metroid Prime. Since then, it's been more visible, but is still fighting to find its modern voice).
This <--
-
Anyway, I shouldn't worry to much if LoS isn't a success
I wonder why it wouldn't be a success ! Maybe less copies than God of War III, but many more than any previous Iga games (Judgment, OOE, COD,....)
-
I like coming to this forum to learn basic economics, and chicken.
-
87439 views on topic regarding a new title on the big boy and girl platforms....
Almost 5000 comments in that thread.
Nuf said. It's popular.
-
Does anyone know how these games fare in the Asian market? Is there a stronger fan base over there?
-
Apparently, it's even more niche there.
-
Huh....I thought it might be the opposite.
Might be one of the reasons why there are no "the art of" books, at least none that I can see.
-
I believe there have been artbooks but they've mostly been coupled with pre-orders and KonamiStyle packages iirc. It's funny that Japan still gets radio dramas, novels, and other things despite its smaller fanbase. Obviously, just because of how Castlevania's development has been headquartered in Japan for the most part I guess.
-
if Castlevania is really as popular as you all claim, then why did they decide to change the formula with the new installment?
my guess is because it's not popular enough.
-
At least it wont be too difficult to get the Limited ED upon release. I wonder if I'll run into a line up.
-
From what I can tell, not very popular at all. I hope Lords of Shadow changes that because, quite frankly, I'm tired of Konami being Metal Gear Solid: the company.
-
From what I can tell, not very popular at all. I hope Lords of Shadow changes that because, quite frankly, I'm tired of Konami being Metal Gear Solid: the company.
This game/series is one that does not cater to everyone. CV was never meant to be on WII and all that other jazz. It should remain popular with those that enjoy this type of game rather than those that entertain Mario Brothers and all the spin offs as the best games on Earth. The minute CV goes intriguing the "come one come all" players, the minute the complaints about suckier titles go through the roof. I'd rather not see a series that has, overall, been pretty good turn into a diluted, super-crap version of itself.
-
This game/series is one that does not cater to everyone. CV was never meant to be on WII and all that other jazz. It should remain popular with those that enjoy this type of game rather than those that entertain Mario Brothers and all the spin offs as the best games on Earth. The minute CV goes intriguing the "come one come all" players, the minute the complaints about suckier titles go through the roof. I'd rather not see a series that has, overall, been pretty good turn into a diluted, super-crap version of itself.
You do relize that at the height of it's popularity, Castlevania was on a Nintendo consol and lumped rigtht up there with things like Mario and Megaman, right?
-
i think he just means he doesn't want to see castlevania milked.
-
You do relize that at the height of it's popularity, Castlevania was on a Nintendo consol and lumped rigtht up there with things like Mario and Megaman, right?
LOL, yes. I began playing Castlevania during the year of 1988 when it was released in the US.........and every title on the home platforms since.
Also, it was hardly "lumped" into things like Mega Man, and Mario Brothers. (sheesh) As Doc Holiday said in Tombstone, ...."what an ugly thing to say...."
I also realize that Castlevania was never a mainstay title for MOST gamers, but the people that have called the series "home" for various reasons are a whole different story....
Thernz---Your intuitive interpretation of my statement was spot on. Thanks.
-
i think he just means he doesn't want to see castlevania milked.
Yeah, because the CV series has never been milked before:
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv725%2Fserapheit81%2FCVMilkingMachine.jpg&hash=65950f38a480462e4d0fb522de13f849208f0a3a)
-
but the cd box was great considering the rarity of the original soundtracks, and so is kid dracula ; - ;
pachinko is just busy being pachinko, it's... not really enough to nag about, considering it isn't draining any budget from the main series budget, being developed by a separate branch focused on those types of games anyway.
it's reeeally not being milked to a dangerous amount, i would at least say.
-
Oh ho, but nobody said milking could be a bad thing. In some cases, milking IS bad, but yeah, with CV, it's not as bad.
-
This game/series is one that does not cater to everyone. CV was never meant to be on WII and all that other jazz. It should remain popular with those that enjoy this type of game rather than those that entertain Mario Brothers and all the spin offs as the best games on Earth. The minute CV goes intriguing the "come one come all" players, the minute the complaints about suckier titles go through the roof. I'd rather not see a series that has, overall, been pretty good turn into a diluted, super-crap version of itself.
I don't think being popular and catering to a smaller fanbase are mutually exclusive. It takes work, though. Seems like Sega is doing this pretty well with Sonic Colors, which is not only a 3D Sonic game but - gasp! - has ENJOYABLE new gimmicks and non-shitty writing! At least so far.
-
Yeah, because the CV series has never been milked before:
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv725%2Fserapheit81%2FCVMilkingMachine.jpg&hash=65950f38a480462e4d0fb522de13f849208f0a3a)
I know that many of the handheld titles were pretty good. Some things should have never been done.
I guess I measure a series more often by looking at what has been done on Home Consoles. Given they have more power to deliver an experience (usually), it's just what I look at.
I know I am trying to cross-compare games to show the difference between, well, I'd say the casual crowd versus hard(er) core gamers, but in some ways it's been nice to know that your average guitar hero would not pick up a vampire killler, generally speaking.
Other series that are going through this sort of reboot or whatever would be Armored Core, a mech game. It has always had its following, but the instant they took away some of the elements that made a veteran a veteran, and made it so anyone could play, everything got watered down.
This is not to say the games are not enjoyable, but they are not exactly what is expected.
Sonic, in a way, like Mario Bros. and others, sort of don't count. These are titles that, back in the day, came with the system when purchased to show off what it could do, and present owners of that system with a game an entire family could love and be challenged by. I never felt that CV fell into that classification. If new things have to happen, that is an awesome thing. However, when games start straying so far from their essence, that's where the bad milking comes, I suppose.
@ Munchy, you are right about fanbase and popularity not being mutually exclusive. Say this title takes the series back into huge limelight, well, we may all be very happy with what comes next.
-
From what I can tell, not very popular at all. I hope Lords of Shadow changes that because, quite frankly, I'm tired of Konami being Metal Gear Solid: the company.
I quite agree with you. While everybody I know has played at least a couple Metal Gear games. Shoot I don't even know of any games from Konami except for Metal Gear the last few years. Where is Contra for 360? Basically only one of my friends knows what CV is, and really only because I clamor about it so much. I thank the gods that somehow Dracula X made it onto virtual console. Even though I paid the bucks for it for my Turbo Duo in 2004. Maybe if this one makes Konami enough loot we can finally get a Castlevania Collection. One of my dream video games.
-
Where is Contra for 360?
Arc System Works is making an HD sequel to Contra Hard Corps for the 360 and PS3. It's a digital title, though.
At least they're making a 3DS Contra. Should be cool as long as Konami doesn't catch whatever Capcom got and farm it out to Titus the Fox or something.
-
Well thank you for the info, that sounds awesome! Wow, I just checked a video out of it on IGN. Looks suepr cool. Bring on the HD 2D games. I didn't play a ton of contra, but the music on this game sounds like it might be more like Guilty Gear than Contra. Maybe it's just the metal'ness of it. Game look cool for sure though.