Topic: Konami's Approval Rating

[Successor The Cruel]

Konami is one of the greatest video game companies in history. However, what they're doing with Castlevania is horrendous and, frankly, disrespectful to the series and its fans. A good example is Dave Cox telling us we basically don't matter, and he and his team sacrificing the spirit of the series in a misguided attempt to get more casual people interested. There is nothing wrong with getting more fans, but I think there is when the series' identity suffers. When all the product is is a hodgepodge of ideas from other well established franchises, it just makes the product look like a poor man's version of those things, and a desperate attempt to ride on the coattails of what is currently popular. This is not to imply the only solution is to go back to having Koji Igarashi helm the series (if that is a solution at all), but what they're doing now is pretty darn bad.

As far as the other things Konami is doing? Meh, I dunno' nor care. I'm only really interested in Castlevania from them at the moment. I like plenty of other series and games from them, but I only faithfully follow CV right now. Concerning the lack of 25th anniversary goodies? Man, that is the least of Castlevania's problems. I know it shows a general lack of care from Konami, but the way I see things, the Castlevania series has much bigger problems than the lack of a re-released game or artbook or whatever.

[Chernabogue]

I agree with all of Flame's posts.

[Claimh Solais]

I for one still have a high opinion of Konami. Cuz, let's face it. They have a lot of games that are just worth playing. The entire Castlevania series, the entire Metal Gear series (and I'm looking forward to Rising!), the entire Suikoden series, and even standalone titles such as Shadow of Destiny/Memories and Nanobreaker (both of which had IGA as a producer). All of their titles I've played so far have been great. Well, except DDR. I've never actually found that quite fun.

And besides, Konami's not the only company that SCREWED UP a game series.
Konami = Castlevania (what has been talked about for several months on this board)
Capcom = Devil May Cry (DmC)
Square Enix = Final Fantasy (FF13 sucked)
Tecmo = Dead or Alive (when what's-his-face producer left it went downhill)
etc. etc. etc. etc.

[A-Yty]

I'm just correcting him. Nothing more. people say that as a way to dismiss LoS because they dont like it, but it is incorrect and untrue. And rather bothers me.

Not necessarily to dismiss it. It certainly didn't harm SH4's reputation when Konami flat out admitted it wasn't originally a Silent Hill game.

[uzo]

Are you implying Dead or Alive was ever a good game?

[Flame]

I agree with all of Flame's posts.

Thanks... I guess...

[Claimh Solais]

Are you implying Dead or Alive was ever a good game?

I think that the combat in that game is far better than most fist fighters out there. I don't play it for the women (who are one-dimensional and have terrible portrayals). I play it for the fast paced combat and annoyingly hard boss battles. :3

[Kingshango]

Konami used to be a top tier company in my eyes putting out quality game after quality game but I will be the first to admit that Konami rised and peaked at the 90's and their decline started at the turn of the millenium. To me Konami's last effort was Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater (and the know it considering they're porting it to 4 other systems now.)

As far as Konami's treatment of Castlevania is concerned, they're better off just selling the series to a company that gives a damn instead of placing it in the corner trying to figure out what the hell they want to do with it (while pimping out Metal Gear and Kojima in general) and just burying the rest of the franchises that they have like Suikoden and Gradius and flatout killing Hudson.

In short I disapprove of Konami.

May god help the Contra reboot 

[Ahasverus]

Konami is terrible in marketing and managing PR, it also treats horribly some of its franchises (Suikoden, Silent Hill, Castlevania!) with little to zero interest in making them grow, they just pay a studio and say "do what you please!" the game becomes (mostly) a mess of ideas (also hitting the canon and harassing the fanbase) and they don't give any promotion for them.

If it wasn't for Kojima, I don't know how far the MGS would have gone. Konami is a terrible, terrible publisher.

Howver the same could be said of all Japanease publishers, the eastern industry is really struggling these days, they just don't know what to do anymore.

[Claimh Solais]

Konami is terrible in marketing and managing PR, it also treats horribly some of its franchises (Disgaea, Silent Hill, Castlevania!)

Since when was Disgaea a Konami game? Please clue me in. ^^

[Ahasverus]

Since when was Disgaea a Konami game? Please clue me in. ^^

Sorry I confused Suikoden

[Sindra]

I'm not happy with what's been happening with not only the Castlevania series, but Silent Hill as well. If Downpour doesn't right alot of wrongs, that's the next series I think will be needing some fan outcry to restore, if that's even possible.

Real question being, what does everyone think Konami SHOULD be doing in order to meet a balance where both they and we get what everyone wants?

[narkolepsi]

Konami is one of the greatest video game companies in history. However, what they're doing with Castlevania is horrendous and, frankly, disrespectful to the series and its fans. A good example is Dave Cox telling us we basically don't matter, and he and his team sacrificing the spirit of the series in a misguided attempt to get more casual people interested. There is nothing wrong with getting more fans, but I think there is when the series' identity suffers. When all the product is is a hodgepodge of ideas from other well established franchises, it just makes the product look like a poor man's version of those things, and a desperate attempt to ride on the coattails of what is currently popular. This is not to imply the only solution is to go back to having Koji Igarashi helm the series (if that is a solution at all), but what they're doing now is pretty darn bad.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

At first I was indifferent to LoS, and even thought it beautiful. Now I can't stand to look at it or anything surrounding it. Konami and the (aptly named) Cox don't want fans of the series, they want players. There is a difference: the fans of Castlevania as a rich, epic mythic cycle spanning 25 years (a milestone that isn't even being celebrated), and the players of Castlevania as a big-name title shelved alongside other big-name titles.

It makes me incredibly sad to see the series take a downward spiral like this. Even from the memories of me playing Castlevania the Adventure at a family gathering 10 years ago and later listening to SotN music before I even knew what it was, to me picking up OoE at the Nintendo Store in NYC in 2008 and starting my file in the Hard Rock Cafe, to now where I am an active collector of the series and a proud devotee...I am very dismayed at the neglect this great series is receiving. I hope that, one day, Konami will decide to hear us fans out. That is, if they're not too busy hiding in Snake's cardboard box to care.

Konami itself? Their old-school games were gold, but otherwise I just don't care. Other than Castlevania, which is really the only series of theirs I'm hardcore into, I mostly followed their music games and they've definitely taken a nosedive. I was a big DDR player until SuperNOVA, then they just stopped trying. I don't even shrug my shoulders when a new one comes out. They killed their music game industry in America and could have had a great chance to dominate the music genre in America as they do in Japan, but because of their regional stinginess, Guitar Hero and Rock Band arrived on the scene and all was history. Another favorite of mine is Pop'n Music and they've only given us two half-assed US ports. I own a lot of Japanese pop'n goods, but really guys, if you're going to bring an amazing property stateside, at least freaking TRY.

TL;DR: "We've replaced their music games with Folger's Crystals. Let's see if they notice."

Oh, and poor Hudson...

I don't know what Konami should be doing...there are so many spectra of Castlevania fans that it will probably be impossible to please everyone at once. I think that the fans need to make their general stance known and communicate their needs, and then it will be a little easier to judge from there.

[Ahasverus]

Real question being, what does everyone think Konami SHOULD be doing in order to meet a balance where both they and we get what everyone wants?

Sell Silent Hill to THQ and Castlevania to EA/Ubisoft.

Problem Solved!

[Claimh Solais]

Castlevania to EA/Ubisoft.

Anything but that. D: