Topic: Operation: Akumajo commencing Viral Campaign

[Sindra]

All in all, we fans don't really deserve a new game with the way we're acting now. Another LoS is fine to a degree, but nothing from the original timeline cause for all we know, it'll have RECYCLED SPRITES and REUSED LEVELS and we'll get ANGRY if they do that again.

Deko, stop being a fandom-deprecating prick and actually try suggesting something constructive and useful to discuss, instead of warring it out with Crisis. Your last few posts have just been repeats of the same thing.

[Kingshango]

And on that note it's time to get back on topic, I believe I didn't really say anything bout the operation so here goes:

I support you guys as much as the next fan for wanting more Castlevania goodness but the whole campaign comes off as a pre teen temper tantrum.

[Nagumo]

*bangs Deko's and Kamui Zero's heads against each other*

Shush!

[Flame]

You know, rather than keep fighting for the past, and complaining about how you dont like Lords of Shadow,

Why dont we as fans instead try to gear a campaign more towards giving MS and Cox massive feedback and showing them the things that need to be addressed for any LoS sequels?

instead of fighting for stagnation and "no change" we should embrace change and instead channel our energy towards making that change into something that retains the gothic and highly atmospheric essence that has defined Castlevania for almost its entire life?

Im certain that if managed right, the series can be both gothic AND still appeal to the current generation. The art style now, IS something that might have to remain as it is right now. it wasn't that bad, it is actually really cool looking, and Kojima's art, no matter how great is still anime influenced, with bishoiunen pretty boys which will not appeal to everybody.  I only wish that they had gone the Japanese route and actually used that amazing Gabriel cover art for the regular version release, rather than saving it for the special editions. But its understandable why they went that route, since nowadays thats how the devs handle it. renders for cover art.

[DarkPrinceAlucard]

instead of fighting for stagnation and "no change" we should embrace change and instead channel our energy towards making that change into something that retains the gothic and highly atmospheric essence that has defined Castlevania for almost its entire life?

I actually do not mind change.

I am willing to embrace it ONLY if its something that appeals to me as a longtime CV fan.

And LOS just did not sadly.

I agree that we should try to give MS feedback on what they did wrong and what they can do in the future, but the thing is how do we even know they will even listen?

And even if they did I still do not want the previous genre of games to die, such as the metroidvania and classicvania video games.

I still would like to see a 2.D CV experiance finally make its way back to consoles.

So even if LOS2 does do well and finally does appeal to me as a CV fan I still will never forget what I know about the classic  Castlevania.

And I will still want the older CV genre to be further expanded upon.

[whitedragon_nall]

You know, rather than keep fighting for the past, and complaining about how you dont like Lords of Shadow,

Why dont we as fans instead try to gear a campaign more towards giving MS and Cox massive feedback and showing them the things that need to be addressed for any LoS sequels?

This is a good idea, but I have no idea where to even begin. Post on the LoS Facebook page? The MS website is in Spanish, so I have no idea how to give them feedback since I don't speak Spanish. Maybe we throw all the feedback in Konami's direction, but I don't even know if they're willing to listen.

I actually do not mind change......


......And I will still want the older CV genre to be further expanded upon.

I pretty much agree with everything stated here. IMO, LoS is a fun game and I can't say I didn't enjoy playing it, but as a fan, I was left disappointed. Plus, I love the older games and their genre far too much to just forget about it completely. A 2D return to consoles would be glorious.

A LoS sequel does have a lot of potential, especially if they address our concerns, but, like I said above, we need a better place to put our feedback.

[Chernabogue]

This is a good idea, but I have no idea where to even begin. Post on the LoS Facebook page? The MS website is in Spanish, so I have no idea how to give them feedback since I don't speak Spanish. Maybe we throw all the feedback in Konami's direction, but I don't even know if they're willing to listen.

Make a big post here, or on the CV Dungeon website (or anywhere else) and tweet/send a message to Cox/MS with a link to that website/post. It's worth a try, isn't it?

[Successor The Cruel]

You know, rather than keep fighting for the past, and complaining about how you dont like Lords of Shadow,

Why dont we as fans instead try to gear a campaign more towards giving MS and Cox massive feedback and showing them the things that need to be addressed for any LoS sequels?

Seeing as how Cox has been known to visit fan forums, I'm sure he's gotten all the feedback from fans that he needs to know what they think. He's well aware that many fans feel the game is "not Castlevania enough." When you simplify his responses to that sentiment, they basically amount to him saying that he doesn't care and he doesn't think the Castlevania aesthetic is marketable.

I think it's dumb to think that gothic vampire stuff won't sell well. If ogre fantasy like Lord of the Rings (which LoS tries to be like) sells, then vampires should be able to as well. It's just that there have been so few excellent Castlevania games in recent times and the marketing for the series has been really poor. When Konami doesn't put enough into the projects to make them a big deal, they won't be a big deal. The subject matter doesn't matter (unless taken to some bizarre extreme). People will buy and play good games, whether they are about robots, mermaids, trolls, plumbers, space men, pilots, gang bangers, bounty hunters, bears, kingdom managing, or whatever.

