Topic: Castlevania in 10 Years

[crisis]

Given that the Mayan Apocalypse doesn't occur in 2012 (fingers crossed), where would you like to see the series 10 yrs from now?

Do you see an abundance of handheld titles, or will the series become a lot more mainstream with the release of Lords of Shadow? Do you predict MercurySteam taking over the role of 3D games, or would Konami commission other studios to have a shot at it? Will Dave Cox become a permanent member of the core CV team?

Do you see IGA's status remaining the same, or would he produce a phenomenal 2D game that revolutionizes the series in ways we haven't seen before? Will CV ReBirth's release harken more downloadable content, or will Konami release a few here & there?

Do you think the death of "traditional" CV is a few years away, or do you see a light at the end of the tunnel?

How will the future impact our beloved series? Eager to read your thoughts.

[nsideus]

Konami is obviously trying to do something different this year, trying to bring on a "rebirth" in the series.  If Lords of Shadow is a success financially, they'll keep going in that direction.  If it isn't, I wouldn't be surprised if they scrapped the new direction and tried something completely different. 

Like SotN.  It wasn't a great success financially upon the original PS1 release.  Remember which games came out over the next few years after SotN? Castlevania 64 and Legacy of Darkness. 

I think Iga will stay around as long as he can make Konami money.  If people get tired of Classicvania or Metroidvania, he might be in trouble.  But with the way downloadable games have taken off, I don't think that is too likely.  I think the era of full cartridge/disc releases of Classicvania/Metroidvania is over though.

[VGuyver]

Konami is a great company, and I can expec it to keep churning out some great Castlevania games over the years. I don't expect IGA to be around that long though.

[shelverton.]

Castlevania will follow the gaming industry, as will all other franchises. I definitely think download is the future, which saddens me a little cause it doesn't really feel the same, but what will be will be...

I don't think IGA will be making Castlevania games in 10 years, he'll eventually wanna do other things.
In 10 years we'll have someone completely new, probably someone who's, like, 18 years old at the moment. There are soooo many talented people who'll grow up and take over some very big positions in the industry.

I wonder what games will look like in 10 years time... we've come to a point where graphics are near photo realism already. There's always room for improvement though, I guess...

[Felix]

In 10 years, the storyline will be even more fucked up than it actually is. And I say fucked up it's because it's really some fucked up shit, so you're better off with shit.

No pun intended.

[X]

I don't see IGA being around for the series much longer. If he continues to follow his current way of thinking, the CV fan comunity will start a riot then Konami will have no choice but to let him go. As for the CV series, I think it'll still be around for another ten years, twenty years even. Like all other game franchises it'll evolve but there will still be the traditional games that come out every now and then just to win over both old and new fans.

-X

[Rugal]

In 10 years games like Halo and CoD will make games like Castlevania obsolete because of rabid new age gamer kids.

[Belmont Stakes]

In ten years we will be in the game as players with full abilities and movement freedom but only if doubling theory applies. Hopefully it will be a darker game with a charcter entering the castle with only a whip and one candle. I want it to be a very subdued quiet to silent creepy experience. More of a survival horror game with the opportunity for combat and powering up. 

[VGuyver]

I expect a Castlevania online showing up towards the latter end of ten years later.

[kadosho]

Castlevania in 10 years.. 
I am curious to see what other storylines can come out of the series.
Battle of 99' - The End? *one of the major stories we have yet to get into

Gameplay wise? Seeing the direction over the years, CV has been very enjoyable.
I have never disliked any entries, if its challenging (bring it on!). Music, let it be vibrant, yet mysterious.
Artwork, from Kojima to Maasaki; we have definitely seen some diverse work. Curious who's talent will be shared next!?

To the future of CV.. who knows, but it will be a trip worth taking.

[Dremn]

Once 2D Castlevania dies, the series is dead to me. Hopefully it will still be alive for the next 10 years.

[Kingshango]

There will always be a place for 2D Castlevania's.

[nsideus]

Once 2D Castlevania dies, the series is dead to me. Hopefully it will still be alive for the next 10 years.

It's thinking like this that keeps the series from progressing into 3D and becoming bigger and better.  If only 2D Castlevanias will ever be successful, they are only going to ever be downloadables or handheld titles.  That is going to limit the budgets, and therefore limit the quality of the games. 

But if Lords of Shadow does turn out to be a success, and they keep going in the 3D direction, I'm sure they'll keep around 2D puzzle-RPG Castlevanias to keep you happy.

[Nagumo]

3D doesn't automatically mean a gaming series is going to get better. That's the most ridiculous statement I heard this year. There is nothing that would stop Konami from giving a 2D game a bigger budget. They only reason why they would make a 3D vania is to reach more/different people who do want to buy the games or it was Mercury Steam's own choice to develop the reboot for the PS3.

[nsideus]

How many big budget 2D games do you see coming out on PS3/360?  Sure there are still successful 2D games on the market, but they are either PSN/XBLA/Wiiware games or on handhelds.  Releasing a 2D side-scroller big budget packaged PS3/360 game would be a huge risk in today's market.  Only the hardcore fans would buy it, and that doesn't seem to be enough for Konami anymore, hence the reboot.

As long as Castlevania stays 2D, it's going to be low to mid budget and the series will stagnate.