[Flame]

Gothic is something that not everyone likes. Its harder to market than high fantasy or dark fantasy, which has been popularized already by Hollywood and countless games and media in that style. Gothic is something a bit less "mainstream" as it were. the word itself to the common person, brings to mind "Goth" and images of teenagers dressed in black clothes writing depressing poetry, not the likes of Edgar Allan Poe's works, or the architecture.

Doesnt help that bastardizations of the Goth style such as Emo, have sort of tarnished public view of "Goth" and thus subsequently, "Gothic".

TL;DR, it also has to be done RIGHT. Not just anyone can do Gothic right. Look at movies like Van Hellsing, or a Russian movie called Vedma, those are movies that get the atmosphere and style right.

If you think Cox wont listen, what the hell makes you think Konami will? they obviously support his direction, if it won out over IGA's more traditional one. And LoS made enough money that Konami will continue it.

This is a good idea, but I have no idea where to even begin. Post on the LoS Facebook page? The MS website is in Spanish, so I have no idea how to give them feedback since I don't speak Spanish. Maybe we throw all the feedback in Konami's direction, but I don't even know if they're willing to listen.

the same exact shit you are all doing with Operation Akumajo. Only geared towards LoS. that simple.

[Sindra]

You guys want to help do something without needing to put forth a lot of effort? Retweet shit like this that you want Konami/Cox/MS to know irks you, but without being demanding - http://twitter.com/#!/CVSyndicate/status/109691359803359232

Seems like a good example. It's not demanding anything, but calls Konami on their crap. Retweeting/Facebook-Liking/Spreading the Word really does help spread stuff around, even to casual fans who may not keep on top of stuff like we do. (if you search "Castlevania" on Twitter, you find a LOT of people like that)

But yeah, THIS is the kind of irksome stuff we should be decrying. Not petty arguments about Lords of Shadow or Harmony of Despair that have been beaten like a dead horse.

[crisis]

Hey @Konami - you have a website for Frogger's 30th Anniversary but not even an Facebook page for Castlevania's 25th?

LOL, that's so sad that it just makes me laugh.

[Deko21]

Deko, stop being a fandom-deprecating prick and actually try suggesting something constructive and useful to discuss, instead of warring it out with Crisis. Your last few posts have just been repeats of the same thing.

*bangs Deko's and Kamui Zero's heads against each other*

Shush!

Alright alright, i'm sorry for being a prick, ok? I'll try not to lose my head next time.

Regardless of how low an opinion some people may have of the Wii it is still ultimately a Console which just makes your point sound silly.
Furthermore Toki Remix, Dust: an elysian Tale, Bloodrayne Betrayal & Rayman origins are all great looking 2D platform games soon to be available on home CONSOLES including your oh so superior PS3's and Xbox360's.

I was actually referring to the people who don't look at the wii as a good console, not including myself cause i still play mine, least the emus since its hacked. And i almost forgot about those games, so no need to lash at me like i'm some bad guy.

Anywho, LoS was a good game. The only problem it had was that it was just a mish mash of a number of existing hack n slash games. I didn't mind the linearity but it just irks me that its trying to be a ripoff (or is).

[Successor The Cruel]

Gothic is something that not everyone likes.

Perhaps the same can be said of all religions.

Its harder to market than high fantasy or dark fantasy, which has been popularized already by Hollywood and countless games and media in that style.

I don't really believe that. Since when was Dracula ever hard to market? He's a literal icon (like Darth Vader and Superman). I don't see what makes vampires and castles harder to market than tactical espionage action. Castlevania has nothing to do with emo. People who are into vampires and castles will immediately be intrigued, and people who like good games will play it if it's a good game and they will tell their friends to play it.

[KaZudra]

Its acutally pretty easy to market castlevania, Do what God of War did (advertisement wise)
Castlevania is a game where the main character beats up zombies, Werewolves, Movie monster/demons, and Mythological creatures.
Like GoW, Just showcase the action and a little on the plot, but not page by page of GoW.

GoW was an overhyped Copy of DMC, Rygar and Castlevania, it mostly got popular by the hype and advertisement.

[Successor The Cruel]

I don't think Castlevania's marketing problems are to do with vampires and stuff. It's more about un-aggressive advertising campaigns and boneheaded moves, almost as if Konami doesn't really care. Take Adventure ReBirth, for example. If memory serves, it was announced roughly about two weeks before its release, and it was in some kind of offhand manner (I think it was a small blurb in a magazine, or something). Then, no one really knew the release date. Even when the game was out, plenty of people (even hardcore Castlevania fans) weren't really sure it was even out. There was confusion galore. No promotional art, no ads in magazines, no hype... nothing. It was just there. Quietly.

But yeah, for the most part, Castlevania is played by, for lack of a better term, ordinary people who like video games. Not primarily vampirefreaks.com people who are a part of a very distinctive "scene" or indulge in some weird alternative lifestyle. I hold that people who like great games won't be turned off by vampires, decrepit castles, and other horror monsters.

Aside from marketing issues, the problem with Castlevania is that there hasn't been anything earth shattering and status quo breaking while at the same time being GOOD since Symphony of the Night. While good games have been released, there hasn't been anything that makes a huge statement and puts the series in a new and fresh direction that has been generally pleasing. Lords tried to do that, but it failed. Because of this stagnation, some people don't feel the need to pay attention to Castlevania. Now, things are worse than ever before, because the games aren't even good.